Dogs

[bilyum]

I had a Pit Bull after me this morning.The bad thing is it happened at a stop sign.The dog positioned itself in front of the scooter,biting tire (wheel). The dog was relentless.Being stopped ,running over dog was not an option.Finally after yelling at owner to get his frigging dog,he did so.Dog had no collar so he had no control.I took off and immediately he gave chase.This time I throttled past him,but he stayed with me to 30mph or so.
I ride a bike a lot and am very thankful this sob never crossed my path while biking.I do know about dogs and usually handle them OK.
Point here is always try to be ready for the unexpected.Wasp spray (bear spray) may have been the tool of choice and I had none.The dog nearly came at me a time or two.

[pugbuddy]

Need to report his owner to the local police. In most areas they are required to have them collared and under control.

[Mulliganal]

http://www.pepperblaster.com/

I'm going to put one in the glove box of my Stella.

[jijifer]

the problem with bearspray is it's not meant for urban areas. hangs in the air for while and covers up to 30 ft. That means you'd be liable for harming anyone who walked or drove through.

I got this fogger

https://store.udap.com/merchant.mvc?Scr ... ry_Code=PS

only goes 8 feet and doesn't hang in the air too long. but means if a dog is coming at me I can create a wall of hurt it has to run through.

BUT. I don't know the laws in your area.

I suggest putting Animal control on your phone. Take a picture of the dog off leash and call them immediately - don't even wait until it attacks, being off leash should be sufficient. File a report - whatever it takes because, at least in San Diego, it takes 3 calls in a year for them to do anything about it other than "warnings". Had I called everytime and filed a report, I may have spared myself and dogs the vicious mauling we suffered last March.

I'm glad you're ok. whatever method you use, think about it may affect others who come through the area.

[agrogod]

Pit Bull, hunh, dangerous breed that should be illegal for ordinary pet use. Great if you want a good military dog, but there are too many reports of this one particular breed, that just seem to snap, and who ever or what ever is in their path its teeth and lock-jaw time.
Very good to know that you came through unhurt. But please do report this incident if you have not done so by now. Too many of this type of attack go unreported because people feel sympathy for the poor mistreated animal, hog wash.
Enough reports, and one more dangerous animal will be removed from a residential area.

But enough about that, how's the scoot holding up, any visible signs of mauling?

[Cheshire]

Good god...bear spray for a dog?!? Kinda overkill, don't ya think? Regular mace or pepper spray will do the job just fine, that's what the post office issues. Bear spray is simply mace...at military concentration. It's meant to drive off a quarter ton animal at the height of territorial rage. In most areas, bear spray is illegal to carry.
Just go with mace. Or tobasco sauce (original version, not sweet'n'sour).

Most areas have leash laws. If the animal is off its owner's property (or can't be reliably contained to its owner's property) that's probably a good phone call to make.

[babblefish]

Here's my solution :

[waspmike]

You need to spray your scoot with lion piss. No dog will ever come near it again!

Diluted ammonia in a water pistol is the next best. Bear/pepper etc. are Ok if you are upwind.

[LunaP]

Pit Bull, hunh, dangerous breed that should be illegal for ordinary pet use. Great if you want a good military dog, but there are too many reports of this one particular breed, that just seem to snap, and who ever or what ever is in their path its teeth and lock-jaw time.
Very good to know that you came through unhurt. But please do report this incident if you have not done so by now. Too many of this type of attack go unreported because people feel sympathy for the poor mistreated animal, hog wash.
Enough reports, and one more dangerous animal will be removed from a residential area.

But enough about that, how's the scoot holding up, any visible signs of mauling?

All kinds of wrong about the breed hon. Every dog owner I know has either a mutt or a pittie. The only dog I've ever been bit by was a purebred chow chow.

But I 100% agree with you and everybody else that OP needs to make a report to police or animal protection. That's WAY too close of a call. Glad you are okay and the dog didn't really do any damage to your scoot either!

[k1dude]

There's very few bad dogs out there, but there's LOTS of bad owners.

[bluebuddygirl]

Citronella spray is all you need for any dog, and will not harm the dog or people, and you can buy it at most big chain pet stores. I know Petsmart used to have it. I have a can, but have never had to use it. I actually only have it to protect my own dogs if necessary.

