Want to walk with my dog, but I'm scared.

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Replies

  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I really hope you're trolling.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Dogs are funny...now this may not work in all cases, but if you act big enough and tough enough and you literally bark at the dog and growl they sometimes back down. I've been able to scare down a charging boxer and border collie a couple of time. I still carry a knife though.

    This.

    But before barking and exposing the knife make sure you strip naked and rub yourself in trash.

    That's the only way they'll respect you.

    Dog-Whisperer_zpsbb86314e.jpg

    You musss beee dee pack LEEDERRR!

    Yeah and if you pee on their head it's even more effective calm and assertive. tsk tsk
  • dp1228
    dp1228 Posts: 439 Member
    I live in London so I usually just carry a knife.

    LOL QFT. i live in New York and do the same :drinker:
  • mamosh81
    mamosh81 Posts: 409 Member
    One word of caution - if you use pepper spray, it will affect everybody with eyes and nose an mouth - including you an your dog. So if you use it, make darn sure you know which direction it's pointed in an be prepared to be similarly incapacitated. But if carrying it gives you the confidence to control the situation, that's likely all the bully dog will need to back off.

    My dogs and I have had encounters with other dogs that, for one reason or another that I will never understand, were off leash and came at us. I put myself between the dogs and in no uncertain terms informed the loose dog that it had left its territory and was on my turf without my permission and would pay for its transgression if it came near (face the dog, show teeth, keep an aggressive posture, arms out to appear bigger, yell angry "GO HOME" etc). MY dogs responded by staying behind me and barking but knew I had it under control and thankfully didn't try to "protect" me. Sometimes I've carried a decent sized stick to back up my stance, but with two leashes and two 60# dogs, it's a lot of hassle. I'm petrified of pepper spraying myself in the face (more scared of pepper spray than fighting off a large dog, yes!).

    In my experience, if you commit yourself to physically protecting your dogs, this sends a message to all the dogs involved that you 1) really do have the right to use the territory you're on an 2) are able and willing to defend your pack. But dogs can sense fear, and they know if you're serious or not. And your dog may sense your fear and try to "help" by fighting off the scary dog.

    same for me lucky i only had that happen once a pit bull charged at me and my puppy i just made myself also as big as i could and yelling NO and STAY and GO HOME the pit stopped right in front of me looked startled and walked off. But that of course can be very dangerous with a truely aggressive dog. I do not trust pepper spray because i dont want to get it into my dogs or my eyes i usually carry a bottle mix of viniger and water dogs hate that smell and it does no harm to them but id also say call animal control and try to walk your dog somewhere else till the dogs in your neighborhood are under control.
    I dont understand ppl that let there dogs roam freely aggressive or not. My two i must admit attacked a newfie once and i jumped right in there getting them off lucky they didnt really hurt him but i would never tolerate and just stand there watching them attack someone/thing and it has never happen again after
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    One word of caution - if you use pepper spray, it will affect everybody with eyes and nose an mouth - including you an your dog. So if you use it, make darn sure you know which direction it's pointed in an be prepared to be similarly incapacitated. But if carrying it gives you the confidence to control the situation, that's likely all the bully dog will need to back off.

    That's why you use the wasp spray.....It works at a much greater distance and won't affect your dog.

    Dude - NO. LOL

    What if a stray dog has a hornet's nest fall on its head and it's running towards you? Can you use wasp killer then?
  • Armyantzzz
    Armyantzzz Posts: 214 Member
    Report the dog owners.... and keep the pepper spray handy!
  • Armyantzzz
    Armyantzzz Posts: 214 Member
    There is a pepper spray that shoots in a tight spiral that helps minimize 'spray back"
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Yeah... RAID.

    That'll stop them...

    Anything wanting to harm my dogs will suffer permanent damage...

    Anyway.

    Have the police been called? We had 2 vicious dogs here and they attacked other pets in the area repeatedly. The police were called and the dogs were first quarantined and then after that they were threatened with euthanasia.

    Both owners have since moved.
    Apparently they think they'll be better somewhere else...

    Good luck.

    so, don't use raid....

    anything like back off pepper spray is good. and as others say, call animal control. dangerous owners lead to dangerous dogs, if the other dog is big(ish) and truly wants to hurt your dog, you aren't going to be able to stop it. those dogs need to be controlled or you need to NEVER risk walking your dog in those areas.

    irresponsible owners are the worst.


    EDIT: careful with "posturing", it doesn't usually work. i've worked at a high volume animal shelter for 15 years. with true dog aggression you aren't going to stop a dog fight by "acting tough"

    Youre right if it is true dog aggression and not just them posturing for territory you probably wont be able to scare them down, but personally if a dog is going to come at me and hurt my dogs I will protect them and if that includes killing the animal I will do that. I wouldn't run from an aggressive dog though I would continue to stand my ground and hopefully have enough time to pull out my weapon with the posturing and yell as loud as I could for someone to call the police.

