# I'm done 😡



## happyblond (Sep 14, 2012)

I'm done being a dog owner I have now Decided Clay and Raven will be my last dog's I just can't with other dog owners anymore Raven has been attacked 5 time in a year and a half Clay has been attacked about 10 time's in his life,
and this was the last straw....

Wednesday morning I'm walking Clay having a lovely walk being silly and goofy enjoying the sun when time start heading home we end up walking down through the house's and get slow walking trapped behind a older man and his small dog dragging behind him barking at Clay so I decide to turn down the next alleyway to do us both a favour I really wish I had not....

We get about half way down the alley and are walking past the are garden gates leading into people's gardens as we pass one in particular a huge dog start barking from behind and to my horror I see to gate is not secured its rattling open and closed as the dog is barking and jumping at the gate,
I already knew what was going to happen so I run dragging Clay with me as fast as we can go I look back to see three dog bursting out of the gate growling Akitas...

The lead dog seriously growling and gaining quick I start screaming no no no I run round the corner they catch up and force us to stop and confront them, the huge adult Akita bashes into Clay jumping on his back growling and trying to grab him around the back of the neck it doesn't get a hold of him thank god and with everything I have I grab the dog by the harness it was wearing (thankfully) I shove both dog's away from each other half bent over to get the most distance I can between them...

(As all this is happening I realise the other two dog's fortunately are puppy's about 4 or 5 months old and friendly jumping all over me and Clay)

The Akita calms a bit but is constantly testing to move towards Clay and hard staring waiting for a reaction waiting to go at him,
Clay does not react at all I still can't quite believe how calm and good he was he was just there behind me puppy's all over him

All the time I'm screaming at the top of my lungs "somebody please help someone please help me"....nobody not a soul came to help for at least 2 minutes I was in a residential street right outside people's house I could not let go of this dog because I would have gone straight for mine I was bent over screaming helpless...

Then at the end of the street a husband and wife came to my absolute rescue they got a leash for the adult dog and one of the puppy's the other still running all over the place the husband takes the adult dog away from me and Clay and the woman comes to check on us we are fine but shaken they say it fine they will return the dogs and I should go home....we are walking home now and I'm teary and shaking Clay is a bit stumbly and slow but we make it home...

I tell my partner what has happened we head back to the dog's house to get the address to report it, we see the woman who saved me and Clay we have a quick chat about what had happened and she informs me she has already reported the incident to the police,
she said the dog's escaped almost as soon as they put them back and her son had to return the dogs to the front of the house and said when the owner answered the door the first thing he said was I thought you were the police they had definitely heard me screaming and done nothing,

I reported the incident myself when I got home and had to make a statement they said because the dog had not caused me injuries no offense has been committed but they assured me the would be going to visit the owners to check the welfare of the dog's and make sure the property will be secured the police officer was very nice and understanding of what had happened,

I've never been so scared in my life all I can keep thinking about was the what ifs and seeing how it could have played out if certain elements were or happened differently today was the first time I've been out with the dog's and had to have my partner with me as I've lost a lot of confidence and my arm is a bit messed up from holding onto the akita for dear life.

Well thanks for reading my absolute novel.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

That's why I stopped walking in residential areas.Only parks,industrial areas,and woods.Dogs left tethered or raging behind fences unattended. I'm glad nobody was harmed.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Shadow had a run in again a couple of weeks ago. I agree that this is out of control. No one takes responsibility for their dogs anymore. 
I'm glad you and Clay are both ok and sorry you had to deal with this.


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## HollandN (Aug 12, 2020)

I am sorry they did not come to help you that’s really terrible It’s good that you reported it Glad that you are all ok


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## NadDog24 (May 14, 2020)

That is so scary! I’m so sorry you had to go through this! I’m glad you and Clay are ok


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

I don't even know what to say. What happened is my worst nightmare. 

And you screaming and people not helping. That's worse than the unsecured dogs. That breaks my heart for you, and for Clay.


