Aggressive dogs on the loose

Newsgirl

Hi all!
I live in a rural farming community, down a quiet country lane. I work from home but take my two dogs, a Yorkie and a King Charles Cavalier, for a walk down the lane at lunchtime. The lane has a problem with dogs left outside -- not just in the garden: they sit outside the perimeter and bark and sometimes chase passers-by. So I carry a stick in case I'm attacked!
My walk was restricted until recently to a farm where a collie would bark aggressively at me and my two dogs, but he gradually got us to us and to me after he was knocked down by a car and I brought him home to his house. But I decided to walk further today and there were two young collies from two neighbouring houses who surrounded me and my dogs and barked furiously. I used a stick as a barrier between my dogs and them and slowly backed away. But I got a bit of a fright, if I'm honest! I want to continue on the same walk, and I can't let the owners know there's a problem as I don't know their names and can't approach the two houses because the dogs are so aggressive. Is there any trick for placating the collies to enable me to walk past their homes, or should I just give up altogether?!

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sillysmiles

Newsgirl wrote: »

Hi all!
I can't let the owners know there's a problem as I don't know their names and can't approach the two houses because the dogs are so aggressive.

Personally, I would (and have done) is drive to their house and into the driveway - so you are not having to walk past the dogs and let them know that their dogs attacked you while walking and that a) you thought they'd like to know and b)can they close the gate and keep the dogs in as you do intend on walking the road daily.

Personally I wouldn't mention or focus on your dogs - but focus on their dogs coming out at you while you were walking.

Newsgirl

My neighbours have told me dog wardens have out to the area three times in the last year, but the problem hasn't been rectified. I would consider contacting them again. As this is the country, there are no house numbers, so would I just contact the warden and give them rough directions to the homes?

Newsgirl

sillysmiles wrote: »

Personally, I would (and have done) is drive to their house and into the driveway - so you are not having to walk past the dogs and let them know that their dogs attacked you while walking and that a) you thought they'd like to know and b)can they close the gate and keep the dogs in as you do intend on walking the road daily.

Personally I wouldn't mention or focus on your dogs - but focus on their dogs coming out at you while you were walking.

Cheers! Believe it or not, I actually don't drive (due to a medical condition), so driving in myself wouldn't be an option. But I might rope in a friend to see if they could come with me.

Doctors room ghost

Had the same problem here. <snip>
If an aggressive dog comes out onto a public road and attempts to attack you or your dogs you are entitled to defend yourself. The useless idiotic owners should be able to control their animals and contain them on their own property at least,leaving the public to be able to walk past minding their own business and not being worried by their dog.
What would happen if a child went down there with dogs and got attacked or if someone on a horse passed and the dog came out after them.
<snip>

Newsgirl

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Had the same problem here. <snip>
If an aggressive dog comes out onto a public road and attempts to attack you or your dogs you are entitled to defend yourself. The useless idiotic owners should be able to control their animals and contain them on their own property at least,leaving the public to be able to walk past minding their own business and not being worried by their dog.
What would happen if a child went down there with dogs and got attacked or if someone on a horse passed and the dog came out after them.
<snip>

Thanks. I'm a bit of a softie when it comes to animals, hence my reluctance to date to use said stick and my preference for seeking a psychological approach! But my heart was beating like a demon after today's encounter so I might have to rethink my strategy!

wexie

Newsgirl wrote: »

Hi all!
I live in a rural farming community, down a quiet country lane.

If there's many sheep farmers around I'd imagine the problem won't be long sorting itself

If the neighbours have postboxes at the roadside you could pop a note in?

Doctors room ghost

Newsgirl wrote: »

Thanks. I'm a bit of a softie when it comes to animals, hence my reluctance to date to use said stick and my preference for seeking a psychological approach! But my heart was beating like a demon after today's encounter so I might have to rethink my strategy!

<snip>
Please see my warning further down the thread.
This sort of advice will not be allowed in this forum.
Thanks,
DBB

Newsgirl

wexie wrote: »

If there's many sheep farmers around I'd imagine the problem won't be long sorting itself

If the neighbours have postboxes at the roadside you could pop a note in?

No sheep, just cattle and tillage around here. I think the problem is that the community has been scared for years about rural crime and like to have a nice scary dog outside to protect their machinery. No postboxes either -- the local Tesco deliveryman says he uses a Taser-like device when entering some yards!

wexie

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

I wouldn’t be fond of using a stick on an animal either but I’d be fukd if I couldn’t go out and have a nice walk minding my own business and being hassled by some other idiots dogs in a public space.

we used to have to take our bin to the end of the laneway and one of our neighbours had an aggressive dog that wasn't being controlled.

