Aww man scary dog attacks! OK looking back that was a dramatic title LMBO

edited February 2010 in General
Crapola! I just took the beast out for a walk and right when we were walking up to the door he started pulling. I figured he had to poop and didn't want to go home, but out of nowhere came a Chow Mix and Pit. The Chow ran after Koda and the Pit ran after me. I picked up Koda and threw him in the house and the Chow caught the back of my sweats with his mouth. I had just seen this homeless man who used to come around our neighborhood to go through trash cans, tomorrow is trash day. He had these dogs on the leash, and then must have let them go. The Pit had bitten a woman one day. I'm so surprised he would even let them off leash. What an a'hole!

The Chow ripped my pants, and I kicked him on his chest with my foot. I am so glad I got Koda in the house. I just called the cops, and now I'm sitting here shaking I'm so pissed!

Comments

  • edited November -1
    ouch! Feel Better!! Thank goodness Koda is safe!
  • edited November -1
    I am glad you're safe.

    This whole story makes me sad. The kind of lives dogs have to live (especially a pit) to escalate it to unprovoked violence have to be pretty horrific. And now 2 more dogs will end up euthanized. Breed stereotypes reinforced. And all because some shithead who shouldn't have dogs had not only one, but two.
  • edited November -1
    Yikes Tara! How scary!
    You saved Koda though, and fortunately all you lost was a pair of sweats.
    yikes again...
    sorry you had to go through that.
  • edited November -1
    The Pit didn't do anything to me. He just went for it, did the stare down and ran for me. But the Chow got me first and I kicked him pretty darn hard once he went to bite my leg. It does suck though. I hate that man for taking them off leash, but he just keeps doing it. He disappeared for the last four months, after the first bite incident. The cops were called then, but he ran and is homeless so I don't think the cops ever found him. I was letting it all go when I saw them on leash during the first part of our walk. I don't care if people have dog aggressive or people aggressive dogs. The fact of the matter is a lot of good owners have gotten cute pups that turn out to be dog aggressive, but keep them on a leash and reduce the risk of them going off. I have a neighbor who walks her dog at 5 am and 11 pm because her 9 year old hates other dogs but he has never bitten anyone because she manages risk.

    Can you tell I'm a little worked up? lol
  • edited November -1
    Wow, that must have been scary...I'd be pissed (at the guy) too if that were me.
  • edited November -1
    Glad you & Koda are safe! ~
  • edited November -1
    wow - that's a freaking scary situation. I'm glad both of you are ok... and I DO NOT miss the homeless issue in SF. Man what a cluster f#ck that has become.

    ----
  • edited November -1
    I'm so sorry you had to go through that... I'm rather used to it (unfortunately) and I know how horrible it feels. We have a lot of strays defending their turf and there is nowhere to walk your dog without running into them. They never got my pants, though. I think my bear is large enough to keep them at bay but it messes him up :-( I hope the cops will do a better job this time..
  • edited November -1
    Wow, that's scary. Be careful with lifting up your dog in these kind of situations. Now it was probably the best thing to do, but if you lift a dog he can no longer defend him self. If the Chow or even worse, the Pit jumps up he will always reach your dogs belly which is just about the most dangerous area to get an attack. I don't even want to go in detail what will happen next :-( But you will loose your dog. The Kai is probably better on his four legs in defending him self. Even my huskies were with an encounter with an american stefford. But if I lift them, my arms are no longer useful and the dog is most vulnerable. Obviously this has all nothing to do with the situation where one stupid man leaves his dogs off leash and could even kill children around. That's just as crazy as it can get.
  • edited November -1
    Tara,
    That was a really scary expierience, & just bad all the way around. Try not to let this one bad expeirience bring down your spirit when it comes to taking Koda out for a walk. It really sucks when some thing so terrible & beyond your control like that happens. Do you think that if you had something like pepper spray the situation would have turned out differently?
  • edited November -1
    Not to be a prick, but I'm pretty sure your dog would have been fine. Boar hunters aren't nancies.
  • MnVMnV
    edited November -1
    Glad that you and Koda came out of it relatively safe.

