What should you do if your dog is attacked?

Question:
 I had a stray dog run up to me the other day while I was walking Frodo, and thank goodness he was friendly, but it got me thinking about what I would have done if it had been aggressive. And I didn't have an answer, I really don't know what I would have done.
So basically, what should you do? I am mainly talking about when you are walking your dog(s), and an aggressive dog starts coming towards you, how are you supposed to respond?

Answer:
Yes I would like to know too :)

Answer:
I've tought of this as well while walking Samm...

Answer:
Whenever I've walked my dogs and a strange one came near , I'd watch it's demeanor and put my dog at a heel/sit . Luckily none have ever attacked ....but I think staying quiet helps.

Answer:
I honestly don't know. I know that my dogs would be on a sit stay and I would be ready to fend off any attacking dog... but I'm sure that's not the right thing to do.

Answer:
Give the dog a face full of pepper spray or HALT. Then call the police, tell them where the howling dog is and leave. It beats reasoning with an aggressive dog, and is a heck of lot more reliable. Practice your aim on something first so you get the hang of how to use it and don't end up hitting yourself or your own dog. While it's nice to hear what expert trainers would do, most of us will never have that much experience to feel good about practicing when a dog is coming at us. I would say it's far better to be safe than sorry. When a dog is coming at you, all the things you think you learned could easily go out the window with fear. I know that's what would happen to me. My life and the life of my dog come first before the comfort of any loose dog coming at us uninvited.
My tolerance level for loose dogs went out the window last time I took a bike ride. I see where Taser manufacturers are coming out with a small personal model. Once those hit the market, if I were a dog owner, I would really think twice agout letting my dog run around loose. There are a lot of very skittish irrational people out there these days when it comes to loose dogs.

Answer:
Give the dog a face full of pepper spray or HALT. Then call the police, tell them where the howling dog is and leave. It beats reasoning with an aggressive dog, and is a heck of lot more reliable. Practice your aim on something first so you get the hang of how to use it and don't end up hitting yourself or your own dog. While it's nice to hear what expert trainers would do, most of us will never have that much experience to feel good about practicing when a dog is coming at us. I would say it's far better to be safe than sorry. When a dog is coming at you, all the things you think you learned could easily go out the window with fear. I know that's what would happen to me. My life and the life of my dog come first before the comfort of any loose dog coming at us uninvited.
My tolerance level for loose dogs went out the window last time I took a bike ride. I see where Taser manufacturers are coming out with a small personal model. Once those hit the market, if I were a dog owner, I would really think twice agout letting my dog run around loose. There are a lot of very skittish irrational people out there these days when it comes to loose dogs.
I agree... I do feel sorry for the dogs that are let alone and just wondering around...but you really have to protect your own... I never walk my dogs without pepperspray in my pocket and I feel much safer knowing I have a deterent for loose aggressive dogs... I mean it is NOT my fault, my dogs are leashed and under control. :)

Answer:
I've never carried anything for protection . My friend carried a shock pistol .....but has never had to use it .

Answer:
I've never carried anything for protection . My friend carried a shock pistol .....but has never had to use it .
Well, it is better to have something available and not need it, than to need it and not have it. :)

Answer:
I am extremely watchful and careful now.I ahve learned some hard lessons. If a dog I don't know is approaching I call my dogs to me. If a bullying or aggressive dog starts being rude, chest bumping, looking humpy or growling at my dogs I step in between that dog and mine and tell them loudly and firmly to get lost. I also keep an eye out for an owner and if I see one ask them to call their dog. Usually that much works but I once had to beat a dog with my chuckit (ballthrower) who had run at Rosie pinned her and wouldn't get off. Luckliy she wasn't hurt.
Sammy was pinned and bit over and over again on the neck leaving him with several puncture wounds and VERY sore all for arriving at a ball at the same time as another dog that I thought he was fine retrieving with.
It's a good idea to carry some "Direct Stop" it's citronella spray and won't hurt anyone (which is especially good since it might get on your own dog accidentally) but is supposed to be useful in stopping a fight.

Answer:
I'll look into the direct stop!! Thanks!

Answer:
If you want to avoid either you or your dog getting bitten, a can of Halt works wonders. I carry a can whenever I go out, since there are many dogs where I live....
http://www.amazon.com/Halt-Dog-Repellant/dp/B000AOA420

Answer:
I opted out of Direct Stop because it works on odor only and acts as a "distraction". The material on it says it gives you "valuable seconds" to get away from the dog while the spray "distracts" the dog. Pepper spray on the other hand is going to put the dog out of commission for longer than a few seconds because it just plain hurts. I wouldn't want to spray a dog only to find he's after me even more angry in less than a minute. I can't run THAT fast.

Answer:
I agree with the pepper spray, although that may incite the dog more, depends on the dog's willingness to "fight". I never make my dog sit or stay if a dog is around, I want them to be in a position to defend themselves if need be. But my dogs dont bark or anything at dogs, so they stay calm.

