Chased by neighbor's dog yesterday - the most frightened I've ever been in my life

[mthomas58]

We have a neighbor with dogs that have been a problem for 20 years. I started with two Australian Shepards that would get loose and chase people down and crap in our yards. They chased down/ charged my in-laws and my grandkids. One neighbor has taken them to court once and another neighbor twice. We have a leash law so this is a code violation issue enforced by the County's Animal Control Office. They denied my neighbors claim that it was their dog that was off leash and crapped in his yard. He produced a photo of the dog in the act in his yard. The judge fined them $300 and they claimed they did not have the money to pay the fine (think there are divorce issues in play). The Shepards have long since replaced by a Great Dane and a mixed breed dog that is larger than the dane. Both dogs have gotten out numerous time roaming the neighborhood. The problem is with the mixed breed dog. He is aggressive towards small dogs. He attacked and nearly killed a neighbors dog while she was walking it. Spine and leg damage with $2,000+ in vet bills that I don't think she ever recovered from the owner. And she would not support efforts to have the dog put down - she is a dog lover and volunteers for the humane society.

To make a long story longer. Yesterday was my turn. While I usually avoid walking our Shih Tzu down her street I had heard that she may be selling and leaving the neighborhood so I started down her street to see if there was a for sale sign in the yard. As I turned the corner, I noticed that the mixed breed dog was in the driveway without a leash. Before I could turnaround, as soon as he saw me walking Lucy (13 years old and blind) he took off running towards me in the middle of the street. I picked up Lucy and made a bee line for house cutting through two neighbors yards with the horrific fear that I would be attacked from behind before making it inside the house, but somehow I made it. After the adrenaline and fear subsided, the pissed off kicked in. I called the police to file and incident report and Animal Control to file a code violation report and will be taking her to court as I feel an obligation the the neighbors to deal with this unsafe situation. My objective will be to have the dog removed from the neighborhood.

[GH85Carrera]

It is a shame some dog owners are just idiots. Just like driving a car, some people should not have a driver's license and some people should not be allowed to have a dog.

My former across the street neighbor was walking his dachshund, Pretzel in his neighborhood. A large aggressive dog that was in a front yard, unleashed came charging and barking and he felt for his own safety and for certain for his beloved dog. He dropped the dog with 4 rounds to the head and body.

Police came, several witness statements, and the only charges were to the dead dog's owners for repeated leash law violations.

[ckelly78z]

Conceal Carry...self defense "I felt threatened" !

Make sure you use the entire clip !

[masraum]

I LOVE animals and dogs, but dangerous animals need to be taken care of, whether the owner keeps control of them, they are rehomed, put down, whatever....

[Gogar]

License required:

catch a fish
drive a car
sell lemonade


No license necessary:

own a dog
have a baby

[Zeke]

W/O actual damages you may have a tough case. May I suggest some hamburger meat mixed 50/50 with dry rat poison? Let her humane that.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

Make sure you use the entire clip !

On the human - not the dog. Problem solved!

[Brando]

Big dog roaming the street? This is a good reason to carry a spoon or even some kind of deterrent.

Calling animal control or the police, they'll put an aggressive dog down in the middle of your neighborhood. Then issue a fine.

[vash]

a dog would eff me up badly, but i would go to the mat to protect my dog.

i always have a sharp thing on me and i would go down swinging.

once i was walking Harry. a 15 year old feeble terrier. i heard a chain skipping and clacking on the asphalt. i see a big pit coming at us fast. i immediate clicked open my knife..i look down and harry has put his tiny body between me and the dog and was growling fierce. i was so proud..but no way. i got this.

i hear a boy yelling.."dont hurt my dog!!!!"..the pit ran up and started wagging and wimpering with glee. it was a scary looking but VERY cool and friendly dog. there was a moment there tho. i might have pee'd alittle.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by vash

a dog would eff me up badly, but i would go to the mat to protect my dog.

i always have a sharp thing on me and i would go down swinging.

once i was walking Harry. a 15 year old feeble terrier. i heard a chain skipping and clacking on the asphalt. i see a big pit coming at us fast. i immediate clicked open my knife..i look down and harry has put his tiny body between me and the dog and was growling fierce. i was so proud..but no way. i got this.

i hear a boy yelling.."dont hurt my dog!!!!"..the pit ran up and started wagging and wimpering with glee. it was a scary looking but VERY cool and friendly dog. there was a moment there tho. i might have pee'd alittle.

