Even though it wasn't asked of me, I'm going to say no... I think screaming while carrying the big stick is more effective http://www.pitbull-chat.com/images/smilies/biggrin.png

And... I'd be scared of us, too. http://www.pitbull-chat.com/images/smilies/lol.gif

In my opinion, yes. Just this morning I was walking my dogs (Malinois & Pit Bull) on the beach @ 5am and some asshole who has a Border Collie with NO voice control and off leash, lets it come over to "herd" us from over 100 yards away. I saw it charging and I told my Malinois to "work it" and he chased the dog away (on a long leash). So I understand your angst about that idiot that you encountered today.
Not all dogs want to "play" and people who have the "dog park mentality" on the street or on the beach piss me off and if their off leash dog gets jacked up by my on leash dog, that's their problem. Of course I would do my best to stop the fight, this morning I just wanted to protect my puppy.

---------- Post added at 08:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:22 PM ----------

If that's the case, that's pretty sad. The breed of the dog should have NO BEARING on the situation. One dog is under control and the other dog isn't under control and charging at the dog under control.

Where I live unless you're on someone's property or in an off leash area than it's the other owner's fault.

It's interesting how you describe your dog's behavior afterwards. Romeo was the same way after he was attacked, super mellow for the next couple of days. I thought it was a mix of the adrenaline leaving him and his wounds making him a little slower.

Also, I agree with the people who said never to pick your dog up in that situation. Even if neither of the dogs redirects their aggression you could still get hurt. A girl around here was walking her puppy and when an off leash dog (the same male who attacked Romeo btw) charged she picked up her puppy and the other dog ended up knocking her down. She didn't get bit and the dog wasn't trying to hurt her but she still got pretty scratched up. I've learned it's better to use something like pepper spray or whatever and stop the dogs before they get too close. The other owner may be pissed but maybe they'll learn to keep their dog leashed.

Thats not how it should be, but thats how it goes most of the time.. Which is why I try and yell at people with loose dogs, turn around before either dogs see's one another, or scare the loose dog into getting away from me because I know that they (the general public) will ALWAYS side with the poor wittle doggy just wanting to play, and OF COURSE it was bound to happen with one of those dangerous pit bull dogs around!

I wear good tight fitted walking/running shoes, all the better to kick a stray/loose dog with. I carry my digital camera and have it easily accessible so I can video things, did so last time at the park where I let Bear play on his long line due to a loose chow chow just in case something happened. Also I carry a good sized knife, I have no problem stabbing a loose dog if it decides it wants to get down with Bear, I am his owner and I am there to protect him and I will do that at any means necessary.

I think you post is interesting because I always carry a tactical folding knife in my pocket in case of emergency. Not only would I use it to protect me or my dog but at the same time I can neuter an offending off leash dog for their owner free of charge while at the same time protecting mine. It is a win win for everybody involved including the city.

It is possible that it might, but it is not a guarantee and I wouldn't rely on it. Citronella keeps mosquitos away and my dog Trigger hates the sound of any spray noise, so that might help.

We just had a couple of loose dogs come at Trigger when we were riding bikes and i just yelled loud before they got near and that worked, if it hadn't I would have kicked them if they even got close. My husband told me i shouldn't yell like that, and I said...are you kidding??? i will yell, kick and do what I have to... to protect my dog. He didn't do anything wrong, he was on a leash.

my little brother walking his dogs got charged by an of leash dog and he booted it in the head

Harley and I just got back from our walk. We went by this house yesterday with some bully mutt was tied up and he was barking and acting crazy, but Harley just ignored him, so I figured it would be safe to go back by.

Today, he came running at us because his rope had broken! I tried to keep my cool, and at first Harley put himself between me and the other dog, but I pulled his leash and put myself in the middle and stuck out my foot and yelled at the dog. Didn't phase him much but it stopped him for a sec. The owner came out, and he is at least 70 years old and all he could do was sit on the porch and say "Oh he just wants to play". Yea, I don't think so. This whole time Harley is SITTING behind me just hanging out. http://www.pitbull-chat.com/images/smilies/lol.gif

Anyways, so I start walking backwards because every time I turned my back the dog would run towards us, finally found a stick and tossed it at him and he ran back home.

When we got home I put Harley up and got an extra cable I had and took it to the old man. He was very grateful and thanked me again and again. Hopefully he will tie the dog back up, but we will probably find another street to walk down from now on!!

I hear you! My dogs (Malinois) protect me from humans, etc. and it's up to me to protect them from dogs and other animals. Some people are REALLY STUPID with their dogs, it always annoys me when they say "don't worry he/she's friendly" and then the dog tries to do some dominant shit to my dog and my dog puts them in their place. When that dog came charging at us, I let my Mal do his thing, but if they got into it that dog was going to get a "Thai kick" (with my shin) in their abdomen that they would never forget. The other day we had a homeless guy charge us, my Mal was quiet and just looking at him and ready to nail him, i was ready to nail him, my female Pit pup just looked at him with no fear, he got within 20 feet of us and just turned and walked away. That's a day in our wonderful 5am walk at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Luckily, it's not like that all of the time. http://www.pitbull-chat.com/images/smilies/smile.png

Aww, that was really nice of you to bring the cable. I probably would have gone the "yelling like a woman possessed" route again.

LOL, well I felt sorry for the old man...not to mention he's just around the corner from me and I didn't want that dog showing up at my house!

Just a little bit of advise for those of you who are dealing with the loose dog situation. CARRY YOUR CELL PHONE OR A CAMERA. We have learned from our local AC an Police that if we can show a picture of the loose dog running loose without a leash, there is absolutly no way we or our dogs can be held responsible should something happen.

We now walk our dogs with a big stick and a cell phone with a camera.

I always have one on me, it will keep myself and my dog safe http://www.pitbull-chat.com/images/smilies/cool.png

I am not a big bitch by any means, so I need all the help I can get! Lol

I have a friend whose staffy bull grabbed and killed an off leash dog. They had to go to court, they were fined $200, her dog is now declared vicious and has to be muzzled. Nothing happened to the person with the off leash dog... well... besides loosing their dog. Such bullshit....

That's exactly what I was talking about.

Jeez, that is terrible. Frankly, if my dog chipped a tooth killing an off-leash dog that charged her, I think the the off-leash dog owner should be liable. I know that sounds horrible but leash laws exist for a reason. It's not for other people's dogs. It's for ALL dogs.

I always tell people who think I'm stupid for even thinking bully breeds are great dogs (how can they be?) and maybe mentally disabled for thinking I can raise a bully pup responsibly with a pekingese.

I have three gems from my parents:

"How would you feel if you had a pit bull and it mauled your little cousin?"
My response: The same as I would feel if a chow, german shepherd, aussie, or even my pekingese were to maul anyone. Responsible and liable and plain horrible (Duh). I have to work to train and socialize any dog that I have and if I don't I have to properly restrain him or her.

"I knew someone who had a dog like yours and it got out of their yard and got attacked by two leashed pit bulls, why would you risk that?"
My response: I wouldn't, I would never have my dog in a situation where she were able to leave my yard. If she did I would be responsible, not the owner of two leashed dogs. I don't know what this has to do with my ownership of two socialized and responsibly cared for dogs.

"You know they are most likely to kill a child of any dog, right?"
My response: You have no idea how much I doubt this and I won't validate that with a search for a statistic.





See they own an aussie retired guide dog, so they seem to think that they know a ton about dogs and training because their dog was well trained for them.

I carry pepper spray when I walk my dogs or go for a bike ride with them. I've been called a bitch once for using it on a huge lab that charged us, but guess what, he cried and stopped, and his owner came out to yell at me.