39 replies to this topic

[mylo]

We have similar issues with people bringing their dogs to our house. Just because we invite you over, doesn't mean your dog is welcome to destroy my house and terrorize my cats. Same goes for your kids!

[Buford T Justice]

We have similar issues with people bringing their dogs to our house. Just because we invite you over, doesn't mean your dog is welcome to destroy my house and terrorize my cats. Same goes for your kids!

does this mean I have to leave my pet bear at home when I come visit you? ..and I swear my kid doesn't have rabies, even tho she bit you twice last time

....btw, who brings their dog over to visit friends? thats kinda odd....unless of course the friend asked you to bring the dog

[JMH]

Bring your own can of pepper spray and if she sprays you - spray her back. You have the right to defend yourself.

[Steve Heard]

Bring your own can of pepper spray and if she sprays you - spray her back. You have the right to defend yourself.

Then she should bring a pack of pit bulls.

Then he'll bring a bear.

Then she'll bring a tiger (I think they can beat bears).

Then he'll bring a gun.

Then she'll bring a suicide vest, blowing them both to smithereens.

Or, the dog owner could reign in his/her dog and not let it ruin anyone's day.

[JMH]

Steve, please re-read the person's post. He stated that they were 15 yards away and his pet was on a leash by HIS side. In absolutely NO WAY was he or his dog threatening her. In fact, SHE was threatening him and his pet! He has the right to protect himself from her.

Why are you such an absolute pet hater?

[mylo]

Haha.. Yeah Steve!




JMH, this woman was obviously nervous of the dog, and rightfully so IMHO thanks to some very disrespectfull owners I've met.

I'm not saying all dogs are evil or all owners uncaring, but they're out there, and this woman was just being cautious. She should be avoided and walked briskly past without contact or confrontation.

[Steve Heard]

Steve, please re-read the person's post. He stated that they were 15 feet away and his pet was on a leash by HIS side. In absolutely NO WAY was he or his dog threatening her. In fact, SHE was threatening him and his pet! He has the absolute right to protect himself from her.

Why are you such an absolute pet hater?

I am not a pet hater. I have 2 birds, Honey and 'the blue one' as we call him. I grew up with dogs, cats, birds, fish, rabbits, mice, hamsters, turtles, etc..

My family and just took care of my neighbors dogs, Cooper and Cosmo for 3 weeks while they were back East. When another neighbor's dog, Sam, gets loose while they aren't home (she rips out a fence board to do it), I one who can convince her to come close enough for me to catch her. She wants to run and play, so sometimes I have to trick her by pretending that I'm going for a ride, and she'll jump into the car with me.

I visit with my brother in law around the corner quite often, and when I do, his dog Molly expects a rice cake, and I often pretend I don't know what she wants, but she knows I know. At dinner time, she sits by me, hoping that a piece of broccoli, chicken or tomato (her 3 favorite things) will accidentally fall off of my plate, and it usually does.

No, not a pet hater. Some of my best friends are animals. Some are pets.

I realize, however, that they are not human, they are unpredictable, and while I believe in treating them with kindness, I believe that human concerns should come before animal concerns.

This lady has an obvious fear of dogs, and you know a dog can cover a distance of 15 feet in a second.

When a dog bites someone, the owner usually says something like, "He's never done that before!", which reinforces the idea that they are unpredictable.

You and I were not there. I am sure the pepper spray lady has a different version. She'd probably say something like, 'I was on the trail, minding my own business as I always do, and have gotten into the habit of carrying pepper spray with me, since lots of people bring their dogs down there, and I've been attacked (or bitten, barked at, or snarled at) several times. Anyway, someone comes along with this mean looking dog, which seemed to strain at the leash to get at me. The owner didn't seem to care, so I had to pull out my pepper spray to protect myself'.

Why can't you give her the benefit of the doubt?

You don't have to hate dogs to respect humans.

[old soldier]

the key is to get your self some long range pepper spray and then when she pulls hers you do the same and it will be like the gunfight at the ok corral.

you can then be polite and suggest she have her doctor up her medication. it seems like she might be a little off and you can't eliminate the idea that today it may be pepper spray but tomorrow she might be packing a gun...crazy people are downright dangerous...

