Attacked while biking

[MontanaRott]

So there are these people who live up the street from us with 4 labs of various ages and sexes who are kept "contained" behind a underground fence. If you go to the top of our drive and go left you go past their place, you go right and head away from them and down to the river, that is how Phil goes when he bikes Guerin. Tonight they get to the top of our drive and stop, Phil was adjusting the collar and lead, had Guerin in a sit and Guerin goes nuts. Phil gives him a couple of good pops on the lead and a firm NO, next thing he knows one of the labs is ON TOP OF GUERIN, it came through the fence, took the HIT from the electric collar, in total silence, and attacked Guerin. Phil said he did not know what else to do but give Guerin his head and let him defend himself, while he got free of the bike and was able to kick the lab and get it off Guerin.
Guerin is unhurt and Phil took him down the street a bit and played a game of tug with him to let him release the energy from the fight and then they did their bike ride.
He is concerned that giving Guerin his head so he could defend himself, while he got free of the bike was a mistake, if that would encourage him(Guerin) to think it is ok, to engage another dog. This is the first time another dog has been able to rush up and start a fight, we usually see them or hear them coming and can stop them before contact is made. I tend to think, Guerin having to take being attacked while Phil freed himself from the bike, would have been much worse on Guerin.
Needless to say, Phil is off to inform the lab owner that their freaking fence failed. Let this be a warning to anyone thinking an underground fence is a good idea.

[Sargeant_C]

WOW I am glad to see Guerin is okay. I have seen too many of those fences fail and we have a neighbor who has two huge dogs in one and they came charging at me once while walkin Sarge. Needless to say I no longer walk by there anymore just because of the situation Phil was in.

[flyballmom]

Oh God Shirley how terrifying! I'm hardly an expert but it seems that letting Guerin defend himself was the "better" of the things to do...Just glad to hear everyone is OK. I HATE those stupid fences. The people across the very much country but also very busy street from my agility trainer have one around their property. There dogs (a Ches. Retriever, a Shepherd mix, a terrier and a something else) just go BERSERK every time I drive up and unload the dogs. I shudder to think what might happen if one of them blew off the collar...
Hope to hear later that Phi's "meeting" with the Lab owners went OK...

[MontanaRott]

Well the lab owners "think" the battery must be dead in the collar. Phil let them know that the next time, the dog will get a face full of bear spray. He is livid, does not like causing hard feelings with the neighbors, but wanted to make the point that the labs coming across the street to attack his dog who is on a lead and under control is not going to be tolerated. These dogs are nasty and we have been thinking for a while that eventually they were going to decide to take the hit and come thru the fence. Generally the wife comes out and screams at the dogs to come in the house if someone is walking near the yard.
Guerin is no worse for the wear, and the game of tug, I think was an inspired idea! Sheesh, I cannot for the life of me understand why, someone would think of using one of those stupid, useless fences. I don't think for a second it was a dead battery, based on how these young INTACT males, have been escalating their behavior.

[Jaegergirl]

wow shirley, i'm glad your guys are ok!

there are 2 rotties on our walking route who are "contained" with one of those fences. the male won't even get close to the "fence" and will back off. the female, on the other hand, will run full speed and doesn't seem to be to concerned when she hits it. had her owners not been out in the yard on evening, watching her charge at us, i have no doubt she would have come after us. scary situation to be in, that's for sure.

[Doggone]

MontanaRott:

The stupid fence that you are referring to maybe just that, but most times when adopting or getting a pup a fence is a most with the agencies of breeders,so what does a person do that does not own their own home?


P.S. sorry to hear about the attack on Guerin. Also wanted to say that letting him have his head seemed like the only thing your could do.

[MontanaRott]

If we were renters and wanted a dog and a fence was a must, we would be forking over our money for the fence. I would not EVER use an underground fence, I have seen them fail miserably more then once. The lab that attacked Guerin, could have just as easily been hit by a car. Our dogs are on lead when out and about and we should not HAVE to resort to bear spray or kicking a dog to keep ours from being molested when trying to walk or being biked. Sadly it is becoming all to common in our little town, in SPITE of the leash laws in place. We have had to unload twice with bear spray on a neighborhood pittie who thinks he is going to come into our yard and charge us while trying to get from our car to the house!