Any dog off a leash is a really stupid idea, when so close to a road. The owner of that dog should know better. Pits are no more aggressive than other dogs, they simply do more damage when they are bad, and it can be really terrible when that happens.

I worked as a trainer for years, and was bitten a couple times, and the dog that did the most damage to me was a Jack Russell Terrier mix, because he was terrified. You can never judge a dog by the breed.

[LunaP]

There's very few bad dogs out there, but there's LOTS of bad owners.

+1

[babblefish]

There's very few bad dogs out there, but there's LOTS of bad owners.

Very true. I've seen some pretty sweet pit bulls that are great around kids. It's the owners who teach dogs to be aggressive. Just like parents who pass along their own unmorality and prejudices to their children. And we all know the outcome of that...

[Scootagangsta]

Pit Bull, hunh, dangerous breed that should be illegal for ordinary pet use. Great if you want a good military dog, but there are too many reports of this one particular breed, that just seem to snap, and who ever or what ever is in their path its teeth and lock-jaw time.
Very good to know that you came through unhurt. But please do report this incident if you have not done so by now. Too many of this type of attack go unreported because people feel sympathy for the poor mistreated animal, hog wash.
Enough reports, and one more dangerous animal will be removed from a residential area.

But enough about that, how's the scoot holding up, any visible signs of mauling?

"In the ’70s they blamed Dobermans, in the ’80s they blamed German Shepherds, in the ’90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now they blame the Pit Bull. When will they blame the humans?"

[babblefish]

Pit Bull, hunh, dangerous breed that should be illegal for ordinary pet use. Great if you want a good military dog, but there are too many reports of this one particular breed, that just seem to snap, and who ever or what ever is in their path its teeth and lock-jaw time.
Very good to know that you came through unhurt. But please do report this incident if you have not done so by now. Too many of this type of attack go unreported because people feel sympathy for the poor mistreated animal, hog wash.
Enough reports, and one more dangerous animal will be removed from a residential area.

But enough about that, how's the scoot holding up, any visible signs of mauling?

"In the ’70s they blamed Dobermans, in the ’80s they blamed German Shepherds, in the ’90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now they blame the Pit Bull. When will they blame the humans?"

[illnoise]

There are two very touchy topics going into the mix here… dogs and weapons.

Wild or poorly-managed animals certainly can be a threat while riding, and it's worth discussing, but let's do it without stereotyping dog breeds or owners, and let's do it without overreacting with violence and/or starting another thread bragging about weapons that we can't wait to use.

Please stick to reasonable, humane, sane, and preferably evasive and non-confrontational reactions, or we'll lock the thread.

I agree reporting it is a good idea, regardless of the breed, this dog may be a threat to others and the hopefully authorities can assess the situation and react properly.

Thanks!

Bryan

[jijifer]

understanding what the breed was bred to do is not prejudice. A beagle will follow it's nose even if it was never used for hunting. A chihuahua will burrow under the covers even if it never had to hunt a rat. A shepard will run in circles around a group of anything trying to herd it even if never used for actual herding. A terrier will root in the bushes following it's nose, too, looking for small animals even if it never lived in the wild and had to hunt for it's food. Why? these are the breed specific instincts. Bred and domesticated by humans doesn't change their instincts. Pitbulls are a hybrid of the stratford terrier and bull dogs, bred to hunt large game so to be strong and aggressive. to expect that instinct to never come out is why there are so many attacks.

Police use german shepards almost exclusively because the breed is strong, aggressive, athletic with a terrific sniffer and very smart so highly trainable. They don't use chihuahuas, you may have noticed.

when a dog with hunting instincts is acting instinctual, I would not trust citronella or diluted ammonia to deter the animal. Animal Services has even told me that pepper spray isn't ALWAYS effective if the animal has reverted to instinct but it's gonna hurt the dog for sure - not just make it uncomfortable but hurt it. I've been attacked by a pitbull 3 times. It's totally terrifying. Pepper spray is the only thing that allowed me to over come the PTSD and be brave enough to walk my dogs again.

Just like all parents think their kids are geniuses and beautiful. Dog owners think their dog wouldn't ever hurt anyone. Let's face it, not all kids are geniuses and plenty of them are ugly. Pretending a dog won't act on it's breed specific traits is an accident waiting to happen.

Most voice command laws will say a dog can only be under voice command on your own property and in designated public areas such as dog parks. that the dog shouldn't be able to escape from your property if using voice command. Leashes shouldn't be more than 6ft and your dog should be on one at all times when in public.

