Aggressive dogs - what do you do?

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I think dog behaviour is getting confused here. Obviously you don't get much chance to do anything if youre under attack but a dog barking at you isn't always doing so aggressively.

I quite agree that a dog isn't necessarily being aggressive when it barks, and I can usually tell the difference (as mh68 pointed out, a young child might not be able to though). I said earlier that I am happy to stop and make friends with dogs that are friendly, and that has included some dogs that have been barking but wagging their tails and were obviously friendly.

[m1.carson]

Hi,

There's been an awful lot of talk about aggressive dogs, but so far I haven't seen one member say they've been bitten, except for the pub dog, and he was probably defending his territory, it seems there's an awful lot of phobia in this thread.

My best suggestion is to take your photographic equipment away from dog walking areas, the owners very rarely stray far from their habitat or cars.

And my usual, "report them to the Police", I don't think you'll have much luck there unless you know where the owner lives, and then what do you report, "his dog barked at me".

Max.

[The Black Rabbit]

Maybe we (me mainly!)are confusing things Max.
I grew up around dogs. (large dogs admittedly). I really don't mind them at all.
A phobia? No.
Even after being nipped, which as you (and I said) I probably deserved!
No. No phobia here.
The mud - thats irrelevant also.
I've already admitted I dislike small dogs. They're not my cup of tea. But anyway...
Its the invasion of space that annoys me, be it by a threatening dog (or a dog that could seem to be threatening, to some people - as both Mark and Pete said, a child probably can't tell the difference).
Like Pete, I think I can tell when a dog is being aggressive or not, or now I can anyway!
And like Pete, I like to 'make friends' with nice, well-behaved dogs, if I am welcome to do so.
I admit this also - I have no time for ill-behaved dogs, whether threatening or otherwise.
I think honeybee was right (to a point) earlier, when she suggested we are (I am) confusing dogs behaviour - at least, this thread is being confused.

This thread was about aggressive dogs - what do you do?.
Dogs can seem to threaten people (ie appear to be threatening), I'm sure, without biting (ie carrying out that threat).

I stand by what I said earlier.
I think dogs should be well-trained, or on a lead (if nothing else to protect them).
Thats responsible ownership in my opinion.
And nothing to do with any phobia.

Doug


Footnote.
I think I've worked out my confusion. Sorry.
I've gone down a "badly behaved dog route", rather than keeping this thread to what it originally was - an "aggressive dog" thread.
I'll leave it there, and start a new thread! Maybe not.

[Kerry]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

Footnote.
I think I've worked out my confusion. Sorry.
I've gone down a "badly behaved dog route", rather than keeping this thread to what it originally was - an "aggressive dog" thread.
I'll leave it there, and start a new thread! Maybe not.

I read this as the first post:

When I take my camera and tripod to the woods for the purposes of wildlife photography, I have been 'threatened' by loose dogs - they approach at speed and stop within two foot of me and bark with increasing aggression - I maintain eye contact and keep the tripod in front as a 'shield' and wait for the dog to get called away by the owner (though on one occasion it walked off then ran back to continue), but I am concerned one will physically attack.

Obviously the woods are a good location for walks - plenty of sticks and open spaces to run, but I would like to know what I can do to avoid these dogs and how to stay safe.

And responded to that with suggestions that I knew worked but from the response I got I from one member I now regret having bothered. If it was to be just a dog bashing session I would never have even posted.

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Kerry

I read this as the first post:.....

.....And responded to that with suggestions that I knew worked but from the response I got I from one member I now regret having bothered. If it was to be just a dog bashing session I would never have even posted.

Kerry, I hold my hands up as being part of the confusion about this thread.
I don't mean to bash dogs per se, its some owners I don't really understand.
Anyway, I'll leave it there.
As it should have been after your post, (post 36 in this thread), I guess.

If I may?
"Yes you are right dogs should be under control but unfortunately we now live in a society where no one cares about anyone else and we either spend our time with extremely high blood pressure or we try to find a way of dealing with it. We are never, ever in a month of Sundays going to have a world where people care about the effect we have on others no matter how much we rant and rave."
I think you are right.
Sad but true, I suppose.

Doug

[Kerry]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

Kerry, I hold my hands up as being part of the confusion about this thread.
I don't mean to bash dogs per se, its some owners I don't really understand.

Doug

Having to suffer aggressive dogs on a frequent basis I have realised that some owners just won't do anything to control them and even the police aren't interested until one savages someone. So I know just what you mean about the owners. There are very few genuinely bad dogs just masses and masses of bad owners.

[vole-woman]

My husband works for the council and he's often been in situations where he's at risk from dog attacks. So his employers issued him with a dog dazer, a little box that emits an ultra-sonic noise which dogs don't like. It's supposed to stop them in their tracks while they put their paws over their ears. Temporarily unpleasant for them, but harmless.

Dog dazers aren't especially cheap, but if dogs are a real problem for you then it might be worth investing in one.

[vole-woman]

Incidentally, the last time I went down the canal, I got seriously hassled by a swan and in the end had to leave the survey work I was doing. I wonder if dog dazers work for birds?

[mh68]

Originally Posted by Kerry

Having to suffer aggressive dogs on a frequent basis I have realised that some owners just won't do anything to control them and even the police aren't interested until one savages someone. So I know just what you mean about the owners. There are very few genuinely bad dogs just masses and masses of bad owners.

Totally agree with that Kerry - most dogs are as good (or bad) as the way theyre trained/handled.

Vole-woman - swans can be worse than dogs sometimes.There used to be a swan on one of the waters we visited in Scotland that used to attack anything that came within its perceived territory...boats, people,dogs other birds etc it was totally crazy .Sorry to go off topic slightly.....

Mark H

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Kerry

I read this as the first post:

When I take my camera and tripod to the woods for the purposes of wildlife photography, I have been 'threatened' by loose dogs - they approach at speed and stop within two foot of me and bark with increasing aggression - I maintain eye contact and keep the tripod in front as a 'shield' and wait for the dog to get called away by the owner (though on one occasion it walked off then ran back to continue), but I am concerned one will physically attack.

Obviously the woods are a good location for walks - plenty of sticks and open spaces to run, but I would like to know what I can do to avoid these dogs and how to stay safe.

And responded to that with suggestions that I knew worked but from the response I got I from one member I now regret having bothered. If it was to be just a dog bashing session I would never have even posted.

Kerry,

I am very sorry - I apologise unreservedly for my angry response to your earlier post.

I realise now that you were giving helpful advice in answer to the original post.

I was just letting off steam, as aggressive dogs is a subject I feel strongly about (I've often considered starting a thread on the subject myself) - I do a lot of walking, and have had far too many walks marred by incidents with aggressive dogs and their irresponsible owners. There have been two such incidents in the last couple of weeks or so.

And you were quite right when you said: "Yes you are right dogs should be under control but unfortunately we now live in a society where no one cares about anyone else and we either spend our time with extremely high blood pressure or we try to find a way of dealing with it. We are never, ever in a month of Sundays going to have a world where people care about the effect we have on others no matter how much we rant and rave."

Anyway, I apologise again - I shouldn't have replied to your post in the way that I did.

Pete