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## Crazy shep (9 mo ago)

I love animals, hate people. Sorry you all had to deal with this. Hope you all recover quickly. (Especially emotionally)


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## CEMC (May 2, 2020)

The problem of dogs that are irresponsibly allowed to roam the streets or to escape is not new and in densely populated areas it has always been worse. 

I do all I can to avoid any contact with other dogs including avoiding walking by houses where I can hear a dog going bananas behind a fence because you never know when someone leaves a gate unlocked or open. But sometimes no matter how much we try something is bound to happen. And its not just dogs that are in danger, a lot of people are being attacked, robbed and murdered by criminals in plain sight all over our country. 

IMO the time has come for us to become accustomed to the idea that police cannot or will not protect us anymore. When we leave the house we should carry pepper spray, a taser, stick or whatever means necessary to protect ourselves and our families (that includes our pets).


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

I used to work for a lady who had a couple of Akitas. They were dog aggressive, even to their own breed. When the one young female started to become an adult, I had to separate her from the others. First it was just food aggression, but then it went past that, and it was no longer safe to keep them together.

These are big, strong dogs! You are very fortunate the younger ones were pups, or both you and your dog would have been seriously injured! So sorry! 😥


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## pippin21 (Dec 29, 2021)

I absolutely hate when dog aggressive dogs are left to their own accord in their garden that is easily escapable. Earlier took puppy on a big walk through woods, saw lots of dogs and other animals and absolutely fine. Come back home and my neighbours dog is on my driveway after escaping the garden, this dog is seriously dog aggressive and bit the last dog I had as a puppy through my fence causing her to grow up very dog reactive. I told neighbour about it and they said "yeah no problem we'll block the hole and make sure it doesn't get out again I'm sorry" 5 hours later I go to take puppy out again but check first just to make sure and the dog is still roaming on my driveway and even took a dump on there, if that dog would've got ahold of my puppy it would've killed it.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Sunsilver said:


> I used to work for a lady who had a couple of Akitas. They were dog aggressive, even to their own breed. When the one young female started to become an adult, I had to separate her from the others. First it was just food aggression, but then it went past that, and it was no longer safe to keep them together.
> 
> These are big, strong dogs! You are very fortunate the younger ones were pups, or both you and your dog would have been seriously injured! So sorry! 😥


Akitas are dog aggressive. It's in the freakin' breed standard. Why stupid people insist on owning them is beyond me. A very good friend of mine, and Shadows biggest fan, just lost her old boy today. The breeder made them jump through hoops to get him. Like grilled them about everything. They are beautiful dogs that require diligent, experienced and dedicated owners. Anyone who takes them lightly needs a reality check. Human aggression is also common.


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## Johnnyheat (10 mo ago)

My previous GS was a fully trained protection dog. You might want to carry something like this.
*JOLT MINI RECHARGEABLE LED TRIPLE STUN GUN W/ POCKET CLIP 98M*


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

I am not sure if it is legal in your area.... but I carry a collapsible metal baton (sometimes called an ASP) in my treat pouch along with a flashlight, poop bags, a lightweight leash, and TREATS.

99.9% of the time I only use it for poking at gross stuff Ole found that I am not sure if I want to touch  A couple of times I have used it to keep some distance from a pushy dog. One time I used it to break the windshield of a drunk driver who swerved to hit us.

My philosophy is that the police are too busy to deal very deeply with nuances like aggressive animals or drunk drivers. They never would have had the time to track down a driver who thought it would be funny to scare an old guy and his dog. It is surprisingly easy to track down a souped-up blue car with a really loud muffler and a cracked front windshield.

Edit: I also keep photocopies of my driver's license, dog license, and vaccination records in a zip lock bag in a side pocket of the treat pouch. I usually leave my phone and wallet at home. Walks and hikes are our time!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

I'm so sorry you had to go through this and how it's affected your outlook.