So if a dog is off leash and aggressive in ANYWAY you have every right to protect yourself since the owner seems to have little regard for your safety and less regard for the law.

If you trust things that will smell bad to a dog will be enough to stop an attack, then that's the safest thing for all. I've been attacked by a pitbull - it took my 14 year old dog out of my arms, ripped of his leg, tore open his back in a matter of seconds. Easily the most horrifying thing to ever happen to me and I wouldn't trust anything less than the hottest mace in a fogger form so I didn't have to aim super carefully.

but please report every aggression as that dog will hurt someone or something eventually, the sooner there's a record of attacks the sooner the owner will (hopefully) get his head out of his ass. My biggest mistake was waiting to report the animal until it bit.

I've known and loved all breeds of dogs. Trust me, the owner of the pit that has attacked me 3 times in 7 months didn't think his dog would attack either. His kids aren't smart or cute either.

[k1dude]

Wow. Terrible story jijifer. Did your dog live? I imagine not.

You are right about breeds and instincts. I blame the owners first and foremost, but you can't ignore (or overcome sometimes) breed specific behaviors.

And we've all run into owners in total denial who claim their dog wouldn't hurt a fly despite witnessing an attack firsthand.

[jijifer]

Wow. Terrible story jijifer. Did your dog live? I imagine not.

You are right about breeds and instincts. I blame the owners first and foremost, but you can't ignore (or overcome sometimes) breed specific behaviors.

And we've all run into owners in total denial who claim their dog wouldn't hurt a fly despite witnessing an attack firsthand.

Amazingly, and my little guy survived. It took $5k in emergency surgery. He even beat the odds and got 90% use of his leg back! only the paw part doesn't work so he's a wee off balance. He lost a lot of muscle, too, because it died from loss of blood but truly he is a miracle! My ex boyfriend says he lived because he had more hating to do. That is I have another dog that Linus has never really liked and he probably couldn't stand the thought of her living beyond his years so he held on just to make Brix's life miserable. totally plausible as the doctors can't even believe he survived let alone got use of that leg back!

[viney266]

http://www.nramuseum.com/the-museum/the ... olver.aspx


A century ago. This was the solution...Sad thing is I blame the idiot owner more than the dog.

[LunaP]

Pit Bull, hunh, dangerous breed that should be illegal for ordinary pet use. Great if you want a good military dog, but there are too many reports of this one particular breed, that just seem to snap, and who ever or what ever is in their path its teeth and lock-jaw time.
Very good to know that you came through unhurt. But please do report this incident if you have not done so by now. Too many of this type of attack go unreported because people feel sympathy for the poor mistreated animal, hog wash.
Enough reports, and one more dangerous animal will be removed from a residential area.

But enough about that, how's the scoot holding up, any visible signs of mauling?

"In the ’70s they blamed Dobermans, in the ’80s they blamed German Shepherds, in the ’90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now they blame the Pit Bull. When will they blame the humans?"

Thank you. I actually went searching for this quote last night and could not find it.


Anyway, the a local non-chain pharmacy (they exist!) sells pepper spray for about $9. It had crossed my mind, but I hadn't purchased it yet. Enough to stop a big angry dog?

[pugbuddy]

Pit Bull, hunh, dangerous breed that should be illegal for ordinary pet use. Great if you want a good military dog, but there are too many reports of this one particular breed, that just seem to snap, and who ever or what ever is in their path its teeth and lock-jaw time.


"In the ’70s they blamed Dobermans, in the ’80s they blamed German Shepherds, in the ’90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now they blame the Pit Bull. When will they blame the humans?"

Agreed. While dogs do act on instinct, the actual problem is the owners who purchase them with no regard for the need to train and oversee them responsibly. Too many people consider purchasing a dog the same as purchasing a toy or something similar. It's not the same; not even close.

Be safe but be smart as well. I know Jjifer's story and it is quite frightening. At the same time, think in terms of preventing an attack--a proper response at the time of the threat is what we all need. Preplanning for eventuality--the same as when we ride our scoots in traffic--is the best safeguard.

[michelle_7728]

+1 on pepper spray. It detered two Char Pei's that were loose, running at me and my Cocker Spaniel and were about 8 feet away when I sprayed them.

