need help with dogs when im walking?
Posted: July 8th, 2011 | Author: admin | Filed under: Questions | Tags: cats, front porch, heart, iPod, lawns, leash laws, little kids, pepper spray, pit bull, pockets, poland spring water, sidewalks, these dogs, ultrasonic dog chaser, umbrella, walking stick | 3 Comments »i walk almost every evening when my husband arrives home from work. i have to wait for this time so he can watch the 3 little kids while i walk. we have no dogs of our own just cats. i do like dogs and i am not afraid of them unless they are being aggressive. we live in a very populated shore area of NJ. there are leash laws here but people dont care. 2 times this week i have had a large dog run up to me barking. yesterday it was a pit bull i think and it was big. it came running from the owners front porch and ran up to me while i was walking in the road. i tried my best to ignore it and listen to my music and not run. it actually snapped at my hand but i pulled away. then for whatever reason it went home. i had my ipod on so maybe the owners saw it. i dont know. i was very scared and my heart was racing. i know this is no fault of the dogs but of the stupid owners! i never walk the same route and i always stay in the road. there are no sidewalks and i never walk on peoples lawns or properties because i know that could make an unseen animal feel threatened and i find it rude to walk on someone elses lawn. i can not carry a gun or knife with me its illegal. also a walking stick or umbrella is way to big because i walk fast. i have no pockets. usually my small ipod is clipped to my shirt and i have my phone in one hand and a bottle of poland spring water in the other. i need something small and effective to ward off these dogs. are any of these effective or do you personally know something that is??
can air horn?
ultrasonic dog chaser?
pepper spray?
citronella spray?
i also want something effective that will not cause the dog to be more aggressive. i want to avoid being attacked!
thanks. serious answers only please
Pepper Spray is a tried-and-true defense against dogs for joggers. Dogs are primarily smell and sight creatures and they don’t wear glasses or have hands to block their face, so pepper oil all over their nose and eyes puts them out of commission pretty fast. And it will not hurt them permanently. It wears off. Personally I also carry a walking stick, but you said that is too bulky so disregard that.
I’ve have tested some of those things you mentioned, and here’s my take: The ultrasonic "chasers" are WORTHLESS. I have one and I pointed it at my dog to see what he would do. He turns to look at me when I press the button, but that’s all, like he is thinking "Huh? What is that weird noise?" He does not run away or cover his ears. Citronella is really meant as a behavior corrector, not a defense device. It merely annoys them. An angry dog will ignore it. Same with air horns. Dogs do not like loud noises, but if they are mad they will not care.
Besides pepper spray, if a walking stick is too bulky, maybe consider a sjambok. It’s a thin flexible stick that is used like a whip, and they are much lighter. Plus they’re really cheap. The length varies from 2 feet to 5 feet, though obviously you want a shorter one. I was reading about a jogger who carries one bent around his waist like a belt (some types you an hook the ends together). He was able to fend of a large Rottweiler using it by smacking it on the back.
I know that my neighbor brings with him a walking cane because at times we have had dogs wander around without a leash on.
At least the cane can put some distance between you and the dog
Unfortunately, all of the things you mentioned could just as likely piss off a charging dog as it could chase it away. It really depends on WHY the dog is charging and what kind of temperament it has.
An uncertain dog charging because it feels threatened may be warded off easily enough with an air horn or one of those ultrasonic things. But an outright aggressive dog may see something like a walking stick as a threat or may be even more pissed off if it’s sprayed with pepper spray. Some breeds are even bred to withstand pain/discomfort so it wouldn’t be all that strange if pepper spray (or similar) had little to no effect.
I think that the best bet would be to combine a few things. Something to use to scare the dog off (hopefully) but also something to use as a defense in case you can’t. An air horn would provide a nice obnoxious blast of sound that most charging dogs would avoid. It would also serve as a signal for help. If the dog charges again or doesn’t stop, then maybe having something like a break stick would help. You could hold it up and let the dog bite on that instead of your arm while you try to call for help.
I’m curious to see what other people will say.