Answer:
Before I had Duke, when I was 12 or so I used to walk my uncle's boxer ( who lives in the same house as us) every day. On one occasion someone had their mixed breed dog offlesh and had stopped to chat with someone and turned his back on his dog. The dog spotted us and proceeded to approach us with hackles raised and in a low stalking like position. Diamond was probably close to 65 pounds and the other dog looked maybe a little bit shorter then her but not by much.

I immediatly diverted eye contact and started to back away slowly while trying to keep diamond from making eye contact with him or her as to not envoke an assault from him. He kept gaining ground on us and I kept glancing over at the owner who was about the length of a football field away not at this point and I was to afraid to scream for him to get his dog incase it startled the dog into attacking.
When he finally caught up to us diamond stood very rigedly inbetween me and the other dog and I sort of frooze and looked away from him as It's all I could really think to do. Finally the owner called the dog back and it left.
I guess if I ever encountered a truley aggressive dog that started trying to bite not just growl and I couldn't get away I'd probabaly fight back at that point and try and get away. When Duke is older I think he would give any attacking dog a run for it's money unless it was a huuge 150 pound plus dog.
Dog attacks outside of the home are pretty rare though, most incidents of mauling occur when children usually under the age of 15 are left unattended with a dog or not taught how to behave around a dog.
Kayla

Answer:
Honestly, in 2 separate incidents I have been bitten trying to shield my dogs away from the oncoming dog in order to spare those dogs some serious damage. Never again. Of course I will try to deter the oncoming dog(s), but if they continue to come at us aggressively even after me trying to shoo it away, I will let happen happen. I don't think I should have to get bitten in order to protect someone's dog who obviously doesn't even feel like protecting it themselves.
And I always carry a breakstick with me nowadays.

Answer:
Dog attacks outside of the home are pretty rare though, most incidents of mauling occur when children usually under the age of 15 are left unattended with a dog or not taught how to behave around a dog.
The last three serious dog attacks I know of here occurred when loose dogs went after a person. One occurred in the yard of the boy who got mauled when the dog entered the yard by surprise. The other two happened on the street to adult pedestrians. We HAVE had cases of in-home injuries though.
Miakoda, What is a breakstick? Sorry if that's a dumb question but I'm curious.

Answer:
Breaksticks were traditionally used to break up pitt fights but are effective for using to break up any dog fight by wedging it between the two dogs without risking being bit by redirected aggression by your dog or the other dog and giving you a moment to seperate the two.
As for my comments about stray attacks I guess it would depend on where you live as well but I have found for the most part, dog attacks here and most ones reported involve children at home, this isn't to say it might be reverse somewhere else.
I'm undecided about how effective things like pepper spray would be as when any dog is in attack type mode I'm unsure of how easily deterred they would be.
Kayla

Answer:
First thought for me was shoot.

Answer:
Sorry ^^ Grammy doesn't carry a gun !

Answer:
Thanks Kayla. I was wondering what the heck they were. I can't attest to how well pepper spray works personally but I have talked to someone who used it and he said it really stopped the dog in his tracks. It's capiscum so it's really gotta hurt. The real danger is if you panic I think. You could nail yourself.

Answer:
Personally, if ignore the dog and hope it does not come closer does not work, then I would move into the puffed up, angry, arm waving human stage. This could very well spark a fight so it would only be if ignoring it and averting eye contact was not going to work.
When push comes to shove, it depends on the dog, I'll shield a small dog from a larger one, but if they are equal size... my dog has bigger teeth, thicker fur and skin, its more agile and it has its rabies shot already ;)
Luckily, my only attack walking a dog was when a Jack Russel puppy thought it would be good to escape its fence and chase my 100lb retriever. JR made contact, retriever missed on the retaliation, I threw my shoe that had fallen off, to distract it, and by then the owner had come out. Less than 10sec, but what a lucky terrier that it was not tagged by something 5x its size.

Answer:
As for my comments about stray attacks I guess it would depend on where you live as well but I have found for the most part, dog attacks here and most ones reported involve children at home, this isn't to say it might be reverse somewhere else.
Are dog attacks really that common?? Call me incredibly naive, but if it werent for this thread, i dont think the thought would have EVER crossed my mind...
We just dont have that issue where i live...
Is there anything you can do that doesnt involve bringing things with you?? I dont walk oakley (im up at school) and i KNOW it would be one hell of a hard sell to try and convince my mom and bro to carry something with them...
Is there anything you can do??

Answer:
First thought for me was shoot.
My neighbor is a policeman and he carries his service revolver when he walks his dog....He told me he wouldn't hestiate for a second, if some dog began attacking his dog....