They just snuffled a bit, then turned and went the other way.

I'm glad you were okay. DO report that owner. Scary stuff...next time he might go after your leg and not the scooter tire.

[AWinn6889]

Some dogs just have things for certain people too, for whatever reason, possibly the way the person smells (?), perhaps they have cats/other animals and the dog can pick up on it and goes into hunting mode, who knows.
I do know though, that if you are confronted by an aggressive dog, the worst thing to do is express fear. Usually standing up in front of it and yelling/talking in an extremely stern voice can go a long way (but then again, for some, it just doesn't matter, all dogs are different).

My bf has a 70lb, female, Basenji and German Shephard mix. She's an absolute doll around most people, but there are a couple of our friends that she snaps at, or barks in their faces/at close proximity to, but she's perfectly fine and friendly with everyone else. She also doesn't like little kids, found this out the hard way at our housewarming BBQ when she escaped her leash, and chased down my 6 year old nephew. She didn't hurt him, or even knock him down, she just got in his face and barked and growled at him, and of course he ran, and he's smaller than she is, and he was absolutely terrified, mostly because he's never been around a dog that size, and my sister only has ever had cats. I think Zimt was just trying to "put him in his place"/ let him know that she was the alpha dog here, with no intention of harming him, but still, I imagine it was pretty scary for the little man. She's even gotten me with her teeth a couple times if I "surprised" her or got too close to a raw hide or particular toy when she was chewing on it. IMHO she's just not trained well enough (and she's kind of stubborn, and a dummy). Knowing these things, even though I am totally confident that she would not actually hurt anyone or any other dogs, I will not ever take her outside without a leash wrapped around my wrist, or a thick cable lead wrapped around one of the posts for our raised back porch. She's a herding and hunting dog, plain and simple, and every once in a while, those instincts kick in and take control and there's no stopping her without some kind of force.

I also have a 14 pound, male, mini dachshund. He is one of the most friendly, mild-mannered dogs ever, and I have trained him exceptionally well. He almost never barks, and minds his own beeswax for the most part. BUT he too, doesn't seem to like certain friends of ours, and has put teeth on my boyfriend's fingers, and my dad's hand before when they seemingly came into my space "without his permission"; for the most part though, he uses both of them as lounge chairs. I know that he would do his best to tear someone apart if he felt I was in danger, and he does a pretty good job holding his own around the big ol' girl. But we still have them separated in the house whenever we go somewhere, just in case. He's also a sort of hunting dog and a hound, and if he gets his nose on something that smells like a rodent, he's going after it full speed (and barking/growling, and digging until he can find it)!

Both of our dogs are extremely protective. That's another thing you have to remember, if the dog somehow thinks that you're a threat to it's master, it might go after you. Perhaps the low growl of a scooter, or even motorcycle motor and/or exhaust, triggers them somehow because they think it's some kind of weird large animal that might hurt their parent.. they aren't like people, they can't always tell that a vehicle with a rider is indeed a person on a machine, they think it's just one large, scary being that is somehow skin and metal and wheels all at once, or like.. a transformer lol.

So there's a decent example. The owner/training of the dog can make a world of difference. My little guy (for a known aggressive breed of dog) is well-trained and complacent, and the big ol' girl is a pain in the rear despite being bred from two known mild-mannered, smart, and easily trainable breeds. If a dog's bred instincts kick in, they don't give a damn what you have to say... all the more reason to keep them on a leash of some sort (I don't trust those invisible fences...) and be a responsible owner.

I have also known quite a few people with pure bred Shephards, Rotties, Dobermans and Pits; and people with those little white poofy things, Jack Russels, Boston Terriers, Pugs, Collies, Labs, Shelties and Chihuahuas. Some of them are great, friendly with everyone, including kids, and other dogs, and some have their issues, like things and people they just don't like.
One of my best friends had a Pit that was probably one of the friendliest, most well-mannered dogs I've known, unfortunately she was stolen from his apartment and released into "the wild" a few months back, and no one has seen her since. On the other hand, one of my parent's friends have two little white poofy things that are the angriest, most aggressive little sh*ts. I was even terrified of one of my neighbors' Chihuahuas because it escaped and went after my feet one time when I was gardening! I know I could have easily lightly kicked/smacked/picked up the little thing and held it away from me, but if it went after my face when I was laying in the back yard or something I would have to fight it off some how! Man he was a mean little bugger, with some sharp little teeth!

