Quote: sandra vernlund

This is just a question for all who answered... do you have a big problem with loose dogs in your area

Yes. Mainly with people walking their dogs off-leash in the city park that my property backs onto. There is a leash law that no one obeys and they allow their dogs to come right up to the fence to "visit" (read: drive bonkers) with the resident dogs.

 Quote: sandra vernlund

and does Animal Control do a good job of responding and getting these dogs?

No, their hours are 9-5 M-F. How many people walk their dogs during those hours.

 Quote: sandra vernlund

Are the consequences different if the dog bites a person or if the dog bites another dog? Is a quarantine required? Does a bite even have to occur? Are the dogs declared vicious even if it only charged you and your dog?

I should know this but *I think*, in my city, if a dog bites a person it is euthanized. If a dog bites another dog, it is put under a muzzle restriction and labelled dangerous. I think if the owner can prove the shots are up to date, there is no quarantine. I think cats are quarantined if they bite or scratch someone. I am not totally sure about how exactly a dog gets a "dangerous dog" title here. My town is, with the exception of the enforcement of the leash law, pretty tough on dogs. We are only allowed two per household, licence required every year, and "technically" supposed to have dogs on leashes whenever they are off private property.

 Quote: julie wilson

Someone mentioned bear mace (which I didn't know existed) that may be effective, research that a bit.

I have been told by more than a few people that bear mace can or will kill a dog so I don't think it's something you want to use unless the dog is attacking.

Someone else posted about it possibly being difficult to hit a dog. When it happens to you, you're somehow able. My recent story with a boxer:

In a field at a small park by my house, it's foggy and, therefore, hard to see. I had my GSD off leash, we just finished a game of fetch and he was walking by my side. I had a tennis racket in my hand. Out of the blue, a loose boxer came running at us, not barking or growling. But it was sudden because the fog was pretty bad. I'm surprised my dog didn't hear him. Anyway, I grabbed my dog by the collar, put him behind me and held the dog at bay with the racket. This went on for way too long, long enough for me to clearly see he had a collar and dog tag. I told my dog to sit. He did. I fended off the boxer with the racket the entire time but then the boxer got annoyed and jumped up on me. My dog stayed put. Then, out of the clearing comes this knuckle dragger, mosying on toward us like nothing was going on!! He whistled, his dog reluctantly left us and went running over to him. He put his dog on a leash and walked in the other direction. Never said one word! Nothing!

I was fuming that I didn't scream at the guy regarding his dog.

Well, 1/2 later the same thing happened again. I was leaving the park and the guy was in the general direction that I had to go. The dog started running at us again. I screamed at the guy, "Call your flippin' dog!" The guy said nothing! Not one word! The dog kept coming so I put my dog behind me again and screamed one more time "Call your dog!" He didn't. I slammed the dog in the head with the tennis racket. The dog ran away and back to his owner.

I cannot say how infuriating it was to watch this guy stand there and not only do nothing but say nothing to his dog to keep him from coming at us! Not to mention I just bashed his dog in the head with a racket. Yet he said nothing.

I think this guy was hoping the dogs would fight. I really believe that.

Regarding Sandra Vernlund's questions, in my experience Animal Control here is not very effective. The response time is so long that the animals are probably gone by the time they get there. I think it's a question of not having the resources to do the job. I am the person who had to use 2 cans of pepper spray for one stray
(in a previous post).(By the way, they were both fairly new cans and I did shake them.) In that case, as I was leaving the park (stray rolling around in the grass, rubbing his eyes, and ignoring me), a man that lives across the street from the park was on the phone calling Animal Control. He told me he saw the whole thing and the same dog had gone after him earlier in his yard. He had called Animal Control then too and they did not respond. Maybe the reason I needed 2 cans was because he was already really amped up.

Good mace brands are Fox Labs, Sabre and First Defense. Make sure they're rated at 10%(it will be marked on the label). I used to use Sabre, which is pretty good. I've heard nothing but good things about Fox Labs. Get a can that sprays a "stream" pattern. This stream pattern is much more accurate, sprays at a longer distance, and is less affected by wind. Spray pattern is very similar to that of a toy squirt gun. Other spray patterns (cone, fog patterns) are similar to that of a Febreze, and you'll most likely get it on you and your dog. You don't have to necessarily shake the can before use (I never found myself with enough time to do, anyway). However, I did give it a a few shakes before going out for a walk.

