Cant even go for a walk!!

[hrd2gt]

MAN... so tonite I finally got out and took the girls for a walk, goal was to go to end of subdivision and back... Heading out wasnt bad... just dodging cars as usual (gawd its a busy street) Then on the way back... maybe 4 blocks down... I had to mutt dogs come running down a side street at me.. ARGH!!! So they ran up, smelt the girls buts which they quickly spun around and was like WTF... then I shouted at them and got in front of the girls and stomped at them telling them to GO, GET!! they got the hit and and took off the other way... then few blocks up... SAME THING, but this time I had a pair of pits!! I know some good pits... but it is not a breed I just out of no where running up to me and my dogs... and these were big pits! There was a white one and a blue one... same deal, I stopped turned around and shouted at them.. the white one went off, the blue one ran around the back of Fate (so the wrong dog to mess with) and Fate spun around and the other dog jumped Fate and got hung up in the leash... I so thought Fate was going to hurt, the pit started grownling and was on her... I managed to shake the dog out and scream at it to GO!! it headed off.. then 20 feet it stopped and turned back around like it was going to come back, and I screamed NOOO! at it, and it turned around and went on its way.... HOLY MOLY...

I managed to get back to the house with out any other incidents. Since I live in the front of the neighborhood the local Constable tends to hang out in front of my cul de sac, so I decided to stop and ask a few questions... Of COURSE... he was concerned about the girls... but I assured him they were behaved... and told him about the damn dodging for my life walk... He gave me a number to call for loose dogs and asked if I carried spray... I said no, but wanted to know if it was ok to carry a tazer... he said yes, but to look out cuz you have to put your hand in the mix... I told him, heck no... I am in TX... I am getting a cow Tazer... ... a tazer on a stick... he said it was fine to use it cuz it would be self defence.

guess what i am going to look for tomorrow! dammit. Glad my girls are good and dont initate fights... and glad i am alpha enough to scare off dogs... (didnt realize i was that scary, lol)

 

[MicheleM]

God that's terrible! I can't imagine having to go through that when you want to take your dogs for a walk. I don't know what to say because the people that own these dogs probably don't care about them running around loose causing problems and even harming people and other dogs. Bear spray is an option and it's also called pepper spray. Can you post notices around your neighborhood about taking responsibility for your dogs? Can you talk to the SPCA? I don't know the neighborhood you live in but it doesn't seem fair or safe that you have to deal with that!

 

[Marinegeekswife]

How terrifying! Glad you and the girls made it home okay, if a little frazzled. Definitely take up the officer's advice. How frustrating to have to deal with other people's stupidity.

 

[GennyB]

Oh man, do I ever feel your pain. We have the same problem. Here, if you can believe it, dogs run free because of the law. It reads something like all dogs must be on a leash or otherwise under owners control. The problem is nobody understands control. My dogs have been attacked in their own backyard by dogs jumping the fence. I went to city meeting trying to get the law changed and was escorted out by a police officer! Their approach is dogs will be dogs. Luck for me I live on the edge of our city limits and just take my dogs over the line for a walk. I guess we have to wait for a child to be attacked before the law will be changed. A tazer is a great idea! off to find one!

 

[Luvmydoberman]

Glad to hear you and your girls are okay. Shameful that you can't even enjoy a quiet walk with your dogs though. We have a leash law too. Rarely enforced. Glad to hear that the police don't have a problem with the cattle prod. Looks like you will have to protect your own.

 

[MyBuddy]

I always think I'm Alpha but in a situation like that I would have my pants! I would have reacted the same as you but I'd have to go change before talking to the Constable! lol Would have scared me to death. But afterward, I'd be mad as hell!! As long as it is legal, I'd get the 'tazer on a stick'!! Oh, yea, I'd be running to the store, dammit! Pepper spray in a pile of dogs isn't getting the 'right' ones!