Answer:
Once while walking Orson a tiny little poodle of some sort came running off his porch and was trying to bite Orson everywhere he could reach. Now Orson was only about 6 months at the time but still around 60 pounds. Orson never once retalliated, and the owners actually laughed, I guess they thought it was "cute" to see their little angel attack a Doberman pup.
I can tell you they stopped smiling and started yelling when I pushed the dog away with my foot, he came right back and I did it again with a little more force that sent him into the road. The owners then started to call him back and try to catch him.
I explained that Orson was just a baby, and they were lucky it was my lovable guy instead of a dog that would not stand for the attack. They were very upset with ME.........IDIOTS, these are the kind of pet owners that cause BSL!!
Since that day I always walk with a special stick. My husband made it from a metal mop handle, It is about 3 feet in length, red with spiral black tape (like a candy cane) so it is highly visible to dogs as well as their owners!
I hope I never have to use it, but I will do what I have to for my baby & me.
(We still walk past their house, and now that they see the stick they put little angel in the house or fence before we get up there :))

Answer:
My neighbor is a policeman and he carries his service revolver when he walks his dog....He told me he wouldn't hestiate for a second, if some dog began attacking his dog....
agree. in my woods, IF I saw a dog at all...I'd know immediately if it were someone's dog that just happened to get loose (and that wouldn't be a big problem) or a stray. we've had many 'dropped off' dogs that have never been aggressive. IF one were, I'd have to assume it was ill......then you take action cause I'd protect my dogs to the fullest.

Answer:
For the standard idiot dog who runs out of his/her yard, I haul my dog in and glare at it, puffed up like a peacock, and shout in a deep voice to STOP and GO HOME. This usually shocks the dog into skidding to a stop, and if I'm lucky, it'll get the owner's attention and motivate him to come retrieve Rover. If the dog rushes up barking, running around, being a pest but not being nasty, I'll keep my dog to my side and try to walk out of 'his territory' and leave him behind. Sometimes I'll yell for the owner to come get his/her dog.
For a dog who slows or stops but clearly still has hopes of jumping us, I start bellowing for the owner, and give the dog a very, very clear "F#ck Off" stance. At this stage, I don't think it's a matter of me antagonizing the dog anymore; the dog's already wavering, thinking about attacking, and I want to make it clear that he'll have trouble from me if he does. I turn around walk away with my dog, keeping an eye on the loose dog, and usually the combination of antagonism and retreat helps them decide to not pursue the issue.
I carry Halt!, which I doubt would dissuade a true aggressive dog, and a penknife. And I have grabbed sticks off the ground before. I won't hurt a dog who's just a pest, but sometimes they do cross the line and start pushing their luck because they're getting no proper guidance from their owner. In maybe 20 years of walking my dogs, I've gone through three vicious attacks, attacks where the other dog was clearly attempting to kill my dog. In each case, stopping the attack required a strong person physically dragging the attacking dog off my dog. I have no faith that Halt! or even pepper spray would stop an attack like this; it may be paranoia, but I'm very cautious on a walk, very alert to sounds (like tags jingling or a door opening) that may accompany a dog in the area.

Answer:
You're probably right Casa, about Halt, etc. But I guess it's better than nothing. My neighbor carries a spiral tie out stake, the long heavy-duty kind. He has already whacked one dog with it and did some damage. He somehow imagines if he can get a vicious dog to attack the stake, he can shove it down its throat. Sputter...
I never remember having to worry about these kinds of things ten years ago. Dogs were loose sometimes but I never feared attacks. Now it's not unusual to see loose dogs, and it always seems to be some big gnarly ole thing. I don't understand what has changed. I think more people have selected dogs that are too much dog for them and the situation has gone out of control.
On a lighter note, I looked in the yard a few weeks ago and there was this Golden sitting outside the gate talking to Tosca on the other side. When I went out there, he was very waggy and I think he thought it would be kind of cool to play. I looked at him and laughed and said, "What are youuuuu doing here? Go home". And he did. lol. He just turned around and left. I'm thinking, one day that dog will amble up to somebody and get a tie out stake on his head just because of what else is running around. How could anyone who loves his dog let it roam free in this environment?

Answer:
Well it's nice that a policeman gets to carry his service revolver, Bob, but the rest of us stiffs in my state would go to jail for doing that without a license to "carry" your concealed weapon. Where I am real pepper spray is illegal, tasers can't be sold to citizens, and dogs and criminals on the street have a better chance than innocent people do. The only thing we can get is Halt unless we are lucky enough to get a better weapon off a criminal. They do everything they can to help the bad guy and stiff the good guy as far as I'm concerned. The criminals get the guns and we get the slingshots unless you want to walk your dog carrying a visible shotgun. That should make you popular. lol. So we are left being creative and I forsee filed heavy tie-out stakes becoming very popular.

Answer:
Agreed here Tosca,
That little poodle was the least of what it could've been these days. There are big dogs loose everywhere and you can't tell me when I see the same dogs loose on a daily basis that it is an escape, some owners just let them out the front door and call them later................duh??
What irked me about the little poodle was the OWNERS attitude, not so much the little dog!!