[flyballmom]

Originally Posted by Doggone

MontanaRott:

The stupid fence that you are referring to maybe just that, but most times when adopting or getting a pup a fence is a most with the agencies of breeders,so what does a person do that does not own their own home?


P.S. sorry to hear about the attack on Guerin. Also wanted to say that letting him have his head seemed like the only thing your could do.

Not sure it was clear, but the "fence" MontanaRott is referring to is an electric "fence." No real barrier, except for the electric one set up by the system. The dog wears a remote collar, and if it attempts to cross the "fence" it gets shocked. If you have a dog that goes into a "haze" over certain things, they will just ignore the shock and run right thru. OR if the batteries in the collars go dead, like the implication here.

[Luvs]

Shirley I am so glad that Guerin and Phil are ok!!! How scary!!!

I absolutely HATE those &%^$@# fences!!!!! There are two labs down the street from us that are "contained" in the invisible fence. They have been loose on NUMEROUS occassions. They act very aggressive and everyone in the neighborhood hates going past their house.

[MontanaRott]

Originally Posted by flyballmom

Not sure it was clear, but the "fence" MontanaRott is referring to is an electric "fence." No real barrier, except for the electric one set up by the system. The dog wears a remote collar, and if it attempts to cross the "fence" it gets shocked. If you have a dog that goes into a "haze" over certain things, they will just ignore the shock and run right thru. OR if the batteries in the collars go dead, like the implication here.

Thanks Beth! Yes it was/is an underground electric fence. As I stated before, I just do not buy the dead battery, the lab that came thru is a young (2ish) INTACT male with a nasty attitude. Now lets put the shoe on the other foot, what do you think would have happened if it were our young male Rottweiler that would have blown thru the fence, and attacked the LAB on its leash being biked??

[Judi W]

Well, instead of saying the same thing over and over when people come on talking about those dang fences, maybe we can refer them to this thread? Of course that referral would be even more effective if the dogs was shot instead of just kicked. And least anyone be shocked at that statement, in most parts of the country it is perfectly legal to shoot a dog that is attacking.

[ladycricket]

Originally Posted by Doggone

The stupid fence that you are referring to maybe just that, but most times when adopting or getting a pup a fence is a most with the agencies of breeders,so what does a person do that does not own their own home?

I know for a fact that our rescue agency will not adopt to a home with one of those "fences" (I use the term loosely). If you can not have a physical fence the dog must be on a lead when outdoors. There is no either/or. There is more then one way around the fence issue and an invisible fence is not one of them. From the other side, all the invisible fence does is keep your dog in, not other dogs out. Your dog may respect the fence but other dogs could stray onto your property and engage your dog in a fight.
Shirley, I am glad that Guerin didn't suffer any physical injury. I can't imagine how it all went down, I would have been freaking out. I would just as steamed as Phil. I hope your neighbors think about it some more this evening and consider putting up a true fence.

[MontanaRott]

Originally Posted by Judi W

Well, instead of saying the same thing over and over when people come on talking about those dang fences, maybe we can refer them to this thread? Of course that referral would be even more effective if the dogs was shot instead of just kicked. And least anyone be shocked at that statement, in most parts of the country it is perfectly legal to shoot a dog that is attacking.

Great point Judi. And yes, here, we could have shot that dog dead and it would have been too bad for the owner. We do not enjoy kicking a dog or unloading on one with bear spray, BUT, to defend ourselves, or one of our dogs, well all is fair. And we have complained numerous times to Town Hall, about at large dogs, the pittie in particular.Now these people have been put on notice, and if we encounter a problem with their dog coming through that "fence" again, we will make another complaint to Town Hall, for what thats worth. Now I guess Phil needs to pack the bear spray when biking. I hope ANYONE considering one of these "containment" systems will rethink it.

[alexav]

OMG! I just read the title and author of the thread and freaked!

Thank GOD you are all OK. NICELY DONE, Phil!...

You could NOT have handled it better!

Can we call him The Philminator now?

[Urika]

The think your husband made the right decision by dropping the lead. I'm glad Guerin is OK.