Off Leash Dogs

[yatyas42]

A good option is bear mace. It has a long spray distance, and it's potent.
My department sprayed the hell out of us with pepper spray and tased all of us. The taser was easily the most pain I've ever felt, but I would gladly take it over pepper spray , that stuff sucks for hours.
At work I have used pepper spray on dogs, and it works, but I think that the best deterrent for dogs was mentioned earlier. When I spark my taser without the projectile cartridge, I have had 100% success warding off angry dogs. There's something about the noise.
Funny story for those still reading. I had to go in to a house, due to a reported domestic violence. We had to check the residence, and I was warding off their angry female pitbull mix with my taser. She followed us all through the house but kept her distance. Turned out no one was home. Me and partner went back the next day to question them about the night prior. The owners were home and we were talking in the kitchen. The dog was sitting at the feet of the owner just looking at me, but not barking. About ten minutes after being there in mid sentence that little turd without warning lunged the 5 or so feet at me and clamped down on the crotch of my pants! Missed my junk by millimeters! Luckily myself and the owner were quick to act, and she let go quickly (and I had no intentions of shooting that close to my manhood). My partner was too busy laughing to be of any help. The owner kept apologizing and couldn't believe I wasn't mad. The way I saw it, in the eyes of the dog we were even. He swears thats the first time the dog has big anyone.

[espresso]

Something that's funny only AFTER it happens. Don't want to get the taser going down there either

[LaP]

Luckily myself and the owner were quick to act, and she let go quickly (and I had no intentions of shooting that close to my manhood). My partner was too busy laughing to be of any help.

Don't ya just love it when friends/partners/co-workers watch you get the crap beat out of you and all they do is fall over laughing!!!
I don't know why it is, but there's nothing funny about it when I get a 2X4 across the back of my knees
..... but, I do get a chuckle when I see a buddy do a header into a wall.

[jocko]

yup

Did you miss the part about the ONE time he came across someone when he got out, one of three times in 12+ years?!? The neighbor called him over and put him in her back yard and was giving him treats until we showed up!!! She was playing ball with him, petting him and he was loving it. Guess I should still be thrown in jail for having such a dangerous animal. I'd say go back and read my posts but pretty sure that won't happen.

Aside from this mutt of mine, I'd put a German Shepard as the best dog to own, particularly if you have kids. Very smart and very protective. Why do you think it is one of only two breeds the military uses as Military Working Dogs and LEO's use primarily for K-9?

great dogs, but I would not put them in a specila HOME class inviroment based on what the military does or uses them for. Shepards are personal dogs IMO, very protective to. If that is what you wnat fine. Give me a lab any day for a home dog and certainly a better hunter than any shepard will ever be. I have a big box of matches, so let the fires begin..

[AJBert]

For a hunter, I'm a bit partial to Britnays. Though, I will agree that the best all around hunter is a lab. I've hunted with many dogs over the years. Labs can do it all but not the best for one particular type of hunting other than water fowl. There are many other breeds that are much better for upland birds than labs, but none better overall for all bird hunting.

[Husky44]

Boy, I leave for a couple of days, and things get all interesting around here.

Lots of thoughts to the many different directions this thread has gone:

1) OP: First, it depends on how experienced you are with dogs, but my advice from lots of years training and working with them, as well as daily experience running with my two (used to be two Great Danes, now a Great Dane and a 100# Husky/Malamute mix): If you're walking your dogs, don't let them be out in front of you--you're the leader, you lead. When you get charged by an off-leash dog, you step in front, and face the charging dog, and give a strong "No." Not screaming, not high-pitched, not aggressive, just authoritative. 99% of the time, they'll stop or turn off and try to get around you. They're not coming after you, they're charging the dog; once they realize that you're together and they're outnumbered, they don't want a fight. You taking charge and establishing yourself as boss will resolve this without any problems in almost every situation. If you're dogs get out front, you have a lot higher chance of a dog fight, which is when it sounds like you got bit. On that 1% chance that it's not, remember that you're an adult human being who weighs at least twice as much, and are stronger. You can easily defend yourself against a dog, but like I said earlier, it's likely to never happen. You got it right in one of your later comments: any kind of spray, taser, or handgun in close quarters with two other dogs on leashes is probably going to turn out bad.

