Do to Fend Off Attacks From Unleashed Animals?

January 8, 2008 9:30 PM

Any tips for fending off attacks from loose, unleashed, untagged dogs?

On a walk with my dogs tonight, we ran into a loose, unleashed dog who attacked one of my dogs (a chihuahua), by putting him into his mouth and shaking violently. I'll spare the complete horror story, except to say my chihuahua luckily was spared, but had to be taken to the emergency vet where he was immediately put into surgery and (thankfully) is apparently doing ok (we'll be picking him up in the morning).

Of course, I'm having Owners Guilt wondering if there was something I could have done to fend off the attack beyond picking up my dogs and running home as soon as I saw the stray and hoping the other dog didn't follow. Are there any sort of tricks to fending off attacks from unfamiliar dogs when there is no other owner in sight and the dog is not restrained in any way?

posted by The Gooch to pets & animals (26 comments total)

Carry a stick when you walk your dogs. It doesn't have to be a huge stick. One of those tiny novelty baseball bats will do.

If another strange, unleashed dog comes anywhere near you, act the alpha-male, and if he gets within swiping distance then smack him with the stick...

Also, call animal control. Loose dogs should absolutely be dealt with before they hurt themselves, or someone else.
posted by bshort at 9:37 PM on January 8, 2008

It's hard to provide advice here without knowing what kind of enemy dog we're dealing with. It'd be flip to say, "Do X," when X might make the enemy dog attack you.

But this article might help. You could also look into various brands of pepper spray made to defend against dogs and bears.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:41 PM on January 8, 2008

My wife is fed up with loose dogs around here, too. She's now carrying an air horn and pepper spray, and I have no doubt she'll use them. Hasn't had a chance to test them yet.

Loose dogs' asshole owners should be shot, personally. Show some frakking responsibility and keep your dogs under your control.
posted by maxwelton at 9:43 PM on January 8, 2008

Canine pepper spray.
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:50 PM on January 8, 2008

bshort: We did call Animal Control who thankfully found the dog (actually received the call in the short time between posting this question and now) and have taken it in.
posted by The Gooch at 9:53 PM on January 8, 2008

I spent a lot of time wandering around on foot when I was young, all over the world, and in lots of places where there were a lot of dodgy dogs on the loose. I found, universally, that just the act of reaching down to pick up a rock (even if there wasn't a rock to pick up) as if you were then going to throw it, would make almost any dog that was not yet in attack mode back off. Actually picking up a rock with an eye towards flinging it if necessary is entirely up to you, but I almost never had to.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:52 PM on January 8, 2008

A few have mentioned pepper spray. I've heard that (assuming the initial squirt of spray has had the intended effect) you might also try to spray pepper into the fur. The extra pepper won't bother the dog so much, the idea is that the now-smarting dog runs home where, for some time afterwards, all the pepper steaming out of the fur has its way with the owner. Hopefully it's enough of a slap in the face (literally) that they'll realise that their dog is endangered (and/or endangering others) when irresponsibly allowed to freely roam the neighbourhood.
posted by -harlequin- at 11:14 PM on January 8, 2008

The old paperboy trick is a spray bottle with dilute ammonia - apply to the eyes like pepper spray; it stings the eyes and they hate the smell. However, who wants to have to carry this every walk? If there is a next time, first pick up your dog, then become the alpha male. Dogs respect a pecking order and bigger and louder often wins the day. Rocks and sticks too if there is time.
posted by caddis at 12:58 AM on January 9, 2008

Poor little fellow. :( I hope he'll be OK.

A vest harness (ideally with a handle, I'm not sure if the picture has one) is very good for a little dog, since it protects his neck and allows you to lift him up out of danger quickly. However talk to your vet about using this in the future, since he's had a spinal injury.

If you meet a stray on your walk picking up the little dog is a good idea, but running away isn't, as the dog who may otherwise have ignored you might be prompted to chase. Just pick up your dog and keep walking. He may growl and stand his ground - don't go closer than about 20' to him. If he shows any aggression, take one sudden step towards him and shout angrily "Go away! Bad dog!". Pick up a stone, brandish a stick. Fling the stone at him, if he doesn't get the hint. He's probably familiar with the ways humans can hurt him, and afraid of humans who shout and fling stones.

If he really wants a fight, use your terrain. Retreat to a waist-high fence of a yard that looks like it has no dog there and bang on it. If no dog runs out, given that there's an aggressive dog outside already to be heard and smelled, it's safe enough to assume there's no dog there. Put your dog over the fence and hop after. You can apologise to the owner later. In fact go right up and knock on the door. Don't worry about trespassing; like most laws, trespassing has the phrase "without lawful excuse" in it, and being chased by an angry dog is as good a "lawful excuse" as you can get, and the right to go knock on the door has persisted for hundreds of years. (Look it up if you're worried about it.) If there's no fence, find a tree. A dog can jump a fair height, usually as high as his own shoulders without much trouble, often higher, but they're no good at climbing. There's a reason cats run for trees. Do the same. At the very least, you can put your chihuahua out of his reach (wrap the lead) and free your hands up.