Answer:
shoot? Ouch that is far too drastic..how could you hurt a dog like that? Pepper spray seems reasonable or even that halt product, but I could never kill an animal like that...sorry to say, but that's sick :(

Answer:
dogs that are in full on kill the other dog mode, won't even bat an eye at pepper spray, it will probably just disorient you.

Answer:
I carry Halt!, which I doubt would dissuade a true aggressive dog, and a penknife. And I have grabbed sticks off the ground before. I won't hurt a dog who's just a pest, but sometimes they do cross the line and start pushing their luck because they're getting no proper guidance from their owner. In maybe 20 years of walking my dogs, I've gone through three vicious attacks, attacks where the other dog was clearly attempting to kill my dog. In each case, stopping the attack required a strong person physically dragging the attacking dog off my dog. I have no faith that Halt! or even pepper spray would stop an attack like this; it may be paranoia, but I'm very cautious on a walk, very alert to sounds (like tags jingling or a door opening) that may accompany a dog in the area.
About 25 years ago in Miami, I used to bike about 150 miles a week. My wife and I would ride though neighborhoods where we saw many dogs. We both had a can of Halt clipped to the brake cable on our bikes. One day, in North Miami, this big and very mean looking German Shepard ran out of his back yard and started chasing us down the street, growling and barking . At the end of the long street, there was a stop sign with heavy cross traffic. We were going at about 20+mph and this dog was gaining on us :yikes: . I quickly decided that this dog wasn't going to give up the chase, and I wasn't about to let my wife ride though that stop sign and possibly get hit by a car. I grabbed the Halt and gave this dog a bath in it. The dog not only stopped running, it actually started running backwards and was yelping like mad........ I doubt if that dog would have ever chased a bicycle again..... Trust me, the Halt works.

Answer:
shoot? Ouch that is far too drastic..how could you hurt a dog like that? Pepper spray seems reasonable or even that halt product, but I could never kill an animal like that...sorry to say, but that's sick :(
Just recently a cop had to shoot a dog 3 times with his service revolver to stop it from attacking this women and her dog... I applaud the cop for saving the women....

Answer:
shoot? Ouch that is far too drastic..how could you hurt a dog like that? Pepper spray seems reasonable or even that halt product, but I could never kill an animal like that...sorry to say, but that's sick :(
Oh well, dog shouldnt be loose. No way I will allow my dogs to get hurt over some dog I dont even know. No telling what kind of deseases it has. I would hesistate to kill another animal for my own. If two kids where drowning and one was yours which one would you save?
Edit: And I do not mean little pesky dogs who you can shoo away, I mean vicious dogs.

Answer:
shoot? Ouch that is far too drastic..how could you hurt a dog like that? Pepper spray seems reasonable or even that halt product, but I could never kill an animal like that...sorry to say, but that's sick :(
My dog > someone else's dog.


Sorry . . . If another dog attacks my dog and I just happen to have a gun on hand (lol) I'm going to shoot. It's MY responsibility to protect MY dogs. That's what you do when you have small dogs. Would I shoot a dog just for coming near my dogs? Of course not. But if a LARGE dog charges up and immediately attacks, I'm not going to waste time yelling at it to go away while it's hurting my dog.

And I agree with GSD - not small, annoying dogs. I'm thinking of large ones that pose a significant threat to me and my dogs.

Answer:
Are dog attacks really that common?? Call me incredibly naive, but if it werent for this thread, i dont think the thought would have EVER crossed my mind...
Statistically not really, your much more likely to die tommrow on your way to work in a car accident. Even the low number of attacks that do occur each year for the most part fatal mauling generally occur at home to children under the age of 15. However it never hurts to try and educate yourself in what to do in a situation like that.
Kayla

Answer:
Take THIS with you...
http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/A24333.htm
I've got friends that swear by 'em!

Answer:
I have to agree with RD. If it comes down to MY life, or MY dog's life, or any immediate danger to our health--- or someone else's loose dog, large or small, it's a no brainer to me. And I wouldn't be taking too many chances once I knew the dog was bent on harming one of us. I wouldn't want to be one of those statistics where we end up blaming the irresponsible owner but I or my dog is maimed or dead. I would definitely want to deal with the here and now and the actual perpetrator in front of me wanting a piece of me.

Answer:
I have to agree with RD. If it comes down to MY life, or MY dog's life, or any immediate danger to our health--- or someone else's loose dog, large or small, it's a no brainer to me. And I wouldn't be taking too many chances once I knew the dog was bent on harming one of us. I wouldn't want to be one of those statistics where we end up blaming the irresponsible owner but I or my dog is maimed or dead. I would definitely want to deal with the here and now and the actual perpetrator in front of me wanting a piece of me.
AMEN, TO THAT!
If I take care of mine, and you take care of yours..............that = NO PROBLEM FOR ANY ONE!! If you don't care about your dog enough to keep it off the streets, or under control, then don't come crying when something bad happens!! No animal lover wants to hurt an animal, but sometimes YOU GOTTA DO WHATCHA GOTTA DO!

