I pit dog owners who don't keep their dogs in their yards

The BBQ Pit
1

Damn it! Damn these people!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about people who live way out in the country and take their dogs in the fields, or anyone who takes their dog hunting, or even those folks who have those buried fence things or whatever.

I’m furious with dog owners who don’t keep their dog in their yard, allowing them to roam freely in the town and ATTACK MY OWN DOG.

I was on a walk with my dog, my five-year-old, and her best friend, another little five-year-old girl. My dog is 13, has near end-stage lymphosarcoma, and is peaceable to the extreme. Never bitten anyone, never gotten in a single dog-fight.

I’m walking along with my dog fully leashed and collared when a dog spots us from across the street and down the block. There’s a guy out mowing the lawn, and the dog was near him; still, I’m not sure if the dog is his or was just nosing around nearby.

The dog runs over and harasses my dog for the next six blocks until I can get us all home. The girls were puzzled at first as the other dog kept sniffing Arthur (my dog), biting his penis, jamming its nose up his arse, and everything else. Finally my dog had enough and started to growl and snap. I had my hand on his collar; the other dog started growling and snapping as well. The girls started freaking out, wanting to run and scream, but I calmed them down and had them walk about half a block ahead or behind us.

We made it home in about six blocks. The dog followed us the whole way, harassing my dog. I weigh about 120, my dog 60, and the other dog was about 60 pounds too. If they’d gone at it full-bore, I would have been right in the middle of it, and screwed. Luckily, my dog, thanks either to his innate good nature or his cancer, didn’t escalate things beyond the growling, snapping stage. Neither did the other dog, luckily, although it harassed Arthur at every step.

I ended up having to block the other damned dog with my body so that my dog could slip into the house ahead of me. As the girls caught up with us, the other dog got off the porch and went into the neighbors’ yard. When the girls started to walk into the house, he galloped back onto the porch; my daughter’s friend barely made it into the house while I once again blocked the dog with my body.

I’ve HAD IT. I live in a town of 15,000, full leash laws and everything. Why do people do this? Damn that asshole who let his dog loose, damn his eyes! He’s just freaking lucky that his stupid dog didn’t bite my girls or my dog.

What the hell is the matter with people? Is it so hard to keep your freaking dog inside, staked out or even (gasp) in a fenced yard? Can’t my dying damned dog take his last freaking walk in peace?!?

Mrs. Furthur

2

I agree with you re idiots who let their dogs run.

But consider another alternative: The “Bad Dog!” Voice. I have an excellent Bad Dog Voice. I have stopped dogs charging bicycle riders by shouting “Bad Dog! Bad! NOOO!” in a deep, scary voice as they came charging out at us.

If nothing else, the owner would have heard you thundering at the dog from at least 6 blocks away.

I’m glad y’all got home ok though. It’s good that the kids didn’t run, because the other dog would probably have chased them.

3

And don’t forget those idiots who install the invisible fence but don’t turn it up enough or leave the collars on their dogs. There’s one corner house in a subdivision near mine who’s dogs will usually stay in their yard, but twice when I’ve been walking my dog they’ve just run through the invisible fence. The first time I was confused and my dog, being a puppy, thought it was play time. Fortunately the boxer wasn’t quite the match for the amazing agility and leaping ability of a Norweigan Elkhound. I managed to give a good yell or two and he headed back while his owner just watched him.

The second time neither of his owners were around and he came bound at me. I yelled “Bad Dog!” a few times and he took off. That time he didn’t get near enough or I would have beaten the crap out of him. If he comes at me again, we’re so brawling. And he’s gonna lose.

4

This is a problem in my neighborhood, too. I have a fenced in yard, and never take Auggie, The Cutest Dog on the Planet, out of the yard unless he’s on a leash (he has darted out the front door before, but I got him leashed right away and I’m careful not to let him do that). There are several people who let their dogs out just to run around the neighborhood.

 One night a couple of years ago, one of these dogs started following us and attacked poor Auggie.  Auggie immediately went into a submissive pose, but not before the other dog got a good chomp out of his butt.  I was screaming at the other dog and trying to grab her back legs (that's what I've always read you should do), when her owner came up and get her off of Auggie (yep, he got beat up by a girl).    I had to take him to the emergency vet, and I sent the other dog's owner the bill, which he paid.  Now I can't get Auggie to go down that street, even two years later.

 There's also a neighbor who lets her dog run around loose, and he's very sweet and would probably never start anything, but I'm afraid he's going to get hit by a car.  You'd think if these people didn't care about their dogs harrassing other dogs and people, they'd at least care about keeping them safe.
5

So did you report the incident to the East Cupcake police?

6

You know, I’m an animal lover but if someone’s pet came after my pets, all bets are off. I have two very small chihuahuas (3 and 3.5 lbs) and I’ve had two of my dogs (when I was a child) killed by other dogs coming into my yard and eating them. That’s why my pets do not go outside without a leash on and the first animal that charges after my babies will get a swift kick in the chest or head. I am very paranoid about other dogs from past experience and will not think twice about putting another person’s pet out of their misery if they come after my babies.

Our next door neighbor’s dog is always outside wandering into other people’s yard to do her business. We scoop up their dog’s poop (there’s a HUGE difference in size from ours) and throw it at their house, our neighbors accross the street collect it in a bag and go hand it to them personally. If I see any this year, it will get collected and then their nice koi pond and lawn furniture will get “decorated” at night. Several of us neighbors have had countless conversations with these people to secure their dog (there is a leash law here). So this summer, there will be no talking, except to Animal Control.

7

I’m sorry, I don’t recall my Goliath losing the title.

8

You should have called animal control.