I've said before, the only dog that Harley has a problem with is an Akita we see on walks fairly often as we're pretty much on the same part of a trail every morning somewhere in the same hour. Right from a pup it snarled and lunged and it was clear by the way the owner tired unsuccessfully to control it, that he was way in over his head. He's a Japanese and I talked to him quite a bit about the nature of thee beautiful dogs and that he really needed to consult a trainer or he would eventually have trouble from that one. 

He admitted his inexperience with dogs, having bout it due to the cultural connection. To his credit, the dog walks lovely now but still has the bad habit of stopping, squaring up and staring at other dogs. He looks exactly like the dog below.

Not for this dog particularly but I have always carried a very stout hardwood walking stick. It's for dogs, people or coyotes who may inappropriately engage with my dog(s) and I absolutely will not be afraid to separate them in whatever manner it allows. If that Akita ever attacked one of my dogs, there would be a serious dog fight and I'll worry about the fallout after.


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## pippin21 (Dec 29, 2021)

davewis said:


> I am not sure if it is legal in your area.... but I carry a collapsible metal baton (sometimes called an ASP) in my treat pouch along with a flashlight, poop bags, a lightweight leash, and TREATS.
> 
> 99.9% of the time I only use it for poking at gross stuff Ole found that I am not sure if I want to touch  A couple of times I have used it to keep some distance from a pushy dog. One time I used it to break the windshield of a drunk driver who swerved to hit us.
> 
> My philosophy is that the police are too busy to deal very deeply with nuances like aggressive animals or drunk drivers. They never would have had the time to track down a driver who thought it would be funny to scare an old guy and his dog. It is surprisingly easy to track down a souped-up blue car with a really loud muffler and a cracked front windshield.


Pretty much any self defence item you can think of in the US is banned in the UK. We can carry pocket knives less than 3 inch and maybe something like a really hard stick but that's about it, have to choke the dog out or find something to use if worse came to worse.


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## AE316 (Oct 24, 2017)

Carry some bear spray.


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## karmen_maddison (Aug 21, 2021)

happyblond said:


> I'm done being a dog owner I have now Decided Clay and Raven will be my last dog's I just can't Kodi nox with other dog owners anymore Raven has been attacked 5 time in a year and a half Clay has been attacked about 10 time's in his life,
> and this was the last straw....
> 
> Wednesday morning I'm walking Clay having a lovely walk being silly and goofy enjoying the sun when time start heading home we end up walking down through the house's and get slow walking trapped behind a older man and his small dog dragging behind him barking at Clay so I decide to turn down the next alleyway to do us both a favour I really wish I had not....
> ...


wow so much feelings that sometimes I feel the same


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## Zeppy (Aug 1, 2021)

This is horrible. And “no offence” determined by the police, I think is wrong, as the dog owners are responsible and negligent for not properly securing their animals. In Canada if your dog mauls someone you are considered criminally negligent. I really think the pandemic and the nonsensical dog-craze that happened as a result has created significant problems with dog ownership and reactive dogs.

I’m sorry this happened to you.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

I’m so sorry this happened to you. Don’t give up on dog ownership. Find safe places to walk. The push for every shelter dog to be rescued and the idea that every dog deserves a home has put too many dogs into homes with unreliable owners. Every dog that is adoptable deserves a GOOD home, not a negligent owner. Whether they rescue or buy from a breeder, every dog must be trained. 

I was driving a few blocks from home when I saw a neighborhood Akita loose, trying to bite a woman’s hound puppy. The woman was crying. I drove right up to the dogs opened my passenger door and smacked the Akita, then held the door open to keep him back while the woman and her puppy got into the back seat. The older dog backed off when the door hit him, thank goodness. When the woman stopped crying she was furious. We both were. We each talked to a young woman at the Akita’s house who told me her Akita is old and deserves some respect. I told her to keep her dog in the house, not loose in the front yard behind a low fence. She told me to mind my own business. She was the owners‘ daughter and very full of herself. I said maybe you would rather talk to the police than to me. She backed off and the dog was not ever out front again when I went by there. About six months later they moved. The puppy’s owner called both police and AC. Since her dog wasn’t maimed, the police couldn’t do anything but AC gave a warning. 

