Dogs loose in the woods-your opinion?

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kycolonel said:
Nobody wants to be put in a postion to hurt a dog - that's the whole point of this thread.
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Bingo. I will also add, that it wasn't a big deal for me until I had children. I've got a couple of small children who have no fear of dogs. While that's usually good, now I have to be able to protect them, not just myself. And I deeply resent being put in that predicament.

I've been attacked by dogs over a dozen times in my life, only been bitten twice. I've never been struck by lightning. Someone on this thread is starting to sound a lot like MelancholyMutt... Anyone remember?
 
kycolonel said:
Nobody wants to be put in a postion to hurt a dog - that's the whole point of this thread.
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Where we disagree is, you find yourself in that position pretty much the moment that dog is not on a leash. And as can be seen in this thread, you are not alone in that position.
I don't know. You must have different experiences, a different take on stuff than I do. Do what works for you. :thumbup:
 
Just out of curiosity, how many people a year are attacked by unleashed coconuts? How many by dogs?

I love dogs, and 99 percent of them have been friendly: it's the one-percenters we worry about.
 
Maybe I have just been lucky, but I have never had any problems with any dogs whilst out hiking.

Although I do not have a dog, lots of my friends do and I am use to being around them.

Whilst out, if a dog approaches, I will give it the benefit of the doubt, unless it is clearly aggressive.

Hopefully, the day will never come when I have to worry about every dog that I meet on the trail.
 
philwar said:
Where we disagree is, you find yourself in that position pretty much the moment that dog is not on a leash. And as can be seen in this thread, you are not alone in that position.
I don't know. You must have different experiences, a different take on stuff than I do. Do what works for you. :thumbup:
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I would hardly describe being charged out of nowhere by a 90 lb. dog in the backcountry of the Smoky Mountains "the moment that dog is not on a leash." But I will agree to disagree on how I handled it given the circumstances, and who has the burden of responsibility for the dog in question. :thumbup:
 
kycolonel said:
Nobody wants to be put in a postion to hurt a dog - that's the whole point of this thread.
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Amen. I love dogs, and at one time doing the work I was doing many of us had dogs we took to work. We were around our dogs more than our families!

My family and extended family all have dogs. They are indeed part of our family.

However, I don't go to a park or hit the trail so I can be around a dogs. I don't mind dogs at all if they are well behaved and on a leash. However, more often than not, the dogs are loose (all our parks allow dogs, but on a leash) and running all over. The owners the come into earshot, yelling and whistling for their dogs to come back. I feel like I am back in my neighbor hood.

I also don't like the sight of a large dog bounding up to me at top speed. While I have been bitten several times, it has never been out on the trail. And I feel no need to share and enjoy the dogs other people love so much.

But still, why should I have to face any chance of being chomped on, or even threatened by a dog? I am fine with a dog that comes up, sniffs a bit, then moves on. But I don't want to be jumped on, barked at, or followed around (if they smell lunch in my pack) by a dog, even if he is friendly. And I don't think I should have to give way on a small trail if there is someone walking a dog on a 10' leash, either. There is a place and time for all of that.

Besides... there is a leash law is that is supposed to keep that from happening. By instating and enforcing a leash law to me it infers that the park wants the animals under control

As far as killing a dog while out in the woods? I haven't ever felt the need to do so. Now the owners on the other hand.... that's a different story. Shame on them for putting their dogs in danger.

There were dogs that had gone feral over several years at our local airport. The city purchased about 10,000 or so acres for their future expansion and for noise abatement clearance. In these undeveloped woods around the airport they took over. I had a friend that lived on the edge of the area and we used to sneak in a hike around there many years ago.

We saw the feral dogs and talked to the airport personnel about them. They told us they were killing small deer, rabbits and such and we saw evidence of that. But when we came around they were gone like a shot. They heard us and saw us first usually made themselves scarce. In fact, the only time we ever saw them stand still was in the heat of the day and they were sacked out in the shade, or they were harvesting a road kill deer that went back into the woods to die. They just didn't want to leave their meal. Hardly ties into the stories of the man eating feral dogs I have heard over the years.

You can tell by the tone of some of the fruit loops here that they sense danger at every corner and would probably relish the fact they had to use one of their zombie killers on something live.

If I wanted to take my dog out on the trail, I would be much more afraid of the death squad assassins he might encounter there than anything else he might get into.

Therefore, he stays at home.

Robert
 
mcjhrobinson said:
so what youre saying is its ok for people to bring vicious dogs and unleash them on unsuspecting hikers and its the hikers fault for not paying attention to vicious dogs? wheres the jerkit icon...

i always have my senses running while in the woods...and im prepared esp on blind corners...but people need to take some responsibility for their animals actions.
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No what I was saying is, just because a dog is of the bully type, don't make it vicious, infact I've encountered more well mannered pitbulls, rotties then I have shitzus, etc..

And I'm not completely supporting the idea a dog should run completely loose, if you read a little closer you will realize I clearly understand that we invade hikers space naturally, and that I opt for keeping my dog in short running distance and leash him before i catch up to ppl and then unleash him further down the trail from them. My intended posts are too highlight, that this is very common among dog owners, but you will always have some nitwit give you an ugly ass look as if it were the end of the world.... HOW DARE YOU TAKE THAT MONSTER OFF ITS LEASH.. its muscular bone structure... THATS SATAN ITSELF.. ARE YEEE MADD? When its clear the dog is much more well behave then they are.

