# The dog attack (or, possibly I was better off being phobic of canines). **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 2, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853 "2014-06-02T18:59:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/41 "2014-06-03T19:16:33Z")
I’m glad you’re okay Skald, and I completely understand your instinct for revenge and I’m glad you reported it and the officials are out looking for the dog. The fact that the dog did not belong to the owners of the house (if indeed that’s true) combined with his behaviour make me very glad you’re following through with rabies treatment. Sure the shots are expensive and inconvenient but the alternative is a lot more inconvenient. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/42 "2014-06-03T20:10:52Z")
I love dogs, I own a dog, I have worked with dogs, my father was a small animal vet for forty years. I know dogs. Therefore, I know that the dog who bit you needs to be euthanized. Quickly and humanely, but definitely. Get better soon. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/43 "2014-06-03T20:44:12Z")
Did you carry the baton for some other purpose or was it specifically to defend yourself against dog attacks? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/44 "2014-06-03T20:46:26Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Did you carry the baton for some other purpose or was it specifically to defend yourself against dog attacks? It’s dogs I have primarily in mind. In theory I’d use it on a mugger, but in practice if I guy is pointing a gun at me I’m going to give him my wallet (in which, while riding, I carry cash but not cards.) ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/45 "2014-06-04T00:01:02Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > I recommend [heroic cats](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6GQR3Ym5M8&feature=kp) as protection against dog on bike attacks. Apparently the dog in that attack was not put down immediately :eek: At least you know you don’t piss yourself now **Skald**! I hope they catch that dangerous dog and put it down forthwith - still in the kindest way possible though. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/46 "2014-06-04T00:49:44Z")
Skald, my friend I am glad to hear that you are OK, and I join the ranks of those who feel that a bullet to the dog’s head is the perfect response to this attack. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/47 "2014-06-04T01:35:21Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > 😕 > > How do you think getting off the bike would have helped? Do you think I can run faster than I can ride? Keep the bike between you & the dog. You should be able to turn &/or move the bike quicker than he can get around you. A couple spokes to the snout may have changed his mind. One of the tricks I was taught was to say, “Good dog” in a sweet voice. Whether it’s a snarling Doberman or a waggy-tailed Golden on a leash, it typically makes them stop just long enough that you have a chance to get past/away. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/48 "2014-06-04T01:54:42Z")
Glad you are OK. How easy will it be for the dog to bite you the next time this happens? ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/49 "2014-06-04T02:13:41Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I love dogs, I’ve been a dog owner all my life, and that dog needs to have a bullet in the back of its fucking head. > > Glad you’re okay, **Skald**. Agreed on both counts, and as a dog owner myself, if Cooper ever went all Cujo on a pedestrian or cyclist, I’d put him down myself. No excuse for that behavior whatsoever. Heal up quickly, Skald… Will Rhymer Enterprises be working on some form of Dog Repell-Inator after this incident? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/50 "2014-06-04T02:37:07Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > It knocked me off my bike and onto the group. The group of what? ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/51 "2014-06-04T04:10:54Z")
I’m glad you are OK, **Skald**. I read all of your threads because they are usually fun and entertaining, but this one is scary. I don’t often post in them often because I don’t have anything clever to say. I do rescue. Mostly cats, but sometimes dogs. I like dogs, we have one of our own. I am in full agreement that this dog should be found and put down. There are times when a dog bites because it was provoked by a young child who cornered it or tried to take food away. Those dogs might be able to be rehabbed. A dog who runs silently, knocks someone down and then lunges again is a danger. Actually, any dog that attacks a human should be put down. There are many, MANY very nice, very sweet dogs on death row. Put the biter down and get one of them. PS Rabies shots don’t go into the belly anymore. They are still hard, and you will still feel kinda sick and achy during the treatment, but they aren’t really that bad. And yes, I do know this from experience. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/52 "2014-06-04T04:30:24Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > [This is the sort of thing I mean.](http://www.basspro.com/Smith-Wesson-Heat-Treated-Collapsible-Batons-with-Sheath/product/12062804363910/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=12062804363910%26adc=pg_315_11134_5283d7fce4b05294704be722_41415096031)They’re good to carry but you may wish to check your local laws if you’re considering one; in Tennessee, at least, you’re supposed to have a license. You should write a review for the site. You’re prolly the only person to ever use one of them in the streets, much less heroically drive off you attacker. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/53 "2014-06-04T18:06:50Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > My work wife came to see me in the hospital, You have a work wife and a home wife? Man, one is more than enough for me! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/54 "2014-06-05T16:55:30Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Agreed on both counts, and as a dog owner myself, if Cooper ever went all Cujo on a pedestrian or cyclist, I’d put him down myself. > > No excuse for that behavior whatsoever. > > Heal up quickly, Skald… > > Will Rhymer Enterprises be working on some form of Dog Repell-Inator after this incident? If this were an Evil!Skald thread, the thread title would have been something like, “So I suppose y’all are wondering why Midtown Memphis has been incinerated.” ---
**Author:** ![Depechemode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@Depechemode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Depechemode)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/55 "2014-06-06T21:10:13Z")
I’m amazed at the people who are upset with the op when he says he hopes he cracked the dog’s ribs. The dog was trying to kill him. That irresponsible owner should be fined and that dog should be put down before it kills someone. I am terrified of dogs as well. You can’t trust a strange dog. You never know what they will do. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/56 "2014-06-09T16:40:57Z")
Crap! Hope you’re alright now Skuld. A few things struck me when reading this thread. 1. Holy crap! Skuld got attacked by a dog! 2. Skuld carries a baton when he goes jogging? Well I’ll be damned. And . . . > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > My work wife came to see me in the hospital, . . . 1. You have one at home AND one at work!? I am insanely jealous. Sorry to hear your bike got nicked too, on top of everything. (Bloody dog was probably after your bike the whole time! Must have come back for it later.) Anyway, sincere congratulations on beating your phobia. That’s a win! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/57 "2014-06-09T18:44:13Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > You should write a review for the site. You’re prolly the only person to ever use one of them in the streets, much less heroically drive off you attacker. I don’t know where you get “heroically” from the OP. Anyway, I seriously doubt I’m the first person to use a collapsible baton in self-defense. I doubt I was the first person to do so this year, or even in May. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853/58 "2014-06-10T00:54:52Z")
> [@Depechemode](#): > > I’m amazed at the people who are upset with the op when he says he hopes he cracked the dog’s ribs. The dog was trying to kill him. That irresponsible owner should be fined and that dog should be put down before it kills someone. > I am terrified of dogs as well. You can’t trust a strange dog. You never know what they will do. **Skald the Rhymer** , I’m sorry this happened to you. I this doesn’t set back your therapy. I too, am terrified of dogs. Big ones, little one, doesn’t matter. They are all biters until proven otherwise. I have a few friends with dogs I will pet, but even they make me sweat a little. My fear comes from multiple bite incidents. I was bitten by my best friend’s dog, who I had dog-sat for a few weeks before. He was fine then. We decided he didn’t like the perfume I was wearing that night. Some dogs just hate bicycles. ☹ My first bite, was on a bike. I was 16 and the dog belonged to a boy I had a crush on. The bite fixed that! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dog-attack-or-possibly-i-was-better-off-being-phobic-of-canines/689853.md?page=2)