I no longer walk my dogs on my street either and some of the neighbors privately gossip that is abusive to my dogs. The won’t look me in the eye when we talk about dogs. We were all together at a local party last weekend and I told them the real reasons. Attacks by loose dogs, constant barking at my dogs, vicious behaviors, usually from small white fluffy dogs but also from fighting breeds. One of them got very quiet and said my dog is the one who barks at everyone. I told her she isn’t the only one. At least she makes an effort to keep her dog under control. I have a few secret safe areas to take my dogs to, and I never tell anyone about the places I found.


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

Yes, Please don't give up on owning a dog. They bring so much joy to our lives.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Nitro suffered a prolonged and vicious attack last year, I still experience trauma and emotional upset when we come across unleashed dogs. 

Can you rent a fenced off-leash area near where you are?









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www.sniffspot.com


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Johnnyheat said:


> My previous GS was a fully trained protection dog. You might want to carry something like this.
> *JOLT MINI RECHARGEABLE LED TRIPLE STUN GUN W/ POCKET CLIP 98M*


Thanks for posting this -- I googled it and was surprised that those little ones were so affordable. They'd be a light-weight option for hiking too (and last-ditch defense against a mountain lion, if the bear spray failed).


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## peachygeorgia (Oct 5, 2021)

im so sorry that happened to you 

Its awful such negligent people are allowed to own animals capable of so much damage.

I personally have never been attacked or had my dog attacked, thankfully, but its one of my biggest fears, so I often carry some sort of deterrent spray on me, specifically SABRE spray or bear mace when we're walking in a more populated area. I also invested in a spike protection collar, it remains unused due to the fact I mostly walk/hike on our property with Charlie, but once we start venturing out more, especially since warmer weather is approaching, ill definitely start putting it on him as a just in case. I also have my personal protection tazer if all else fails.

I understand your feelings but please don't give up! They bring such joy to our lives


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Bear spray.


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## Hopps (Dec 5, 2021)

I’m so sorry that you had to experience that. I had some mildly annoying and infuriating experiences as well. It’s very discouraging when you try your best for your dogs, only to have an irresponsible person ruin it. 
I also had two run ins with potentially very dangerous dogs as well. The first is a couple that insists on walking their two presa canarios without a leash because they’re “very well trained”. I always take the long route to avoid them. There was a standard poodle that was running around and the unneutered presa canario decided it didn’t like that. It decided the poodle was too close and lunged. I didn’t know a dog that large could cover 30 feet in seconds. Luckily the poodle was already out of its reach and the couple was screaming their recall command. Completely ignored. They tried grabbing their dog and they backed up real quick when the dog turned to look at them. All this happened in 10 seconds. I did a 180 and left as fast as I can. They pretty much stopped coming to the park. 

Another incident was with a woman and 2 children. They also had a presa. The dog was not happy to see me and Fern. The presa froze and gave us a “warning” bark and a death glare. I’m pretty oblivious but the look made all the hairs on my neck and arms stand up. The mom freaked out that Fern was there. she was yelling at her 5 year old for not keeping watch for other dogs and how dangerous it could be. She grabbed her children and dragged her dog away to the car.

Anyways, can you carry pepper spray or bear mace in the UK? I hope you and your dogs are ok and recover mentally.


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## MyOleShep (11 mo ago)

I've only had one issue from owning three generations of dogs. A girl had a staffy which she clearly couldn't control when it attacked my dog, but thankfully no real harm was done that time. But who knows what damage that dog has done since.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

I am so sorry for what happened, hope you and your dog feel better now. Next time, try to take a small foldable umbrella with you, and the new type that opens up automatically with a button. Our trainer who trained police dogs in the last 30 years told us it is a very good deterrent. As a stick, they may think it is a toy and try to grab it. Stun guns are illegal in UK for us to carry. The umbrella opens suddenly will scare the dog and block its sight.

