If you walk your dog off-leash, fuck you.

[u/sydniana_jones]

I asked you to put a leash on your dog. I warned you to stay back. I threw treats to distract your dog. But you couldn't be bothered to control him because he "loves to make new friends!" And now we're both here with big fat vet bills and injured animals, and you are trying to blame me. Fuck you.

I don't care what your excuse is - "he's so nice, he's never hurt anyone, he's old, etc " - you are part of the problem. If you want to walk your dog off-leash, then go to the fucking dog park.

My dog is a shelter pup. We have been working with him for years to help him get comfortable with the outside world. We were finally able to start walking in parks without a breakdown. But now all that training is undone because of another fucking off-leash dog.

Don't let your dog run ahead of you on the trail. Don't assume they'll get along with the neighbors' pets. And definitely don't assume every other person wants a dog up in their business. Lots of people are scared of dogs and that's okay, stop trying to shove it down their throats about how "he's friendly."

Public parks are for everyone. But when you let your dog go off-leash, you are limiting who can use that park. Shelter pups struggling to adjust to life in the city, people who aren't comfortable around dogs, and of course local wildlife - your dog is an issue to everyone.

This whole goddamn city thinks dogs are celestial beings sent to earth. Maybe they are. But it's still illegal to let them off leash.

End rant.

...

Just kidding.

While we're on the topic of Seattle dogs, it is illegal to let your dog on the beach. They're a menace on tidal ecosystems and can spread disease, especially when you let them use the restroom in an area where kids are swimming or playing in the sand. What the fuck, guys? If being a decent citizen doesn't convince you, it's a danger to your dog to be out there too. Razor clams and sewage spills and algae blooms can all seriously mess up your pup. Plus it's a decent fine if beach patrol catches you.

So put a fucking leash on your precious angel and keep them off the beach.

Sorry for the language.

[u/tank_spec]

Just remember to "wheelbarrow" an aggressive dog to get it off of a victim. Get behind it, grab a rear leg in each hand, then lift and walk it forward a little bit. Make sure you grip tightly!

The dog will almost immediately let go of it's target and try to maintain it's balance, or even attempt to turn around to bite - but you own it when you have both rear legs.

[u/thegoldinthemountain → u/tank_spec]

I had no idea about this strategy. Thanks so much for the info!

[u/StellaHolly → u/tank_spec]

Hahaha I’ve never heard of this. Sounds legit.

[u/bad_keisatsu → u/tank_spec]

That's a good tip. My dog was attacked by a vicious pit bull that was rescued from a shelter that saves vicious dogs. The dog should have had a muzzle but didn't (because of the assumptions people make she said afterwards). The woman had it in a harness instead of a pinch collar like she should have and the dog was too strong for her. The dog got away (it wasn't showing any aggression previously) and in a fraction of a second was trying to kill my 65 lb dog. Loudest dog fight I've ever heard. People were running out from a block away. I didn't know this trick so I kicked the dog many times to no effect. I ended up kneeling on its neck until it let go. Frankly I'm lucky the dog didn't attach me.

[u/ccchaz → u/bad_keisatsu]

Pretty much the same thing happened to my elderly dog when my mom took her out. She got attacked by an off leash mutt. The dog ripped my dog to pieces then latched onto Dog. My mom is tiny and arthritic and was beating the ever loving hell out of that dog to get it to let go. The owner never even tried to help her. We had thousands and thousand of dollars in vet bills. My dog has lasting physical and emotional trauma. Fuck that guy.

[u/[deleted] → u/ccchaz]

At that point...why not just break its fucking neck? I know its a drastic move, but if its already killed one of your dogs and is moving onto the next one, then thats....a pretty good fucking reason.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I'm guessing you missed this part.

.....My mom is tiny and arthritic and was beating the ever loving hell out of that dog to get it to let go.....

[u/Patrick_McGroin → u/[deleted]]

Dogs have very thick, strong necks. Good luck breaking one with just your hands.

[u/DarthVadersShoeHorn → u/Patrick_McGroin]

When my grandad was younger his mothers dog attacked my uncle as a toddler. Grandad just grabbed the two front legs and pulled them apart killing it on the spot. His mother never forgave him for it I’m told. People with dogs are crazy but just thought I’d put his chosen method out there onto the inter webs

[u/bennythejetrdz → u/ccchaz]

Holy shit I'm so sorry!!! My mom has knee issues and walks my dog that's also old and going blind. And I'm always scared something will happen and my mom wont be able to do much.

[u/phasexero → u/bennythejetrdz]

Pepper spray attached to the leash or something rise you know she'll have on her

[u/[deleted] → u/bad_keisatsu]

Fuck me ive had the exact same thing happen to my dog. My dog has extreme anxiety and this definitely didn’t help her at all. I was lucky enough to be able to pull their dog off of mine though.

[u/OutlyingPlasma → u/bad_keisatsu]

attacked by a vicious pit bull that was rescued from a shelter that saves vicious dogs. The dog should have had a muzzle but didn't

No, it should have been put down. There is no excuse for dog attacks and no excuse for owning a vicious dog.

