Dogs like me too. Never owned one but like kids, they are more fun when they belong to someone else.?ÿ Something I learned long ago is if you offer something to a dog, especially one that might be trained to guard, is to use your left hand. It is common to train them to not take something from your right hand as that might be bad for them and they will not trust you.?ÿ?ÿ
I know, right? Send the pets and the grandchildren home. We have no vet bills. The little dachshund that the kids bring over occasionally adores us. Give a dachshund hot dog, bacon, or any sort of meat and they will love you forevermore.
I am a dog lover, but I've met some pit bulls that scared me crapless:
that stuff looks like it does work.?ÿ I know not all pits are bad, but SOME ARE.?ÿ Same goes for Australian shepherds, chows, on and on...
I once knew a guy that worked for a big box firm and he?ÿ said they armed them with bear spray when they worked in Baltimore...
indeed handy and small ... but some well trained and old dogs wil resist.
Check your local laws before carrying bear spray in an area where bears are very unlikely to visit. Some states that allow it do restrict the capacity of the container or the percentage capsicum.
The attitude of the dude going outside and walking up and down the street looking for whoever sprayed his dog was priceless.
That is what happens when people with dogs simply let them loose on their neighborhoods and the unsuspecting people they charge.
I saw one neighbor spray an aggressive pitbull with bear spray and a few minutes later his owner showed up all gruff and wanting to fight and the neighbor sprayed the dog owner too and he went back home in a hurry too.
Keep a jar of doggy bones handy.?ÿ A couple of those and they'll be your best buddy.
I've decided to go with the belt-and-suspenders approach.?ÿ First, I plan to be a little more careful about assessing my surroundings and not stray far from the truck if I think there might be unfamiliar dogs around.?ÿ (If I have to tell my client that I was unable to get the work done at a particular site because of dog trouble, so be it.)?ÿ Second,?ÿ I have a wooden hoe handle that I adapted for use as a Jacob's staff, but it seems long enough and stout enough to keep a dog at a safe remove.?ÿ Third, I ordered a couple of cans of Halt! dog repellent, which is reportedly what the U.S. Mail carriers use.?ÿ Fourth -- and sort of a last resort -- I have a Buck Folding Hunter that I'll put on my belt.?ÿ Between all of the above I ought to be reasonably safe.
(And yes, I did misspell "repellent" in the title.?ÿ Shame on me.)
Might get a bit warm in CA, but sweat doesn't hurt as much.
https://www.euro-joe.com/EN/shop/group-404/Civil-protection
And for those really strange jobs.
?ÿ
This doesn't add much to the conversation, but an interesting thing I just happened to remember:
I was doing a lot/block survey in a part of town one day and noticed an older fellow walking and carrying one of the larger type of umbrellas. I said "I don't think you'll need that, it's a pretty day". Turned out he was a retired veterinarian, he said it has a dog deterrent. You just point it at them and open it and it confuses them. He said the usually just stop and look at it, and don't advance - then eventually give up and go away. I had forgotten about that until I just checked the updates on this thread...
First month as a rodman, dog growling and barking, older lady, " oh don't worry, suzie doesn't bite" Party Chief, "I know lady, dead dogs don't bite"?ÿ Never saw that dog the rest of the job.
I've been bitten twice, the first time was one of those "he doesn't bite" that got me on the thigh and drew blood. The owners weren't around, but I reported the dog to County Animal Control, who did the quarantine thing. The second time was by an Australian somethingorother owned by an angry landowner who just stood there while his yapping mutt snuck around behind me and nipped me on the calf. No damage done, but no so much as an apology from the owner, either.
NOTHING will stop a mad pit bull.?ÿ And they are quicker than you can swing a ditch blade.?ÿ I believe you'd have to kill one before he latched onto you to avoid serious injury.
I've got four "Australian somethingorothers" and they are hard-wired to bite the meaty backside of any lower leg. Even the guy that feeds them.
If I'm heading into the kitchen to feed them and I'm not moving fast enough one of them nips me. A few times I was foolish enough to stop, turn around to ask which one bit me...they all just look at me like I'm stupid..but when I turn back around I get bit again as punishment for stopping!
I guess I'm just use to it.
If bear spray stops a charging Kodiak (which it has done many times), it might work on a pit bull. A trained K-9 police dog could be a different story, since they work in a pepper spray environment.
In fact, many consider pepper spray to be superior in effectiveness than a firearm when dealing with bears (and dogs, I imagine).
- Less training required to be safe.
- More likely to actually use pepper spray.
- You dont end up with a wounded bear.
- Easier to get a constant spray on target under pressure.
- No dead bear to deal with.
- Less legal issues to deal with.