Dealing with dog attacks - but how?

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
Too many stories lately of aggressive dogs, off the leash, attacking children, adults and other dogs. It is just unacceptable.

I suggest all of us proper responsible dog walkers ought to carry self defence measures. Why should we be at the mercy of any threat to us or our beloved dogs? We must feel safe while out exercising.

A harmless but effective deterrent , short-acting spray, like pepper spray, would fit the bill - but I cannot find one. What is legal in the UK?
Something that makes an attacking dog back off.
Something must be done. Just as it is within the law to defend ourselves against a human attacker.
 

Rose65 said:
Too many stories lately of aggressive dogs, off the leash, attacking children, adults and other dogs. It is just unacceptable.

I suggest all of us proper responsible dog walkers ought to carry self defence measures. Why should we be at the mercy of any threat to us or our beloved dogs? We must feel safe while out exercising.

A harmless but effective deterrent , short-acting spray, like pepper spray, would fit the bill - but I cannot find one. What is legal in the UK?
Something that makes an attacking dog back off.
Something must be done. Just as it is within the law to defend ourselves against a human attacker.
Click to expand...
This might help
Exploring 5 Legal Alternatives to Pepper Spray in the UK.
 
You can barely put a bunch of humans together without a fight happening. So, add into this fun group, large carnivore animals with big teeth and massive jaws. And not only that, in the case of dogs without leashes and their owners, the dogs may have the higher I.Q.s. And just as you weren't even tempered every second of your life, you can't expect a pet to do the impossible.
 
Rose65 said:
Too many stories lately of aggressive dogs, off the leash, attacking children, adults and other dogs. It is just unacceptable.

I suggest all of us proper responsible dog walkers ought to carry self defence measures. Why should we be at the mercy of any threat to us or our beloved dogs? We must feel safe while out exercising.

A harmless but effective deterrent , short-acting spray, like pepper spray, would fit the bill - but I cannot find one. What is legal in the UK?
Something that makes an attacking dog back off.
Something must be done. Just as it is within the law to defend ourselves against a human attacker.
Click to expand...
It's not legal to carry pepper spray in the UK unfortunately... but I personally when I go walking in the woods where people allow their dogs off lead, always walk carrying a stout stick.. so if an animal rushes at me I will smack it smartly over the head and snout, or ram the stick into its mouth... if someone is strong enough.. if a snarling animal jumps up on you, you must grab each front leg and pull them apart with your full strength.. , but it's difficult to do this if a 7 stone dog is attacking you especially if it's got you knocked over from the first second

My s-i-l and my daughter are both Dog trainers... they advised that... before the dog attacks and has run towards you barking.. stay still do not start screaming or running. Make yourself as big as possible.. and stay calm... stretch out your arms and if holding a walking stick push it out in front of you while standing side onto the dog.. keep the dog in your peripheral vision, but let it believe there's very little of you to attack..

if the dog attacks, do not scream this will excite the dog more.. Number 1, is to cover your throat , chest and face as much as possible. Get down on the ground, curl up into a small ball, and stay quiet.. the dog will lose interest when it has nothing moving to attack..

if you're wearing a jacket or sweater, pull your arm out of it, and let the dog chow down on that rather than your arm, but keep your face , chest and throat completely hidden from the dog.. and keep quiet..the more you scream and move the worse the attack..
 
Knight said:
This might help
Exploring 5 Legal Alternatives to Pepper Spray in the UK.
Click to expand...
Now that I have stopped laughing..........WASP SPRAY works on dogs. Seriously it does burn like pepper spray, but it is also sticky, so it stays in place once it has been sprayed at the target.

Military special forces units who have to deal with enemy guard dogs use a CO2 fire extinguisher that kills the dog after it has been sprayed in the face and eyes, but that is way over the top for a city dog park situation.

That link was written for people who are worried about being attacked by another human, not a dog. Imagine thinking that a ball point pen is going to do any significant damage to a 100 pound Pit Bull ? Or a bunch of house keys gripped in your fist ? Dream on. JimB.
 
jimintoronto said:
Now that I have stopped laughing..........WASP SPRAY works on dogs. Seriously it does burn like pepper spray, but it is also sticky, so it stays in place once it has been sprayed at the target.

Military special forces units who have to deal with enemy guard dogs use a CO2 fire extinguisher that kills the dog after it has been sprayed in the face and eyes, but that is way over the top for a city dog park situation.