Answer:
Breaksticks were traditionally used to break up pitt fights but are effective for using to break up any dog fight by wedging it between the two dogs without risking being bit by redirected aggression by your dog or the other dog and giving you a moment to seperate the two.
As for my comments about stray attacks I guess it would depend on where you live as well but I have found for the most part, dog attacks here and most ones reported involve children at home, this isn't to say it might be reverse somewhere else.
I'm undecided about how effective things like pepper spray would be as when any dog is in attack type mode I'm unsure of how easily deterred they would be.
Kayla
I will say that I am NOT a fan of using breaksticks on other breeds outside of the "pit bull" breeds. Many of types of dogs use a chomping action instead of a bite & hold & you will get your hand chewed on if you try to use a break stick on these dogs.
I guess I carry the break stick to use moreso in case a loose dog does get into with my leashed dog. This way, when I get help I won't have a problem getting my dog to let go.
As for the cattle prod idea, I can only imagine someone walking down the street swinging that thing.:yikes:

Answer:
I saw a women walking in the park the other day with a golf club ( an iron). I bet nobody messes with her.

Answer:
I saw a women walking in the park the other day with a golf club ( an iron). I bet nobody messes with her.
Talk about paranoid park walkers :p

Answer:
Well there is a couple of things you can do or carry around with you that don't even look like a weapon but serve the purpose nicely.
Firstly, you can get walking sticks with a metal pommel on them that actually has a fair bit of weight behind them. If you simply flip ends and swing the metal into anything your going to cause a fair bit of damage andif you connect with the head the animal will be stunned or possibley un-conscious for a few seconds and would likely think better about coming at you and your dog again.
Second, a heavier walk shoe or shoes with steel toes. To often people use way to light of a kick though, you draw your leg back and aim like your going for the field goal that will win you the super bowl with the other dogs head or ribs.
Third thing you could do is stamp at an angle into the other dogs from legs or from the side on the hind legs. You're going to break the other dogs leg by doing so.
I walk both of mine at once, gives roaming dogs a bit more to think about... my one dog Princess, and Jenn(SummerRiot) will attest to this one... is not a dog I'd want to pick a fight with on any occasion. Despite the fact that Tyr is the larger... it is her I would not want to try and take a bite out of.

Answer:
After reading this thread I'm paranoid... :(

Answer:
Thanks for the responses everybody, I think I am going to invest in some of that Halt! stuff, just in case.
After reading this thread I'm paranoid...
I don't think you should be paranoid, just aware that it can happen. If I hear tags jingle or a chain rattle, I instantly start to look around for what made the noise. Around here, most loose dogs will not approach people, but will attack other dogs.

Answer:
shoot? Ouch that is far too drastic..how could you hurt a dog like that? Pepper spray seems reasonable or even that halt product, but I could never kill an animal like that...sorry to say, but that's sick :(
An animal is hypotheticaly threatning my dog, or friends or family. Why is it sick to stop that threat?

Answer:
The same people that cry "sick" are the ones that would say "I would've done something somehow" once the damage makes headlines!! :)

Answer:
Oh man.... I wish I had read this thread earlier!
Yesterday later afternoon I took T-Bone to a very quiet Beach area. I never see a lot of people there...and if someone shows up you can see them from a good distance. I have tons of work to do with T-Bone regarding walking nicely on a leash- but her recall is pretty much prefect, so I don't worry about her running away.
So yesterday this guy with a boxer on a leash walks towards us. I called T-Bone to me and put her on a leash as well. The guy seemed really nice and his boxer and T-Bone got along well. So we keep walking and out of nowhere this other boxer comes running towards us. The guy calls the dog, but the boxer couldn't have cared less. I had T-Bone sit next to me and just prayed that dog was as friendly as the other boxer. But he sniffed and circled me and T-Bone, started to growl and snap at T-Bone. Immediately, I got in between the dog and T-Bone and the boxer jumped, growled and snapped wherever he saw an open spot. I just screamed at the guy to move his @ss over and get his dog...and it seemed like forever. Eventually I pushed the dog back with my leg, I was worried if I would kick him in his face, he'd start going at it harder.
It was strange... I always thought if a dog attacked T-Bone I'd kick the sh!t out of it...but my focus was just to be in between the dog and my dog... Even after the guy finally got his dog on a leash, I first checked on T-Bone...and made sure she was okay instead of yelling at the guy. She was still just sitting there... looking at me with her big brown eyes. The sun started to set, so I didn't have the best light, later at home I saw that she has a puncture on her cheek :mad: :( I cleaned it and put medicine on it. It broke my heart. WhenI turned around the guy- was gone. I think I know where he lives, because I think I saw his dogs running around in his yard...and I'll just try and go there today to give him a little bit of my anger.
Sometimes I wish my little T-Bone had more fire in her instead of just being this big teddy bear. :( I just ordered the Halt.

