Mama Bear storms Florida beach & other reasons to get in shape!
frankiesgirlie
Posts: 669 Member
Running our local dogs allowed beach today, as we do twice a week for a good 3-4 miles.
Me, my husband and our black lab.
Two big dogs we didn't recognize were off leash and started running toward us. When they were about 10 feet from us, I quickly said to my husband this doesn't look good.
In a flash they both attacked our dog.
My husband and I both lunged to protect her and being th lab she is she ran fast into the surf with the two dogs ( big bull dogs of some kind) right behind her.
My husband and I flew behind them, fully clothed, iPhones, car keys and my husbands wallet on us.
Somehow, I don't know how, because the surf was rough because this time of year our beaches are windy, I grabbed one by the collar and my husband grabbed the other one by the rump and we pulled them off our dog. About that time the owners of the dogs, came running from the sea grass toward their dogs.
It goes without saying that my husband and I were pumped. The adrenaline was surging and we let lose with a stream of foul language to the owners, who couldn't say a word since there is signage at entrance saying all dogs must be leashed and no vicious dogs allowed.
They leashed their dogs and retreated and we went to work making sure our dog was Ok and didn't need a trip to the vet.
There was a family a few yards down the beach and the parents came running over to ask if we were OK. The husband said that our reaction was like when his child fell off a dock and nearly drowned, that he was in the water with in a millsecond and pulled him out.
We had a good laugh because the father was about 25 or so and I'm 54 and my husband is 63. The wife joked, don't let us interrupt your jog, it's obvious it's kept you both in shape,
We left talking about in the car that while we exercise to feel good and keep our weight in check, being in shape is truly about Sooo much more than vanity pounds.
Keeping this in my thoughts as I run, lift, stretch and burn those calories from this point on.
What are your reasons for working out?
Me, my husband and our black lab.
Two big dogs we didn't recognize were off leash and started running toward us. When they were about 10 feet from us, I quickly said to my husband this doesn't look good.
In a flash they both attacked our dog.
My husband and I both lunged to protect her and being th lab she is she ran fast into the surf with the two dogs ( big bull dogs of some kind) right behind her.
My husband and I flew behind them, fully clothed, iPhones, car keys and my husbands wallet on us.
Somehow, I don't know how, because the surf was rough because this time of year our beaches are windy, I grabbed one by the collar and my husband grabbed the other one by the rump and we pulled them off our dog. About that time the owners of the dogs, came running from the sea grass toward their dogs.
It goes without saying that my husband and I were pumped. The adrenaline was surging and we let lose with a stream of foul language to the owners, who couldn't say a word since there is signage at entrance saying all dogs must be leashed and no vicious dogs allowed.
They leashed their dogs and retreated and we went to work making sure our dog was Ok and didn't need a trip to the vet.
There was a family a few yards down the beach and the parents came running over to ask if we were OK. The husband said that our reaction was like when his child fell off a dock and nearly drowned, that he was in the water with in a millsecond and pulled him out.
We had a good laugh because the father was about 25 or so and I'm 54 and my husband is 63. The wife joked, don't let us interrupt your jog, it's obvious it's kept you both in shape,
We left talking about in the car that while we exercise to feel good and keep our weight in check, being in shape is truly about Sooo much more than vanity pounds.
Keeping this in my thoughts as I run, lift, stretch and burn those calories from this point on.
What are your reasons for working out?
0
Replies
-
Loved your story! I exercise because it makes happy and makes me feel young.0
-
Thank you for your reply! I love it!0
-
Wow that experience sounds just awful......great that you were there and able to act so swiftly and decisively to defend your dog....
I exercise in my own limited way to keep limber and try to maintain what muscle and bone strength I still have since breaking my back last year and finding out I have osteoporosis.0 -
Thanks for sharing0
-
Thank you for your posts!!0
-
I'm glad it all turned out ok!
Me (62) and my husband (66) keep in shape to feel good, look good to each other and have lots of physical fun with our granddaughters, ages 2 and 9!0 -
healthygreek wrote: »I'm glad it all turned out ok!
Me (62) and my husband (66) keep in shape to feel good, look good to each other and have lots of physical fun with our granddaughters, ages 2 and 9!
That looking good to each other is a big one!
Not to mention the grand kiddies!
0 -
Scary, glad your fur baby is okay!0
-
Thank you my friend!!0
-
Sadly, this is a very common experience. Hate hate HATE it when irresponsible dog owners let their pets off leash at the beach.
I used to live on the coast and I was chased and bitten so many times that it is ridiculous. Carry pepper spray--and a big rock in your pocket.0 -
It is sad. And it's every bit the owners fault. Funny thing is , my husband carries a stick, like a piece of petrified wood, but because of the waves when he went to swing at the one dog he missed. We don't want to be in a position to hit a dog, we LOVE dogs, but the idiot owners put us in a position to protect our fur baby.0
-
Full-auto............... That's what you need.
