How to ward off a dog attack? *Mod warning post #43*

luckyfrank

<MOD SNIP> read my warning above

Cedrus

I would second the water suggestion, but not down the nose, that seems unecessary, buckets work better than squeezy bottles but aren't as handy.

When I was a kid walking past houses with territorial dogs, I learned that pretending to pick up something from the ground tends to deter them, it still works and I've never even seen anyone throwing stones at dogs.

Getting to know the dogs and teaching kids how to behave around them is by far the best defence. Any decent dog owner and neighbour will be happy to help with this.

However, if the owner is a bollix who wants a 'hard dog' and is treating/training it to be so that despite its flaws the restricted breeds act gives the Guards the means to deal with them.

yammycat

<MODSNIP>

getz

Discodog wrote: »

Any dog can be made to be aggressive by ill treatment or by encouraging & rewarding aggression. It's not about the dog or it's breeding. Yes some breeds have natural traits but aggression isn't natural - it has to be taught by man. Aggression is too risky which is why the majority of dog fights end with little damage.

This is why the UK are proposing to change the law away from breeds & onto responsible owners - it will be a criminal offence to posses a dog as a weapon or train one to be aggressive.

Yes any big, strong dog could pose a threat but we don't perceive most of them as dangerous. Our impressions are based on what we see. So the snarling guard dog is often a GSD or the "self defence" or "weapon" dog is sometimes a Pit Bull. Our irrational fear of certain breeds actually makes the situation worse because it makes the irresponsible people choose them. A St Bernard could inflict serious damage to a person but we see them as big & cuddly helping people trapped in snow etc. If scumbags started owning Labradors we would soon see them as a dangerous breed. Its not the breed but the type of owner & the reason why they have the dog.

labradors,a big dog with sharp teeth,yes they also can be aggressive if not trained and intergrated properly,the main reason people think differently is because the ones most people meet are those that are help dogs,as puppies the trainers look to see if they have aggression,if they have they are rejected early,for some reason black[chocolate] ones have had a bad press .

mattser

<MODSNIP>

star-pants

Two more users infracted -- I suggest people heed my previous warning.

Discodog

Today many see the GSD as a threat - after all it is a "restricted breed". So it might come as a surprise to learn that the most famous film star dog, along with Lassie, is Rin Tin Tin the GSD. He featured in dozens of Hollywood films saving people & children. So the fear of GSD's is relatively new.

http://www.rintintin.co/com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=53

It really is all about perception. The strange one is the Bulldog. During my years, with a succession of Boxers, children would always refer to them as Bulldogs. Yet a major insurance company chose the Bulldog as it's representative character.

Maybe all we need is a children's TV series or film featuring a Pit Bull. If they start being seen as lovable dogs then they won't appeal to the wrong people - there is already a trend away from Staffies (PB's are illegal) in the UK & towards larger breeds as the scumbags try to out do each other.

Most dog bites occur because of fear & misunderstanding.

gud4u

DamagedTrax wrote: »

someone once said to me that if jack russells were the size of pit bulls they'd be the thug's favoured dog

Soo true, I have 3 RBs and the JRT was the only one to bite me.

I would talk to the neighbour and educate your kids about dogs in general. It'll do no harm.

I got this off a site about postmen,

<snip>

You may post the link if you wish but copy/pasting directly from elsewhere is copyright infringement

SingItOut

getz wrote: »

for some reason black[chocolate] ones have had a bad press .

Just to comment on that, I have a five year old black labrador and like you said he's beginning to get a bad reputation just because he's black. A neighbour said "Black labradors become vicious keep an eye on him". My dog is harmless, loves everyone, he's never been in a dog fight in his life! I was a "goth" kid at 18 so thats why I choose a black lab over a golden when I was getting him:p ... Is there any reason they get a bad rep or are people just weird?


OP, in the highly unlikely event you ever get attacked by any dog do NOT scream, This just excites/angers the dog to carry on. Stand tall and make yourself intimidating towards the dog

star-pants

Again can we stick to the topic of advice on how to ward off / what to do in an attack please.

Discodog

getz wrote: »

labradors,a big dog with sharp teeth,yes they also can be aggressive if not trained and intergrated properly,the main reason people think differently is because the ones most people meet are those that are help dogs,as puppies the trainers look to see if they have aggression,if they have they are rejected early,for some reason black[chocolate] ones have had a bad press .

In fairness only a tiny proportion of Labs become guide dogs. We don't hear about them biting, even though they can & do, because they tend not to attract the wrong owners. It's the owners that put the dogs into the headlines & not the dogs themselves. Myths become self perpetuating. I wonder how the OP would feel if the dog turned out not to be a Pit Bull ?

Black dogs can encounter problems because other dogs have difficulty in reading the body language of black dogs. So it can be more common for a black dog to experience aggression. My little guy is mainly black & I have noticed a difference when he meets other dogs but once the initial contact phase passes they get on fine.

Also we associate the colour black with superstition & even evil - black cats crossing the road. So humans are naturally more wary of black dogs & even dogs with dark faces like Boxers. We dress priests etc in black yet a black Mass is the work of the devil - we are very fickle

Sorry Starpants I was typing as you posted.

Tranceypoo

Discodog wrote: »

In fairness only a tiny proportion of Labs become guide dogs. We don't hear about them biting, even though they can & do, because they tend not to attract the wrong owners. It's the owners that put the dogs into the headlines & not the dogs themselves. Myths become self perpetuating. I wonder how the OP would feel if the dog turned out not to be a Pit Bull ?

Black dogs can encounter problems because other dogs have difficulty in reading the body language of black dogs. So it can be more common for a black dog to experience aggression. My little guy is mainly black & I have noticed a difference when he meets other dogs but once the initial contact phase passes they get on fine.

Also we associate the colour black with superstition & even evil - black cats crossing the road. So humans are naturally more wary of black dogs & even dogs with dark faces like Boxers. We dress priests etc in black yet a black Mass is the work of the devil - we are very fickle

Sorry Starpants I was typing as you posted.

You've just reminded me actually, when I got Archie (black lab/staffy x) from the gspca, they told me that in general black dogs, especially medium/larger ones, were harder to rehome than lighter/golden/white coloured dogs. I've always had black dogs. Hmm, what does that say about me I wonder...?

Cedrus

Cork County Council Dog Bite Prevention Booklet

luckyfrank

SingItOut wrote: »

Just to comment on that, I have a five year old black labrador and like you said he's beginning to get a bad reputation just because he's black. A neighbour said "Black labradors become vicious keep an eye on him". My dog is harmless, loves everyone, he's never been in a dog fight in his life! I was a "goth" kid at 18 so thats why I choose a black lab over a golden when I was getting him:p ... Is there any reason they get a bad rep or are people just weird?


OP, in the highly unlikely event you ever get attacked by any dog do NOT scream, This just excites/angers the dog to carry on. Stand tall and make yourself intimidating towards the dog

is it cos he's black

Discodog

luckyfrank wrote: »

is it cos he's black

It's an interesting topic & deserves it's own thread.

planetX

black pets take rotten photos:(

Like the OP I've been wondering how to deal with a dog attack - but it's my own dog I'm worried about. I posted before about someone I pass with a husky hanging off a flexilead. The owner can't even stand still, he gets dragged towards us, all the time whacking the dog around its head. I don't think the mechanism of the flexilead is designed for the full weight of an excited husky, and I'm expecting it will snap one day. My only plan is to let go of my dog and hope he can outrun him:( I've started avoiding my favourite walk because of that dog useless owner...

barbiegirl

I've found that correction spray works quite well. It's just condensed air, we got it for correcting our jack russell,, but not only does it distract him but also any other dog that is about.
You don't spray it at them, just beside them and they don't like the noise.

time lord

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGUyMFPJRnU


On topic clip I think. An oldie from youtube. No "winners" in this one.

nadiahealy

hi i am new to this forum,just wondering if anyone knows about the mink,i saw my dog on laneway of my house barking and excited around the mink,the mink was very still and didnt move,i called the dog and he came running to me,mink stayed for bout a minute and ran into field next door,i heard they are very vicious but would they attack a dog as i think there is more than one.my dog is bout year old and is a cross breed between an alsation and an american bull dog,quite a strong dog but would,nt under estimate the mink:eek:

Cherry Blossom

Black dogs worries about racism and how photogenic they are, perceptions of RB's, guide-dogs and mink , seriously??

I think we're done here. Locking