I avoid walking the residential area with Buffy just to be safe.

Akitas are beautiful and loyal dogs but not for everyone.


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## brittanyS (Dec 11, 2018)

That’s terrible. I don’t know what you’re allowed to carry in the U.K. for self defense (sounds like not much) but I don’t think I’d leave the house without a baseball bat at least.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

brittanyS said:


> That’s terrible. I don’t know what you’re allowed to carry in the U.K. for self defense (sounds like not much) but I don’t think I’d leave the house without a baseball bat at least.


A riding crop, easy to manoeuvre, maybe tucked into long wellington boots.


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## CactusWren (Nov 4, 2018)

Jupiter has been attacked by off-leash dogs three times in the past three years, just in our neighborhood. It really is tough out there. For myself, I am not going to give up one of the great joys of my life, having a dog, because of their irresponsibility. I have realized that it will be up to me to defend Jupiter and I am at peace with that.


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## Katiebob (Aug 9, 2021)

__





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Can you carry a can of this in your bag? Might put dogs off.

In the UK we can't carry anything that could be used as a "weapon" so baseball bats, batons etc are a no-no. 

Glad you weren't injured and hopefully the owner gets his police visit.


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

You can carry an umbrella or a walking / hiking stick.

Use of a pet corrector spray may be useful.

A loud acme whistle is also good for alerting people near by.




Sent from my X2 using Tapatalk


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## STOLBERT (Jun 8, 2020)

happyblond said:


> I'm done being a dog owner I have now Decided Clay and Raven will be my last dog's I just can't with other dog owners anymore Raven has been attacked 5 time in a year and a half Clay has been attacked about 10 time's in his life,
> and this was the last straw....
> 
> Wednesday morning I'm walking Clay having a lovely walk being silly and goofy enjoying the sun when time start heading home we end up walking down through the house's and get slow walking trapped behind a older man and his small dog dragging behind him barking at Clay so I decide to turn down the next alleyway to do us both a favour I really wish I had not....
> ...


Buy a handgun or bear spray that will stop the attacks.


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## Barz (Jan 9, 2020)

Like everyone else has posted, I'm sorry to hear about the attack(s). But don't deprive yourself of the joy of having dogs. The comfort, protection and love they give you far outweigh an uneventful encounter with other animals. Several folks on this site have offered some great advice that will afford you a little more confidence helping to make such attacks less traumatizing. There is nothing I love more than laying on the floor with my GSD's and Malinois and enjoying their hugs and kisses. It just melts away the stress of the day and the world situation. So just make a few adjustments to your routine and keep your dogs as they need you and more importantly, you need them. Good luck.


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## dojoson41 (Oct 14, 2018)

pippin21 said:


> Pretty much any self defence item you can think of in the US is banned in the UK. We can carry pocket knives less than 3 inch and maybe something like a really hard stick but that's about it, have to choke the dog out or find something to use if worse came to worse.


are hatchets( small axes) illegal? tell them you use it to cut fire wood. let the attacking dog bite you(I know ooch but a small price to pay to protect my dog) on the arm while you break up the fight if you can and then the cops/courts will do something about it and file a lawsuit against the owners.


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## dojoson41 (Oct 14, 2018)

even in the woods you cant get away from the other dogs here. Since I cant carry a gun in this state I have to carry either a large pocket knife, a staff with a very pointed end made of metal and a taser, bear spray and a smaller size easily concealed battery operated chainsaw/pruner. if a dog attacks my dog (who is on its leash) I will take down the bad dog for good. yes its harsh but my pets are more important. To bad you didnt have the chance to take the attacking dog and puppies(sale the puppies) away to the pound-thats what the bad owners get for not keeping an aggressive multi escape dog get.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

It's a shame fire extinguishers aren't more portable.