You always have the best stories, hahahaha.

[vash]

Originally Posted by mthomas58

We have a neighbor with dogs that have been a problem for 20 years. I started with two Australian Shepards that would get loose and chase people down and crap in our yards. They chased down/ charged my in-laws and my grandkids. One neighbor has taken them to court once and another neighbor twice. We have a leash law so this is a code violation issue enforced by the County's Animal Control Office. They denied my neighbors claim that it was their dog that was off leash and crapped in his yard. He produced a photo of the dog in the act in his yard. The judge fined them $300 and they claimed they did not have the money to pay the fine (think there are divorce issues in play). The Shepards have long since replaced by a Great Dane and a mixed breed dog that is larger than the dane. Both dogs have gotten out numerous time roaming the neighborhood. The problem is with the mixed breed dog. He is aggressive towards small dogs. He attacked and nearly killed a neighbors dog while she was walking it. Spine and leg damage with $2,000+ in vet bills that I don't think she ever recovered from the owner. And she would not support efforts to have the dog put down - she is a dog lover and volunteers for the humane society.

To make a long story longer. Yesterday was my turn. While I usually avoid walking our Shih Tzu down her street I had heard that she may be selling and leaving the neighborhood so I started down her street to see if there was a for sale sign in the yard. As I turned the corner, I noticed that the mixed breed dog was in the driveway without a leash. Before I could turnaround, as soon as he saw me walking Lucy (13 years old and blind) he took off running towards me in the middle of the street. I picked up Lucy and made a bee line for house cutting through two neighbors yards with the horrific fear that I would be attacked from behind before making it inside the house, but somehow I made it. After the adrenaline and fear subsided, the pissed off kicked in. I called the police to file and incident report and Animal Control to file a code violation report and will be taking her to court as I feel an obligation the the neighbors to deal with this unsafe situation. My objective will be to have the dog removed from the neighborhood.

Sorry this happened to you.

My old dog Harry.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by mthomas58

. I picked up Lucy and made a bee line for house cutting through two neighbors yards with the horrific fear that I would be attacked from behind before making it inside the house, but somehow I made it.

That particular dog was programmed to go after small things, not adult humans. Substitute a a small baby or child and it's the same formula. It's a neighborhood tragedy waiting to happen again to a woman and stoller without some serious intervention and training. Or it needs to be put down yesterday.

You were carrying the prize and it wanted to take that from you. That's how dogs work. They are triggered by something and stay on that mentality path until snapped out of it. I knew a neurotic dog that wanted to bite shoes of visitors. My dog used to be triggered by men with hats and afraid of kids(but that was fixed when they threw the ball for him and he realized they were good things). He's also made some large dog friends after getting attacked by a former neighbor walking a pit and is much better with them as well. Used to be afraid of them.
In other situations, ignoring barking dogs tells them you are boss and your rules apply. A loud authoritative voice and outspread arms usually works to tell them. A dog that knows the pecking order and its role is calmer and tends to be less aggressive. They feed off of other's energy in packs and sometimes the instigator is the small one. A knee to the head when they get too close but that wouldn't work with a Great Dane. Usually with adult humans it's all show and some dogs have terrible manners when speaking. They take their cues from their owners.

Warning posters and bear spray and communicating with others for now. A group complaint is more effective in motivating authorities. I wish you the best.

[1990C4S]

I would carry something with me to defend myself. Spray, or a club. If a dog attacks me, I'm not going to lose. Zero sympathy for the animal or the owner in the heat of battle.

[mthomas58]

Originally Posted by vash

Sorry this happened to you.

