Thanks for the ideas you guys. You know the guy with the hounds never put them on a leash...even after I chased them away. I called the police and animal control and an officer gave him two citations for dogs being out of control. Heh heh. Where I live, dogs can be off leash but only if they are under the IMMEDIATE control of an adult.

Another product similar to the one Jeff Cambeis mentions. I've used it on a charging dog and it did work in that instance. I don't know how well it would work on a really determined dog. I'd carry the pepper spray too just in case. The time to use pepper spray is before the dog gets close enough for you to accidentally get it in your eyes or your dogs eyes. Good pepper spray shoots up to 15 feet.

http://www.tesco-shopping.com/Dazer_detail.htm

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

I'm surprised I haven't gotten bitten.

Let's not beat around the bush here -
If you're actually in that amount of danger, get some firearm training, then get a CCW and carry said firearm.


It's within your legal rights to protect yourself from bodily harm ( unless you live in one of the leftist pinko nanny states ) and a handgun is the most practical solution for a dangerous situation like this.
Check with your local laws first, of course.

This solution *works* in a dangerous situation and I know from first hand experience, I've had to use my weapon twice on walks in a seven year period against aggressive stray dogs that were intent on attacking me or my dog.
I'm glad to say that our local law enforcement had no problem with what I'd done, and with the exception of the angry former dog owners, there was no problem at all.

Maybe you should start thinking about walking your dog some place else. That's what I did because I grew sick and tired of carrying around mace/stun gun, kicking dogs, and dealing with retarted dog owners. Taking your dog out for a walk should be a pleasant experience, not a crappy one where you know that you have to deal with another idiotic dog owner. Dealing with that kind of frustration simply sucks! My dog turned dog aggressive because of constant encounters with pissed off little dogs. At one point, I even got assaulted by a stupid dog owner because I kicked his out of control dog (and his dogs were still running loose, and growling at us as we argued). Yeah, it's a pain in the butt to have to drive elsewhere to walk your dog, but at least you'll be able to walk in peace.

Drive to areas of interest, and survey these areas by walking around by yourself. We now walk in the backcountry and it feels so nice not to have to worry about retarted dog owners. I have him wear an electric collar and I allow him to run loose as there is no one out there. I'm sorry, but I'm not up to looking up California's Dangerous Weapons laws, and carrying weapons anymore just to walk my dog. Plus, my state isn't very friendly when it comes to use-of-force, even if you had the right to do so. My .02 cents.

Edited by Julio Martinez (06/13/2008 10:10 PM)
Edit reason: Added more.

No Julio, I'm *not* going to start thinking about walking my dogs somewhere else - I'm in the right here, and the law backs me up.
Plus I live in a state that trusts it's citizens to legally protect themselves.

I don't mind dealing with idiotic other dog owners, because dealing with me teaches them a valuable lesson.
And if I was ever assaulted by a stupid dog owner, it'd be a life changing experience for them, count on it!

You might think differently if you'd lived in one of the states that allowed people to use their right to self-defense.


Edit: I'm going to add a quote here from John Wayne in "the Shootist" which sums up what I consider an excellent world view:

" I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."


If more people lived by that motto, the world would be a much more polite place.

Having served many high risk search warrants and encountered dogs , Mace has worked well on most . The thing to remember about mace is the wind direction. If it blows back in your face you're no longer a help to your dog. Also some dogs in drive aren't effected by it. It has very little effect on our K9's when they are in drive. They are also able to work in houses full of gas (CN,CS,CN/CS) and still find , locate and fight (if need be) the badguys. Just a cautionary note for those using mace.

LIke Will I've found MP5's , AR15's and .40cals to be most effective . Sorry couldn't resist.

Rural area, back-country or city street, I'm armed. You never know what the hell is going to happen- be it loose dog, wild animal or your local a**hole. Shit happens, and I have a right and an obligation to protect my family and myself.

As far as OC/Mace/Pepper Spray goes, it's a nice back up. I usually carry mine in the event that A) a firearm isn't warranted or B) for some unforseeable reason, it isn't available.
If you do end up getting backspray on you or you dog, just remain calm and remember that no matter how bad it burns (and it will; a full on hit feels like someone poured gasoline on your face and lit it), it isn't causing you, or the dog, HARM. The pain and any breathing difficulty WILL go away. Walk into the wind, force your eyes to stay open as much as possible. Avoid rubbing or touching affected areas.

Once you and your dog are out of danger, flush with water, and keep walking into the wind. If your vehicle is handy, sitting in front of the vent with the A/C going helps a LOT.

As far as effectiveness against a dog- it depends a lot on the dog. Our MWD Handlers have sprayed other dogs to protect their K9, as well as from time to time accidently sprayed their own dogs. All of them tend to react differently depending on the dog and the situation.

The paranoid combat vet in me says, "have a backup for your backup".

 Quote: alyssa myracle

The paranoid combat vet in me says, "have a backup for your backup".

Alyssa, check your PM's for a marriage proposal.....

Will, you're about 5 years too late. But thanks anyway.

I think it's really sad that we have to have a thread on how to arm/protect ourselves just to walk our dogs.

I no longer walk my dogs at all due to incidents I've had with loose dogs. And by the time I phone Animal Control (whose hours are 9-5 M-F only), the offending owner and dog are long gone.

It really sucks but I decided the stress wasn't worth it and wasn't fair to my dogs.