    It's sad that irresponsible owners would cause the death of an animal.
  • Armyantzzz
    Armyantzzz Posts: 214 Member
    Also, your are should be fully extended when aiming and spraying pepper spray.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    One word of caution - if you use pepper spray, it will affect everybody with eyes and nose an mouth - including you an your dog. So if you use it, make darn sure you know which direction it's pointed in an be prepared to be similarly incapacitated. But if carrying it gives you the confidence to control the situation, that's likely all the bully dog will need to back off.

    That's why you use the wasp spray.....It works at a much greater distance and won't affect your dog.

    Dude - NO. LOL

    Why not exactly?
  • wiseeliz
    wiseeliz Posts: 50 Member
    I used to live in a developing country where a lot of people keep poorly trained (and generally non-vaccinated) dogs for "security," and whenever I walked somewhere, I'd make sure I had some decent sized rocks in my pocket to throw in the general direction of any dogs that decided to charge me. I never threw rocks with the intention of actually hitting the dogs, but a few times it did happen. I felt bad about it, but I didn't really have options for affecting the owners' behavior and attitudes towards their dogs, and since rabies was a very real threat, I felt that this was what I needed to do to keep myself safe.
  • ejwme
    ejwme Posts: 318
    One word of caution - if you use pepper spray, it will affect everybody with eyes and nose an mouth - including you an your dog. So if you use it, make darn sure you know which direction it's pointed in an be prepared to be similarly incapacitated. But if carrying it gives you the confidence to control the situation, that's likely all the bully dog will need to back off.

    That's why you use the wasp spray.....It works at a much greater distance and won't affect your dog.

    Dude - NO. LOL

    Why not exactly?

    Because if it can affect the other dog, it really can affect your dog, and you. What, the wasp spray has a magic property that only allows it to hurt "mean" dogs?

    Re: posturing doesn't work: yes it does, in the right circumstances (like the OP described sound right). It doesn't work when you take an abused dog, put it in a tiny cage that smells like thousands of other scared and hurt dogs in a room with many other scared and hurt and abused dogs. But when a moderately healthy, moderately sane dog has an option of either backing off back towards its comfort zone in its territory or fighting a "big scary" human, and if you stay off "their" territory (stay out of their yard), you can win by appearing "not worth it". I've done it. I've managed to posture my way safely around abused, loose guard dogs as well (as a PCV, shout out to wiseeliz!). I'd NEVER try to posture my way around a caged animal - I'd fully expect it to fight to the death if it felt threatened, and I'd lose that fight.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    One word of caution - if you use pepper spray, it will affect everybody with eyes and nose an mouth - including you an your dog. So if you use it, make darn sure you know which direction it's pointed in an be prepared to be similarly incapacitated. But if carrying it gives you the confidence to control the situation, that's likely all the bully dog will need to back off.

    That's why you use the wasp spray.....It works at a much greater distance and won't affect your dog.

    Dude - NO. LOL

    Why not exactly?

    Because if it can affect the other dog, it really can affect your dog, and you. What, the wasp spray has a magic property that only allows it to hurt "mean" dogs?

    Re: posturing doesn't work: yes it does, in the right circumstances (like the OP described sound right). It doesn't work when you take an abused dog, put it in a tiny cage that smells like thousands of other scared and hurt dogs in a room with many other scared and hurt and abused dogs. But when a moderately healthy, moderately sane dog has an option of either backing off back towards its comfort zone in its territory or fighting a "big scary" human, and if you stay off "their" territory (stay out of their yard), you can win by appearing "not worth it". I've done it. I've managed to posture my way safely around abused, loose guard dogs as well (as a PCV, shout out to wiseeliz!). I'd NEVER try to posture my way around a caged animal - I'd fully expect it to fight to the death if it felt threatened, and I'd lose that fight.

    Meh.....I get what you're saying.....but I wouldn't risk it.....if there's a dog coming after me and my dog and doesn't show signs of stopping I'm gonna spray it.....Have you ever used wasp spray? It works from a long ways away........that's how it wouldn't hurt my dog.......or me.......Id be able to tag the other dog in the eyes from 15 yards......
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    Bump! I'm interested in this too. I can't walk my dogs at the park near my house for the exact same reason.

    Exactly. Plus a photo on your cell phone. Good luck. I have the same problem and changed my walking route.
  • I carry around a cane when I walk my dog we have Rottweilers and Pit Bulls, and I have an English Bulldog. When the dogs run at me they've gotten used to the cane and immediately back off.
  • Doodlewhopper
    Doodlewhopper Posts: 1,018 Member
    Academy and ****s Sporting should carry telescoping aluminum trekking staffs. Mine will retract to about 24" and expand 4-5 feet. Has a carbide pointed tip about 3/4".

    Nothing less than a bullet is going to deter certain dogs, but most are cowards and swinging this this should be enough to handle the majority. The pointed tip will hurt but not do much damage and scare the dog.

    Generally when I have a dog on me I charge him growling and he turns tail and runs off like a liberal. LOL


    https://www.google.com/search?q=Trekking+Pole&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=rcs&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=v-NuUezIJ4iYygHo4YGgCg&biw=1147&bih=507&sei=wuNuUdG0Laj8yAGl-ICQDg#imgrc=_