Umbrellas that is. It's a VERY useful tactic in stopping a dog charging you. Wait til dog is about 8-10 feet away, let the fully-automatic (single button, opens all the way without second button or push) umbrella open, point facing the dog. It's enough to scare the crap out of them because it's very sudden, but it won't hurt them, and that moment of hesitation is all one needs to either wait for the owner, or take a dominant position and let the dog know very LOUDLY you are not to be ****ed with. Used to have this problem with dogs attacking my tiny tiny corgi/border collie mix at the park, and she's a total pushover. $10 gas station umbrella and not a single issue since.0 -
The dog has no idea the umbrella is not an offensive weapon intended to kill/maim it, or an extension of your now much more intimidating body. Dogs charge because, even well trained, dogs are subject first and foremost to instinct. So it's not that they won't stop, it's that they really can't. The full auto umbrella suddenly swooping out directly at them is sometimes (in my experience MOST times) more than enough to shock the dog out of that zone they get in so not only do they rethink what they were doing, but decide against it upon further reflection:):):)0
-
That said, congrats on your weight loss and your continued health and fitness! I couldn't even lift a big dog right now! You inspire me!0
-
Dang...I thought this thread was about actual black bear, which are making a triumphant comeback in the SE US.0
-
clgaram720 wrote: »The dog has no idea the umbrella is not an offensive weapon intended to kill/maim it, or an extension of your now much more intimidating body. Dogs charge because, even well trained, dogs are subject first and foremost to instinct. So it's not that they won't stop, it's that they really can't. The full auto umbrella suddenly swooping out directly at them is sometimes (in my experience MOST times) more than enough to shock the dog out of that zone they get in so not only do they rethink what they were doing, but decide against it upon further reflection:):):)
Wow! That is quite brilliant! I would have never thought of that. We were going to pet smart tomorrow to see what we can find. We're off to the beach again in the morning and I know we have a least one of those push button jobbies in the house. Thank you so much!
0 -
clgaram720 wrote: »That said, congrats on your weight loss and your continued health and fitness! I couldn't even lift a big dog right now! You inspire me!
Thank you, very kind if you, but I think I was running on adrenaline.0 -
Dang...I thought this thread was about actual black bear, which are making a triumphant comeback in the SE US.
Oops! So sorry John. We have wild cats or Cougars in our neighborhood, even a wild boar or 2. Oh and we have the most beautiful big Sandhill cranes that mate for life. But no black bears that I know of0 -
Great story! I'm glad you guys and the doggies are okay.0
-
frankiesgirlie wrote: »clgaram720 wrote: »The dog has no idea the umbrella is not an offensive weapon intended to kill/maim it, or an extension of your now much more intimidating body. Dogs charge because, even well trained, dogs are subject first and foremost to instinct. So it's not that they won't stop, it's that they really can't. The full auto umbrella suddenly swooping out directly at them is sometimes (in my experience MOST times) more than enough to shock the dog out of that zone they get in so not only do they rethink what they were doing, but decide against it upon further reflection:):):)
Wow! That is quite brilliant! I would have never thought of that. We were going to pet smart tomorrow to see what we can find. We're off to the beach again in the morning and I know we have a least one of those push button jobbies in the house. Thank you so much!
Of course:) I'm all about finding non violent ways to deal with stuff. Obviously you HAD to pull those dogs off your fur baby, I'm so not calling you violent, or anyone else for that matter, you have to do what you have to do in the moment, just thought I'd offer an alternative most people don't go "oh dogs charging me.......yep, umbrella". It's just not the first thing to spring to mind. So I thought it'd be cool to share
It wasn't my idea, the advanced dog training instructor taught us 0 -
Also, the bigger and WHITER the better. I mean a dark color will do, but think how different it would look to you if some giant white bright (reflects the sunlight) thing appeared out of nowhere in your face versus a smaller black thing. I have also used the umbrella as a shield, obviously there's nothing to it, the charging dog COULD rip through if he knew that, but he doesn't, and it's hard to attack what you cannot see. I dunno if your dog fits behind an umbrella, but mine did and it was really helpful for that 1% of the time the dog wouldn't give up
0 -
I love it. We have a white & green striped one we took today. No problems today thank goodness, but we're now prepared. Just the whoosh sound it makes when you open it made our dog jump , so I think it is a fantastic idea. Thank you for sharing it with me.
Me too with the nonviolence. I LOVE animals and all 6 of our pets over the years have been shelter rescues. Hitting a dog is out of the question for me unless me or my fsmily( and my pets are family) are in danger of harm from them and I'll do what I gotta do.
Same with people. I've never struck or got physical with a person (as an adult anyway), but I certainly would if someone I love is in danger.0 -
frankiesgirlie wrote: »I love it. We have a white & green striped one we took today. No problems today thank goodness, but we're now prepared. Just the whoosh sound it makes when you open it made our dog jump , so I think it is a fantastic idea. Thank you for sharing it with me.
Me too with the nonviolence. I LOVE animals and all 6 of our pets over the years have been shelter rescues. Hitting a dog is out of the question for me unless me or my fsmily( and my pets are family) are in danger of harm from them and I'll do what I gotta do.
