Protecting ourselves and our Cairns

[tlwtheq]

We were told at the doggy day care to pick up the dog by the back legs and pull like a wheel barrow.  It might be very difficult if the attacking dog is moving and shaking but worth a try!  It sounds like the Rottweiler was the instigator?  It can happen to anyone... the neighbor down the street was walking her senior Shitzu and the other neighbor's cattle dog ran out the front door and grabbed that poor little dog by the back leg and drug it down the street....All in a FLASH!!!  That is the worst part - no warning!

You'd have to be brave and strong to do that.  But in the case of my babies I wouldn't hesitate.  Might wear my 3" platform boots to

walk people from on!

[Idaho Cairns]

I have been following this thread as well and can offer no advice based on experience--we have never suffered one of these attacks.  However, I did do an Amazon search under "dog repellent" and came up with many products from spray to audible repellents with a wide price range.
Fortunately, under each of these products there are testimonials by numerous users and the few I read seem to be in line with what Helene experienced--reading a few of them it appears that some products are effective in stopping dog attacks.
This was a cursory reading and I am most certainly not a shill for Amazon but I would recommend that those of you seeking some form protection might want to investigate these products and their reviews with the idea that the numerous testimonials, good and bad, will give you some idea as to how to protect yourself and your dog.
Sorry but that's the best advice I can give--Helene hope the dog fully recovers and you recover your expenses that resulted because of this attack.

[remltr]

I agree with Idaho. The dog repeller I mentioned earlier is available on Amazon for various pricing and kind of spotty reviews. I find that product reviews on Amazon are very accurate. Hang in there Buffy.

[Hillscreek]

I have used a 'silent' dog whistle when training retrievers. It's just a whistle that dogs can hear but humans can't. 

 

I lived in Chicago for ten years a long time ago. Anxious for our own lives sometimes never mind our pets. Urban living is not for the faint of heart. Country life either. It's coyotes and bears and bobcats and timber rattlers that we worry about out here.

In fact life itself is not for the faint of heart.

Every location and personal situation is different. 

Know we support you and wish you safe passage through a difficult time.

[Lynn in TN]

I grew up around PitBulls, Rottweilers, and Dobermans. I do not recommend the sprays, or taser for Pitt Bulls, or Rottweilers. The reason I do not is their endurance, stamina, and their high tolerance to pain in attack mode is almost unbelievable.

Also you don't know if the dogs are used for fights or not. If they are, then they are accustom to this type of treatment. Owners that raise them for fights use all types of cruelty to get their dogs ready for the fight.

I am not going to say that you would have to kill the dog, but you have to be prepared to do so if need be, if you interfere with it's attack.          

I prefer a short baseball bat. This is my opinion based on what I have seen through the years.

[sanford]

We were told at the doggy day care to pick up the dog by the back legs and pull like a wheel barrow.  It might be very difficult if the attacking dog is moving and shaking but worth a try! 

This technique, plus the video showing how to use it are both very appropriate.

 

I want to add one point of information based on the one time I actually broke up a fight in the dog run by pulling a hefty pit bull by the back legs in order to get him off the other dog. (Don't ask me where I got the courage to do this...I'm definitely a coward when it comes to putting myself in any sort of danger)!

 

What I discovered was that, having yanked the pit bull off, I had to summon more strength and hold on very tight to keep him from A) yanking me back toward the other dog, while shifting my body from side to side as I dragged him backward to evade his repeated attempts to twist himself around, to try to bite my hands/arms so I would release him. I couldn't have kept this up much longer, but the (slow-moving) owner finally ran up and grabbed him. Phew!

 

To sum up: grabbing the legs is half the battle...the other half is holding on tight as the dog jerks and flexes the legs you are holding onto, while you move backward as best as you can, at the same time swerving constantly to avoid his twisting himself around to reach back at you with his jaws!

