German shepherd lunged at me right in the Randolph East parking lot. It was perfectly calm and normal till it got right in front of me, then instantly snarled and jumped.
When approached by a loose dog on the trail, I yell "BAD DOG" regardless of it's behavior. It makes it clear to the owner that I am not okay with their dog. They often follow up with, "don't worry, he's friendly" to which I reply, "okay, I'm not". I've never had to do, but I would not hesitate to stab a dog with a trekking pole if it was aggressive. "BAD DOG" has always worked for me
Psyculman left us hanging in his hammock with that snarler......
I had a dog take a bite out of my shorts while trail running one day. Let's just say I'm glad I wasn't going commando that day...or maybe other park users were glad!
"Hi, good day. Yes, it's a bit cold".
"Hello, I'm more of a grower, not a show-er".
"Genetics, don't blame me".
Having been bit badly once by a neighbor's loose farm dog and ending up in the hospital with Sepsis, but also having owned, trained and bred male & female Brittanies for over a decade, I have no patience for unruly dogs. Any sign of oncoming attack from one gets a hard swipe across their head with my trekking pole, or a few hard punches on their head. I don't give a damn what the owner says or claims ("Oh, He's never done that")
.....Someday, like many others who joined WB in the early years, I may dry up and dissapear....
On my last section hike I had an encounter with two dogs just north of Shenandoah National Park. As I was going downhill I saw a young couple taking a break on some rocks off to the right and about 100 feet away. Two dogs bolted towards me snarling.
I froze in my tracks and heard the owners try to call the dogs back but the dogs continued toward me. Both were about the size of my Australian Shephard mix, probably about 70 lbs. The black one stopped about 10 feet from me but the grey one circled around behind me still barking and snarling.
My left treking pole was touching the ground and when the grey dog moved toward my leg I bumped him with the shaft of the pole. Luckily he backed off because I had the right pole slightly raised. I was within 2 seconds of stabbing him with the tip of the pole when he backed away.
The dogs returned to their owners and I moved on. The owners apologized but I was so shaken that I really didn't respond. I should have said something about leashes but didn't want to provoke the dogs with angry words.
It kind of bothered me that I would have injured the dog. I am a dog owner and dog lover. But if it had gone for my leg I would have stabbed him with my pole.
I wish I could still edit with my ADHD I have a hard time expressing myself sometimes. I want to add I think the pepper spray is probably the safest for dogs as you can protect yourself from a distance and not cause permanent damage.
I'm all for other peoples rights to take their dog hiking but those of us who don't also have rights to be neither bitten nor intimidated by someone else's dog.If your dog gets more aggressive towards others when leashed then you need to kennel him/her.I had a dog like that once;would Never have considered taking that animal out in a public place....
And besides,if your unleashed dog bites someone or disfigures their child you are going to be on the receiving end of a lawsuit more likely than not.
No "right" is absolute, but all rights have responsibilities. Taking a dog onto a public trail comes the responsibility of keeping the dog under control. If the dog does not respond to voice command it is not under control and a leash is required to manage the dog so it does not threaten or cause injury to others. As Five Tango points out, this is the stuff of serious law suits.
I was day hiking near the AT last summer when an off leash German Shepherd came running at me. I have been chased, bitten, and knocked off my bicycle. So, once bitten twice shy. I could not tell if the dog was friendly or not. The owner was yelling and screaming, the dog had a weird deep growl noise. It stopped just short and went back to the owner. I suppose I gave a disgusted, scared look to the lady who then yelled at me to "Lose the Attitude, Sir!!" I then simply said that I have been bitten and this trail does not allow unleashed dogs. I went about my way.
I had a similar situation this winter while hunting. Yellow lab off leash comes running at me. I was pretty sure he was friendly but all I could think was, I do not want to shoot this dog. Fortunately, he was friendly. The owners caught up and simply said, "You hunting". I should maybe have told them that off leash is not allowed in that forest. I did that once before to a jogger whose dog came at me aggressively. The guy was totally obnoxious as if his little fluffy could never bite someone, yet, he came at me growling and barking.
There is no "right" to bring one's dog on to a public trail. Land management either allows domesticated animals or it doesn't.
I am surprised by the number of members who have also had negative dog experiences on trails. It is good to know that I am NOT alone with this concern. I suspect that the vast majority of incidents are not "one-offs" as the dog owners pretend. An obnoxious owner on the heels of a an unruly dog just adds injury to insult. I will no longer be nice about this.
Be Prepared
Generally speaking,I'm a dog lover,but not in public venues and that would include public hiking trails.....
Not sure if this is obnoxious or just fair warning, but when I see a dog unattended headed toward me and hear a far away voice yelling, "Don't worry, he's friendly" I immediately respond with, "I'm not". Though it may generate some scowls, it does seem to hasten their speed to recover the animal.
I too am a "dog guy", but unfortunately my experience with unleashed dogs on trails is overwhelmingly negative. Spilling water where resupply is a fair distance away, sneaking up and grabbing/eating food I am trying to prepare, tearing out tent guy lines running around a camping area, being leapt on with muddy paws and tearing pants, and being bitten a few times. As a result I have a very low threshold of tolerance for poorly behaved dogs and their self righteous owners (who always seem to figure it's my fault their dog would make better food than a trail pet).
Though these experiences are not as common as they seem in writing about them, they are nonetheless disturbing. I do understand the allure in bringing the family pooch into the woods but question if people stop to consider if its a good idea bringing the family dog from its normal environment into a wild environment without restraint of leash. Some people just cannot grasp the fact, or just don't care, their dog's behavior can ruin a grand outing for others.
Thanks,Traveler.I was once informed that it was my head gear that triggered their precious doggie.Well,I was COLD!
Well,excuuuuuuuuuussssssssssseeeeeeeee me for triggering doggie!
I too have been told on countless occasions by a dog owner that their dog's growling or barking was a consequence of my wide brimmed hat. I will hereafter be informing such owners that if their animal is not conditioned to basic hiking attire than the animal is unqualified to be on a trail.
Some horses also get spooked so I remove my hat, if only for the safety of the rider.
And yes Traveller, I am appalled by the owners who are yelling from afar that Fido is wonderful as the savage beast is coming @ me at a full charge....
Be Prepared