Feral dogs

mneedham

mneedham

Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
2,776
A while back a member said that he favored a certain pocket knife after having had a run-in with a pack of feral dogs and I mentioned that I had too. Doc-Canada asked that we post more info. I am not very knowledgeable about them and have only one experience, but it got my attention. I was walking my dog a couples of years ago (Red, my big mutt, since died and replaced by my bulldog and pitbull) on the dirt road that we live on. We turned a corner on the road and pack of mangy looking dogs (4-5) came up from the creek by the road and formed a semi-circle around us on the road. I can't say for certain that they were, in fact, feral but I live in a area where I know most of my neighbors and their dogs, and I hadn't seen them before or since. The only weapons I had were a spyderco standard and a coil steel whip that I use to carry for jogging. The dogs never made a sound, one of them walked towards my dog, we started backing away, I tried to talk calmly (and wished like hell that I had a side arm), and held out the whip. The lead dog did some sniffing and they let us back away. I reported it to animal control who said that there had been some other reports. It was really a non-incident, but my heart was beating for a second there, 4-5 dogs would not be easy to fend off and I was concerned that they were going to attack my dog. In any case, lesson learned: carry a gun! Anybody else?
 
I often carry my Spyderco Temperance inverted on a long length of paracord so that the handle is on my right handside and just level with the bottom of my shirt or jacket but not visible, this gives me quick access in the event of a dog attack.
The Temperance was designed for the purpose of defence against animals and is designed for maximum penertration.
 
Pitdog,

Yep, that makes sense. I gotta say that at the moment I ran into those dogs, it felt like a tight spot, and I would given a lot to have a gun. I carried my little NAA .22 peashooter on jogs/walks for quite while after that (been running on the tread mill more lately - my bulldog can't run).
 
Feral dogs should be shot on sight !! They are dangerous as are pets who are running with them ! If you can't carry a gun, carry a hiking staff and knife ! Some years ago a pack of dogs ate a poodle that a woman was leading. Fortunately they didn't touch the woman. A few police officers eliminated the pack. Many of the letters to the editor condemned the police for killing the 'poor sweet dogs' !! Feral dogs do attack deer, pets , people. They don't have fear of people which makes them so dangerous.
 
Feral dogs (coyotes, coydogs, the strays who join there packs) and feral cats make for long range target practice where I live. gets us prepped for woodchuck huntin!
 
I got jumped twice by wild dogs...once by a mangey mutt who came out of the brush without warning snarling a snapping he was quickly disuaded after recieving a full force blow from my quater inch oak hiking staff. After that incident I started carrying mace with me...The second time I was in the middle of nowhere and this rottweiler comes running out of the brush..( I was bushwacking through a large statepark) and was not on a trail no did I encounter anyother people throughout the day...at first he seemd curious but than started to bear his teeth and growl..I had the Mrs with me and wasn't taking any chances I gave him a blast of the mace and he ran off...I feel bad inflicting pain to animals, but felt in both circumstances that I had made the right choice
 
JSC/Mete,

Yep, shoot them.

Liam,

Sorry, I missed your post. Not having a gun is a problem. I feel pretty confident that I can handle 1 dog with steel whip and a serrated spyderco, but 4-5 is a whole other ballgame. I remember thinking that I would have to let go of my dog's leash to give him his best shot. I have broken up 2 dogs fighting a bunch of times, I can't imagine 4-5 (that's assuming they didn't come after me). Maybe a nice machete...
 
We don't have much in the way of feral dog packs here because we have local clean-up crews, because this is cow country. We do have coyotes, but they stay where they belong. I have an elderly female Lab who is one of my best friends and I carry a sidearm for her protection. She'll fight anything but she's really too old for it.
 
Check out the Cold Steel "Bushman" It is one tough & good sized knife w/ a hollow handle for holding stuff or making a "spear" If you had this knife on you & a walking stick the same size as the handle, You could make a spear real fast for some medium range self defense ;)
 
mneedham,

More info on this steel whip, please? I've never heard of such a thing...
 
I was thinking of the bushman, if your staff was profiled to take the blade you could jam it on in a second. One thing about dogs is, unlike cats they don't attack without warning, they tend to size up first. I am no expert though, that's a bit of an assumption.
 