9

Too bad, because those dogs do the exact same crap that you describe in the rest of the rant. “We’re in the country, we don’t need a fence!” :rolleyes:

If, God forbid, you ever do find yourself in a situation where you have to break up a dog fight, the most important thing to remember is to stay away from the end that has the teeth. Grab the rear legs and/or tail and pull up and back. Never ever grab the collar, head, or neck.

They do sell pepper spray (usually mixed with a dye) formulated specifically for canines. I jog with my dog in a rural area, and because of those “buried fence things” and people who think country dogs are magical fence-respecting beings get harassed fairly frequently. I’ve thought of buying it, but haven’t yet–it might be something to look into, if you’re really feeling threatened.

10

I hate those “Invisible Fence” barriers. If a dog is serious about wanting to go after something, a little shock or a high-frequency tone is not going to stop it. As a passerby, it’s scary to see a barking dog come pelting at you full-speed even if the barrier does stop him.

I had a Great Dane/Labrador come after me and a client’s dog a while back, and I had no idea there was an Invisible Fence between us – apparently the dog didn’t either. It was a big dog. It had a bark to match its size, and I suppose it was that (and not lack of concern) that kept the owner from hearing me scream at the dog to go away. I couldn’t find anything to throw at it, and when it got close enough to bite me, I freaked and kicked it right in the head, and it backed off.

I told my client and she brought it up a the next neighborhood meeting. She says the dog is gone now. Just another one of those dogs that paid for its owner’s stupidity with its life, I suppose. :smack: Proper training and good fences, folks.

11

Plus some invisible fence owners are just stupid - they think nothing of leaving their yard-defending family dog roam the front yard when the mailman has to come up through their yard to put their mail in the door slot. (My husband is a Postal Service letter carrier.) That may keep the dog in the yard, but it does nothing to defend anyone who has to come to your doorstep, idiots.

12

I use a pet containment system for my dog. Training is the key to the whole radio fence containment system. My dog has been trained since puppy hood and continues to be trained to this day. That small 3V shock and beep is only a reminder to the dog. It is foolish to believe that without training the system works alone.

People who own dogs and do not train them are the idiots. Using a pet containment system is not stupid.

13

I’m getting angry again just reading this thread – several times my dog’s been attacked by other dogs who weren’t chained up, or who got out through an open gate. If I were you, furthur, I’d’ve kicked that other dog, thrown rocks at it, whatever, till it ran off. Grr.

14

When I delivered mail one summer I got issued some of this stuff, and used it a few times. I never got bit, but had a close call. Then the stupid owner runs over and says his good doggie would never do it. Right.

I’d definitely call animal control, since who knows how many times the dog has been bad. And get the spray. It really works.

15 
 You must have missed the conclave.
16

I didn’t call the police. I’ve tried calling the police before about lost/loose dogs, and to be honest, they seemed pissed off that I called. So I didn’t try that this time.

The Animal Control idea was a good one, Ghanima . I don’t know why I didn’t think of that – I was too shaken up, I suppose. It just caught me so off guard; I don’t usually walk the dog in that direction and wasn’t expecting any trouble. :smack:

I yelled at the dog as deeply and loudly as I could, but it wasn’t having any of it. Anti-canine spray would have been a good plan. I was really afraid of any overtly violent response, like hitting the dog or chucking rocks, for fear of escalating the situation against my dog or, God forbid, myself or the girls. I also wanted to handle it non-violently if possible for their sake. But if the dog had really started biting hard and taking a chunk out of my dog, I would probably have kicked it in the head, myself.

If I ever see that dog running loose again, you’d better believe I’m going straight home and call Animal Control.

Mrs. Furthur

17

We couldn’t find the money for an Invisible Fence so we just got a bunch of little flags and an ugly collar. We told Duchess we got the containment system and she believed us.

Sometimes it’s good to have a blockhead terrier…

18

Fuck these dogs! I’ve had one such attack occur when I was walking my dog in the morning. I was walking little Missy, the Pomeranian and I see a pit bull come out of the corner of my eye. I lift up Missy almost choking her and catch her in my hands and start running and that FUCKING dog takes a bite out of my goose down coat…feathers are flying everywhere. I run my ass off leaving a cloud of goose feathers in the dust and finally make it home and slam my door. My dog hasn’t been walked in 5 yrs. It’s sad. Very sad.

19

Oh, my God! Did it take you days to calm down? I would have absolutely freaked. Did you call the cops, Animal Control, or what?

I still can’t believe that this dog is owned, it had a collar on with tags and everything, and the owner lets it just run around like this. Even it if pissed me off, and harassed my poor dying dog, I’d feel like hell if I ran over it in the street or something. I can’t figure out why, if you loved your dog, you’d do this.

Mrs. Furthur

20

As herding dogs will try to herd you, pit bulls are bred to fight. Pit bulls also have fantastic people skills and rock solid temperaments. Cherry8943 running set off set off the dogs instincts for chase and that was the last thing that should of done.

Another good defense for dogs that are threatening, besides sprays, is to stand still and be as calm as possible. The energy the dog will sense off of you will be for the best. Do not look into the dog’s eyes. Do look in its general direction. When you look a dog in it’s eyes it is considered an aggressive challenge.

Allow the dog to sniff you, using a low voice you tell it “NO. Go Home.”. Stay still and calm until the dog leaves.

Then back away slowly until out of sight.

If a dog attacks, “feed” it your workout jacket, your bike equipment, backpack, etc to distract it while you slowly back away toward safety. By no means “feed” it your dog.

It is up to you to learn how to take care of yourself when threatened by a dog that an owner has failed to train.

If by chance you are knocked down by a dog, curl up as tight as you can in a ball, put your hands over your ears, face, and neck. Do not scream or roll around.