Frightening Dog Experience

Gymgirl, your DH is right -- not all of them are vicious. But it's a breed I personally wouldn't take a chance with. If it were me, I'd make up some pepper spray and keep it with me rather than trusting I'd be able to shoot. You surely did right in calling the Humane Society, and I hope they get them. If they're pets, the owner needs to be held accountable. If they're not, it's a mighty hard life being a stray dog.

Can you string up chicken wire or something just as a barrier to keep them out?

We have some new people that have moved in across the road from our cattle pens. Joyfully they brought two pits, and a bull mastiff with them. Needless to say they are runnig lose and if they are ever seen in the traps or pens with the cattle they will be coyote food! We don't care what kind of a loving pet they are when it comes to killing the way we make our living or attacking the folks that work for us. We have asked the people to please keep the dogs off of our property but their reply was we don't know how. Go figure!

Bloomlover : "We don't know how"...........let's see,....I'll interpret that for you. (I've some experience as an interpreter of the dialect of the ID clan...commonly referred to as "BSers" around here).....that would roughly translate into : "We don't care...it's too much trouble"

(The ID = Irresponsible Dummies - Since they weren't able to dazzle you with brilliance....they tried to baffle you with BS.)

That's good!

Oh well, I bet they don't think my DH means business. We have had other neighbor's dogs kill sheep and the SO says kill the predators if they are on your property. And we have. One night our son killed 3 dogs with blood all over their faces.

I've already given thought to shooting coyotes that have encroached around here.. I live in a neighborhood with houses all around.. But wild coyotes are here now. if they are going to make food out of our cats.. Fogetaboutit.. dead coyotes!

Very very smart of you to take a gun out the second time. You shouldn't be fearful of standing on your own property.

Susan

"We don't know how..."

How easy life must be to be so unencumbered by the ravages of intelligence.

Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement in this situation. I need you all to know that I am a dog lover from my childhood. If an abused animal can be rehabilitated, I'm all for it. If there's a choice between euthanasia or the humane society finding a suitable home for an animal, it goes without saying, place the animal!.

But, folks, I have my limits.

Standing in my yard yesterday, facing TWO unleashed pit bulldogs, pondering conventional wisdom that says, "maybe these are someone's pets," could have been the last thing I pondered, if these were NOT someone's pets....

Again, thank you for your support.

I don't have, never have had a pit bull. I heard someone on the radio saying one day that the reason pit bulls kill so many people, pets etc. is because "they are too dumb to remember being trained to behave. They only remember the way the last person treated them. If it was mean, they will be mean, if not, then they'll behave."

Thanks, Silverfluter.

You know, I just picked up on your name. Do you/did you play? I did clarinet and oboe in the symphonic band in Jr. high. Now I play piano as the choir director.

I'd argue with the idea of pits being dumb, though I have no argument with someone's having said it. They're very smart. BUT aggression has been bred into them for centuries -- and if I saw one anywhere near my grandchild I would not hesitate to kill it if I could. That's harsh, and especially coming from a born animal lover. But there are a few breeds I would not take a chance with -- pits, chows, and german shepherds are the top of the list.

I'd have to argue about that perception that they're dumb (not talkin' about you silverfluter...but, the radio comment)......They CAN be intelligent and can be so affectionate - devoted to their owner....I've known some! BUT,.....I still have a fair level of caution when around them.....and a HIGH level of caution if I don't know them.....same goes for Chows....Akitas....and even Dobermans.
Dobes aren't usually used as Sentry dogs in the military...because they can be schizo.
I've seen a Chow remove the thumb of his master with one snap
because,...like a pit,...it was "in a zone"....fighting with another dog at the time....this after jumping out of a moving car to attack the other dog......
They were selected to guard the palaces centuries ago...in China,...I believe,...because of their aggressiveness. They've been known to turn on their masters.
Besides being large,....Akitas have an aggressiveness to be respected.
Besides being a former Sentry Dog Handler,....I also use to install a type of electronic "pet containment" system.... all around the Houston area. I've encountered all types of dogs.....including those above......interestingly enough,.....we weren't permitted to install one of these "shock-type" systems for the Pit bulls, Akitas or Chows.....too dangerous.....'nuff said.