Answer:
LOL Sharky, I'm not sure the community expects to have to dress for combat just to walk their dogs. The thought that they need weighted sticks just to take a walk with their responsibly leashed dog is not a good vision. Steel toe shoes in 100 degree heat could be a problem if not create a create a good deal of resentment. I weight 112 pounds. I have seen loose dogs that weigh more than I do. Kicking them with anything isn't going to help me much. If I could carry a gun, I would. And if I would, and I am a real animal lover, it is only a small sign of how angry the public at-large is getting.

Answer:
i don't think i could ever kill a dog or break it's leg or anything like that unless it was already on my dog and biting or seemed like it had rabies or something. I know most of the roaming dogs in my area and could never bring myself to killing them unless i was certain i could not stop them quickly any other way. If it took one bite or serious snap and it's owner was not around then i would use halt or pepper spray or a stick.

Answer:
ToscasMom, you can actually get some very nice looking shoes that still have the toes made out of steel. Typically designed for project managers who have to switch back and forth between meetings and job sites... but yeah at 112lbs I don't know if you could do enough damage to make the dog rethink it's course of action.
So you don't necesarily need to wear a big heavy boot. You can get pretty nice, well ventilated shoes taht still provide the steel toe.
And the weighted stick would primarily be a walking stick that in a pinch can be used as a weapon.
Most hiking sticks and walking canes have a weighted end or a knobby end to hold onto that would very easily double as a weapon.
When you take my suggestions out of the application I mentioned and look at them for the application they were designed... it doesn't seem so much like your dressing for combat... just using normal everyday items that should the need arise would work out fairly well.
Certainly wouldn't look as bad as carrying around a cattle prod :p (sorry, had to:p )

Answer:
Oh man.... I wish I had read this thread earlier!
Yesterday later afternoon I took T-Bone to a very quiet Beach area. I never see a lot of people there...and if someone shows up you can see them from a good distance. I have tons of work to do with T-Bone regarding walking nicely on a leash- but her recall is pretty much prefect, so I don't worry about her running away.
So yesterday this guy with a boxer on a leash walks towards us. I called T-Bone to me and put her on a leash as well. The guy seemed really nice and his boxer and T-Bone got along well. So we keep walking and out of nowhere this other boxer comes running towards us. The guy calls the dog, but the boxer couldn't have cared less. I had T-Bone sit next to me and just prayed that dog was as friendly as the other boxer. But he sniffed and circled me and T-Bone, started to growl and snap at T-Bone. Immediately, I got in between the dog and T-Bone and the boxer jumped, growled and snapped wherever he saw an open spot. I just screamed at the guy to move his @ss over and get his dog...and it seemed like forever. Eventually I pushed the dog back with my leg, I was worried if I would kick him in his face, he'd start going at it harder.
It was strange... I always thought if a dog attacked T-Bone I'd kick the sh!t out of it...but my focus was just to be in between the dog and my dog... Even after the guy finally got his dog on a leash, I first checked on T-Bone...and made sure she was okay instead of yelling at the guy. She was still just sitting there... looking at me with her big brown eyes. The sun started to set, so I didn't have the best light, later at home I saw that she has a puncture on her cheek :mad: :( I cleaned it and put medicine on it. It broke my heart. WhenI turned around the guy- was gone. I think I know where he lives, because I think I saw his dogs running around in his yard...and I'll just try and go there today to give him a little bit of my anger.
Sometimes I wish my little T-Bone had more fire in her instead of just being this big teddy bear. :( I just ordered the Halt.
The guys is lucky it wasn't my dog that his dog attacked. He would still be washing pepper spray out of it's eyes....

Answer:
LOL Sharky, you are a good sport. I somehow don't imagine too many people running home at lunch time and changing into their steel toes and grabbing their cattle prod for a quick walk with Sparky.

Answer:
Chance and i get beset upon every once in a while by dogs who run at us full of spit and vinegar, hackles raised and teeth bared, i turn and walk double-time straight into them and Chance does the same, i don't say a word, and Chance doens't bark, but we glare as hard as we can. so far they've always changed their mind but i guess it helps if you're somewhat large, i'm a little over 6ft. and a smidge over 200 lbs. and Chance is 93 lbs. and somehow puffs up to look like he weighs 193 lbs. we can make quite a presence. i don't know if it would work out the same way if you are a smallish person with a small dog.
there's an older man that lives down the street from me who carries a golf club when he walks his boxer, that thing looks lethal.

