Taking a knife to a dog fight is a recipe for disaster. You'll be armed with one claw while the dogs are armed with multiple claws and fangs that they've been using every day of their life. Yes your knife is steel and sharp, the dog can't drop his weapons by accident.


IIRC mace/pepper spray/stun guns/tasers require permits in NYC that mere mortals cannot obtain. The manufacturers web sites of these products all state they will not ship to New York (and other places).

Look at Ed's treatise of breaking up dog fights. When they are in fight drive they are too focused to hear your whistle/horn/bell, they are in a life and death struggle, they have tunnel vision/hearing they are operating at a genetic drive level, if you're ever in a fight like this one so will you. Worst case scenario is they will perceive you as the new most dangerous threat and attack you.

Put pen to paper (or word processor to print) and write a letter to your alderman, city councilman, or mayor. This will energize the police to involve themselves. The local TV channels will go after stories they can use to sell advertising time. The alderman will want you to tell people how he helped you come election time.

I feel genuine pity for those of you who live at the mercy of a government that doesn't recognize self defense as a basic human right. I'm not trying to be callous here, and I'm not trolling for a fight. I feel useless telling you what you cannot do (you already know that).

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Look at Ed's treatise of breaking up dog fights. When they are in fight drive they are too focused to hear your whistle/horn/bell, they are in a life and death struggle, they have tunnel vision/hearing they are operating at a genetic drive level, if you're ever in a fight like this one so will you.

Very true. An air horn will get you nothing, other than perhaps a partially deaf dog if you do it too close to a dog's ear. Ed's dog fight pages contain a wealth of information.

The air horn seemed like it would be a good idea to use to dissuade a dog from approaching as you yell for it to GO.

Here are links that discuss dog attacks and what to do. I don't think I saw part II of this before.

http://leerburg.com/dogattack.htm

http://www.leerburg.com/dogattack.htm#stray

You're right Red, we can't have stun guns. We can get pepper spray at the pharmacy I heard. You just have to register it. But will they carry the foam and gel? I'll have to check that out.

The knife seemed like a good idea in case I had to kill another dog to stop it. It seemed like the most effective thing I could carry without dragging a bat around.

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I feel genuine pity for those of you who live at the mercy of a government that doesn't recognize self defense as a basic human right. I'm not trying to be callous here, and I'm not trolling for a fight. I feel useless telling you what you cannot do (you already know that).

If you live here, you get used to it, especially if that's all you ever knew... The thing that really annoys me is that they outlawed FAL's and AR15's and didn't bother to notify anyone. They're getting a little ridiculous with their restrictions. Soon all we'll be allowed is pea shooters lol <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> You didn't seem like you were trolling for a fight, besides, you're a retired military man so you can say whatever you want <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

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You're right Red, we can't have stun guns. We can get pepper spray at the pharmacy I heard. You just have to register it. But will they carry the foam and gel? I'll have to check that out.

Personally, Rules are made to be broken and if there are that many dogs around and I want to continue to walk my dog, I would get a stun gun out of state and use pepper spray as my first choice. Use it if I absolutely had to in self defense of myself and my dog and then let God sort out the rest, I won’t bring a knife to a gun fight.

I slept on your problem and thought of Ed's admonition to carry a stout stick. It didn't register well until I thought of it as a hardwood walking stick that's just about shoulder high. Plenty of stand-off and leverage to whack errant dogs in the brain housing group. Nobody can question you need to have a walking stick without risking violation of the ADA.

The other idea that comes to mind is the collapsible/expandable baton. Some are made of a series of rigid tubes some are made of springs. I have a deep abiding respect for the ones made of springs because I've seen German Polezi use them to great effect, they're way better than the regular metal ones. The straight ones apply the force in one spot, the spring one make contact along it's length until the weight at the end delivers the coup-de-gras. So, you carry the baton closed (say 9" long) and when you need it, it expands as you swing it the first time and it extends to a length of up to 26 inches.

There, I feel better, a viable solution, a spiffy walking stick from the hardware store (buy a hardwood pole like you use in closets to hang clothes on, stain it so it looks pretty ) or expensive one that looks real cool purchased on-line (that you need to get around on walks due to your bad back (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), or a compact expandable baton.

As with any weapon, if you don't practice with it (and I do mean often) you just bring a paper weight to the fight.

This is probably a dumb question but I'll ask it anyway. Where is the best place on the dog's anatomy to use the stick or baton? My dog has run head first into sturdy objects (in drive, on more than one occasion) and it had little or no effect on her. When I asked the Vet about this she showed me a dog's skull, that answered my question.

Also, are expandable batons available to the general public? If so, where?

On Karen Pryor's website, she sells an expandable target stick. It's the same principle. I don't know how sturdy it is -- I'd give the couch or some old wooden furniture a few good whacks to test it.

Ed suggests the skull on his website.

Thank you.
The exbandable baton sounds great! Supposedly the snap alone scares assailants off, hopefully vicious dogs too.
I must tell you I'm not at all a violent person. This whole ordeal has me a bit freaked out, although I will not watch my loyal companion be harmed. It has taken me a few years for her not to fear even the littlest of things since she was abused and neglected by her previous owners. She seems to be dealing with this attack better than me.
Thanks again to every concerned person, who was kind enough to take the time to give suggestions and help me feel supported. Best wishes to you all.
Theresa

Realizing that it's going to be a moving target, I'd say the muzzle or eyes, the face as it were will cause enough injury to stop an attack. Google expandable baton and you'll be able to comparison shop.

This is real "Katie bar the door" stuff if you opt to involve yourself. Once you start, don't stop until the dog retreats because he has been seriously injured. This will be an all or nothing event, dog's lack compassion and you'll have the scars to bear witness to compassion's folly. Ed, an experienced professional comes in from behind, to take the bull by the horns as it were because he knows how hard & fast a dog's weapons move. He has assistants and equipment in an area designed to control dogs, you'll be on the street with spectators who don't want to get involved (ask Kitty Genovese).

Thanks alot for the information on the expandable baton and the best target for its use. I have been involved in a dog attack that the Sheriff had to breakup so I know how bad it can get. Regarding the expandable target stick, the one I have is not sturdy enough for this purpose.