Preparing for dog attacks--pay attention!

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  • lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    What are the legal ramifications of killing someone else's dog in a dog park?
    Dog parks seem gross, too much poop/grass ratio.
    I can’t speak to a dog park, but Howard county the only people who can legally shoot a dog are LE. Didn’t matter if the dog is attacking your dog, or chasing your horse. You might get away in defense of human life.
     

    Bisleyfan44

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 11, 2008
    1,754
    Wicomico
    Just pulled my deer cams from the woods yesterday. I have several pics of a group of 3 feral dogs roaming our property. This is my parents place where we frequently visit/hunt and where our 12yo son often plays outside by himself. No neighbor within a 2 mile radius claims any of the dogs in the pics, thus the feral tag. We're making plans to rectify this situation by whatever means necessary. Not gonna live in fear of ANY wild animal.
     

    U.S.SFC_RET

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 8, 2005
    6,696
    There are the type of dogs that will let you know that they are going to bite you and there are the type of dogs that will turn on you without any warning. I received a bite from a dog that gave no warning. Needless to say we got rid of that dog.
    I know a couple that keeps a dog, his name is Archie. Archie will bite their four year old daughter so they keep them separate. This is a problematic dog. Needs to be dealt with by either rehoming or put to sleep.
     

    BumblebeeSnek

    Member
    Oct 2, 2020
    8
    Cockeysville
    When I lived in TX, I used to take my Boston Terrier to a dog park, but after he got ganged up on by 5 dogs and me jumping in to break it up with the clueless owners nowhere to be found I never went back. I also heard stories of dogs killed in dog fights there (not to mention the diseases they can pick up). It's always very risky. I'm always paranoid about walking him on a leash at other parks but we tend to go to parks that require dogs on a leash or rarely have people walking their dogs at all.
    Personally I hate pit-type dogs, they have brains wired to eliminate threats, you can't deny the fact of what they were bred for or the sketchy history of the ones in shelters. No amount of training can defuse past trauma in the shelter ones and they're well-known to turn without warning.
     

    pleasant1911

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 12, 2012
    10,221
    My MIL was bitten by a dog on a leash. Dude playing sidewalk chicken with his dog. The same owner who is apologetic for their dog biting you, are the same ones who will call the cops or willing to fight you for hitting their dog in self defense.

    Sucks your dog was injured. Hopefully the guy whose dog did the damage is not like, nothing serious it was only $300 for a vet visit.

    Now letting my blood cooling off
     

    cmb

    Active Member
    Dec 28, 2012
    499
    Conowingo MD
    Monday my dog was attacked by another dog some jackass allowed off leash at our local park. My dog was leashed, his was not. The other dog was 50 feet away moving at full speed before I noticed it. By the time I reached down to shorten the lead line on my dog the other dog clamped onto my dog's head. Luckily where he bit my dog was the hardest part of her head so the bites were only superficial. I finally got my dog's leash shortened and tried kicking the other dog off of mine but it wasn't deterred--It was some kind of pitty mix. The other owner finally got their dog under control and separated. I got his name and number and he said he would pay for vet fees. Yesterday we took my dog to the vet and $330 later she is on the mend. I did get the money from him.

    I'm thinking about this incident post-analysis. I wasn't paying attention so my reaction was slow. This could have easily also been an attack on me or a more serious attack on my dog. I had an ear bud in listening to a podcast and just enjoying the time in nature. I totally was not in an attentive reaction mindset. I was armed and also had pepper spray with me. The other dog was moving so fast I did not have enough time for me to grab either my gun or spray by the time I realized it was there. I'm going to start looking for a better way to carry my spray so I can get to it faster. Moral of the story for me is to pay attention, even when out enjoying nature. There's also coyotes out here. A friend we were talking with said they often walk in that same park with their dog and have seen coyotes recently. There was also a murder in this park in 2018. I need to do a better job of awareness when in public.

    Please keep your dog on a leash and pay attention.
    My solution is one of these in each front pocket.
     

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    Pax

    Member
    Feb 11, 2023
    39
    Sparks Maryland
    The bottom line is that dog parks are always a huge risk and I have no use for them. I have raised and trained working line German Shepherds for IPO/Schutzhund. I have spent a lot of time in understanding that most dog owners are limited in their experience and dog parks can bring that to a head.

    I understand that a lot of dog owners think there dogs need interact with other dogs for what they think is good for them. Socialization of a dog to other dogs does not require direct interaction but "non contact" exposure from 8 weeks and on. You watch your puppy and their reaction. If you are seeing no fear behaviors then reward and move on. If the Pup is unsure and pulling away, then don't force them! Change the scene so that fear does embed in their head. Try again slowly until the pup is comfortable.

    Next is exercise. If you bring a dog to a dog park after hours of being cooped up, some of them are keyed up to the point that they could create a energy level that sets other dogs off. Exercise such as a good walk can take that edge off as well as allow you to bond and work on obedience, which they need every day but also may prevent you dog from being too keyed up.

    Most people get a dog for all that's great aspects about having one, but don't understand the small things you can do to avoid issues. The other thing that makes me crazy is getting a dog that may be beyond the owners ability both from a time devoted as well as understanding the traits of a breed/dog. I truly understand that things happen but a lot of dog disasters could be avoided.

