Dogs coming after you/your dog when walking?

[Sigblitz]

You would hate to see a loose dog get hurt, or run over. If you claim a dog as your own, most places you live won't let your dog run at large. This should be the first step for a problem dog.

 

[Hornett]

I had a 1/2 german shepard 1/2 black lab named Rosie when my kids were growing up.
She was great. Very gentle with my kids and any of their friends.
If the UPS man would come, or anyone else she didn't know, she would just lay there and wag her tail.
However, she absolutely would not share her family with any other dogs.
If other dogs came in the yard, Rosie would chase them away.
I used to take her walking and really didn't need to keep her on a leash.
Dogs would come out into the road to start something with her one time, after that they stayed on the porch.

I'm just saying that once your dog gets a little older, this may not be a problem anymore.

Fortunately, Rosie never hurt another dog, just exerted her authority, ummm, forcefully.
I suppose if your dog hurt another dog, you could get into trouble in today's litigious environment.
Even if they are off leash and off their own property.

 

[HoughMade]

Attorneys sleeping in on Saturday, I see.

Lazy me. I was hanging a new door on our stable in the rain when this discussion was going strong while you guys were apparently in your bathrobes on the interwebz.

Anyhoo, T.Lex is really the expert on this.

...and yes, pepper spray, but it looks like you resolved these issues without weaponry the first time. I would be about as reticent to use pepper spray as I could be. In other words, don't jump to use it just because you have it.

 

[Alpo]

I knew that. But Mr Mouse started with a threat....so I wasn't about to name names.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Looks like LEO would be in your corner on this one. I realize causing legal issues is not something we desire but unless you can get the owners in check the animals will continue to be..............."Animals"

This applies to the young two legged varieties. ("youts")

Lazy me. I was hanging a new door on our stable in the rain when this discussion was going strong while you guys were apparently in your bathrobes on the interwebz.

Anyhoo, T.Lex is really the expert on this.

...and yes, pepper spray, but it looks like you resolved these issues without weaponry the first time. I would be about as reticent to use pepper spray as I could be. In other words, don't jump to use it just because you have it.

And remember, Vitamin P can go both ways. There is a good chance you too will also catch a small dose and be made less than comfortable by it.

 

[churchmouse]

I knew that. But Mr Mouse started with a threat....so I wasn't about to name names.

I knew this would come up...

 

[fjw2]

Live out in the country. When out for a bike ride, went past a house and saw the front door open and three dogs come out and were on a run down the driveway. Was obvious they were coming for me. Started to peddle faster. After a quarter mile they caught up to me and started nipping at my heels. Pepper sprayed them and they dropped off one at a time. Don’t ride that road anymore.

 

[Thor]

I knew this would come up...

Damned if you do...

 

[Tactically Fat]

CameraMonkey alluded to it.

Pepper spray is gonna give you and the rest of your party a bad time, too, with unfavorable winds. But it is most definitely a tool to have in the quiver.

A nice hardwood walking stick / cane is also a good tool to have in the quiver.

And for the love of God, do not even think about unholstering a firearm unless you or another human being is in real danger. If you shoot a dog that's only attacking your dog - you're gonna have a bad time. And, remember, they're not warning shots. They're misses.

 

[femurphy77]

Had a co-worker many moons ago that had a problem with a neighbor dog when he first moved out into the country to become a country man instead of a city boy. Dog kept getting in his garbage, I suggested he need better trash cans as dogs weren't going to be his only problem. His response was that the neighbor should control his dog; I do agree with the statement but again out in the country dogs aren't the only trash can bandits.

He talks to the neighbor several times and the situation doesn't improve so one day he peppers the dog with a load of rock salt and then CALLED the neighbor and told him he'd shot the dog. Neighbor took the dog to the vet and called my co-worker and told him if he paid the vet bills they'd call it even. Co-worker told him what he could do with the vet bills and the dog.

The fines and litigation fees cost my co-worker close to $30k in 1995 money to stay out of jail on animal cruelty charges. I don't advocate it but many have said no here before, SSS!

 

[HoughMade]

Had a co-worker many moons ago that had a problem with a neighbor dog when he first moved out into the country to become a country man instead of a city boy. Dog kept getting in his garbage, I suggested he need better trash cans as dogs weren't going to be his only problem. His response was that the neighbor should control his dog; I do agree with the statement but again out in the country dogs aren't the only trash can bandits.

He talks to the neighbor several times and the situation doesn't improve so one day he peppers the dog with a load of rock salt and then CALLED the neighbor and told him he'd shot the dog. Neighbor took the dog to the vet and called my co-worker and told him if he paid the vet bills they'd call it even. Co-worker told him what he could do with the vet bills and the dog.

The fines and litigation fees cost my co-worker close to $30k in 1995 money to stay out of jail on animal cruelty charges. I don't advocate it but many have said no here before, SSS!

This can't be the first time you've notices idiot tendencies in your co-worker.