    It might be not-PC to say it, but I'll do anything possible to protect my loved ones, human and dogs, including incapacitating other dogs or human.

    I think we have to have a plan in case we and our dog got attacked during our walk. Not to the extent of paranoia, or freaking out, but just a way to handle unexpected situation like that.

    Research a bit on how to defend yourself in a dog attack, and pick the one that is more suited to you.
  • edited November -1
    Do not own a dog if you are:

    -homeless
    -yeah
  • edited November -1
    Koda is an 8 month old puppy. Being charged by two larger adult dogs is not something he needs to prove he can endure either physically or emotionally. Tara used her best judgement to see she had the time/opportunity to toss him inside. Dogs are show-me dont tell me and she showed him that she will keep him safe. This is money in the bank for future dog encounters. If she stood firm and said "you'll be fine, be a man" and he was jumped or pinned (or worse), an independent kind of dog will cease to believe her again.
  • edited November -1
    I agree, Tara, you did the right thing by keeping Koda safe. If something like that had happened while I was walking my girls, I would have done the same thing.

    As for the homeless issue... There is a homeless man in a town about 20 minutes from where I live... he has two dogs, one is a GSD, the other a malamute. They are huge dogs and incredibly nice. This man, of course, did not start off homeless, he lost his job a few years ago, and unfortunately was not able to become re-employed (why, i am not sure)... But this guy does odd jobs around the town for people to earn enough money to buy his dogs food at the local market. I have seen him go in there a few dozen times (I used to work in an office next to the store), he would always tie his dogs up outside and leave them with his bags. I never saw him come out with anything other than dog food and a few food items for himself, never alcohol or tobacco products. It was a VERY impressive sight. One day I asked him about it, and he said his dogs were more important to him than anything in the world. So as long as he was able to provide for them, he would keep them safe. It was a very heartwarming story.


    Sorry, I know that was a bit off topic...
  • edited November -1
    Thanks everyone! I spoke to the officer yesterday, and the Chow has attacked 3 other dogs doing a lot of damage. The Pit has attacked 4 people, and 2 dogs. They think that he uses them as guard dogs for wherever his camp is. They have been trying to find him, but my town doesn't really have a homeless situation. They think that he's coming from a different one, but they are going to try and work with other bordering areas to find him. The dogs unfortunately when found would be euthenized at this point.

    lol Koda is a Nancy. He's a total wimp when it comes to other dogs, and these two would definitely have torn him up. One bite is too many in my book. The door was unlocked and I knew I could get him in. The reason the Chow got me was because I took Koda's leash off right before I tossed him in. I wanted to use the metal end to get the dogs back if need be, and it worked when I swung it at them.

    It would have been easier though with a different harness on Koda. So, I went and ordered him a Ruff Wear last night. The handle would have been great. Plus, I've been wanting to get one for hikes anyways. I can get pepper spray at my local Walgreen's so I might just do that. It would be good to have on hikes as well. We do have a lot of boars and such where I go up in the hills.

    When all is said and done Koda was fine yesterday. He kept near me for the rest of the night, but he's pretty attached anyways. My main concern is him not getting fearful of other dogs or feeling like he would ever have to attack. I always want him to know that I can keep him safe.
  • edited November -1
    That sounds very scary! I'm glad you and Koda are ok : )

    The closest I have come to a similar situation is when I was studying abroad in Panama during my senior year of high school. In that situation 3 or 4 large dogs (they may have been strays or owned by someone) chased me while I was riding my bike. One got my pant leg but I was able to kick it off and get away.
  • edited November -1
    I have posted a number of times about why pepper spray can be a really bad idea. The main reason is if you get caught downwind you will end up more injured then the dog (many dogs are immune to it too, especially since these dogs clearly have an abuse history. Human aggressive pit bulls don't happen without some sort of provocation.) Also if you are asthmatic, as I am, it can kill you.

    I carry a retractable billy club. It has a reach of nearly three feet and can shatter bone on contact. Safer for me, more effective on the dog. I carry it whenever I go on walks.