Pepper spray is nasty but under the circumstances, fair. Aim for his nose and mouth, not his eyes. He's keeping track of you as much through scent as sight. If you absolutely have to fight a dog, try to make a "shield" for him to bite. An object held in your off-hand is ideal. Dogs are hardly the most subtle of combatants, they generally leap, bite and drag. Stand side-on with your arm in front of you, and try to "feed" the dog the shield. Kick or punch him under the shoulder, in the armpit if you can, in the ribs otherwise. As with a human, that is a painful and demoralizing blow. You shouldn't have to do this more than twice, unless he's rabid or been driven crazy by abusive owners, to make him run off yelping.

Now a caveat: the above is advice for you to protect your little dog, who will be considered a challenger in the stray's territory and will almost certainly be terrified, both of which will anger the stray. The little dog's presence pretty much forces the issue. But if you're on your own, and have no reason to suspect a stray is dangerous, try showing friendliness. Whistle him over, snap your fingers, click your tongue, call "here boy" in a friendly voice. I find this usually lets me get hold of a collar and look for a phone number. At least, it turns aggression into puzzlement and the wary dog leaves. YMMV, the dogs in your area may be a lot worse-treated, and thus less friendly, than the average here.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 1:43 AM on January 9, 2008 [6 favorites]

Myself and other bicycle riders have found that a good hard squirt from a water bottle will make most dogs turn tail and run.
I'm not sure how well that would work when you are walking your dog though.
posted by whoda at 3:33 AM on January 9, 2008

It would depend on whether the loose dog is actually feral as to whether this would work, but I've found (in my own anecdotal experience) that using a loud and authoritive voice, as if you were the loose dog's master, can sometimes be enough to make the offending hound back off. And yes, as mentioned above, a motion indicating that a stick or a rock is going to be used on them can often work also. I hesitate to say this, because I know that in the real world a threatening dog (especially a large one) is often terribly scary, but if you can try to avoid acting as if you are scared and instead maintain a dominant air about you your odds of avoiding an actual attack may be greater.
posted by h00py at 5:08 AM on January 9, 2008

An ex-gf had a chihuahua that we used to walk together with. When big, strange dogs or hawks came nearby she always scooped him up in her arms. Obviously you can't scoop up a 70-lb dog but generally they can fend for themselves.

For you, always face a strange dog. Stop and stare. I've had growling dogs approach me and when I stopped and faced them they backed off. Of course that might not work against a pair of hungry pit bulls
posted by JJ86 at 5:48 AM on January 9, 2008

If I am walking and see a dog that is coming at me aggressively, I pick up a branch or stick if there is one nearby and look right at the dog and speak loudly and in a commanding voice "GO ON! GETOUTTAHERE!" If they don't immediately walk away then I take a step toward them and raise the branch/stick. I make it clear to them that I am in charge, that I am commanding them to back down, and that if they don't that I am unafraid of them and will punish them for failing to do so. I don't know how wise that course of action is, but it has worked for me in the past. Sorry about your dog. That sucks.
posted by ND¢ at 5:51 AM on January 9, 2008

I found, universally, that just the act of reaching down to pick up a rock (even if there wasn't a rock to pick up) as if you were then going to throw it, would make almost any dog that was not yet in attack mode back off.

This works in places where dogs have experience having rocks thrown at them. In most of the US, this doesn't really apply anymore because the dogs haven't learned to be cautious of people reaching down. It's unfortunate, because in most places it is the best way to make a dog back off without actually having any confrontation. (Of course, once you actually nail the dog a time or two with a rock, it will quickly learn what your reaching down implies, and will back off, but you will need to train each of the dogs you are encountering.)
posted by Forktine at 5:52 AM on January 9, 2008

I was walking my dog (Black Lab) and Golden retriever attacked my dog out of the blue. I had no idea where the dog came from. The Golden was preoccupied with my lab so I had an opportunity to grab it's neck and jump on his back I then forced it's head to the ground and pinned it with my weight. There were other people around and the owner came running when he heard the dogfight. The owner leashed him, stepped on the leash and I was able to get up. It happend fast and all dogs were ok. I suspect I would do something different if there were multiple dogs attacking. You would not want to expose your neck to their level.
posted by bleucube at 5:58 AM on January 9, 2008

Pepper spray is pretty good stuff. However, it's important to note that it's not necessarily enough to stop a big dog who's totally in prey drive. I like dogs more than people, but there's not a whole lot you can do with a big dog who's totally in prey mode. It's nictitating membrane will cover its eyes (which will roll back in its head), it's heart will pump and his doggy adrenaline will make him stronger and tougher than you can imagine. Especially when all he's got to do is kill a 7 lb chi-chi. You're really very lucky that he didn't snap the spine of your little pup.

