# Dogs running loose in my neighbourhood - how do I protect myself walking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365 "2011-06-22T01:09:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/21 "2011-06-22T13:08:49Z")
Note to dog owners. If you don’t want your dog shot, pepper sprayed, beaten with a stick, rocked, etc., arrange to keep it home. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/22 "2011-06-22T13:11:03Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > For some reason (probably lack of enforcement), there is a real problem with dogs of all sizes running loose in my neighbourhood this summer. I walk A LOT around here, and I’m concerned that a dog may attack me at some point. I also understand that pepper spray is illegal. Is there a legal device that I can carry with me as I’m walking around to use to incapacitate a dog if it should attack me? Maybe change your user name? That can’t help… ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/23 "2011-06-22T13:48:47Z")
> [@MarcusF](#): > > Obviously I don’t know your situation but most of the dogs you meet are probably not dangerously agressive - just annoying as they jump around you. Indeed. Not to minimize your concerns – I’ve encountered an off-leash, human-aggressive dog in my own neighborhood a few times. But even that one did not approach me very closely, and was content to fade back, snarling, as long as I remained calm. In general, I think people overestimate the danger from stray dogs. I’ve met a LOT of dogs, and I’ve seen a _lot_ more cases of people who seem afraid than I have of dogs who seem genuinely human-aggressive. > [@Crazyhorse](#): > > Ask your local postman if there are any problem dogs known to roam the neighborhood - they will know. That seems like a good resource. > [@Blackhawk441](#): > > Get a gun. You apparently need a high-capacity magazine too, if this particularly egregious case is any indication: [link to case of a police officer panicking and firing 33 rounds at a puppy, hitting homes and cars, while other officers pleaded with him to stop](http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/puppy-shot-by-police). ---
**Author:** ![Dufus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c77e96/32.png) [@Dufus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dufus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/24 "2011-06-22T14:23:02Z")
“Just ignore them, and they’ll ignore you” “most of the dogs you meet are probably not dangerously agressive - just annoying as they jump around you” “That is fucking ridiculous. 'DOG! STAY BACK! I HAVE A GUN!” “it makes a loud hissing noise that dogs will back off from” Me thinks many people never get outside, have never been bitten, and don’t live in areas where lowlife breed pit bulls. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/25 "2011-06-22T14:28:17Z")
I don’t understand why people get so fussed about the legality of pepper spray. If I was ever put in a situation where I had to use it, I’d be goddamn glad I had it and lived to tell the tale. A misdemeanor conviction is worth keeping life and limb intact, no question. I advocate civil disobedience of stupid laws. Moreover, if a cop came onto the aftermath of (for instance) an attempted rape, to find the attacker crying on the ground and the would-be-victim clutching her pepper spray, and tried to arrest the victim for possession of pepper spray… well, I just can’t imagine this happening. It’d turn into a media hellstorm. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/26 "2011-06-22T15:02:14Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I don’t understand why people get so fussed about the legality of pepper spray. If I was ever put in a situation where I had to use it, I’d be goddamn glad I had it and lived to tell the tale. A misdemeanor conviction is worth keeping life and limb intact, no question. > > I advocate civil disobedience of stupid laws. Moreover, if a cop came onto the aftermath of (for instance) an attempted rape, to find the attacker crying on the ground and the would-be-victim clutching her pepper spray, and tried to arrest the victim for possession of pepper spray… well, I just can’t imagine this happening. It’d turn into a media hellstorm. Wait, are you saying the dogs in the OP may be rapists in addition to the vicious killers we already suspect they very well may be?! Obviously if something proved essential in saving your life, then after the fact it’s easier to justify. “Well, as it turned out I really needed that bazooka in the trunk of my car, didn’t I?” But the problem would be all the other times you got caught carrying it, driving with it, taking it out of your bag at the airport, etc. you would still be cited, or whatever the law entails for pepper spray in areas where it is prohibited. I’m all for civil disobedience, but I can certainly accept being illegal for the OP as sufficient justification for ruling it out. In the case of stray dogs there are clear alternatives that would be legal for the OP and just as effective. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/27 "2011-06-22T15:20:55Z")