Answer:
.. but yeah at 112lbs I don't know if you could do enough damage to make the dog rethink it's course of action.
Here's one for you. I'm 6' tall and about 250lbs and pretty strong from lifting weights regularly. I was playing with Gunnar in the yard, with a football. I went to kick the football, I was going to kick it as far as I could to the other side of the yard, so I gave it a mighty swipe. Gunnar jumped in front of me and took the full brunt of my kick right in the jaw. His tooth penetrated my shoe and made a nice bloody poke hole in my foot. It didn't phase him ONE bit. He chased after the ball and brought it back. I don't think he was even a year old when that happened. So, if a 250lb man can kick a German Shepherd puppy (he may have been 75-80lbs at the time) with a lot of force, and it doesn't cause the dog to even blink, I highly doubt a smaller woman would do any damage to a determined medium/large dog with a steel toed shoe.
Bobsk8 and Orion- maybe that woman was working on her short game with the iron? :) I've seen people walking with irons before, that would be a pretty good weapon against a lot of threats.
I don't take anything with me when I walk Gunnar. I'm thinking now that I should! One time a pair of English Bulldogs charged at me, Gunnar, and Bruzer. I put myself between the bulldogs and my guys, but it was pretty hectic with 4 dogs, 2 on leash. I should have dropped Gunnar's leash and picked up Bruzer but it happened pretty fast. Another time a couple poodles charged at Gunnar and I. They ran at him but stopped short when they realized how big he was and his bark was a little intimidating. :) I sorta lunged at them and yelled and by then the owner was trying to get them back, but they didn't listen. They followed us for a couple hundred feet, barking, but not coming too close after their initial rush. The only time I was really concerned was when a bully type dog saw us and came off it's porch and crossed the street to approach us. I wasn't familiar with the dog so I yelled "git" at him real loud and we kept moving. Luckily he didn't come any closer. When we returned from our walk he was still on the porch, he must have escaped and was waiting for his owner to come home and let him in. He was probably a good dog but I didn't want to trust a dog that could have potentially been dog aggressive.

Answer:
I'd say that an important thing is to not shorten up the leash. When you shorten your leash though you may intend to do good by getting your dog out of the way it also means he cant move around to defend himself. 6ft is restriction enough, he doesnt need you to make that any shorter. Also its best to make a lot of noise and do what you can to get the dog off your dog.

Answer:
I've been attacked *3* times in our new neighborhood, the worst time being by the 2 Sibes that worked as a team to distract me, than try to move in on my dogs.
At first,my reaction was unfortunately as Ren said not to, but shorten the leash, dog in each hand, yell a bit and flee. When that didn't work out, (all 4 dogs were nutz wild, Hades trying to protect, Roxy cowering into me unsure of what was going on, the other two loose dogs snapping and moving in one at a time) I decided to stop and make a stand....
Even though I had nothing to make a stand, I whipped them in the face with the leather leash, kicked one in the face, which put them at bay enough for me to get away and they decided to run off for a minute.
Now, we don't walk our dogs in our OWN neighborhood anymore. We drive 30 minutes to a conservation area where we rarely see anyone. Most of the people who take the time to go out there love their dogs, take care of them, and don't let them run around loose attacking other people.
But if, I hope it doesn't, but if it ever happens again, there's no way in hell I'm trying to leave first and allowing my dogs to get bit again. I'll punch, I'll kick, I'll do whatever I have to, to protect my dogs. If I have my bear mace with me, I'll mace them.
It sounds sad, but I would rather you think I'm a mean evil person with two safe, healthy dogs. Than I'm a nice person with two dogs torn to shreds.

Answer:
I've been attacked *3* times in our new neighborhood, the worst time being by the 2 Sibes that worked as a team to distract me, than try to move in on my dogs.
At first,my reaction was unfortunately as Ren said not to, but shorten the leash, dog in each hand, yell a bit and flee. When that didn't work out, (all 4 dogs were nutz wild, Hades trying to protect, Roxy cowering into me unsure of what was going on, the other two loose dogs snapping and moving in one at a time) I decided to stop and make a stand....
Even though I had nothing to make a stand, I whipped them in the face with the leather leash, kicked one in the face, which put them at bay enough for me to get away and they decided to run off for a minute.
Now, we don't walk our dogs in our OWN neighborhood anymore. We drive 30 minutes to a conservation area where we rarely see anyone. Most of the people who take the time to go out there love their dogs, take care of them, and don't let them run around loose attacking other people.
But if, I hope it doesn't, but if it ever happens again, there's no way in hell I'm trying to leave first and allowing my dogs to get bit again. I'll punch, I'll kick, I'll do whatever I have to, to protect my dogs. If I have my bear mace with me, I'll mace them.
It sounds sad, but I would rather you think I'm a mean evil person with two safe, healthy dogs. Than I'm a nice person with two dogs torn to shreds.
You are not an evil person, you are just defending yourself and your dogs. I would do anything I could to protect myself and my dog and frankly I couldn't care less what happens to the attacking dog.