    I may be a pit bull advocate, but any dog that has bitten 4 humans should be euthanized. Period.
  • edited November -1
    A billy club? I never even thought of that. lol. Jessica you're a bad*ss for that one. I was trained at the Police Dep't on how to properly use pepper spray. Still not sure if I would get some or not.

    I too love Pit Bulls. This has been intentionally taught behavior. I have said it before and I will say it again, Pits will do anything for their owners. They are the most loving and devoted dogs. It's not the dog's fault, I truly believe that his owner has encouraged, taught, and made him aggressive towards humans. I couldn't see a Pit intentionally attacking a person without being taught human aggression. I will never fear a Pit based off of one incident.
  • edited November -1
    I'm so sorry this had to happen to you I'm glad you got Koda inside before anything could have happened even if Koda was able to defend himself it's best for him to not be attacked due to the emotional and physical issues that come from being attacked by a dog..

    That was one thing I hated about living in the city in Indiana barely anyone had fences and they always let their dogs roam everywhere.

    You did the right thing and I'm sure Koda trusts you even more now.

    I always carried a big hard walking stick with me on walks in the city sure I looked like an idiot, but I didn't want to take any chances with all the loose labs and poodles in the neighborhood..

    It's horrible what this homeless man is doing I hope they catch him and his dogs. It's sad they'll get euthanized, but a dog that has bitten that many people needs to be dealt with and the homeless man should never be allowed to own any dogs.

    I hope the police catch this guy, but keep an eye on the dogs if you see them call the police or animal control right away.

    One idea for defense maybe get a fog horn type thing the loud noise might deter dogs or maybe not I dunno, but if you have Koda with you I'm sure that would bother him too.. A retractable billy club would probably be good too.
  • edited November -1
    A billy club may work for some ,but just keep in mind a billy club is what about 24 inches, by the time you are in a position to actually use it. The attacker is within 2 ft of you. You probably will have but one chance to connect & you best not miss. It is also a weapon that when you choose to use it you better be absolutly sure you want to potentially kill or cripple this dog.(no mistakes ) Say what you want about pepper spray but it will do the job a great percentage of the time( at a safe distance) & will not do any damage that you could really regret later on. Just my personal opinion.
  • edited February 2010
    After being put in the hospital due to respiratory failure because of someone who sprayed pepper spray (nowhere near me mind you), and it nearly killing me; I would consider those consequences far greater than defending oneself from an animal about to attack.

    If two feet is too short a length for someone to handle, than Nicole's suggestion of a walking stick gives you 2 more feet.

    All while not accidentally hurting anyone else.
  • edited November -1
    Tara - You need a Cane Corso. ;o)
  • edited November -1
    Tara,
    I just had a long talk with Levi, Gin & Koshi, They suggested you come live in Wi., you & Koda can walk with us any time .....no worries here!!:)( Bring your mitts!)
  • edited November -1
    Brad I would love a Cane Corso! It's one of my favorite breeds.

    Dave getting out of the Bay Area has actually been on my mind for about 2 months. Don't tempt me. lol
  • edited November -1
    Wow, what a damper on what was probably a good day =/. I'm sorry that happened to you. I think it's okay for the homeless to have dogs, if responsible and takes care of them...but dog-dog aggression, dog-cat aggressiion and dog-human aggression is a bad for someone who lives on the streets.


    That really sucks Tara...I'm glad to head though that you and Koda got away in time so that nothing too severe happened (not counting the mental trauma). Bring a tazor gun =p. They actually have those on metal "walking type" sticks....kinda cruel but...
  • edited November -1
    I was talking to my neighbor about the dogs last night, and I guess the Chow was a pretty good dog until it got hit by a car over a year ago. It had some head trauma and almost died. Now it's skiddish and fearful. That made me feel really bad. But he still should have them on leash.
  • edited November -1
    wow, that is scary. Glad to hear you and Koda are ok. I have to agree that pepper spray does not work on all dogs. We had a dog show up here that was being aggressive. luckily there was a fence between us and the dog. Jason had sprayed the stray directly in the face with the pepper spray twice and it did not affect the dog. We had a long piece of bamboo and we used that as a sort of billy club. One smack from the bamboo pole and the dog was gone in a flash. Bamboo is really strong, but still very light.
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