I used to do armed security before pursuing emergency medical services (just quit security recently) and I had lots of hours in both tactical gun and baton training. I can go into a whole lot here, but let's just say that it's very hard hitting a moving target (and your dog tugging on the leash as your try to aim?). Then you have to worry about the media and your reputation (and we all know that they don't always say the truth). We have to think about the after effects of our actions. Batons work nicely and one of my previous instructors said he shattered a suspect's bone at one time. Just my .02 cents.

This is the first fight but we have had at least 8 to 10 in less then a year. Everything from a rot to a pitbull a mastiff, lab, toy dogs ect. I stopped one from getting hit by a school bus, got cussed out by a owner cause I told him to leash his dog. Animal control took 15 minutes to respond to my 911 call. Never heard back after he left to look around the neighborhood. I think a bite would have to happen. The officer says the main thing is that your dog was leashed and the other wasn't. But without the other dog its nothing. Plus I live in a high crime area so dogs and other minor things are put on the backburner. Unfortunatly from our walks I've learned where alot of the dogs live in the neighborhood and I don't see these dogs other then in their houses or in the yards. I hardly see anyone walking them or interacting with them. I've talked to some owners and its always the same thing, my dog is to hard to walk or we don't have time. Being a resposible owner means respecting your pet and other people and pets around you so your pet isn't a problem to others.

Thanks for the mace pointers!

yes we have a loose dog problem but it's gotten better because the 3 worst offenders were recently euthanized. Two killed a lady's cat and went after her. the third severely mauled a visiting child.

I don't place much trust in animal control becuase I get:
a) they won't come out becasue the dog is contained, and they won't come get it, you have to bring it in.

b) they won't come out because the dog ISN'T contained.

So basically whatever you say, unless someone/something has died you're on your own. Which is why I wouldn't feel too bad about killing an attacking dog - no one will help me until after I died.

In answer to the question earlier, loose dogs are chronic here. most dogs can get out of their yard and 9 out of 10 are let out as soon as it hits 5pm.
I know all the animal control guys because I call in so many loose dogs... they really arent very good about picking up loose dogs so Ive resigned myself to calling in owners for leash law violation and neglect (and abuse!) I always take an extra leash and when I can I just take the dog (Yea, I dont care if he DID just come out of your yard-you dont call him in, I take him)to the shelter, myself. its a response to the frusteration..
If a dog bites, it gets held for two weeks and then released. I think it would have to kill to be put down.oh, and only if it kills a human.
its every man for himself down here

I too live in an area where owners are numb to the fact that controlling their dog benefits EVERYONE. including their dog. I havent walked the streets lately with Kingston, but I have taken him to the golf course behind my house to stretch his legs. I have a neighbor who lets his 3 pits out, LOOSE, and he takes them into the golf course to go running. I always thought of carrying a stick, never actually did it.

Thanks everyone for your replies to my questions. I was curious how other City Ordinances and Animal Control departments compare to mine. We can only have three dogs, have no leash law but the owner must have control of his dog(s) at all times (?). When I run my dogs on a bike or walk my dogs on a leash in my neighborhood, I don't know how many dogs have rushed out into the street or come after my dogs. Thanks for all the information on this thread!

Sandy

 Quote: Webboard User

I too live in an area where owners are numb to the fact that controlling their dog benefits EVERYONE. including their dog. I havent walked the streets lately with Kingston, but I have taken him to the golf course behind my house to stretch his legs. I have a neighbor who lets his 3 pits out, LOOSE, and he takes them into the golf course to go running. I always thought of carrying a stick, never actually did it.

I know any dog has the potential to attack and do damage, but as a pit owner myself I get especially aggravated when I see people who just LET their pits, who suffer from a negative rep already just run free. I just get so mad because it's people like THAT that cost owners such as myself the ability to even own the breed in some areas.