Answer:
Yup you are so right Roxy, some people react with horror when someone even suggests the slight idea of kicking or fending off an attacking dog but why should I worry about someone else's dog's safety and health when they are clearing putting me and my own dog in danger???? I dont care who's dog it is or how much it is worth if it is clearly attacking and harming my dog I will jump in and do what I can. Now, if it is just a dog giving mine a stern correction because he messed up and deserved it? AND he may be screaming but is clearly not getting hurt my it (Nordic breeds are known for being drama queens) then no, I let dogs do their thing.

Answer:
LOL@ drama queens ROFL
I agree. A correction, like a gentle grab of the neck because my dogs are being pushy, is no big deal to me.
But if, as we were in the above mentioned situation, being full on attacked, (Hades did have a gash, a small one, but nontheless a gash on his leg) now that I realize fleeing usually will only put you and your dogs in more danger, I will do anything and everything to protect my dogs.
At first I was just so scared, and hoping they would leave... Then I got angry when I saw my dogs reactions... Why should my dogs be absolutely terrified and put in this horrible situation because someone didn't feel like making sure the gate was latched?
Yes, I do love all animals, but if it comes down to what could be a bad situation for my dogs:
I LOVE MY DOGS MORE. Period :)

Answer:
You did the right thing.
If a dog is full on attacking you, it leaves you no choice but to stop it.

Answer:
I'd say that an important thing is to not shorten up the leash. When you shorten your leash though you may intend to do good by getting your dog out of the way it also means he cant move around to defend himself. 6ft is restriction enough, he doesnt need you to make that any shorter.
I have agonized over just that thing because with the really bad dog attack I've had, I had shortened my dog's leash so tight to get her behind me, away from the POS dog attacking her, that when that rotten pig of an animal did get around me, Hen was essentially being held against my leg, very handy for it to grab. But on the other hand, I think that if Hen had been on a looser lead, there's a good chance that it could have killed her because instead of having to grab her from beneath, on the throat and dealing with a huge collie ruff, it would have been able to shove her down onto the ground and get at her belly or the top of her neck. In some cases, one dog can't defend itself because there's a terrible mismatch of size and weight, or simply of intent. A viciously aggressive dog has a huge advantage over a dog that's just defending itself.

Answer:
True there is size to consider and certain variables but a lot of people doubt the ability of their dogs and themselves. OC has shown no aggression to other dogs and lets them bully him and has been attacked without much defense out of him but I would never put it past him that if he truly felt threatened that his life is at stake he would tear into the attacker. I wouldn't put it past any dog not to do that no matter how wimp-ish they seem. It's the instinct to SURVIVE. And if the dog puts off enough of a show, even if they seem outmatched, and you're right along next to them putting on a show it's amazing how many supposedly "big, tough, aggressive dogs" will back down and leave you alone. If you're panicy though and irratically trying to fend off the attacking dog, they may not take you too seriously which is why they keep attacking. Does that make sense?

Answer:
Next time, if need arises try this:
Roll the leash around your palm in a way that one strand is on top of your palm and two strands are on inside of your palm so it forms a sort of a loop.
The other hand should be put through the leash loop and hold onto the leash itself.
This will give you very good control of dog and dog will be on very short lead.
If the need arises for dog to be on full lead, simply release the loop by opening the palm.
Perfect technique for control in undesirable situations.
Most of the time I use this to restrict my guy from taking out dogs who charge us, but it leaves me option to release momentarily. I can make a pictorial of this :D Not sure if my explanation is well explained.
If the situation requires the dog to be on long lead, simply open the palm.

Answer:
Makes good sense, Orion. That's essentially what I do when I see a dog - or a person - stupidly showing a desire to bite off more than it can chew . . . ;)

Answer:
I have agonized over just that thing because with the really bad dog attack I've had, I had shortened my dog's leash so tight to get her behind me, away from the POS dog attacking her, that when that rotten pig of an animal did get around me, Hen was essentially being held against my leg, very handy for it to grab. But on the other hand, I think that if Hen had been on a looser lead, there's a good chance that it could have killed her because instead of having to grab her from beneath, on the throat and dealing with a huge collie ruff, it would have been able to shove her down onto the ground and get at her belly or the top of her neck. In some cases, one dog can't defend itself because there's a terrible mismatch of size and weight, or simply of intent. A viciously aggressive dog has a huge advantage over a dog that's just defending itself.
Not always (so take comfort in that). An outright aggressive dog is fighting because he enjoys it.......it's fun for him. A dog fighting to defend itself is fighting for one reason & one reason only--it's life. I've seen many more dogs that were on the defense when in a fight and/or come out of one with less damage because in it's mind it had more to lose.
EDIT: However, in the case of small dogs vs. larger dogs, no amount of defense is going to help.

Answer:
Hi Babbatd, Whats a shock pistol?? Ijust use an old fashioned bottle with some stones in the bottom.