 

[femurphy77]

This can't be the first time you've notices idiot tendencies in your co-worker.

I'd be accused of just trying to get into the classifieds if I shared all the "Mike" stories I have.

 

[ART338WM]

Been charged by quite a few dogs, attacked by more than a few. Thankfully most happen while I was younger and I'm a large quite strong man who can kick harder than a rented mule. I have owned several very large powerful dogs so I know how to handle such animals. Had a neighbor that had a mixed breed great Dane that constantly got out and ended up fence fighting with my 126lb German Sheppard. Didn't want to shoot it for a multitude of reasons so I bought me a can of foaming bear spray specially made for Grizzly bears and it worked as advertised so I can highly recommend it, and there is not much risk the wind will blow it back into your face.

Personally I would never advise you shoot a dog in a urban or city environment unless the animal posses a immediate threat and not in your opinion but a threat that will meet the burden of a threat in most persons AKA jurors opinions. To much can go wrong when you discharge a weapon in a area with other people about. I would instead option for foaming bear spray as well as take along a stout pole as a walking stick that can deliver a formidable blow to any wood be attacking dog.

Having said that I have encountered two occasions involving dogs when I truly wished I had been carrying and the second most recent convinced me never again will I venture out into the woods especially when my sons are with me again unarmed. Second time was when I had both my sons with on some private land four years ago with plans on putting (hopefully) some tom turkey to roost with plans on hunting them the next morning.

It was a very hot afternoon with temps in the upper 80's so my sons opted to remain back at the truck in the shade of some very large trees enjoying some ice cold refreshments. I had a multitude of forearms with including my 5" 45acp XD which is my go to woods gun. 14 rounds of +p 230 grain Gold Dots with another 26 on tap make for very adequate protection against any threat be it of the four legged or two legged variety I might encounter west of the Mississippi.

For what ever reason I decided not to go armed and instead only brought my trusty walking pole a 6' long piece of 2" hickory with some leather wrapped around it for a hand hold. I was seated on my portable stool when i heard the unmistakable sounds of deer running towards me and sure enough 5 does ran right past me who undoubtedly saw me but made no attempt to alter their path which brought them running past me at less than 20 feet. I figured there were very few things that would force deer to behave like this almost all have four legs.

Sure enough a few seconds later 3 very large mixed breed dogs appeared hot on the does trail. By the awe full unkempt look of them I guessed they might be feral dogs trying to feed themselves or they might not maybe they were just chasing the deer for fun or instinct. In any event they spotted me and immediately began to bark and act very aggressively towards me. I figured my best course of action was to act if possible more aggressive than them and started screaming at them and waiving my walking pole and advanced rapidly towards them. Thankfully it worked and they scattered and diapered back into the woods from the direction they came from.

I beat a hasty retreat to the truck and the whole walk back I thanked God my boys weren't with. After that day if I don't go in the woods without my trusty 45 XD.

 

[K-T]

I walked my dogs for years in a neighborhood before moving to the rural area we now live in. It didn't take me long to identify the problem dogs (aka the problem owners) in the neighborhood and adjust my route to avoid those houses. If we saw one of the problem dogs walking down the street (with or without its owner), we would cross to the other side of the street or just turn around and walk the other way. I would suggest that learning the issues in your neighborhood and building your walk routes to avoid them should be the number one thing you do. It is much easier to avoid an incident than to deal with one.

If you do encounter a problem dog while walking, the advice from other posters to behave like the alpha dog in the situation is good advice. I am an average-sized woman but by turning myself toward a dog and authoritatively commanding it to back off I typically succeed. (Note I said "authoritatively" - screaming does not work as it conveys panic.)

If you are regularly encountering an off-leash dog that is not staying in its yard, then the advice to report it to animal control is also good.

A walking stick is not bad to carry, either. I would consider pepper spray as the last option. (I personally would not consider discharging a firearm at a dog in a neighborhood. Who/what are you going to hit if you miss? How much do you want to deal with the neighborhood fights and potential legal issues? As I said above, I much prefer to avoid incidents than have to deal with them.)

 

[Notalentbum]