That link was written for people who are worried about being attacked by another human, not a dog. Imagine thinking that a ball point pen is going to do any significant damage to a 100 pound Pit Bull ? Or a bunch of house keys gripped in your fist ? Dream on. JimB.
Click to expand...
I was thinking sprays of all kinds that are toxic to the eyes will do the job - like indeed fly or wasp killer, hair spray. Why not? Why should anyone be defenceless?
I would only ever use any spray or such if truly threatened. I love dogs, Britain is a nation of dog lovers. Yet its the owners own fault if their dog is off the leash and attacking a person, child or other dogs.
 
I was only ever attacked once (a long time ago). I was riding my bike on a back street and a large dog came charging out to the road and latched onto my leg. There was a woman shouting something from the house, but I didn't stick around to listen. Fortunately, my jeans probably absorbed much of the bite and it just barely broke the skin on the outside area of my right knee.
My mom took me to the doctor and of course, I had to get a tetanus shot and it was reported to the authorities. I didn't get a rabies vaccine, so they must have determined the dog was clean. My mom seemed satisfied that the owner made good by paying for the doctor's visit and the cost of my jeans.
When my mom talked to the woman, she said she was shouting for me to stop because the dog didn't like moving things. Yeah, I'm going to stop with a snapping growling dog chasing me. If she knew that, why wasn't the dog confined in some way????
 
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It was my birthday, and Halloween, so I was trick or treating . I was about a block from home when a little dog ran out of the house and bit me hard enough to break the skin. I ran home crying and I still don't like little dogs (well I tend to call 'em rodents). I like big dogs , they are usually sweet, loyal friends.
 
I'd rather these incidents were avoided entirely. Since people can't be trusted to do the right thing, we must legislate. If an out of control dog injures someone, the max penalty today is 5 years in jail. If someone is killed it's 14 years. I'd like to see these owners getting the maximum sentences. I'd also like to see far stricter rules of dog breeding. It's time to stop people breeding dogs for sale in their back gardens.
 
VaughanJB said:
I'd rather these incidents were avoided entirely. Since people can't be trusted to do the right thing, we must legislate. If an out of control dog injures someone, the max penalty today is 5 years in jail. If someone is killed it's 14 years. I'd like to see these owners getting the maximum sentences. I'd also like to see far stricter rules of dog breeding. It's time to stop people breeding dogs for sale in their back gardens.
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Absolutely agree, because when they Ban the American XLBully at the end of this year, these back street breeders will just use a mix of other dangerous dogs... it's as you say, better for it to have Back street breeding banned completely.. and Recognised breeders not permitted to breed or sell any dog on the Dangerous list..
 
hollydolly said:
Absolutely agree, because when they Ban the American XLBully at the end of this year, these back street breeders will just use a mix of other dangerous dogs... it's as you say, better for it to have Back street breeding banned completely.. and Recognised breeders not permitted to breed or sell any dog on the Dangerous list..
Click to expand...

The people breeding these dogs aren't going to care about them being banned. In fact, it'll probably just increase the price they can get for them, and therefore act as an incentive. EVERY breeder should have to be licensed. My dog has been........ de-manned, poor fellow. But it's for the best.
 
VaughanJB said:
The people breeding these dogs aren't going to care about them being banned. In fact, it'll probably just increase the price they can get for them, and therefore act as an incentive. EVERY breeder should have to be licensed. My dog has been........ de-manned, poor fellow. But it's for the best.
Click to expand...
yes that will likely happen. My DD has long campaigned against these Back Street breeders..
 
Five holidaymakers have bene injured in another dog attack at a family caravan park, with one person rushed to hospital for urgent treatment.

The victim, a man, was seriously wounded after the attack at Palins Holiday Park in Kinmel Bay, North Wales, just after 10pm on Friday while four others were treated on site for minor injuries.

Police were called to the holiday park after the dog began attacking people. It is not believed to be a Bully XL.

Officers have seized the animal and two men, aged 58 and 28, have been arrested.

DS Jon Rich, of North Wales Police, said: 'Our enquiries are ongoing but I would like to reassure the public that we are not seeking anyone else in connection with this incident.

'We are conscious of the current national attention on incidents of this nature. The dog is not believed to be a Bully XL and we are in the process of confirming its exact breed.
75469143-12526705-American_XL_Bully_dogs_will_be_banned_in_the_UK_by_the_end_of_th-a-42_1694892223891.jpg

American XL Bully dogs will be banned in the UK by the end of the year
 
Ok! Where I live all the new apartments love dogs and cats. They even have pet washing stations. In Canada, we are a dying country because the young generation is raising dogs and cats instead of little kids. I guess sex is too much of an effort. Better to stare at the smartphone all day and all night.