My old dog Harry.

He looks like a Good Boy! My Lucy is a Good Boy too!

[mthomas58]

Originally Posted by john70t

That particular dog was programmed to go after small things, not adult humans. Substitute a a small baby or child and it's the same formula. It's a neighborhood tragedy waiting to happen again to a woman and stoller without some serious intervention and training. Or it needs to be put down yesterday.


Warning posters and bear spray and communicating with others for now. A group complaint is more effective in motivating authorities. I wish you the best.

I have advised the neighbors who walk small dogs of the incident and have posted a warning on the Nextdoor Neighbor website of the street and dog discription without naming the neighbor of giving the street address. Good suggestion on warning moms with strollers.

[flipper35]

My brother in law was a building inspector in CA and one area he was inspecting the lady let her dog out. He told her to control the dog or put it back inside. She said some snide remark and told him the dog wouldn't hurt anyone. Then the dog proceeded to come over and tried to bite him. He had one of the original large "D" battery Mag Lights and clocked it lightly (he thought) on the head and it died on the spot.

I was attacked on my own property when I lived in CA. Some brown 50ish pound mutt. It was about 3' away when my lab intercepted it and had it by the throat on its back. I called he off so we could close the gate and kept an eye on the dog and after about 10 seconds it came at me again. The lab, a very fit 75 pound female, intercepted again and the dog did not survive the second encounter.

Same house I met the sheriff deputy when the neighbor GSD attacked our other neighbors Bichon Frise. The GSD owner was fined and told that was the only warning.

[stomachmonkey]

Trying to think what the mixed breed is.

Not a lot out there as large or larger than a Dane.

You've got your English Mastiff, not as leggy but bulkier and longer torso.

Akita, I've known a couple of absolutely massive ones. Not a dog I'd own as I never met one that did not have an attitude problem.

But no one would think they were mutts.

Kangal, Turkish dog, massive, kinda non descript but would be extremely rare in the US.

Anatolian Shepard, similar to Kangal.

Irish Wolfhound or Scottish Deerhound, they are kinda scraggly looking unattractive (IMHO) dogs that look like mutts and are often larger than Danes.

[ramonesfreak]

i’ve been chased by a german shepherd and know the fear. i was delivering something to someone’s door in the crap hole of Brentwood long island when the dog came out unleashed from under a shrub at the front door. all i could do was walk very fast backwards across the lawn to my car while keeping my eyes on his

my wife and one of our dogs was attacked by a neighbors german shepherd. did a lot of damage. the owner was a drug dealer and died of a drug overdose soon after. the dog was put down

we rarely walk the dogs now because the losers in the neighborhood who refuse to be responsible.

when we do, i carry a tactical flashlight with a strobe function ready to go as well as a hunting knife within easy reach. any dog getting close to my wife or dogs will have it’s throat slit without hesitation

a saw in the news this week that a man a few streets over from us was nearly killed by a dog that chased him down the street. no idea what kind of dog it was

and yea we live in a nice part of town

our vet once told us you would have to be crazy to walk your dogs

[creaturecat]

my neighbour has 2 rescue Pit Bulls. from Texas.
the one will try to get at me through the fence, when i go into back yard.
starts yelping at 6:30 every morning.
i have to wear ear plugs to work in my own yard.
we live in a nice part of town. they shouldn't.
nice enough folks - really bad neighbours.
buddy also command starts his muffler-less Dodge Ram from inside the house - lets it runs for 20-30 minutes - then turns it off. never actually leaving the house. yes, the Ram is backed in, with the twin pipes of doom pointed at our house. and his .....

[masraum]

Originally Posted by mthomas58

I have advised the neighbors who walk small dogs of the incident and have posted a warning on the Nextdoor Neighbor website of the street and dog discription without naming the neighbor of giving the street address. Good suggestion on warning moms with strollers.

I like the idea of carrying bear/pepper spray. I suspect that if you hit that dog in the face, it would stop them and they'd run away yelping. They'd probably remember you and your dog and never approach you again.