I'd do a couple things: 1) not walk at night in this place 2)carry a camera and take a picture of ANY stray dog you see, then give those pictures to the appropriate people and 3)actually consider a stun-stick (like a stun gun, but it's long like a baton) and 4) practice your deepest, meanest, loudest, GRAWRRRRAWRR GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE BRAAAAWWWW.

If you do have to encounter the dog again, you'll probably make the choice that I have made, and try to save the dog regardless of your personal well being. With that in mind, it's not too difficult to choke out a big dog if you get behind it, and it's fairly easy to beat them around the head and neck enough that they'll drop what they're doing and turn to size you up. This is where you use the previously mentioned GRAWRR. (And before he comes over.)

Be advised that if your little dog breaks free and runs, he's dead. Same for you. Never run from an aggro dog.
posted by TomMelee at 6:24 AM on January 9, 2008

oops "save the dog" meaning YOUR dog, not the attacking dog.
posted by TomMelee at 6:25 AM on January 9, 2008

A swift kick to the mouth is very effective. Steel-toed boots will enhance the effect. Do not turn your back to the dog. Yelling is encouraged, as many have suggested.
posted by lohmannn at 6:41 AM on January 9, 2008

If Unfriendly Dog is not yet in prey mode, but you feel threatened, throw something enticing* (a noisy and/or colorful toy, or a bone or a treat) away from you and Wee Dog to divert his attention. Try not to throw it directly at him, or back over his head, because he will still want to keep you in his sights and so may ignore it. Throw it to the side so he can still check out this new thing while watching you too. This might give you enough time to back away, or it may even take his mind off you and Wee Dog completely.

One problem with this approach is if you repeatedly encounter the same Unfriendly Dog and repeatedly throw him a treat, you are rewarding him for acting in an unfriendly way toward you.

*Different types of dogs react to smells or sights, so what is "enticing" may depend on the breed.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:54 AM on January 9, 2008

I asked about this for a friend earlier. You might find something helpful in people's responses or in the links hindmost posted. Good luck!
posted by nnk at 6:59 AM on January 9, 2008

My brother use to read meters for the power company and he always carried an automatic umbrella to guard against unleashed dogs, as it acts like a shield. I think they were told to do so rather than carry a stick or pepper spray so that they didn't run a risk of injuring a customer's dog. I am not sure how effective it would be against a dog who was going after small prey like the chihuahua but I wanted to throw it out there anyhow.
posted by cabingirl at 9:01 AM on January 9, 2008

I used to have a lot of run ins wth nasty dogs. Most dogs seem to have an ancestral memory that getting beaten which formed part of their domestication. Dogs establish their status by fighting and the thing to do is establish that you won't tolerate any agression - hit the mangy cur! If you don't have a big stick, even a large twig will signal "stick" and dogs will usually respond by retreating. Rock throwing also plays a part in dog consciousness. I have kept dogs at bay simply by pretending to pick up a rock from the ground and threatening to throw it. Even small pebbles or dirt trigger a submissive response from dogs - try this sometimes when dogs bark at you if you don't believe it. Of course, nothing beats actually throwing rocks - you don't need big ones, pebbles will do. And then, the one time a neighbor's German Shepherd broke free from his chain and tried to bite my 6 year old son, a well aimed and determined kick in the nose worked just fine.
posted by zaelic at 11:44 AM on January 9, 2008

Here's my own experience.

My mom and I were walking our dog (a corgi mix- not tiny like your little one but still smallish) when a neighbor's rottweiler came running out from behind the house and attacked our dog, picking her up by the scruff of her neck and trying to shake her. I scooped up our dog to try to protect her, and the rottweiler then bit *me*- right at its mouth level, on my upper, inner thigh- and held on. My mom yelled at the dog and hit it on the nose, and it let go; we then backed away, yelling at the attacking dog, until it seemed to lose interest and went back to its house. Fortunately our dog was fine, and my leg, though painful, healed without incident.

So... the yelling/hitting will *work*, but to avoid getting bitten yourself I'd try some of the more long-distance methods referenced above.
posted by oblique red at 1:15 PM on January 9, 2008

[a fw comments removed - please take euthanizing side talk to memail or meta]
posted by jessamyn at 4:04 PM on January 9, 2008

Most dogs will release when their hind legs are pulled apart. I have a friend with an over-aggressive dog who I've seen use this technique to get it to stop fighting. If the dog has a grip or is attacking something, I'd grab one of it's hind legs (assuming that end is closest) and pull sideways.
posted by Four Flavors at 7:21 PM on January 9, 2008

Thanks for all the advice. As you can see here (ignore the 2004 date, someone forgot to set the date on the camera), he's seen better days, but considering the other possible outcome we couldn't ask for much else (except for a cheaper vet bill possibly).
posted by The Gooch at 9:33 PM on January 9, 2008