There used to be this movie, "No Sex Please, we're British!" Today it is , "No Sex Please, We're Canadian."
 
Packerjohn said:
Ok! Where I live all the new apartments love dogs and cats. They even have pet washing stations. In Canada, we are a dying country because the young generation is raising dogs and cats instead of little kids. I guess sex is too much of an effort. Better to stare at the smartphone all day and all night.

There used to be this movie, "No Sex Please, we're British!" Today it is , "No Sex Please, We're Canadian."
Click to expand...
same here... more dogs than ever. In fact I sit near a window here on my computer, and the majority... no exageration..of people who walk past my window have at least one dog on a leash. There's a mobile grooming station Van which comes around to give the pampered pooches some private beautifying .. ...fortuanately for my daughter who had a very large Pet business in Spain, that people love their dogs so much , that she was able to supply them with everything they needed for their dogs, including training , Grooming..organic food, and Doggy hotel facilities...
images
 
Packerjohn said:
Ok! Where I live all the new apartments love dogs and cats. They even have pet washing stations. In Canada, we are a dying country because the young generation is raising dogs and cats instead of little kids. I guess sex is too much of an effort. Better to stare at the smartphone all day and all night.

There used to be this movie, "No Sex Please, we're British!" Today it is , "No Sex Please, We're Canadian."
Click to expand...
"A dying Country " ??? Did you miss the latest Stats Canada news about how our national population has now passed Forty Million people ? You need to get out of the house more, and walk over to the closest elementary school and check out the number of kids in the school yard. For somebody who "used to work in education " you are surprisingly isolated. Jimb.
 
jimintoronto said:
"A dying Country " ??? Did you miss the latest Stats Canada news about how our national population has now passed Forty Million people ? You need to get out of the house more, and walk over to the closest elementary school and check out the number of kids in the school yard. For somebody who "used to work in education " you are surprisingly isolated. Jimb.
Click to expand...
Perhaps isolated but well read and well educated. Read the following; if you dare:

Yes, Canada's population was dying with only 1.40 children/woman. However, now with a million immigrants each year our population is growing with leaps and bounds. So fast, that the housing industry cannot keep up with new arrivals.

"Canada is a low-fertility country, or below the no-migration population replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. Fertility rates have been steadily declining since 2009, with the trend intensifying since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: Canada’s fertility rate decreased from 1.47 children per woman in 2019 to a record low of 1.40 children per woman in 2020."

Fewer babies born as Canada’s fertility rate hits a record low in 2020 - Statistics Canada
 
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hollydolly said:
Five holidaymakers have bene injured in another dog attack at a family caravan park, with one person rushed to hospital for urgent treatment.

The victim, a man, was seriously wounded after the attack at Palins Holiday Park in Kinmel Bay, North Wales, just after 10pm on Friday while four others were treated on site for minor injuries.

Police were called to the holiday park after the dog began attacking people. It is not believed to be a Bully XL.

Officers have seized the animal and two men, aged 58 and 28, have been arrested.

DS Jon Rich, of North Wales Police, said: 'Our enquiries are ongoing but I would like to reassure the public that we are not seeking anyone else in connection with this incident.

'We are conscious of the current national attention on incidents of this nature. The dog is not believed to be a Bully XL and we are in the process of confirming its exact breed.
75469143-12526705-American_XL_Bully_dogs_will_be_banned_in_the_UK_by_the_end_of_th-a-42_1694892223891.jpg

American XL Bully dogs will be banned in the UK by the end of the year
Click to expand...
 
Granted, I've more lifetime experience of being a scratch-post to my kitty cats. However, one freezing morning back in January mid 1970s, a bunch of us were walking to schools just out of our buildings and into the streets. Which were knee-deep snow covered.

A guy with a Doberman, we'd never seen before, was walking from opposite direction. I kept my eyes on him, he looked suspicious.

Next thing we know, there's 4 more Dobermans running at us. They attacked our gloved hands. We were in Ski-doo outfits from head to toes, it was that cold.

These dogs ripped through the material of our gloves. Most of us ended up with bleeding hands and deep enough lacerations to require stitches. Only one girl had her middle finger bit off, which was reattached that same day in an emergency operation. Her finger survived due to temps being -35° that day.

None of us went to school that day. The police were called, the guy and the five dogs were apprehended. It never made headline news, but weird guy and 5 Dobermans were never seen again.

We moved out of that area one year later after a two years lease.
 

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