Unfortunately, my dog has been that dog a few times. Neither of my dogs are well trained, mostly a result of knowledge on my part and time to train. Our two dogs are primarily house dogs but we have a doggy door so they can have the run of the fenced back yard. One is a weird mix of many different breeds. He’s about 40lbs with a very muscular build. The other is a black lab mixed with who knows what. Both were rescues.
The lab is very home protective and animal aggressive. We tried taking them both to Barkefellers for socializing but the lab was too aggressive and out of control in group situations and the smaller dogs just wanted to hump anything and everything he saw. Needless to say, barkefellers was no help in that regard. I’ve considered sending them to professionals but that gets really expensive.
Both have managed to escape a few times and fortunately nothing bad has happened. Once my wife was walking the lab on his leash when he spotted a huge Rottweiler. My wife was caught off guard and he pulled her to the ground and she lost his leash. I was very happy the Rottweiler was well trained. My dog was going ballistic two feet away from him but he just stood there wondering wth was wrong with my dog!
I’ve wanted to try taking them to dog parks but afraid how that might turn out. Training is the answer, just not sure where to start. I have watched lots of YT videos but many of the approaches that are demonstrated just don’t work with my mutts or I’m doing them wrong.
I’m so envious of my neighbors, they have two chocolate labs and both are so friendly with everyone, hang out in the front yard just happy to be around everybody. My dogs are behind the fencing barking until I get on them to quiet down.
I still worry the lab will escape the yard or house and possibly hurt another dog or kid.
Just to be clear, both of my dogs are big babies in the house. Once I invite anyone into the house they just want to get attention and played with by the guest.
I think they need professional help, I just don’t have the cash atm.
So, if you see a black lab looking dog with a small white patch on his chest and a red collar, please don’t shoot! If he’s being aggressive, I’m okay with pepper spray or similar but no need for extremes that will do permanent harm. If he’s out and about, I’m also out looking for him and I am armed and willing to repay that harm. Stopping the aggression is the limit and the same I would do. Going beyond that, it’s going to get ugly.
Anybody know good trainers relatively inexpensive?

Matt

 

[Mark 1911]

The ammonia water to the face idea is a good option, but chances of someone carrying a spray bottle of ammonia water would be slim unless they had a previous encounter with a bad actor pooch. I also like the idea of carrying a walking stick, because that gives you something to keep them at a distance.

I have been doing a lot of bicycling lately, and so far this year I have not seen one dog, and I've ridden over 450 miles so far this season. A lot of my riding is at night. A couple years back I encountered a dog on the bike path at night. I saw the dog when he was still 50 yards or more away from me, a fairly large mixed breed. It didn't startle me, but he didn't see see me until I was almost on top of him, and scared the crap out of the dog. So no problem. Another dog that got my attention was a big male Doberman at a house on Elm Street in Griffith, a couple blocks west of Whitcomb. He looked mean as could be and was lunging at his chain, he wanted that tasty morsel on the bike. That dog would have been a big problem. I think most dogs would be easily subdued far short of deadly force. But the sight of that big Doberman barring his teeth and lunging at the chain raised my heartbeat a lot, and put me into red mode. I was going to be ready if that stupid chain broke.

I changed my route after that so as not to go past that house any more!

 

[K-T]

I’ve wanted to try taking them to dog parks but afraid how that might turn out.

Good call on not taking them to dog parks. Dog parks are iffy even for well-trained dogs, with the constantly-changing dynamic as dogs come and go. It's a stressful environment for dogs who aren't trained to it (and even for some who are).

How much do you exercise them? The amount of structured exercise a dog gets can impact how well that dog behaves for the next 24 hours. I've found that running loose in the backyard doesn't seem to help, but walking them on leash or getting them to perform specific tasks exercises both their bodies and their brains and helps a lot.

Also, do you know any people with very well-trained dogs in your neighborhood who might be willing to allow their dog to help train yours? Having an untrained dog walk with a well-trained dog can help teach the untrained dog what is expected. (And the owner may be able to give you some suggestions, as well.) One of my dogs has helped train new dogs I'm introducing to our pack, both on walks and in our backyard, and it has been extremely helpful to me to have a dog's help with training.

 

[Shawn76]

Depends on the breed. I have had bad run ins with pitbulls and the neighbor at the time didn't care and I have drawn on the dog a few times. I called code enforcement and police on them,they were heavily fined for it.
Now I live in a house with pitbulls on each side. One side keeps their dogs leashed,the other let their dog run the neighborhood. I again called code enforcement they get fined nothing changes. I approach the owner and warn him that if the dog comes after me,I won't be the one getting bit and I will shoot it if it's trying to attack me. I made sure to tell him it's the last thing i want to do,but won't hesitate to. I've been told by LE and code enforcement to shoot if needed.
Finally they bought a dog pen for their yard and keep him in there. Problem solved. Guess the fines were racking up pretty heavy.
Other breeds I try to scare away and usually works long enough for me to get away. Sometimes using deadly force is the only option unfortunately. People train their pit bulls to attack and kill and it's not the dogs fault but the owners fault.

 

[Sigblitz]

I have a few German shepherds. Each one has their own personality. Sometimes you just get a psycho that thinks it's a wolf.

Someone asked me why I carry when I walk my dog. Jokingly, I said in case I have to shoot my dog. He didn't get my dry humor and thought I was serious. I left it at that.

 

[greg]

OK folks. Lets keep this in a well mannered order. These threads usually go south. This one will not. The OP has a serious question. Lets give serious answers.

I know how I would have dealt with this but it is not civil so in the light of this I will just read.

Thanks,

-CM-

Keep in mind you better have done everything possible to retreat before pulling a gun because it goes down hill quick when dealing with a dog..... always beware where the nearest school zone is also!

I just went though this with a neighbors dog and them are words of advice the officer gave me when he showed up!