> [@Dufus](#): > > “Just ignore them, and they’ll ignore you” > > “most of the dogs you meet are probably not dangerously agressive - just annoying as they jump around you” > > “That is fucking ridiculous. 'DOG! STAY BACK! I HAVE A GUN!” > > “it makes a loud hissing noise that dogs will back off from” > Me thinks many people never get outside, have never been bitten, and don’t live in areas where lowlife breed pit bulls. Nonsense. I’ve been bitten by a dog (not a pit bull) and menaced by several off-leash dogs (not pit bulls – the worst repeat offender is some kind of spaniel) and I totally stand by what I said. “Lowlifes” certainly can mistreat dogs to make them aggressive and fearful, but they can (and do) do that with any breed. Pit bulls _as a generalization_ are well-known to be friendly to (human) strangers. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/28 "2011-06-22T15:35:55Z")
A spray bottle of ammonia will take care of any dog. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/29 "2011-06-22T15:37:57Z")
The [expert speaks](http://www.cesarsway.com/askcesar/aggression/Avoiding-a-Dog-Attack): > [@](#): > > \*Dear Cesar, > > I have a question regarding a face-to-face encounter with a dog you don’t know, whether it be in a friend’s or acquaintance’s house or on a street, what is the best move to avoid an attack? > > ## Sincerely, Greg Matthews\* > > Dear Greg, > > This is the hardest lesson for me to teach anybody, but it’s an important one for people to learn. > > The first thing I try to remember if a strange dog is acting aggressively toward me is to not take it personally. I don’t feed any fear in me, or anxiety; I get very calm. Believe it or not, what will be instrumental in blocking the animal from attacking you is for you to be calm and unafraid. An aggressive dog wants you under stress before it attacks. If you are calm and in control of yourself, it slows them down and throws them off. > > Once I have asserted myself, I claim my own space. Often, I use a walking stick, an umbrella, or anything I happen to be carrying and place it out in front of me, so I make myself appear bigger and feel more in command of my space. What I am saying with my body language is, I don’t want the dog’s space; I don’t want that tree over there, I just want this space that I am standing in. Again, I am maintaining a very calm and assertive state. That energy creates a barrier that automatically demands his respect. I’m letting him know that I’m not afraid of him. > > As you can see, this is a hard concept to teach. It’s best to be with someone who can do it to understand what it looks like and what it feels like. Most people can’t imagine that, in many situations, you can stop an aggressive dog by not moving and not being afraid, but I do it all the time with a whole pack of dogs. It can be taught to children more easily than it can be taught to adults, because when taught young, it becomes something ingrained in us. Once a person is an adult, the difficulty isn’t in training them – it’s in the process of un-training them. > > I hope this helps a bit! Just keep in mind these four important words: > > **Stay calm and assertive**. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/30 "2011-06-22T16:56:20Z")
As someone mentioned above, a can of wasp spray is said to be an effective dog deterrent…I’ve never personally tried this though, and cannot vouch for the method. I did have some success once, spraying a rottweiler in the face with ether; the kind that comes in an aerosol can for use as an engine-starting aid. No, I don’t ordinarily carry a can of ether in a quick-draw holster…the rottie attacked my dog while I was working in my shop, and I grabbed the first thing at hand and ran to the rescue 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/31 "2011-06-22T17:02:41Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > A spray bottle of ammonia will take care of any dog. Quality advice, in a thread full of nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/32 "2011-06-22T17:31:53Z")