People who fight pit bulls...will usually choose the pit over the others in a fight.

Gymgirl, yes I do play a silver flute. I started in 7th grade and Jane Long Jr High near Sharpstown. Did you grow up in Houston? I really wanted to play piano, but we didn't have one and a flute was a lot less espensive to buy and took up a lot less room in our small house.:)

New Orleans. I'm in the process of moving my piano into my new little church, where there's only an electronic keyboard. I'm about to jump back into playing as the church choir director.

Willis, I agree with you wholeheartedly. It's just like people -- you never know, do you? Prudence around any dog you don't know is a good thing, but especially those with a "history" -- which WE have given to several breeds. While the more I know of people the better I like my dog, and I am not afraid of dogs generally, I wouldn't hesitate to do what I had to do if threatened, and that goes for people as well as dogs.

Grandmas can be SO mean! ;)

brigidlily, with age comes experience & wisdom :))

(and a license to carry) ;p

(lol)

There is a product I have tried that does deter vicious dogs. I have used it many times when I have been horseback riding and am approached by aggressive animals. No, I don't have stock in this company...but I am sold on this "dazer" product. When you point the device at the dog you won't hear anything but the dog will back off (at least it has worked very well for me!)
There are several companies selling it but this website had a good photo.

http://www.tesco-shopping.com/Dazer_detail.htm

Hi passiflora_pink!

I just ordered one of those devices, and I truly hopes it works as it says it does. Monday was my 2nd AND third encounter with stray pit bulldogs, and I am truly blessed to be alive today, unharmed. I'll repost when I get it and have an update to report. I'm gonna test it on my neighbors two dogs who bark like crazy when I approach the fence between us. Problem is that my FIVE EBs full of new tomato plants sits on scaffolding right against the fence. This'll be a good "training."

I have used mine for at least 2 years without even a battery change. The dogs may still bark at you but will not approach if you are using the dazer. The LED light on the top tells you if the battery is good since you can't hear it.

That's really interesting. I wonder if it would work on wild animals like mountain lions and wolves and such?

hmmmm? I wonder too? Are you going to test it for us Silver??

:)

Susan

Weeelll. DH would like to. He likes to hunt with a friend in Canada. His friend was out hunting something, when something started hunting him. He thinks it was a mountain lion. He was out there by himself too. Very dangerous. His wife kept telling him not to do that, but he thought he was invincible.

Silverfluter, I'm not aware of any wolf attacks in the US in recent history. The device is designed for the canine hearing range, so it is doubtful if it would deter a mountain lion. I would certainly carry more protection than that if I were hiking in lion territory! It does not appear that my horse can hear it, at least she does not react to it when I am using it on dogs while on horseback. I suppose you could take it to the zoo and see how different animals respond to it but you might be accused of harrassment...

Podster,

I hear some towns are considering banning pit bulls from the city limits. I wish my town would do the same. I know that there are some people who argue that their pit bulls are very nice, loyal, etc. etc. However, it's a roll of the dice I'd just rather not roll.

They probably are loyal... to them. Everybody else is at risk!

They won't pass legislation against a specific breed, though different groups have tried.

Don't worry about my mindset, pod -- I was a sharpshooter in the USCG and, though I have never shot a person (or any other living thing except a wounded squirrel who would have suffered to death) I would shoot and shoot to kill.

The big problem with having a gun is, under the right circumstances, it's just giving a bad guy a gun. If there isn't a gun around, no one gets shot! When I was on the range doing the practical part of the licensing requirement, a woman was there renewing hers. She seemed like a nice lady and all, but she'd no more have been able to shoot that gun than a Barbie doll. They really should include a Shoot/Don't Shoot portion in those tests. You have to have nerve.