[bordercolliefan]

Yep, she's crazy... there's no sense trying to rationalize it. Normal people do not take a can of pepper spray out on a daylight walk.

The fact that you may "hate" something -- whether it be dogs, kids, bicyclists, baseball caps, or whatever -- does not give you the right to threaten other people. Suppose it were kids that she hated... we've all been approached by the unappealing tot who wants to tell us something or show us something. Would it be okay for Pepper Spray Lady to wave pepper spray in the parents' faces, warning them, "Keep your kid with his drooly face and sticky hands away from me!!!"?

[JMH]

To JDSilver, I asked my neighbor, who is a SWAT officer, how he would handle an incident such as this. He said to file a report with the local police - she is threatening you with bodily harm. The trails are public property and you should be able to enjoy them.

Take a camera phone or digital camera and get a picture of her next time. If she really is crazy then she doesn't need to be there trying to harm people.

And, Steve, I know about all of the irresponsible pet owners. But, this person didn't appear to be doing anything except trying to enjoy the day. The 'crazy' lady appears to be the aggressive one.

If she assaults you with the Pepper spray - press charges.

[DalOwnerX3]

Assault is exactly that -physical injury to one person by another. This doesn't qualify.

Sorry, but that's not true.

In legal terms, Assault is "An unlawful threat or attempt to do bodily injury to another". What you are thinking of is Battery, "The unlawful and unwanted touching or striking of one person by another, with the intention of bringing about a harmful or offensive contact." (source The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. )

[jagayman]

Take some pepper spray with you. Next time you see her, threaten to spray your dog if she comes too close.

With crazy people, you have to talk their language.

[Steve Heard]

I am really surprised at how many people accuse her of being crazy, yet no nothing about her other than that she is afraid of dogs. How do you know she hasn't been attacked in the past. Doesn't she have the right to enjoy the trails as much as the dog owner does?

Yep, she's crazy... there's no sense trying to rationalize it. Normal people do not take a can of pepper spray out on a daylight walk.

Yes, normal people do take pepper spray out with them. Daytime attacks happen all the time. My dad was a mail man, and as such was bitten numerous times. Each time, in the daytime, and each time the owner said it had never happened before.

Normal people also carry sticks, knives and guns on daylight walks.

It is a dangerous world. People have been attacked by dogs and assaulted by humans in broad daylight.

The fact that you may "hate" something -- whether it be dogs, kids, bicyclists, baseball caps, or whatever -- does not give you the right to threaten other people. Suppose it were kids that she hated... we've all been approached by the unappealing tot who wants to tell us something or show us something. Would it be okay for Pepper Spray Lady to wave pepper spray in the parents' faces, warning them, "Keep your kid with his drooly face and sticky hands away from me!!!"?

I don't know that lady, but it sounds less like hate and more like fear, although we know that fear can lead to hate.

When the drooly faced kid with sticky hands approaches you, you don't fear that he will go for the jugular, hump your leg, stick his wet nose in your crotch, or give you fleas (though you might expect him to give you a nasty cold).

Why is it so wrong for people who don't want dogs to not want dogs?

I have birds. I keep them clear of people who don't like, or are afraid of them. They fear them irrationally, IMO.

Why can't we just respect each other?

If I came across that lady, and I felt she was truly afraid, I'd probably apologize and promise to keep control of my dog.

[MikeinFolsom]

I like the post that refers to getting a bigger and better pepper spray canister. Make sure it has the longest range on the market. Standoff ranges are a deterent. Ask the Soviets during the cold wars. Our tanks couldl outshoot theirs by almost 1000 meters.

When she pulls hers, pull yours.....and see who twitches first. Then unload on her.

[tgianco]

Pepper spray will stop a dog, so it's unfortunate that she feels the need to pull it out and threaten someone, unless there was reason to believe the dog would get loose.

Typically, pepper spray would have a range of 15-20 feet with a solid stream. Using it w/o provacation is, I believe, a felony. It certainly is good for self-defense and for defending your own dog, although mine locked up on me when a bigger offleash dog attacked my dog.