2) Great Danes are incredibly friendly dogs away from the house--I've raised Danes my whole life, and showed them growing up, and have only met one Dane that some idiot tried to make viscous. They are also some of the best natural protection dogs I've ever seen. If I'm home and let you in, you're a welcome guest who will learn that no dog is too big to be a lap dog. If you come to the door, and I don't let you in, you'll be watched like a hawk. When my daughter was younger her best buddy was a 140# male who watched over her like a hawk. The neighbors in our circle laughed at the little 4 year old girl walking her dog with her arm extended over her head to reach his collar. He'd sleep in the yard and watch her play, and if a stranger came into the street, he'd walk to the edge of the yard, and do his best Hulk Hogan flex. He knew when to be protective. Any other times, he was the biggest, friendliest doof you'd ever meet.

3) To all the comments about AJBert's posts: How about we all back off the rhetoric a little since we don't know all the details? If you come in my house when no one's home, you can bet your rear you're going to get bit... you're liable to be hospitalized. My dogs are not vicious; quite the opposite, I've never had anyone NOT comment on how well-trained my dogs are. But protecting their property is part of their job. Are you saying you think the dog should be put down because an intruder got bit?

4) As to the discussion of the best breed: I'll put in a vote for Great Dane, but not for any Northern breed. The one I've got now is the only one I'll ever have. Stubborn, flaky, extremely pack-oriented, and either very dominant or very submissive. I don't think I've met any that are "balanced". Kenai is as close to a wolf personality as I've ever seen... He's a one-person dog, and I'm it. Anyone else, he'll try to dominate. But, he's part of the family, so he gets to stay. But there won't be another one.

[TriggerMan]

Boy, I leave for a couple of days, and things get all interesting around here.

Lots of thoughts to the many different directions this thread has gone:

...
3) To all the comments about AJBert's posts: How about we all back off the rhetoric a little since we don't know all the details? If you come in my house when no one's home, you can bet your rear you're going to get bit... you're liable to be hospitalized. My dogs are not vicious; quite the opposite, I've never had anyone NOT comment on how well-trained my dogs are. But protecting their property is part of their job. Are you saying you think the dog should be put down because an intruder got bit?

...

Of course not.

[yote]

Husky44 has some excellent points.

As a K-9 handler, I can safely approach most dogs. Even dogs that have reacted aggressively toward other people.

I have met many Great Danes. They have all been friendly. I have met many friendly pit bulls.

Aggression cannot be blamed on breed. It is usually the dog owner's fault. In my experience, it is often the smaller dogs that are biters.

I have deployed pepper spray successfully against at least a dozen individual attacking dogs. Pepper spray is non-lethal and wears off after several hours. However, I readily resort to lethal force against aggressive pit bull, bull mastiff and similar breeds. Sometimes I keep a lethal alternative at the ready while deploying pepper spray against larger dogs.

I am a responsible dog owner. With K-9s, obediance training is mandatory. Everything my dogs do is on command.

[knkali]

Husky44 has some excellent points.

As a K-9 handler, I can safely approach most dogs. Even dogs that have reacted aggressively toward other people.

I have met many Great Danes. They have all been friendly. I have met many friendly pit bulls.

Aggression cannot be blamed on breed. It is usually the dog owner's fault. In my experience, it is often the smaller dogs that are biters.

I have deployed pepper spray successfully against at least a dozen individual attacking dogs. Pepper spray is non-lethal and wears off after several hours. However, I readily resort to lethal force against aggressive pit bull, bull mastiff and similar breeds. Sometimes I keep a lethal alternative at the ready while deploying pepper spray against larger dogs.

I am a responsible dog owner. With K-9s, obediance training is mandatory. Everything my dogs do is on command.

It is nice to be with a dog that has been well taken care of and the owners have enough time and commitment to train them. Not only does the dog feel likes it is getting a lot of love and attention, the dog also seems to like the training to. The dog knows what is exactly expected of them and they really want to give it. Everyone wins.

[knkali]

I am not a fan of the soundtrack but I will let the images settle into your brain of how ugly being on the biting end of a dog can be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6t6B...endscreen&NR=1

[michpatriot]

A big ol can of FOX...