Edited September 27, 2014 by sanford

[Autumn & Lola]

Helene,  is there by chance a big burly neighborhood guy with dogs with whom you could walk all your dogs together? Maybe there is a person in the morning and a person in the evening you could team up with? Even if the person isn't that big/strong/skilled, it just may help to alleviate your fears knowing you won't be the only human out there with the dogs. I'm sure once word of the attack gets all over the neighborhood, dog owners (especially women) may be more than happy to team up for walks.

[hheldorfer]

DH came up with one suggestion yesterday.  We went to Louisville, TN several years ago and toured the Louisville Slugger factory.  After the tour they gave everyone a mini baseball bat, around 12" long.  I'm going to see if I can rig something up to drape it over my shoulder or hook it to my belt loops when walking.  I know I could get some serious thwacks in with it if necessary.  A standard size baseball bat would be too big to wield in close quarters and I'm not strong enough to swing it with any accuracy.

[Lynn in TN]

That is exactly what i use for the same reason as you. I can't use a large bat as I am a very small female. I also do not believe I could lift the hind legs of a large dog, and hold onto it, when it is in full attack mode.

 

My Mother was a small woman as well, and growing up in an area in the 1970's where people made moonshine, and grew pot, have chicken, and dog fights and such, I remember her weapon of choice at that time was a huge Bowie knife. lol She never left home with out it strapped to her hip. She was very good with that knife. She could throw it, and hit what she aimed at with as much accuracy as someone could a gun. We lived on the side of a mountain, and the weapon was mostly for bears and peoples dogs that were all lose, no one had fences back then. I can't tell you how many times we would see bears. She was a sight to behold with that knife strapped to her hip, and NO ONE messed with Her! haha I guess you can say I live in an area with a lot of Scotch, Irish, and a little Cherokee Indian thrown into the mix. We have a strong belief system of taking care of ourselves, when confronted with evil. It takes the cops to long to get to you, to be able to help. 

[tlwtheq]

Wow, that's a cool tale, Lynn.  Kinda reminds me of Daniel Boone.

[Autumn & Lola]

I immediately thought of an arrow/quiver holder for your mini-bat. This one is a bit pricey, but you'll get the idea. Do you think something like this would work/be long enough? It has to be long enough so the bat won't fall out while you're walking, of course. This one straps onto your back, but you could probably just put it over one shoulder. Alternatively, I believe there are ones that just go over one shoulder.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Canvas-Arrow-Quiver-Braces/dp/B00ISOHA0I/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1411927390&sr=8-3-fkmr1&keywords=canvas+archery+arrow+holder

[Autumn & Lola]

Oh wait, that's amazon.co.uk.  Sorry! LOL!  Here's one in the good ol' USA (sniff!), and cheaper.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Tarantula-Youth-Arrow-Quiver-17-Inch/dp/B00CO8GKDM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1411928165&sr=8-3&keywords=arrow+holder

[josie&holly]

Or perhaps something like this to carry the bat? I have one for the water bottle and it has a long strap that will fit across body or over shoulder - I know it is for a bottle but sure ,could put bat in. Have a look and then see if anything similar on the USA Amazon site?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/H2O4K9-Neoprene-Bottle-Carrier-Violet/dp/B00K2YVLSO/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1F67T9994FYJDHENHWMZ

[hheldorfer]

Wow Lynn, you *do* come from hardy stock!  I wish you could post a pic of your mom with her knife.  Bet that would be an impressive sight!

 

Ron (who was in the Navy and knows how to tie a knot better than me) tied two ends of nylon cord to the end of the bat so I can wear it like a cross-body purse.  It's not in my way but I could get to it quickly if necessary.  

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions!  I'll definitely keep these in mind if our patched-together method doesn't work out.

[Islander]

Hey Slugger!

The mini bat sounds like a great idea. Here's hoping you never, ever have to use it.

[hheldorfer]

Hey Slugger!

The mini bat sounds like a great idea. Here's hoping you never, ever have to use it.

You wouldn't be calling me "slugger" if you had seen Ron try to teach me to hit a baseball at a batting cage a few years ago.  In that situation, my eye-hand coordination left much to be desired.  

[Sam I Am]

http://nikka.ca/store/category/68/199/Fish-Bonkers/

These would be perfect!