CanDo,

A steel whip is metal coil with a weighted tip that retracts into the handle. I'll post a pic later.
 
My impression is the same of Liam Ryan - dogs will generally give you a fair amount of time before attacking.

If you were walking a dog, and it got in a fight with feral dogs, a gun isn't really doing to do much good. A solid oak or hickory staff would be preferred, as you can "spear" with the blunt end to great effect, and not risk hurting your dog.
 
I was once hiking in the hills behind my house on an early morning. I watched as a pack of smallish coyotes ran down an killed a large, healthy domesticated German Shepard! The coyotes would take turns running in volleys, and they just ran the dog until it was exhausted....then they went in for the kill. Being a biologist, the whole scene was an absolutely fascinating natural history lesson.....

I can't seem to find anybody who can remember this, but a few year ago a runner was killed by a pack of ferral dogs on the outskirts of Palm Springs. These were genuinely feral dogs, not just somebody's pit bull that got out of the fence.

It's a big bad world out here....and those who are wise will be overly prepared!
 
reconranger said:
I was once hiking in the hills behind my house on an early morning. I watched as a pack of smallish coyotes ran down an killed a large, healthy domesticated German Shepard! The coyotes would take turns running in volleys, and they just ran the dog until it was exhausted....then they went in for the kill. Being a biologist, the whole scene was an absolutely fascinating natural history lesson.....

I can't seem to find anybody who can remember this, but a few year ago a runner was killed by a pack of ferral dogs on the outskirts of Palm Springs. These were genuinely ferral dogs, not just somebody's pit bull that got out of the fence.

It's a big bad world out here....and those who are wise will be overly prepared!
Click to expand...

Regarding coyotes: In 2005, we had a coyote come down the hill, in and out of the yard, then he came within 15 feet of my wife working in the garden; she faced him off with a potato rake and told him to "git." He got. At the time we thought "hey coyotes are cute, they gotta live too, yada yada."

And this after having about ten house and yard cats "disappear" in the last 20 years. I'm tolerant of the "call of the wild" up to a certain point. The next thing I'm worried about, is my elderly female Lab going to get attacked outdoors, in our yard? She's my best friend, I'm not going to let that happen to her.

Lately I'm thinking the next coyote I see is going to get a heavy dose of lead. He'll make a cute throw rug.
 
Around here, the coyotes walk down the middle of the street, in broad daylight. I had one take a large older very experienced cat right off my porch. Heard the noise, went out and looked to find a bunch of hair and the coyote walking down the street with the cat in its mouth. There was a lot of coyote hair as well as the cats, so at least the cat got some licks in.

Anyway, you never let a pet out at night around here. We have inquired about "thinning" the coyote population, but the county's advice is that if we get rid of the coyotes, the racoons, opossums, and skunks will take the place over.....
 
CanDo said:
If you were walking a dog, and it got in a fight with feral dogs, a gun isn't really doing to do much good. A solid oak or hickory staff would be preferred, as you can "spear" with the blunt end to great effect, and not risk hurting your dog.
Click to expand...

I am sure that A gun if used correctly would not only be good at stopping the fight but even better at stopping the feral dog before it gets in Range of your animal, something you cant do with a stick.
 
EmsRescueGuy said:
I am sure that A gun if used correctly would not only be good at stopping the fight but even better at stopping the feral dog before it gets in Range of your animal, something you cant do with a stick.
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I hear you completely, of course one should be packing. Things can happen fast, though. If you've ever seen a dog fight, you know that there isn't going to be a safe shot to take. What if a pair of coyotes comes down a trail right in front of you, then BAM, two more come out of the brush on your side and are on your dog before you can turn around....

mneedham,

Looks good, is the reason that it doesn't completely replace fixed batons just that it can't be used in joint locks? I imagine that would really pack a bite...



Some more thoughts on ferals/coyotes. If all you have for defense is a knife, keep that hand high up and tucked in - you don't want to make it a target. Much better to have it go after your other arm, and still be able to use the knife. Fortunately, we have two hands, they only have one mouth.
 
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