 

[hrd2gt]

Yea, i had a few people mention wasp spray because it can spray far or a bottle with ammonia and water mixed... but am i wrong?? I mean if a dog or few dogs approach i will do my best to intimdate them away, without harming them (guess i am that scary, lol) but in that situation, where they jump on my dog... that mf'er is gonna need to pay! i can understand if i have a wild dog lunging at them on the end of the leash, but my girls know better, they will look, keep walking... but keep an eye on them and spin around if they have too, but they wont (didnt in these two cases) go to attack. the first pair that ran up behind us, Fate growled at them... but that was it. I dont want to use spray, i have a few bottles, but i always worry i will get my dog, or me!! my luck spray it the wrong way, or be fumbling with the lil safety. Spray is good, but REALLY?? walking with a bottle of spray?? Usually i go and I am with just leashes, i didnt even have my cell on me. i would love just a regular small tazer maybe i can keep in my pocket, but then you haveta get into it...which honestly, thinking about it i dont think would be that hard, not like i am going to stick my hand into the mouths. But I also heard stories about electric lines, where if one person grabs it, they will get shocked, but if someone grabs them the shock will jump to the second person. so if i zap one dog, will it jump to mine?? I need to get more info on it... find a discreet way to be armed... yet if my dog is attacked, be able to put a hurt on the other dog that will allow it to stop and possibly time for me to get a move on...

 

[kaloric]

I like the idea of a stun gun (not tazer or spray) or electric cattle prod since the bad dogs would be in range and are a lot more direct-- they'd probably help train the dogs away more than just punish them in a way they may not be able to associate with menacing you. A jolt from an electric prod or stun gun would feel a lot like a SUPER STRONG corrective bite, they'd probably think you were the biggest, baddest alpha they've ever met!

Though I would support the idea of bear mace spray if you can identify who the owners are. They should know better and have earned a good dose of bear mace.

 

[Mr. T]

I've used a hot shot to get males away from my female retriever when she's in heat, it works very well

 

[JanS]

Wow I'm glad there were no incidents with any of you but how scary! I was going to say that I know you're alpha enough to scare most dogs away, but it's those few who are determined that are the huge threat. I think the cattle prod is a great idea and you shouldn't have any problems finding them in TX.

Wow Genny, what stupid laws you have there. You're right, they're just asking for trouble and it's going to be tragic when someones kid gets bit or a dog gets killed...

 

[MyBuddy]

I have to agree with kaloric and Jan about the cattle prod. I think that's more along the lines of what I was thinking. I forgot how the tazer works. Those lines that get 'attached' to the victim wouldn't be good. Cattle prod. Yup. Although it might be a hell of a thing to carry around. Aren't the long? or do they collapse? In any event, after your experience, I would sure be armed before venturing out again.

I've heard the thing about wasp spray being used as for protection in the house and I think it sounded like a great idea! Cheap, legal, has a good shooting range and it won't kill someone. But to carry it on my dog walk is a bit cumbersome. Any spray, in my opinion, seems so iffy in a rumble situation. I'd hate like hell to accidentally get MY dog. Then I'd REALLY be mad!

 

[fehnder]

I had this problem a few months back before got indi. My jack Russell can be lead aggressive when he is in the right frame of mind so im cautious to keep him under complete control at all times (my only gripe is people with off lead dogs that let them come up to him, if they get nipped after I've warned you, it's not my fault!). I had him on a halti face harness at the time and this monster staffy type dog jumps this garden fence, obviously male up for a fight, tail up, chest puffed out. I knew if I let Alvin react id have.no hope of separating them, im 5 foot 4 and about 8 stone lol! So I grabbed Alvin by his body harness (I keep one on him all the time for convenience during walks) and held him onto my shoulder. This staff started jumping up and could reach his bum so I put Alvin over a fence in some strangers garden hoping the staffy wouldn't jump the fence or bite me. It did jump the fence so I lifted Alvin back out just as a scuffle started (a bit of snarling, lunging etc) had him as high as I could get and walked before the dog could jump again. What irritated me the most is there were three male window.cleaners over the road and they did nothing. Then the staffys owner came out of his house and started shouting at his dog without acknowledging what just happened. I can feel my blood boiling!!