Ended up swinging the empty bin at it but it never came near me again. Barked from a distance though.

Poor bastard ended up shot when he attacked the postman. This was after pretty much every neighbour along the road spoke to the owners. Some people just never learn and it usually ends up with the dogs suffering because of it.

Newsgirl

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

<snip>

Right. I'll reassert myself and prepare for battle!
Seriously, though, I'm properly pissed off that my dogs are limited to walking within a half-mile stretch. So I'm damned if I'm giving in.

wexie

Newsgirl wrote: »

No sheep, just cattle and tillage around here. I think the problem is that the community has been scared for years about rural crime and like to have a nice scary dog outside to protect their machinery.

That's all good and well as long as the dogs stay in the yard :mad:

Maybe you could try an airhorn or personal alarm type thing?

CelticRambler

If you're friends with any sheep farmers, ask one of them to get you a couple of sheep-marking aerosols. Or call into your local agri suppliers and get them yourself. The next time you meet those dogs, spray them bright pink or green or blue. When they go back home, their owners will be in no doubt that they've been too close to someone who's not likely to give them a second chance.

If you have to spray them more than once, you can think about spreading the word amongst the farmers about a couple of wild dogs and tell them they should be easy enough to identify ...

forgodssake

Its so selfish of people to leave their dogs out roaming . Really irritates me .I walk daily with my dogs and they are leashed at all times yet I'm constantly fending off other dogs . I do bring a stick with me and I will use it if I'm threatened by the dogs . Thankfully I havent had to yet . A good shout at them sends them packing. But its just an unnecessary nuisance .

Newsgirl

There are some properly creative solutions here -- especially spraying the dogs in a variety of colours. It would give me some real satisfaction to follow this strategy:-)

DBB

Folks,
Much as I understand the frustration of being approached by dogs as described by the op, we simply cannot allow people to advocate clobbering dogs with sticks here... Even spraying them with paint is just... Weird, in the absence of going to talk to the owners first.
In short, deal with situations like this as you see fit, but please don't use this forum to advocate physical violence against any animals. It's against the charter, and it's not on.
Some posts edited.
Thanks,
DBB

Choc Chip

Have you tried carrying treats and throwing them towards the dogs OP?

I live in a rural area with lots of free-roaming dogs and I've had some success with this. If the dogs are out on the road they're generally loud but harmless, or at most a bit nippy. A few treats normally distracts them while I pass (I know it might be rewarding the behaviour but I prefer it to getting aggressive with them).

I did have 2 incidents with a big dog who'd got free of his yard and was insistent on bothering my dog. Treats were completely ignored and he had a snap and growl at me when I tried to take his collar to take him away from my dog. Nothing to do but race up to the owners house and get them to get their dog. He was a big lad and I wasn't willing to risk an argument with him.

Newsgirl

Hi Choc Chip,

That sounds like a plan. I'll try it this lunchtime!

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Newsgirl

wexie wrote: »

we used to have to take our bin to the end of the laneway and one of our neighbours had an aggressive dog that wasn't being controlled.

Ended up swinging the empty bin at it but it never came near me again. Barked from a distance though.

Poor bastard ended up shot when he attacked the postman. This was after pretty much every neighbour along the road spoke to the owners. Some people just never learn and it usually ends up with the dogs suffering because of it.

That's what really saddens me. Two dogs on the lane have been killed because they were run over by cars while left to their own devices, and two others have been injured by cars. Yet the owners of the dogs that were killed simply got new dogs and continued to leave them out on the road.

Newsgirl

Newsgirl wrote: »

My neighbours have told me dog wardens have out to the area three times in the last year, but the problem hasn't been rectified. I would consider contacting them again. As this is the country, there are no house numbers, so would I just contact the warden and give them rough directions to the homes?

Look up the eircode and give the warden that.

Newsgirl

Deleted User wrote: »

Look up the eircode and give the warden that.

I think I've found the two houses on the Eircode Finder. Fingers crossed I have the right ones!

em_cat

Newsgirl wrote: »

I think I've found the two houses on the Eircode Finder. Fingers crossed I have the right ones!

Have you managed to speak the neighbours yet? Just curious to know how you've gotten on.