Gymgirl,...I'm not certain,...but,....I THINK... Podster means that....if you obtain, or have, a weapon for the purpose of defending yourself.......also have the mindset to utilize it for what it is....and not to have the idea that brandishing it will be effective as a "scare tactic"....and I'm assuming that Podster was thinking in terms relative to an encounter with another person......not an animal such as a dog, wolf, mountain lion, etc.

Brigidlily.......I'm with you! Sometimes my DW & I jokingly comment basically what you said....the more we learn about people,....the more we love our dogs :~) We're animal lovers too! Having handled trained and aggressive dogs (as well as poisonous snakes - herpetology being a past hobby) I've always had a respect for their beauty....for what they ARE....not afraid of them,...but ever aware of their potential ability to harm. I've always had a fascination with the natural world and its inhabitants.

Got it! Thanks WillisTxGarden!

What I know is that, if I ever do get a gun, I am fully prepared to use it to defend myself.

Nothing's more wonderful than nature. Brutal sometimes, but have you ever just sat down with a sprig of henbit and really looked at that flower? Kind of like when you realize how short the hairs on a cat's nose are.

I think you're right about the "scare tactics" thing -- someone jonesing for crack doesn't get scared. Nor does a pit bull!

WillisTx ~ I could not have said it better. Thank you! Many a female (in particular) thinks that the show of force will be a deterent. She will quickly be overpowered and have her weapon used on her.

Brigid ~ I DO believe your mindset. Oddly, most men will hold a villian at gun point till the cops get there. Not so with the "weaker" sex. They will shoot and call the police to come clean up the mess! Sounds like you? LOL

Shoot ~ no shoot scenarios would be a valid addition and a true test of a persons' stability. Oddly, I believe the stress induced while shooting with the others is intended to simulate a stressful situation which one might be put in. Unfortunately until the situation is posed, no one knows their true mettle.

Enuf said ~ sorry for the detour. Back to the dog breeds and breeding...

I hope I never know my true mettle!!! A cop friend told me if a man shoots, he'll shoot twice -- once to bring him down and again to make sure he's down. A woman will empty the gun. Sounds reasonable to me, generally speaking.

Sounds about right to me, too!

"The female of the species is more deadly than the male."
Kipling

http://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/hum100/female.html

Just thought I'd drop back in to mention today's front page of the Austin Amer. Statesman has an article entitled... "Texas dogs 'first free bite' targeted by lawmakers." It's quite lengthy, but they want to hold the owners more responsible for their dogs. Would be unnecessary for a dog to be deemed dangerous before the owner is penalized for having a dog that causes serious injury.
And an update: After our neighbor across the street assured us that her son had moved out and taken his pit bull with him,....... last Sunday our next door neighbors came over to tell us a pit bull was in our yard....cocoa brown with a red collar. When they tried to call the dog over to read the collar, thinking it might be lost, it growled and started barking before it ran down the street. They went across to the neighbor's house where they figured it had come from, but no one answered the door. We all went out and tried to find the dog again, but weren't successful. I know the son was there through the weekend, and that his mother was out of town. I have no way of knowing if it's the same dog without seeing it, so haven't said anything. I did alert the neighbors who's daughter was menaced by the neighbor's dog earlier. I haven't been able to follow up on any of this because my darling little grandson has shared his last two colds with me....and I'm just feeling better now. Our neighborhood consensus is "see the dog, call the sheriff's ofc., no questions."

passiflora_pink

EXCELLENT!

I blame the owners of this dog. They need to have this dog removed from them. They have allowed this aggressive behavior. I believe people with aggressive dogs need to have training, along with the dogs. I don't believe the dog should be put as of yet. People need to be more responsible pet owners. I would call the animal control. If your neighbors don't like it ,so what. This is a bomb getting ready to explode.
Good luck.
Patti
Ps: Never look away from a dog. That shows weakness.






This message was edited Apr 23, 2007 2:47 PM

This message was edited Apr 23, 2007 2:48 PM