Loose Dogs While out walking

[kathleen]

Skip I'm sorry to read about your bite, I hope your feeling better. After reading Skips thread about being bitten by a loose dog I began to think about all the times Ive had to deal with similar but thankfully not as painful circumstances. It seems like almost 50% the walks Luther and I go on we have had to contend with at least one loose dog. The scariest situation was at 5:30 in the morning, in the dark, when a intact male Pitbull decided Luther and I should not be on the street. The dog acted shy towards me but overtly aggressive towards Luther. Luther can be male dog aggressive and I was very worried this would escalate quickly. Luther actually kept fairly cool but the Pit bull was becoming more and more frenzied. He was attempting to mount Luther repeatedly at first, then He began to go head to head with Luther. Both of them going up into the air, similar to what horses do. At this point I found a large branch that still had a lot of leaves on it and I began to swing it back and forth around Luther while leading him toward a home. I succeeded in keeping the Pit away from Luther until I got to the house and woke up the inhabitant. I hated to wake someone but frankly I thought things were escalating out of control. The inhabitant of the home was familiar with the Pitbull, said this was the second time the dog had gotten loose and Her Husband had returned it to its owner once before, fearing that He was going to get bit in the process. She managed to shoo the dog off her yard and after a few minutes and a few missiles he gave up and returned to his own yard. After thanking the neighbor profusely Luther and I walked the blocks back to our home, I wasn't up to finishing that walk. I know this has been lengthy, but I would love to hear of others experiences and what others have done.

[samanthac]

Carry an electronic cattle prod. They really do work.

[kathleen]

WOW!! Pretty drastic though don't you think? All just to go for a walk in your neighborhood.;)

[Karyn]

Where can I get one? Do I need a license? Do I need to have some cattle to own one?

[Diane Heller-Vaccaro]

I found a great stick I use to carry on walks with me. I lived in Trenton, NJ and like most cities there were many pits and not many responsible owners. I made the decision after I had to decide to let me dog defend himself or hold him back and watch him be attacked. I can't tell you how many time the stick came in handy. Its hard to imagine hitting a dog, for me anyway, but when it comes down to your dog or the other, the other looses everytime.

The cattle thing is a great idea but alittle difficult to come across in most cities.;)

[samanthac]

Originally posted by kathleen
WOW!! Pretty drastic though don't you think? All just to go for a walk in your neighborhood.;)

Drastic? No. I think drastic would be shooting the loose dogs on site as many places have laws on the books for just that. ;) It sucks that people are that rude to let their dogs run loose that you would have to resort to that measure in the first place for safety.

Also many people I know who run kennels/own more than one dog keep electronic cattle prods around to help break up the occasional spats that occur.

[samanthac]

Originally posted by Diane Heller
The cattle thing is a great idea but alittle difficult to come across in most cities.;)

That is why we have this great tool called the Internet. ;)

http://www.hotshotproducts.com/prods.htm

[samanthac]

Originally posted by Diane Heller
The cattle thing is a great idea but alittle difficult to come across in most cities.;)

That is why we have this great tool called the Internet. ;)

http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/A64685.htm

[danyp1]

So far I got lucky.
We only had about 4 incidences. (2 different dogs) 1 poodle the other a shepard. The shepard is always loose outside when the owner is outside for a smoke in her front yard. And she always got a hold of the dog before it could do much.
The poodle`s owner at her house the gate was open so that little fluff started to cross a 4 lane street. Owner was hysteric so I piked up Sam (she is only a pup)and told her to get the poodle otherwise I would have to kick it if it try`s to bit me.

I`m considering a small bat on my night walks.

The scariest encounter was without a dog. I was walking with my double stroller and another child home from the park and there was a dog on the other site of the street who proceeded to lounch himself in front of cars and when they slowed he bit their tires and front fender. I turned around and walked as fast as I could the other way.. I`m not sure what happen with that dog. When we "ran" around the corner it was still chewing on a persons car.. The owner was honking the horn..



There is nothing more worriesom for me than a loose dog.

[angel girl]

Had a puppy been tied or fenced in at a farmer's home my dad would not have run him over while chasing a speeder on Friday. Such a needless death for lack of simple confinement.

[Sharon Marples]

I second the vote for the cattle prod! Much better than risking a bite to yourself or to your dog~~

[kathleen]

Most of the time We have run into loose dogs their is interest but not the out and out agression we experienced with the Pit. I'm not saying this happened just because of the breed, but that its bound to happen with some of the 50%. I think We've been lucky so far. Are you serious about the cattle prod? Any legal ramifications for walking around with a cattle prod in public? I can see it in a kennel situation. But just to go for a walk? Yes, my dog certainly comes before the other dog, You bet. And yes I think its sad owners are so irresponsible they gamble with their dogs life. A week or two after the incident I mentioned I saw an Animal Control Officer in our neighborhood, He was after the Pitbull, I stopped briefly and mentioned the inident I had with the dog. His response was," I know this dog will bite when cornered and if I can get my hands on him I'm gonna kill him." This raises a whole new can of worms doesn't it? Pretty sad Huh!

[danyp1]

Originally posted by kathleen
Most of the time We have run into loose dogs their is interest but not the out and out agression we experienced with the Pit. I'm not saying this happened just because of the breed, but that its bound to happen with some of the 50%. I think We've been lucky so far. Are you serious about the cattle prod? Any legal ramifications for walking around with a cattle prod in public? I can see it in a kennel situation. But just to go for a walk? Yes, my dog certainly comes before the other dog, You bet. And yes I think its sad owners are so irresponsible they gamble with their dogs life. A week or two after the incident I mentioned I saw an Animal Control Officer in our neighborhood, He was after the Pitbull, I stopped briefly and mentioned the inident I had with the dog. His response was," I know this dog will bite when cornered and if I can get my hands on him I'm gonna kill him." This raises a whole new can of worms doesn't it? Pretty sad Huh!

How sad. Its the owners fault not the dogs. He should do something with the owners and take away the dog from them. He might be different with better owners.

Cattle prods sounds not to bad in my book. I just need to see if it is legal here. I also carry mace with me but it does not make me feel better. So I thought a bat.

[kathleen]

When Luther and I go for a walk We practice obedience thru out the walk. One hand is full of leash the other is full of treats to reward with. We also practice Brenda Aloff's method of gaining attention thru out the walk so I'm frequently backing up if I've lost his attention. I wear a carpenter apron for treats. Started carrying a cell phone as well for potential problems. On one hand the thought of carrying something for protection has great appeal, on the other hand I feel pretty loaded down as it is.:)

[stevenc]

Originally posted by kathleen
WOW!! Pretty drastic though don't you think? All just to go for a walk in your neighborhood.;)

Hi Kathleen! I wanted to give you my two cents worth. I agree with Samantha on this issue not because she is the better half but because we both worked with a rescue mission that housed over 60 rottys and have witnessed serious dog fights. Have you ever really seen two dogs fight to the death? Probably not or you would not use terms such as DRASTIC. I have seen shovels used to break up fights and didn't even budge the dogs. Even worse are two females fighting. So go on the websites that Samantha gave you and give serious thought to this tool. I believe you will feel more secure walking through your neighborhood with this in your hand! Good luck!;)