    Thanks for listening.
     

    4g64loser

    Bad influence
    Jan 18, 2007
    6,381
    maryland
    The bottom line is that dog parks are always a huge risk and I have no use for them. I have raised and trained working line German Shepherds for IPO/Schutzhund. I have spent a lot of time in understanding that most dog owners are limited in their experience and dog parks can bring that to a head.

    I understand that a lot of dog owners think there dogs need interact with other dogs for what they think is good for them. Socialization of a dog to other dogs does not require direct interaction but "non contact" exposure from 8 weeks and on. You watch your puppy and their reaction. If you are seeing no fear behaviors then reward and move on. If the Pup is unsure and pulling away, then don't force them! Change the scene so that fear does embed in their head. Try again slowly until the pup is comfortable.

    Next is exercise. If you bring a dog to a dog park after hours of being cooped up, some of them are keyed up to the point that they could create a energy level that sets other dogs off. Exercise such as a good walk can take that edge off as well as allow you to bond and work on obedience, which they need every day but also may prevent you dog from being too keyed up.

    Most people get a dog for all that's great aspects about having one, but don't understand the small things you can do to avoid issues. The other thing that makes me crazy is getting a dog that may be beyond the owners ability both from a time devoted as well as understanding the traits of a breed/dog. I truly understand that things happen but a lot of dog disasters could be avoided.

    Thanks for listening.
    Thanks. As a non-dog expert this is a welcome information download that reinforces my layman's suspicions just observing owners handling their dogs.

    My information is all second hand from a couple of handlers I know.
     

    Sirex

    Powered by natural gas
    Oct 30, 2010
    10,380
    Westminster, MD
    Back when I was 12-13, I went back with my grandmother and her friend to Florida from MD. I was traveling with them, and 2 older ladies, they hit rest areas often. my grandmother's friend had a smaller black poodle. A wonderful, sweet, docile dog. The ladies stopped at a rest stop in one of the Carolinas, and asked me to walk the poodle, which I did on a leash. I was walking around the designated dog area and walking back to our car when a German Shepherd leaped out of the back of a Chevy Suburban I think, and ran full steam at us, and before I knew what was happening, had the poodle in it's jaws. It was going for the neck, but the poodle put a paw up and the Shepherd clamped down crushing it's paw/forearm. I started raining blows down on the big dog trying to get it off the poodle, and some lady came over yelling at me to stop hitting her dog, and grabbed my shoulder. The Shepherd didn't even notice I was hitting it evidently, but I came damn near close to cocking back and slugging her until I noticed it was a woman. Her husband came running over and grabbed her, then got the dog off. People were around and watching this, but the couple got the dog and fled. My grandmother and her friend (the poodle's owner) came slowly walking out of the bathrooms, and only started moving faster when seeing me on the ground and a crowd around us. Of course they panicked, and were asking where the closest pet hospital was, and someone got the tag of the truck that fled. We rushed the poodle to the vet, and it had a crushed paw and several lacerations, but it survived.

    We've had dogs in our neighborhood that are aggressive, and yes, pits. One guy walking his aggressive pit, it started barking at my son playing in OUR yard with friends, and I guess all the hollering from little kids triggered his dog. We also had another pit leap out of a truck and charge at my dad and I walking my kids. The dog did not respond to commands from the owner to stop, and my dad had to threaten the guy until the guy grabbed the dog by the collar. So, we've had aggressive dogs in our neighborhood.

    We got our first dog in September 2021, and I love him to death. He's a dork, but loveable and goofy. He barks when people approach the house, which is initially what I wanted, when we had the neighbors from hell, but he's playful and not really aggressive from what I have witnessed. In spring 2022 we were walking him on a leash around the neighborhood. A German Shepherd ran at him full steam from a yard, barking and snarling. Our little guy, still a pup, was shaking and scared cowering behind me. I did have my knife with me but fortunately didn't have to use it. The Shepherd stopped at the edge of the yard, I assume at the boundary of an underground electric fence, but it scared our dog sh!tless. He'll go out back (fenced in back yard) and play all day, but doesn't want to go out front anymore. We're going to try this spring to get him out again, used to leash walking again. I'll take my knife, and my stun gun. And maybe a rubber ball. That's my dog's kryptonite.
     

    Benny

    Active Member
    Feb 20, 2019
    185
    When running on a popular path, I always ball my hands into fists when passing dogs. This way, they can’t bite off my fingers and I can pop them on the nose if necessary. So far, I’ve not been bit but it’s a numbers game given the number of dogs on the path. I love dogs and have one.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,810
    A good, swift kick to the brisket will give most dogs something to think about.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    An umbrellas works for keeping a dog off you.
    Maybe a little ungainly/unsightly to carry but works like a champ. Just like the joker. (style)
    So will a hard hat.
    Hold the hat in your hand by the liner and stick it right in their face when they try to bite.
    When they turn to it, punch them right in the side of the face at the ear. Right below it.
    Bet they stop real quick.
     

    hillbilly grandpa

    Active Member
    Jan 26, 2013
    961
    Arnold
    Just a thought on cameras. Why doesn't the owner just get a GoPro or something similar, and wear it on his/her person, instead of trying to work out a doggie rig? Wouldn't that accomplish the same objective and record the "action" from a more advantageous vantage point?
     

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