I also support the idea that if you are attacked to put the dog down without a question and deal with the owner after, as I have already been attacked by a dog while walking with my daughter when she was 2, been jumped on and dirtied and worse. It doesn't happen often and in my neck of the woods you would probably run into a few bears before it does.

also I'm not saying both parties are responsible, the dog owner is and its up to him/her to decide and predict the next movement of its dog., I'm saying it's wise to just be careful and paying attention when out and about.. I'm pretty sure this is a rule most of us go by anyhow. :thumbup:
 
I hate debates such as this on W&SS and feel they are more appropriate for Whine & cheese but I have to agree with much that Philwar says. Surely a little common sense should prevail on both sides !
If you have a dog whose temprement you cannot trust then at the least you should keep it leashed although I cannot understand why you would keep such a dog anyway?
On the other side of the coin is it really that big of a deal if someones overly fussy dog runs up for a pat and gets a little mud on your combats ??? Gonna kill it /sue the owner or give it a pat and feel smug that someone likes you even if it is a canine ?
As far as I can remember I have only been bitten once by a persons dog when walking, it was a womans Border Collie, did I feel like killing the dog....not at all...did I feel like having a melt down and telling the woman to train her dog correctly.....for sure. Instead I told her it had bitten me in the same tone I might have said " Nice weather we are having". She gave me the usual ' it's never done that before' line and we both went on our way.Her dog is probably long time dead now and I'm still here typing on this forum, most dogs only live 10-15 years so lets at least let them have a happy short life by letting them run unleashed where possible and just use common sense when in populated public places !

Reading Backwoodsman with my Bitches !:D

PB150027.jpg
 
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dawsonbob said:
Just out of curiosity, how many people a year are attacked by unleashed coconuts? How many by dogs?

I love dogs, and 99 percent of them have been friendly: it's the one-percenters we worry about.
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bingo.

most dogs here, like I said before, are just happy to have escaped from Vancouvers Maximum Security Condo Cells and go for a run in the woods. Its the 1%, heck even .5% that are untrained, aggressive (and by aggressive i mean snarling, snapping, baring teeth and lunging for the hands, arm face or throat) and uncontrolled by the owners that are the problem. We have about 1 million dogs here according to licence office. Many more are unlicenced. Chances are slim of an attack im the woods BUT they do happen. (happened to me).

Fact is dogs are unpredictable. doesn't matter if they have been owned for years and never shown aggression. Sometimes a dog will attack for some reason that we may not see. Something may trigger it, startle it etc.


We are not glorifying the fact that some of us have experienced attacks and had to defend ourselves with force or weapons to the dog that was attacking us. We do NOT take pleasure in doing so. We are not "internet warriors" . We are not "blood thirsty armed with killing knives dog deanimator zombie killers" thats beyond stupid, just being silly and really adds nothing to the thread. Come on. :jerkit:


lets not get this thread turfed to W&C :thumbdn:

oh and for the record coconuts are evil.. :)
 
^^^
The dogs are welcomed but if I ever saw Pit loose on the trail by himself, I may have to put the boots to that pie-hole..... yikes!!! talk about a vicious looking animal......




Ricky-poo
 
All dogs are unpredictable. I have a little Corgi. She loves people and dogs. In the 7 years that I have had her she has never shown any agressive behavior except ONE time. I was walking her on a leash and we encountered another dog on a leash. I don't know what it was about that one dog but as soon as she saw it her hair was standing up, she was barking and growling and I had to hold her back. Never happened before or since.

My wife and my dog have been attacked by loose dogs on several occasions while out walking. If the owner is around it's ALWAYS "My dog would never hurt anyone" even though it just did right in front of them. My brother in law had his dog killed while on the leash by dogs running loose.

IMHO, if you take your dog off your property it should be on a leash.
 
Magnussen said:
^^^
The dogs are welcomed but if I ever saw Pit loose on the trail by himself, I may have to put the boots to that pie-hole..... yikes!!! talk about a vicious looking animal......




Ricky-poo
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ROTFLMAO! coffee everywhere......thanks, :grumpy: :D
 
Magnussen said:
^^^
The dogs are welcomed but if I ever saw Pit loose on the trail by himself, I may have to put the boots to that pie-hole..... yikes!!! talk about a vicious looking animal......




Ricky-poo
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I always thought we looked very similar Rick !;)
 
You guys are out of your minds...friggin armchair dog murderers.

IF somebody killed my dog for barking and getting within 'lethal range' they'd better be willing to kill me too, cause I would abosultely LOSE IT. My dog barks, but would never bite anyone. We let my friends 2 yr old ride her like a horse. And my two nephews have grown up tormenting her. However, she will bark and may look threatening. If she walks up to you and throw a few barks you guys are saying you'd bash her head in with a walking stick? :( :( :(

Thank god I don't live in the continental US

You guys are a bunch of sick sick people.

Oh, all you guys that have hurt dogs to defend your own dogs...try watching the dog whisperer sometime ;) The dog absolutely do feed off your own emotion. When you see a dog coming down the trail at you, and you tighten the leash, tense your body up and act worried. Guess what your dog is gonna do? emulate its pack leader, you. Guess what happens when two strange dogs meet and one is tensed up and worried? I dont blame you that have had to use force to physically break up a fight.
 
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evbouret, read with your mind, not just your eyes.

A dog that walks up to me is not attacking. A dog that runs, teeth bared, tail back, snarling, will elicit a defensive reaction. That may include getting smacked in the head with a heavy cane.

If you think I'm going to take a bite just to be polite, you're the one who's sick.
 
Maybe I'm just not one for preemptive strikes. I have been pig hunting a long time and been around a lot of really strange dogs. Also sometimes when we're hiking we'll run into another hunter and his dogs will practically bay us up. I dont chamber a round in my 30-30 and get ready to eradicate his pack. Cause that would spell near certain death here in Hawai'i. 99% of the time the dog is putting on a show....

With that 1% if the dog does lay teeth on you? Stab em and they WILL let go...it doesn't have to be a lethal strike even.

Oh and even I have been bit by dogs....I am aware of what they can and will do
 
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