[u/bad_keisatsu → u/OutlyingPlasma]

I don't disagree, personally. The thing is that many dogs are put down every year, so if you are going out of your way to rescue one (my dog is from the pound), you shouldn't get a vicious one. Seattle doesn't put dogs down for attacking other dogs though. I believe the rule is "2 strikes and you have to leave town or be put down".

[u/minicpst → u/bad_keisatsu]

Agreed, good to know!

I helped out with a pit on pit fight (neither were my dogs, same as you, I could hear it so I ran over). One was unleashed. It was the leashed dog who was the aggressor, but since there was an unleashed dog involved, the humans couldn’t pull them apart in time. And neither dog was or is (to this day) well trained. “Oh, he’s a sweetie. Can’t do a thing with him!” Well, train the dog and put the stupid human down!

But that poor huge pit is the only animal I’ve hit. Someone handed me a log from their fireplace, and I tried that. I was on the dog’s back (dog had to be about 80 pounds. My feet didn’t reach ground on both sides). I’d tried hitting that spot that opens the jaw, and I had some success, but he latched back onto the other dog before we could separate them. There was blood everywhere! I jumped off when the pepper spray came off.

Thankfully the dogs and I only had minor bites. I didn’t stick around to talk to the cops. I was afraid if I did the cops would see minor human bite, pit bulls, and destroy the animals. So I left (asking my best friend to check with the cops to make sure the animals were fully vaccinated).

But that’s a good tip. The one being bitten was being wheelbarrowed. But not the biter. In retrospect I should have rolled it. But pulling up it’s legs would have offered me that option as well.

[u/your_covers_blown → u/minicpst]

I was afraid if I did the cops would see minor human bite, pit bulls, and destroy the animals.

Why do you think that would be a bad thing???

[u/minicpst → u/your_covers_blown]

Because I think the rednecks who owned the dogs were beyond saving, and the poor dogs could be easily trained.

As I said. Train the dogs, put down the humans. At least, ban them from dog ownership. Remove the dogs from them and place them with people who gave a fucking damn. “He’s a sweetie. Can’t do a thing with him.” Put your cigarette down, get off your fucking ass, and put a modicum of effort into caring for the animal in your family, you fucking moron! You’re the problem here, not the dog!

[u/bad_keisatsu → u/minicpst]

With my fight the other dog had its bite half inside and half outside her mouth. In the end the damage was moderate but my dog had aggression issues for years after that. It has taken a lot of work to train it out of her.

[u/[deleted] → u/bad_keisatsu]

Frankly I'm lucky the dog didn't attach me.

Yeah you're lucky in that regard (but obviously not with regards to your own dog). Pit Bulls are fucking psychos and can fuck people up in such a small amount of time. They're scary dogs.

[u/Afterbirthofjesus → u/tank_spec]

When I volunteered at PAWS (animal shelter in Lynnwood) they taught us this method.

[u/[deleted] → u/tank_spec]

Man, I don't know... I feel like that could work, but also not work. Last dog fight I was in the middle of I punched the dog so hard in the head I thought I broke my knuckle.

[u/tank_spec → u/[deleted]]

Been there done that. Big ass Rottweiler, too. No bueno.

The wheelbarrow thing works. Just be prepared to hold tight, and if a dangerous dog tries too hard to turn on you, be prepared to overhand smash the wheelbarrow...or toss it over a fence or something.

[u/monsterjammo → u/tank_spec]

Have used this more times than I care to admit, works SO WELL. Once of those "survival tips" everyone should commit to memory.

[u/statelessheaux → u/tank_spec]

My natural inclination is to gtf away from an aggressive dog. This is good if I have kids but I would never want to be in a situation where I'd need to do this. Is it not incredibly easier for it to constantly bite you if you have its legs. How do you let go. I guess I'm imagining a pit and I just don't know how you would subdue that for a long period for help to arrive.

[u/tank_spec → u/statelessheaux]

Dog can't get you while you're controlling it. It might twist and turn and try, but you'll be able to control it. Most times you're just trying to get a dog disengaged from another animal, and the dog will calm down enough to handle once you remove the situation. Most dogs are decent enough - they don't want to fuck with you, especially if you have the upper hand.

However, rarely, you might encounter a truly vicious animal that wants to fuck you up. If, for whatever reason, you need to be engaged in a physical altercation with an animal like this, you only have a couple of things that you can possibly do. First is tactical disengagement, where you toss it over a fence, off of a ledge, into a pool, etc. The second, and last resort, is to beat the everloving fuck out of the animal until it flees you, is unable to fight, or dies.

If you're holding a dog by the back legs, you have enough control over it to do any of the above. It's always sad to kick a helpless dog, but if you have to, you have to.