The main thing you need to do around dogs is just be aware, and know how to react or protect yourself. I was attacked by a neighbor's Beagle when I was little, but I'm still a dog person, a more well-informed, and aware one, and a responsible dog owner.

Honestly, I don't think that specific breeds should be restricted, but certain PEOPLE should... there should be some kind of application for dog ownership (especially since most states require them to be licensed anyway) to better keep track of pets and their owners. It would make things easier and safer for everyone. There are just too many people out there that should not own a dog, but they do anyway, and unfortunately this is what happens.

Please, whatever any of you do to protect yourselves, be mindful that most dogs are considered a member of someone's family, and you should do what you can not to hurt them... just like you wouldn't go around pepper-spraying, and beating people's obnoxious disrespectful children.

[heatherkay]

A 70-pound basenji-shepherd mix that gets in people faces, growling and snapping is not like an obnoxious child. She's part of your family, and you love her, but I'd say she's more like an obnoxious uncle who sometimes gets drunk and waves around a broken bottle. I would certainly be justified pepper spraying that dog (or that uncle) to keep it away from a 6-year-old child.

[Southerner]

I guess I'll throw my two in here. I agree with the statement about dogs and owners. Some breeds are less trustworthy than others but owners should always have control of their pets.

Speaking as a gun owner, having one to deal with dogs is a BAD idea. You will get in more trouble than the dog owner and the potential danger to the public ( I assume this was in a populated area) is great.

The Kimber peppergas gun is probably more reliable than average but if you happen to carry a spray can, for any reason, especially if kept on a scooter or in a car, I would suggest you replace the thing once a year. Here's my reason: I worked for a large airport one summer when in college. The security screeners had a large shoebox full of mace cans they had to confiscate when people came into the airport. They sent me out to dispose of them. Out of the whole shoebox, only 3 worked.

I agree that you should report incidents like this to the police.[/u]

[Tom]

I love all breeds of dogs, but if I was to buy a spray to defend myself against a large aggressive dog of any breed, I wouldn't use anything less than whatever I would use against a human attacker. At one point a dog is attacking your scooter cause it's a fun game to him (and he may not mean any harm to the human at all) but to spray him with a chemical that isn't sufficient to take him 'out of the game' so to speak- and you may really piss him off after that.

I agree with calling Animal Control if you know where the dog lives. Owner needs a strike on his record with this BS.

[charlie55]

We all know that combat aircraft carry flares to distract heat-seeking missiles. Perhaps a scooter-borne cat-ejection mechanism could serve the same purpose. At the first sign of a canine attack, crack the throttle and engage the FCM (Feline Counter Measure).

(Just kidding - no calls to PETA please)

[AWinn6889]

A 70-pound basenji-shepherd mix that gets in people faces, growling and snapping is not like an obnoxious child. She's part of your family, and you love her, but I'd say she's more like an obnoxious uncle who sometimes gets drunk and waves around a broken bottle. I would certainly be justified pepper spraying that dog (or that uncle) to keep it away from a 6-year-old child.

You haven't encountered the horrible children of the Clifton Park Center Mall, they are just as bad, if not worse.
Anyway, like I said, it's a select few people that were either friends or family, maybe 3 people total, and she can only bark in your face if you're sitting down, or bent over leaning in HER face, she's not a tall dog. Also, I have never had problems with her with strangers on walks, other dogs, etc etc. There's just something about those 3 certain people that she just plain does not like, so whenever they are here we are sure to keep her away from them, and she doesn't care, just goes and takes a nap on the guest bed downstairs.
She's not the kind of dog that if you were riding your scoot down the street, or stopped at the end of our culdesack, would run out and "attack" anyone, let alone bark at, or even be phased by their existence.

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

Too many people consider purchasing a dog the same as purchasing a toy or something similar. It's not the same; not even close.

Well said! And pets are not good gifts either. They are a fulltime committment for the life of the animal, and can't just be stuffed away in the closet and forgotten about. I had an idiot girlfriend who got me a kitten for my birthday. I had mentioned way long before that, how kittens were cool, but she took it to a whole new level. And I liked the little bastard, I really did. I had to move and we had to part ways, so it was on me to find a loving home for him.

Make sure you leave the pepper spray in the scooter or car if you go to Walmart for an Xbox on Black Friday.