Same with people. I've never struck or got physical with a person (as an adult anyway), but I certainly would if someone I love is in danger.
Amen! I'm so glad you had one lying around instead of having to buy one! And I'm happy today's walk was better than the last one!0 -
I hate people who don't leash their dogs in public areas. My 2 aren't friendly, but I always leash them in public so I can keep them under control (not counting the one time my boy slipped out of his harness somehow and took off to bark at some people).
It's very common where I live to come across people walking their dogs loose. They always just say oh, my dog is super friendly. Which is great, except mine isn't and now your dog has run over to mine, and mine has tried to attack it. Thank goodness my dogs are small, and I always walk with a harness so I can just yank them up and out of the way before they snap.0 -
Have to wonder what kind of person lets their dog run free when they aren't even there.
Glad your dog is okay!
I thought this was going to be an actual bear, as we've had some problems with them the last few years. I thought it was going to have eaten a kid or something. Your story, bad and scary as it must have been, is much better than what I thought I was going to see. 0 -
LittleMissMae wrote: »I hate people who don't leash their dogs in public areas. My 2 aren't friendly, but I always leash them in public so I can keep them under control (not counting the one time my boy slipped out of his harness somehow and took off to bark at some people).
It's very common where I live to come across people walking their dogs loose. They always just say oh, my dog is super friendly. Which is great, except mine isn't and now your dog has run over to mine, and mine has tried to attack it. Thank goodness my dogs are small, and I always walk with a harness so I can just yank them up and out of the way before they snap.
Absolutely. My dog is very friendly, but we still always leash her. This beach isn't crowded, it's a little remote, but when we are alone we keep her off leash. And then when we see people coming we leash her until we see if we recognize the people and dog. She has quite a few friends that she runs and plays with.
These people obviously got out of their car, you can't see the cars from the beach and then just let the dogs run onto the beach alone. They were so far away that they were useless to the situation.
Once again, all it takes is one idiot that has no concept of common sense and courtesy, to put other people and pets safety at risk.0 -
Have to wonder what kind of person lets their dog run free when they aren't even there.
Glad your dog is okay!
I thought this was going to be an actual bear, as we've had some problems with them the last few years. I thought it was going to have eaten a kid or something. Your story, bad and scary as it must have been, is much better than what I thought I was going to see.
Sorry kalikel,
You are the second person to think the post was about real bears. Now coming across one if those has got to be super scary.
Our gators are nothing to mess around with either. Lots of canals in our neighborhood with warning signs that we don't dare take our dog close to.
0 -
Fantastic story. Happy the dog is okay!0
-
LittleMissMae wrote: »I hate people who don't leash their dogs in public areas. My 2 aren't friendly, but I always leash them in public so I can keep them under control (not counting the one time my boy slipped out of his harness somehow and took off to bark at some people).
It's very common where I live to come across people walking their dogs loose. They always just say oh, my dog is super friendly. Which is great, except mine isn't and now your dog has run over to mine, and mine has tried to attack it. Thank goodness my dogs are small, and I always walk with a harness so I can just yank them up and out of the way before they snap.
I love dog parents like you. I have a crippling fear of dogs since being bitten as a young girl and find it so insensitive when people bring their dogs to public parks and don't think to leash them. Thanks for being responsible!0 -
frankiesgirlie wrote: »Running our local dogs allowed beach today, as we do twice a week for a good 3-4 miles.
Me, my husband and our black lab.
Two big dogs we didn't recognize were off leash and started running toward us. When they were about 10 feet from us, I quickly said to my husband this doesn't look good.
In a flash they both attacked our dog.
My husband and I both lunged to protect her and being th lab she is she ran fast into the surf with the two dogs ( big bull dogs of some kind) right behind her.
My husband and I flew behind them, fully clothed, iPhones, car keys and my husbands wallet on us.
Somehow, I don't know how, because the surf was rough because this time of year our beaches are windy, I grabbed one by the collar and my husband grabbed the other one by the rump and we pulled them off our dog. About that time the owners of the dogs, came running from the sea grass toward their dogs.
It goes without saying that my husband and I were pumped. The adrenaline was surging and we let lose with a stream of foul language to the owners, who couldn't say a word since there is signage at entrance saying all dogs must be leashed and no vicious dogs allowed.
They leashed their dogs and retreated and we went to work making sure our dog was Ok and didn't need a trip to the vet.
There was a family a few yards down the beach and the parents came running over to ask if we were OK. The husband said that our reaction was like when his child fell off a dock and nearly drowned, that he was in the water with in a millsecond and pulled him out.
We had a good laugh because the father was about 25 or so and I'm 54 and my husband is 63. The wife joked, don't let us interrupt your jog, it's obvious it's kept you both in shape,
We left talking about in the car that while we exercise to feel good and keep our weight in check, being in shape is truly about Sooo much more than vanity pounds.
Keeping this in my thoughts as I run, lift, stretch and burn those calories from this point on.
What are your reasons for working out?
I LOVE THIS! This is what matters in the long run! You guys did so great 0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions