I had a disturbing experience yesterday while walking Mett & Bratt. A new family moved in over the summer and they have a pitbull. Yesterday the Pitbull got over the backyard fence and charged full speed at us.

I put my foot up and kicked the dog, and then start yelling at it at the top of lungs.

I was unable to move without the dog trying to get around me to the boys. I ended up backing the dog back into it's front yard and continued to yell at the top of my lungs, 'get back' & 'No' and i tried "bad dog"

but the pit was till focused on the boys and was intent on getting to them. I had nothing to fend the dog off with... I picked up some gravel and threw it at the dog, I was even thinking about taking off my shoe and hitting the dog with it... what i needed was a stick.... but none was on the ground.

The dog started foaming at the mouth and drooling heavy. I knew the moment I turned my back this go will most likely attack, so I kept using my foot and yelling to keep it back away from Mett and Bratt who I had put on very short leashes when the dog started running at us at the start. Finally the owner came out of the house in a bathrobe to collect her dog.

she was saying, sure he's a pitbull but he isn't going to hurt you , he just wants to play.... I told her that this was a defensive mode the dog was in, and they he had snapped at us... I also said the dog is foaming at the mouth and it's freaking me out. This dog had none of the 'play' body language, no this dog was in lunge position and trying to circle around me to get at Mett & Bratt.

I need to get a can of canine pepper spray... i've seen a number of types, but was wondering if anyone has any expeirence with any of them and can make any reccomendations... IF This dog jumps it's fence again I want to be able to deal with it... and Mett and Bratt were very good during this whole thing, but i'm sure their big dog agression is going to get worse after this... jsut like it did when a beagel in the neighborhood charged Bratt.

I should have bought the pepper spray after that, but didn't think about it since it was a smaller dog and I kicked it off Bratt.

Please report this to your local authorities before a dog or a child is attacked by this beast. This dog is not under control and the owner obviously isn't concerned. Report this situation now so that, if there are additional problems, the authorities have a history of complaints to back up their actions. You'll be doing yourself and your community a favor.

Please report this to your local authorities before a dog or a child is attacked by this beast. This dog is not under control and the owner obviously isn't concerned. Report this situation now so that, if there are additional problems, the authorities have a history of complaints to back up their actions. You'll be doing yourself and your community a favor.

I already called the dog warden, but since the dog didn't bite and the owner got the dog back... I was told they could do nothing.

Let me recommend that you buy some wasp spray--more range, more stream, and it burns like the dickens. Cheaper as well.

Tracy - It's still good that you called. True, there may not be anything they can do about it right now but there's a record of the incident.

Don't you wish all dog owners took their responsibilities seriously?

We have a nasty shepard in our neighborhood that has attacked Pegi once last winter when she was a pup, and came after me last spring (while I was holding Pegi up in the air). First of all, I called the dog officer and reported it. I didn't have any bites (lots of black and blue marks though)and got no response. So I called my city councilor and he got the dog officer to pay attention. The owner ended up building a large 4' (should have been at least 6') pen that the dog is in. When we walk by (they live on a corner) the dog still goes nuts. You have to make sure there is a record on this incident in case the dog comes after you or another dog owner.

So, I carry a folding knife and Muzzle Dog Repellent. I bought it on Amazon for about $11; and it clips on my belt loop. Let that shepard come after me again and he's a goner!!!!!

Keep notes on every incident and write down the name of who you reported this incident to, date, etc. That dog sounds nasty, he will more than likely hurt somebody. Maybe you can put an extension on the fence. ? Sorry that you and your boys have to go through this. Be safe.

Have you tried talking to your neighbor about this since the incident? Maybe with things calmed down from the heat of the moment you can work out a time schedule where both dogs won't be outside at the same time. Short of working out some sort of schedule or lack of cooperation on the neighbors part I would be inclined to very aggressive in protecting my dog and my life. I don't know what the laws are in your state/city, but where I live deadly force is certainly called for in protecting your property and your life.

And the owner may have been telling you the truth, from their perspective, that he was only playing. But from your description and I certainly believe you, that was not play and your neighbor needs a perspective check done.

The only thing close to a guarantee that you and the fur butts are going to walk away from the next incident is deadly force. You have no way of knowing if a pepper spray will break through an attack of a dog in the red zone and that is assuming you sprayed enough of it in the right direction to be effective. It may just make the dog all that more aggressive. You will have mere seconds to respond as you are already quite aware.

I don't like the thought of killing any dog, especially when it's the owner who is to blame for poorly training their dog. Pit bulls are not dangerous in and of themselves, it is the owner who takes no responsibility for proper training.

That is just me and how I would approach it. And I would also put the owner on notice the next time the dog jumps the fence and "attacks" that is how it will be handled.

Less lethal options would be a taser or an airhorn, like you might use at a sporting event.

And after having said all that, I want you to know that I am not an aggressive person, have never taken a swing at anyone or pointed a deadly weapon at anyone, but I would not hesitate a split second to do so in defense of my property or my life. I hope I never have to find out the outcome to that sort of situation.

If tasers are legal where you live, I recommend that. It could be used not only for agressive dogs but agressive humans as well!

I have utilized pepper spray on a canine and the spray did nothing...I believe in protecting yourself, home and pets so I now carry either a taser or concealed firearm on walks. (Which are both legal where I live)

Maybe the best suggestions are those that deal with having a sincere but firm discussion with the neighbor. At the bare minimum, her dog should not be in your yard--to play or for any other reason. That will require her to keep the dog on her own property.

I can think of fewer things more onerous than having to change long established and innocent routines to pander to the carelessness of a neighbor--especially a new one.

Make a real effort to get to know her and her dog--she may be correct and her dog a pleasant creature that will become a playmate for your Cairns. That would be the best of all outcomes and the one that I would try and achieve.

The neighbor does need to know that you have reported the incident to Animal Control and that you will do so in the future should her dog try to attack again but you can do that in a way that isn't affronting. If she owns a Pit, she knows that, fair or not, many people and most communities are not the least understanding or lenient with aggressive dogs of that breed.

I would get a can of bear spray. It is like pepper spray on steroids. You can google, "bear spray." I'm sure you'll find a few brands. We travel a lot and always have it with us. I can tell you (from first hand experience) it works. Alright, so my experience isn't on animals... husband accidentaly unloaded it on his self. It is a long story so I won't go into it. The memory makes me crack up laughing now, years later. Anyway, it works well, shoots straight and we are never without it.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. The local sporting supply store only had a small can of the Muzzel spray, so I got it... but I am going to order online the larger can of the bear spray with a longer spray range. I am going to treat this like an isolated incident, but being prepaired if it happens again.

The house where this happeend is about a half mile away from my own house,we live in a dead ended subdivision with 3 streeets and this house is on our regular dog walking route. In our area it's best to just leave it be with the neighbors, and be prepaired if it happens again....by not leaving it be I could esclate matters very quickly... I live in a rual area and the county is know for being 'hill-billy-esk'.... (no offense to anyone in the south with that comment...LOL i'm only a few miles from the KY state line..LOL)

I would not use wasp spray as it might blind or cause eye damage to the animal being sprayed with it... the pepper spray is epa safe and doesn't cause long term damage.

Do NOT play nice here. Though a lot of Pit Bulls get a bad rap one just cannot take any chances. These are large, powerful and fast animals. Remember your life is in danger too! I'm not sure pepper spray would faze a PB in full attack mode (even if you hit it in the face). I'm sure you have seen or heard the stories of people beating on or even stabbing them with little or no effect during an attack. You have to have something that will cause immediate & final damage. Concealed or open carry would be your best option. The best thing about it is the deterent factor. If your neighbor knows you are carrying I would bet the dog never gets loose again.

Do NOT play nice here. Though a lot of Pit Bulls get a bad rap one just cannot take any chances. These are large, powerful and fast animals. Remember your life is in danger too! I'm not sure pepper spray would faze a PB in full attack mode (even if you hit it in the face). I'm sure you have seen or heard the stories of people beating on or even stabbing them with little or no effect during an attack. You have to have something that will cause immediate & final damage. Concealed or open carry would be your best option. The best thing about it is the deterent factor. If your neighbor knows you are carrying I would bet the dog never gets loose again.

Good point, we do have legal Permit conclealed carry law here... I would have to take a state concealed carry class to obtain a permit. But if this pitbull was in 'red zone kill mode' he would have fully attacked mett, bratt and me... but he was detered with a kick at the start- but he didn't leave and followed us around everytime I moved... so I stuck to an area, we had been in the middle of the street... so I knew not to turn my back and I just kept walking forward in hopes that he would back down... but he was standing his ground and kept peering around my leg at mett and bratt... with that pit stare. I think I understand why one of my neighbors who has a pit mix carries a big walking stick with him. If I had to count how many Pit or Pit mixes we had in our 3 street area it would be at least 4- and all of them except for 1 has gotten out of its yard and charged at someone I have been told.

Do NOT play nice here. Though a lot of Pit Bulls get a bad rap one just cannot take any chances. These are large, powerful and fast animals. Remember your life is in danger too! I'm not sure pepper spray would faze a PB in full attack mode (even if you hit it in the face). I'm sure you have seen or heard the stories of people beating on or even stabbing them with little or no effect during an attack. You have to have something that will cause immediate & final damage. Concealed or open carry would be your best option. The best thing about it is the deterent factor. If your neighbor knows you are carrying I would bet the dog never gets loose again.

This is excellent advise Tracy. You have done your part by reporting the incident. It is now time for you to defend and protect yourself and the dogs, and do whatever it takes to acomplish that..

We carry a strong version of pepper spray that also has a blue stain that will mark your attacker. I think that we got it from the people who run the Leerburg kennels (who train German Shepards for police K-9 units, etc) but they also sell the bear spray.

Thank goodness we haven't had to use it yet but since we go away a lot in the RV so we wanted to be prepared. The last time we were at Pismo Beach State Park we saw mountain lion tracks in the wooded sand dunes just before the beach.

I'm not sure that a conversation with your neighbor will yield any good results. Especially not if they think that behavior was an invitation to play.

Stay safe and good luck!

Sorry, I am just a poor innocent Canadian, but when you mention deadly force and carrying open/concealed, are you folks talking about carrying GUNS?

Edited January 20, 201114 yr by Islander

yes, they are talking about guns. hard to tell from the conversation so far whether tracy is already experienced with guns or not. makes a difference. i would be surprised if my relatives who are experienced with guns would consider using a gun on a dog who is already known to have not attacked when it might have. and for those of us who don't already have guns, trying to get experienced enough to use one safely enough to not create new dangers for ourselves or our dogs would be a real problem.

i have to say, if this happened to me and my dogs, i would be extremely angry and resentful. i would probably never forget the moments of being terrified that a pitbull was going to attack one of my dogs or me. i hope that when i could calm down a bit i would be struck by the fact that despite its rude, menacing behavior the dog did not in fact attack me or my dogs, which a vicious pitbull would certainly do. that wouldn't make me feel entirely safe, and i would be very distressed at the casual attitude of the neighbor (anybody who owns a pitbull and isn't super-careful to make sure that neighbors never feel threatened is exhibiting a huge lack of concern for anybody --perhaps most of all their own dog). but the thought of becoming a gun owner over such an incident would not occur to me. the chances of accidentally shooting my own dogs, myself, or even a dog that i thought was menacing me when it actually wasn't would be too great a risk. where i live, the legal complications for people who use guns or other varieties of excessive force, particularly if they are off their own property, can be serious.

the danger was probably greater when the dog's behavior was completely unknown to you, and it could only be known that it was a pitbull that was exhibiting menacing behavior. now that you have encountered the dog and know that it did not attack, there is no reason to be exactly happy with the outcome, but you have more information now. your neighbor seems to be a dolt and the dog is not properly restrained or trained. you are right to continue to be concerned about your dogs' safety (and their right to enjoy the outdoors without interference), but resorting to something that could result in injury or death, as well as legal complications for yourself, seems disproportionate. surely avoiding proximity to their property, making sure that the neighbor knows that you will take serious measures (including legal) to protect your dogs if necessary, and carrying pepper spray or a big walking stick if you want to can keep you all safe.

sorry if the gun thing was just a joke i didn't get. i think it might be.

sorry if the gun thing was just a joke i didn't get. i think it might be.

I'm not considering getting a concealed carry permit, The souped up Bear Spary is enough for me. Like I said in my post, if the dog was truely 'red zone' he would have gone around me and attacked mett and bratt, but he was detered with a kick. If I have more issues, I may start using a walking stick like my neighbor- I have no issues with whacking a dog with a walking stick, firing on something living is a different story. While I did shoot competitively in my youth, I never hunted and I would have issues with shooting a living thing that wasn't breaking and entering into the house.

Islander - I too am a Canadian living now in Maine and, at first, I was totally against guns (whether concealed or open) as I had never owned one nor knew anyone who owned - but Oldfox, being a Mainer, has grown up in just the opposite circumstances. He has been a hunter since a young age and has taught me that it is not the gun that kills but the carrier. I am not comfortable holding a gun but am willing to use it should I feel my life is being threatened. Thus, Oldfox has set up a target practice against the backdrop of our forest - and in the Spring will start giving me lessons on the safety of handling and shooting a gun. Insofar as Tracy's incident is concerned, I think the comments posted by other forum members is food for thought - but having heard, in the news, all the pitbull attacks, this may have been an isolated incident but when one is discussing one's life and safety (not just our babies), I myself would consider taking measures that would insure my safety first (as one may never get a second chance). The unfortunate incidents of pitbull attacks that result in deaths is not something I would hope to weigh my odds. Should Tracy now feel the need to defend herself, a walking stick nor a can of spray is going to do the trick. I have no advice to give Tracy, as thankfully, I have never been in her position (nor hopefuly will ever be) but I also don't want to hear of any harm coming to her or her babies. (My mother would be surprised at this post should she read it as this is a 180 degree turnaround on my upbringing - but when in different circumstances and a different land - one has to adapt to one's surroundings.)

I know! Different country and different culture.

I am not at all anti-hunting and have lived in rural BC and eaten lots of game...

Just something about the thought of walking my Cairn terrier while packing a concealed handgun that doesn't quite compute.

Walking Gus is physical and mental therapy for me; I think I personally would choose any alternative to carrying a weapon...that's just me though, I understand that others may not agree.