Get yourself a [good sturdy stick](http://www.lehmans.com/store/Outdoors ___Camping___ Hickory_Livestock_Hook_Canes___22211057?partnerid=googlebase&utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=2926&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=3232323131303537). The vast majority of the time just brandishing it is enough. If you need to use it, get a good two-handed grip and thrust it like a bayonet at the dog’s face. Unless he is a highly trained attack dog, which is unlikely, he’ll attempt to bit the end of it. At this point, you do your best to cram it down his throat. Don’t worry. He’ll lose his enthusiasm for the whole enterprise long before you kill him. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/33 "2011-06-22T18:22:34Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Maybe change your user name? That can’t help… Dammit! _Now_ I see the problem! Yeah, I’m not getting a gun. Dogs running around free here are against the law, but there isn’t any enforcement, so people are getting _very_ lax with keeping their dogs under control where they can attack other people. I don’t think any dog will attack me, but with the startling amount of off-leash dogs I encounter every time I go for a walk (three again this morning), it is a definite possibility, and I would prefer to be prepared than to be bitten. There is a certain amount of psychology involved, too - I think most dog owners will notice me brandishing pepper spray or a large walking stick at their “don’t worry, he’s harmless!” dog as it runs at me full speed. Then we can have a chat about how their dog wouldn’t be in any danger of being sprayed if it didn’t get close to me. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/34 "2011-06-22T18:47:37Z")
The other option is to get a bigger dog of your own! He’ll happily protect you! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/35 "2011-06-22T18:48:45Z")
An airhorn will work pretty good. Ammonia and wasp spray will be effective. Not sure anything but firearms will work against a crazed pit bull, or any other breed. If you understand canine dominance/submission you can scare off most dogs with a stare or harsh word. Most, but not all. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/36 "2011-06-22T19:12:50Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If you understand canine dominance/submission you can scare off most dogs with a stare or harsh word. Most, but not all. You can also scare most off by mentioning a bath. They’ll run a mile! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/37 "2011-06-22T19:17:35Z")
I don’t know the rules in Calgary, but in many jurisdictions where pepper spray is “illegal,” it’s actually “regulated” and you can fairly easily obtain a permit to carry it. I can also say that when hiking in other parts of Alberta, I have seen people carrying bear spray on their belts. Perhaps they were breaking the law; perhaps bear spray is not treated the same as pepper spray. Should you choose to carry bear spray, _learn how to use it!_ Most sporting-goods stores that sell it will be happy to take a couple of minutes and explain everything. Keep it where you can grab it quickly, or it’s useless. Spray down, not straight out, or the dog can run in under the spray. If you wait until the dog is right in your face, it’s too late. Obviously, don’t spray it into the wind, or you will be an unhappy cat whisperer. ---
**Author:** ![Blackhawk441](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/76d3ee/32.png) [@Blackhawk441](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackhawk441)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/38 "2011-06-22T19:36:11Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I don’t understand why people get so fussed about the legality of pepper spray. If I was ever put in a situation where I had to use it, I’d be goddamn glad I had it and lived to tell the tale. A misdemeanor conviction is worth keeping life and limb intact, no question. Better to be tried by twelve than carried by six. And yes, if there are crazed/abused/hostile pitbulls/Rottweilers running around, there’s not a whole lot you can do short of firearms. However, if that was the case, I suspect the authorities would be a bit more enthusiastic about not letting them run around. Against someone’s “overly friendly” German Shepherd, I second the suggestion for bear spray or something. ---
**Author:** ![Romeo\_and\_Whatsherface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@Romeo\_and\_Whatsherface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Romeo_and_Whatsherface)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/39 "2011-06-22T19:44:25Z")
[quote=“Crazyhorse, post:17, topic:586365”] Ask your local postman if there are any problem dogs known to roam the neighborhood - they will know. This. Postal carriers are also trained in handling aggressive dogs and could give you tips. Around here (western US), mail carriers carry dog biscuits. I don’t know under what circumstances they dispense them, though. Seems like giving one to a savage beast might just reinforce aggressive behavior, but definitely ask your carrier for advice. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365/40 "2011-06-22T20:18:02Z")
Carry a cat. If the dog attacks toss it and run the other direction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-running-loose-in-my-neighbourhood-how-do-i-protect-myself-walking/586365.md?page=3)