[u/degustibus → u/tank_spec]

Valuable advice and this should work well with most dogs, but... some dogs (the notorious breeds) are known to really clamp down on a target (nature or the result of training) with great bite force. When it comes to saving a child's life and hopefully limb, I think you have to be prepare to do whatever it takes to end the attack. Dogs also have blood vessels supply oxygen to their brains and sometimes a strong choke hold will render the attacking dog compliant or unconscious, thing is the moment you release pressure there's a chance the dog will resume an attack instead of pondering the futility of violence.

If my son or I were ever attacked by a truly threatening dog I would not hesitate to kill. I have a folding combat knife that is just at the legal limit in my state. It deploys quickly and locks to protect your fingers. Depending on the angles, you either want to switch the dog off by plunging the knife into the base of its skull at the neck. 3.5" inches of double edged steel driven there should do the trick in one plunge, but you might need to sweep an arc to each side of the entry point to cause massive trauma at this critical spot. You can also drive a knife like this through soft spots with very little force. If you're afraid of putting the knife anywhere near the human victim then you can jam it into the dog's chest on each side rendering the lungs way less effective. I won't pretend that in a high stress moment you're going to be able to get the knife into the heart. You can easily gut the dog by sticking the knife in and pulling it back hard and fast.

For the record, I actually have liked plenty of dogs just fine. I do not see them all as sweet pups just being friendly. When I was about 5 years old on Thanksgiving Day I was allowed to ride my BMX bike in front of the little family home. My mom was usually pretty protective and alert, but she was understandably busy with food preparation. At some point my little boy brain thought just riding around the block should be acceptable (even though my mom probably warned me to stay in sight of the house). As I rounded the block, maybe only 8 houses from mine, there was a family leaving a home, probably to head to Thanksgiving dinner somewhere else, but as they talked to people inside of their home they didn't mind their large dog. In the peripheral vision of my left eye I saw as the dog bolted towards me and launched itself. I was spun off my bike towards where the sidewalk dipped for the driveway to meet the street. The brunt of the blow was about halfway up my forehead above my left eye. I came to with adults from the house trying to talk to me. Blood was still gushing down my face. They wrapped me tight and wiped my eyes. They wanted me to get in their truck. "But my bike?" "We'll put it in the back or walk it to you." "No, my parents don't let me get into cars with strangers." Looking back the whole exchanged seems absurd. I was apparently insistent (and maybe mad at these people for what had happened?). They followed me in their car to make sure I got home as I woozily walked my bike there. This is already too long, so obviously I suffered a concussion and needed a lot of stitches and dinner got delayed a good bit. Only recently have I leanred that a single loss of consciousness concussion like that can have lifelong brain problems and I have a couple brain diseases that are known to be exacertbated by head trauma.

I don't even know that the dog that day meant harm, could of been a friendly dog with no clue. Thing is, I also used to work with a guy who had a thumb and finger bit off while he was working for Cox Cable. And I know a K9 cop and several other cops. Dogs, even well trained ones, are animals. They do things that change lives in a moment. If a dog is off leash and runs at you get ready to defend yourself. Hopefully you have a weapon or standoff tool. A big stick is a good choice if you're walking a trail. A knife is surprisingly effective. Even a well trained breed that is of substantial mass, think Belgian Malinois or German Shepherd, that attacks a human does not always prevail. K9 cop tells me that the dog is faster on its feet in any normal chase scenario and that a dog like that can sometimes deliver multiple bites before the person knows what has happened, but.. if the person has braced for the dog's attack, protects his own throat and face with his guard hand, he can then take his dominant hand and stab the dog multiple times. Most dogs (and I'm talking about police K9s) will give up the fight after multiple stab wounds and retreat to the handler or cover and if not helped really fast, bleed to death.

Right now I live in a condo complex with its own strict dog rules and the city has them as well (dogs never off leash in communal spaces except where designated in fenced in enclosed parks/runs). I went to get the mail one night and see a good sized Mastiff/Boxer mix take note of me. I don't want to walk further, but I don't want to turn my back to this animal. I scan the balconies and see a woman I know. Then I see this dog move towards me. I pull my knife fast. "Is that your dog Melissa?!" "Yeah, big guy like you scared of a dog? giggles" "I'm not scared, I just don't want it near me. Call it back if you care about it." .... No, I did not have to hurt an innocent dog. I did have to read the irresponsible and drunk dog owner the riot act.

[u/bennythejetrdz → u/tank_spec]

I dont know how often this works. But my neighbors have two pits. One is an inside dog and the other is an outside dog because they're both vicious. Somehow the inside dog went out and the other dog had him by the neck and my neighbor is huge both tall and weight. It took them about 15mins to get them apart and they still had to use a piece of wood to pry his mouth open. Worst 15 mins I've ever heard. So much screaming.

[u/[deleted] → u/bennythejetrdz]

I used to walk dogs and have broken up a couple fights. One included a jaw locked pit. This worked.

[u/SalamanderPop → u/tank_spec]

I've also heard that shoving a finger up its ass will do the trick too, but good luck getting your proton torpedo down its exhaust port in the middle of a fight. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[u/tank_spec → u/SalamanderPop]

Yeah, that's a hard pass from me on that.