How to break up a dog fight


by Ed Boks, Executive Director What is the tool of choice when breaking up a serious dog fight? First, let’s review the ineffective tools commonly used. Contrary to popular opinion, pepper spray and Mace are seldom effective.




spokanehumanesociety.org


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

Dunkirk said:


> It's a shame fire extinguishers aren't more portable.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The CO2 fire extinguishers are very good at stopping dog fights.

Sent from my X2 using Tapatalk


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

The OP lives in the UK, it is against the law here to carry a fire arm, taser, pepper spray, knife (small blade permitted), axe or any bladed item.

The only thing that is permitted to carry, that will not arouse suspicion, would be a walking stick or an umbrella.

Sent from my X2 using Tapatalk


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I had heard someone once they tossed ammonia down not at the dog but near an in coming charging dog and the smell deterred it. Just something to add. I would not let others people’s actions stop me from what I enjoy.


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## DougnLuna (Apr 3, 2021)

Johnnyheat said:


> My previous GS was a fully trained protection dog. You might want to carry something like this.
> *JOLT MINI RECHARGEABLE LED TRIPLE STUN GUN W/ POCKET CLIP 98M*


 that was (sort of) my response. Weapon up. be it a baseball bat, a taser, a hunting knife or a gun.
several years ago I saw a lady ,at the dog park, carrying a cattle prod! you have to do what you have to do, to protect YOUR dog.


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## brittanyS (Dec 11, 2018)

A cattle prod is an excellent idea, but I assume that’s not allowed either. You should call your local police department and find out what you’re supposed to do if a dog attacks. It sounds like the idea is that the police will be there to help and that’s why you can’t carry anything for self defense - ask for a police escort on your walks.


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

brittanyS said:


> A cattle prod is an excellent idea, but I assume that’s not allowed either.


You are correct, that would be illeagle in the UK for a person to carry with the intention to use.


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## gtaroger (Aug 4, 2015)

Iv'e had dozens of experiences like you just had over the years.over the past 10 years I've found there is very large number of people who have adopted rescued pit bulls.Most of these people don't know how to handle them.All of my dogs over the years are well trained and behave very well on leash.I have used mace on a few of them.I about broke my foot on the head of a pit. Didn't seem to faze it.I took a 3 inch tree limb and beat the **** out of it. when the owner showed up he started to yell at me. I chased him down the street for a block. He went and called the police on me. They caught in front of my house.I told them the dog tried to bit my dog and also me.I defended myself and my dog. Then the owner came and yelled profanity at me and then tried to hit me.I told the police that I tried to stop the problem.first by yelling at the dog,when it came in to bit I kicked it, That didn't stop it, I then found a tree limb under a tree and I used it to keep the dog away from me and my service dog. I told the police that I have a permit to carry and I was at the time. I did every thing to get the dog to go away without resorting the lethal force.The owner came up at the end of the event and decided that I was the problem and not his dog.The police seemed understand what happened and filed a report and gave the man a ticket and made him show up for a hearing. It didn't hurt that I a senior and my dog is a licensed service dog.The bear spry is a great ideal. It will work on the dog and crazy owners.Get a hard wood shaft for a walking stick and add a steel tip that is flat on the end.It will work well if you poke the dog on the nose.I'm 71 years old , I refuse to allow these incompetent idiots to lock me up in my home or harm me or my dogs.If you can't contain your dog you don't need one.Good luck ,don't let them stop you from living your life the way you want to.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

gtaroger said:


> Get a hard wood shaft for a walking stick and add a steel tip that is flat on the end.It will work well if you poke the dog on the nose.


Dandelion weeder


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## gtaroger (Aug 4, 2015)

That is not what I meant. I meant a staft like the one you showed ,but take the the pointed blade and shaft off the end. Make the red tip out of steel that is thick and flat at the end so you add weight to the end and makeing it hard. I don't want to spear the dog. Just deliver a hard blow into a small area.I get no joy out of hurting any animal mean or not.I think mace and a staft is a great first line of defense.After that anything goes.


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

This is a good option for a walking stick, made from Irish black thorn.



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## gtaroger (Aug 4, 2015)

Now that's a nice walking stick.


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