I don't blame you for wanting to be able to protect your dogs, if Alvin was bigger I wouldn't have been able to lift him and any fight would have.probably meant serious injuries or death to him. Where my mum lives her friend had. Rescue greyhound. Her dog was attacked by a loose dog and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Her greyhound died in her arms after trying to claw its way up her to get away. The loose dog was huge and she.did the best she could. Of course police aren't interested in dog attacks on dogs. It makes me sick.

In fact, you have encouraged me to look at what I can legally carry to protect my dogs in the future. Im sure the idiots of the world won't disappear overnight and I don't ever want to be in my mum's friends position.

 

[Luvmydoberman]

I can remember an incident with my first male Dobie. Bandit was a massive unaltered male. Sweet as can be to children and highly protective of his people. I was walking him on lead down the road from my house when one of the neighbor's little shih tzus ran across the street and confronted me and Bandit. To his credit, Bandit behaved wonderfully and we continued to walk back home with this 15 lb. pain in the a** following along, biting Bandit's feet, snarling and growling, (you would have thought it was a fly buzzing him for all the effect it had, I don't even think Bandit even turned around) with his owners in the yard watching the show. Would you believe not, not one of these idiots got up to retrieve their mutt. I guess every town has them!

 

[fehnder]

Now I think about it, I had Alvin walking down a path in a park that has a strict dogs on lead policy (there is a grass area where you are allowed them off) there were some kids about 12 maybe with two staffies a female and a male. The adults were just over the steps ignoring the kids and the off lead dogs. They both came to Alvin who snapped a warning to stay away. The female backed off but the male.kept advancing (to be fair neither staff were acting aggressively but you could see the male get agitated after what happened next) I kept walking and to Alvins credit apart from warning snaps he kept walking with me. This male staff following and the kids start chanting and shouting fight at the dogs. I had to try so hard to contain my anger by this point. Adults did nothing. I just kept walking, ignoring the dog, Alvin was a good as gold and the male staff gave up and walked back to the.kids.

The worst thing is in my area it's almost always staffs that are the problem.dogs, all because of their unless owners.

 

[hrd2gt]

I brought it up in dog class tonite, a lady told me that the cattle prod is very short lived and apparently she tried it once and it didnt even phase the dog. i wasnt thinking of a STUN GUN that shoots out the lil prods, i was thinking more of a hand held one, which a friend of mine who had the same thing happen to her with a boxer said that the sound of it alone scares dogs off... may check into them tomorrow, will keep ya posted... this is kinda what i am looking for... they have them pretty cheap on ebay, but i dont think 11 million volts is.... really neccessary... sheesh! lol

omg... think that pic could be bigger..

 

[fehnder]

I think.if my dogs were really at risk.of injury or death from an aggressive.one with no owner in sight id much rather have it on my conscience that I used something like that than watched my dogs get hurt or worse, killed.

Love the pink! Lol

 

[JanS]

I agree, if my dogs are in danger and the owners aren't around to keep them in control, I'd have to take measures to protect my own first. LOL - pink is good.

 

[DreamValley]

I don't think that's a good idea to tazer loose dogs... you may easy panic and make a mistake and hurt or even kill a dog. What if one of your girls gets loose and someone tazers her being scared of a DOBERMAN?

It's much better not to walk Dobermans in the busy street. Since we bought Asha I take my dogs to the nearest parks where no loose dogs or to the dog park when it's not crowded.

 

[hrd2gt]

Maybe you missed the actual point? I was walking my girls down my subdivision... Its the main street but by no means a main thouroughfare. And since the sun is setting soon, I wont have a choice but to walk them at in the dark. And the pit CHARGED us when I was not able to scare them off. I am not the type to panic and i be damned if any dog jumps on my dogs neck. I am not trying to taze any loose dog that I see...?!

My only concern is if a dog actually attacks one of my girls. I am not strong enough to separate them or save my girls, and I dont want to lose my dog to someone else being irresponsible with theirs.

 

[JanS]

My only concern is if a dog actually attacks one of my girls. I am not strong enough to separate them or save my girls, and I dont want to lose my dog to someone else being irresponsible with theirs.

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to carry a break stick with you too so you could get them off if necessary, even though it would be nice if people just kept their dogs under control.