I live in a suburb but it is very concentrated with homes and there are many dogs, we have a leash law as far as i know, ppl need to follow it

They won't--take it from me.

I was a huge dick to the woman whose Bulldog charged me, and I'm still a dick to her every time I see her because her dog is out of control and she simply doesn't care.

Ever been behind someone doing 54mph in the left lane of a 55mph highway? What happens when you pass them on the right and make eye contact? They get pissed and probably flick you off, regardless of how silly or dangerous their own behavior is.

Dog owners are no different. They want to believe that their dogs are nice and smart and chummy...much easier than admitting "I can't control this F'ing thing and it's going to get me in serious trouble one day." Challenge their delusional belief and you will be dismissed, shouted at, or attacked.

 Quote: MATT STYLE

I live in a suburb but it is very concentrated with homes and there are many dogs, we have a leash law as far as i know, ppl need to follow it

100% agree. I plan on carrying a baseball bat or something similar in the future and I have very little problem with using it. Probably a knife too. It's much better that the stray gets whacked than you or your dog get bitten. Fortunately for me, strays don't seem to be much of a problem here, but I've lived place where they certainly were.

Try an Asp. They're police batons that retract into a small, inconspicuous handle.

My area is well policed and I am not going to walk down the road with a baseball bat. An Asp will fit nicely into almost any coat pocket, and when you're holding it in your hand it looks like nothing at all.

The off-leash nuisance dog will forever be a neighborhood problem. So, my tactics for dealing with those types of situations are as follows:
1. Avoid areas/streets where unruly/out-of-control dogs are off leash. My two favorite places to walk dogs are on the trails at the land trust property across the road from me (nobody else is ever there - lucky me!), and the strip-malls and center green in town. I'm pretty much guaranteed to never run into an off-leash dog there.
2. I put my dog behind me (they are on-leash and well-trained, which makes this part easy), so I am between the charging dog and my dog. I also take an assertive stance. This lets my dog know I have the situation under control, and also puts me in a position to defend.
3. Wear a baseball cap. I've used my hat several times to whap a charging dog in the face. Most (not all!) of them are wimps and will retreat just at the threat of being hit with it. If I see the dog again, just reaching for my hat is enough to remind them of who I am and how I defended myself in the past.
4. Spray. This is for dogs who aren't affected by the hat. You have to be careful with this though and check local laws to make sure you can carry it.

Ross's suggestion sounds good...anything that gets your point across while keeping you and your dogs out of harm's way is good. And, the above suggestions have worked well for me in the past. You have to assess your own particular situation and the dogs involved to determine whether or not it will work for (or be safe for) you.

I also live in suburbia---land of loose dogs---and I use the avoidance strategy suggested by Connie Sutherland and Konnie Hein in this thread.

For example, for my evening trek I usually just drive my dog to our smallish downtown area that has virtually 100% leashed dogs being walked. It only takes a few loops around and through the town to rack up miles of hassle free dog walking.

Obviously, if I had no choice but to walk in areas that had loose dogs, I would be using some type of equipment to defend against potential attacks.


Edited by Tim Curtis (09/09/2010 09:24 PM)
Edit reason: spelling

I'm not going to say it didn't happen but a dog with real aggression on his mind is not going to let you roll him. First of all it takes a second or two before the dog is actually in the submissive position. Until that moment no dog with real aggression on his mind would allow you to get that close without turning you into Swiss cheese.

I will sometimes put Jeter on his back to remind him that in the end I run the show. So he is familiar with being put down on his back and how it means its time for him to submit. Having said that I can tell you with complete certainty that if you (a stranger) came into my house and approached me or my wife or kids you can try to Alpha roll him all you want and the result would be a fast trip to the emergency room. It would never work!!!

Since we are discussing off leash dogs and the pain in the ass it is I have a question. I too live in Suburbia and walking my dogs this summer has been a nightmare because of all the idiots that think its cute to have their dogs hanging around the front lawn of leash.

Jeter is dog aggressive. I avoid other dogs during my walks but sometimes they just turn the corner at the last minute. Its frustrating to deal with when everyone is on lease. But the prospect of these dogs charging us and the potential outcome drives me mad.

Since I have two (file was too big to put Dakota pic up )my paranoia is heightened because I feel like I have much more to deal with if we are confronted by a loose dog that I cant run off. I have to keep all the dogs apart and that is MUCH harder when there are three.

I carry a large walking stick and hope I never have to use it. I don't blame the dog because an off leash dog that is approaching is only a dog. Its the owner that should get whacked with the stick. But if I do that then my wife would have to walk the dogs (because I would be in jail for assault) and that wont happen.

My questions is this. What should I do if a dog is hell bent on approaching and a dog fight is unavoidable? Do I let mine off the leash so they stand the best chance of defending themselves? Obviously this is if I know I cant avoid the fight and because its 3 dogs it makes it harder to break it up. Or do I keep mine restrained and do the best I can to break it up no matter what?