I'm totally going to vent right now!!!! I swear one of these days I'm going to punch somebody in the face (lol). Why OH why must people let their dogs out off leash? Or take them to the park off leash? Mind you there's a HUGE sign that says that dogs must be kept ON LEASH at all times!

I leave the house and half a block down I see a girl with her BIG dog loose outside the house. So, ok, I turn around and go the other direction towards the park by my house. On the way there there's another lady with her yorkie hanging out by the door. Luckily i crossed the street and they didn't notice it. Fine, get to the park to encounter another 2 loose dogs. I had to go other direction to avoid those as well. It's like an obstacle course avoiding loose dogs!

IT'S SO NOT FAIR!!!
As if it isn't enough that I'm working real hard on walking Mya and Kody together. Waiting 10min for Kody to calm down before leaving the house, then getting dragged down the street for the first 5-10min, with my hands about to fall off from holding 105lbs of husky power (mind you I'm 5'1 & 112lbs!), avoiding cats and squirrels, making them SIT and WAIT when crossing streets, etc. THEN I have to deal with this BS!

What am I supposed to do if a dog runs up to them both? With one of them only I can probably do something about it, but both of them together. Umm, don't think so. That will turn into a 3 dog fight for sure!

I'M SO MAD RIGHT NOW! Ok, I'm done..lol

I totally feel your pain. I hate that with a passion. My favorite line is "oh don't worry he's fine, he won't hurt you" Even though I know my Frankie, I always respond with "well I can't say the same for mine so please get your dog". I did curse someone out once when her unleashed mutt made me wipeout while biking with Frankie on th walky dog. Oh man she got an earful from me.

This is why I started carrying pepper spray with me on my walks. I will protect my baby.

I hate idiot dog owners!!

Sorry to hear about the frustrating night, Melissa. I know EXACTLY how you feel right now.

This happens to us ALL the time too! People are so stupid and annoying! I now carry THIS


and am not afraid to use it. Thinking of upgrading to pepper spray too!

HAHA pepper spray! love it
Yea to go along with you Melissa these people that live next door have this mean dog and they NEVER leash it! and I was coming back from a walk with Abby that stupid dog came into our yard and attacked my dog I WAS SO MAD. The worst part was the owners were just watching their dog i was like come get your dog! it took everything in my not to kick that dog!

A couple months before that we were doing yard work and we had Abby on a leash the dog walked over in our yard again and started attacking our dog! We keep calling animal control but they won't do anything and the people next door claim their dog is "trained" yea right.

It is annoying because when I take both dogs out i have to carry Shelby and walk Abby until we get away from the house so the dog won't bother them. I think Abby bit it because it doesn't come attack her anymore LOL

My husband thinks I'm stupid to put myself between our dogs and the attacking dogs, but the vet is more expensive than my HMO copay. Plus, I'm a lot bigger than my dogs, and me yelling/waving arms tends to scare off the offending dogs.

Brittany, can you file a police report about their dog?

Oh man, don't get me started on this one! I just want to slap those people who feel its their right to have their dog off leash even though they damn well know their dog will run after other dogs!

Last year I was attacked by two loose dogs when I was out walking both dogs by myself. They both went for Kitty, but I must have gotten some super strength because I kicked both of those dogs so hard that one ran off and the other backed off. They were not small dogs either, a boxer and a st. bernard mix. Luka helped too! She did the side bite. I was so proud.

I now carry pepper spray and if I remember to grab it, a knife too. I would do anything to protect my girls. Don't underestimate your own strength Melissa! I'm about the same height and weight and I still managed to fight off dogs. I know you would be able to do it if your babies were in danger. I would still highly recommend pepper spray though!

Melissa, have u thought about getting a walking leash to take them so u have free hands and don't have to worry about lossing them?
We all know how I feel about loss dogs, I will kick and fight back.

Stupid dog owners...

These boots are made for more then just walking. No mercy, I'm tired of fending off loose critters.

Yeah I agree with the copay comment plus you can sue the idiots later.

I'm totally going to get some of that Spray Shield and/or pepper spray this weekend. I would like to carry a stick with me also, but how when I have a dog in each hand. Unfortunately I can't hold them both with one or my arm with be ripped off (lol) or I'll have a lost doggie

I too would definitely get in the way to prevent a fight, but since my dogs walk me (lol) they're always up front. It would be hard to get ahead of them especially with another dog coming up to them. I know for a fact that Mya will fight nasty! One of my main worries is that a) I wouldn't be able to do anything since I don't have a free hand and b) that one of them will get loose.

TOTALLY SUCKS!

Get a walking leash, or a canicross belt or skijoring belt or something, with a quick release. Quick release so if you have to cut them loose, you can, but at least you'll have hands free.

I'll get in between the threat and my 2 to protect them for the exact reasons as Len states and the copay for myself vs. vet bill for them.

Try a coupler too - it's sooo much easier to just manage one leash! Plus, they tend to walk better on it - since if one tries to go off and sniff, the other keeps walking and snaps them back to the middle. Plus, I always have one hand free, with no possible leash tangling/dropping. And, if I had to set them free, I know Chili is a huge anchor on Frosti - so she won't get far (she's the runner...)

(off topic : Look at their cute pants! )

Those are some pretty cute pants!
I've wanting to try my neckline with my 2 now that I got Storm walking really nice on the leash.

I so wish I could use one of those! I recently bought the EZDog cujo leash and it gives you the option to attach both extensions to one handle (forming the V), but my little princess Mya is a total DIVA and isn't too fond of Kody walking right next to her. She gets all pissy and growls at him or tries to attack him I'm working on it with her and she has gotten a bit better, but definitely not ready for that yet

Claudia, I looked up the Canicross belt and that would be SO AWESOME! Same issue though...they're right next to each other. Mya I tell ya!!!

MelissaI wrote:

Claudia, I looked up the Canicross belt and that would be SO AWESOME! Same issue though...they're right next to each other. Mya I tell ya!!!

Could you have one on a regular lead and the other attached to the belt? That would space them out so you don't have to worry about Mya while also leaving you with one free hand.

This is what mail deliverers use.

http://www.halt.com/halt.html

It works and on two legged interlopers as well. Years ago when I was in college, I had a summer job in the USPO.
There was a sick, sadistic mail person who hated all dogs. He loved to spray dogs who weren't attacking, just sleeping or minding their own business with Halt. Then he'd come back to the PO and tell us "I got one."

One day, before his usual route, he had to deliver a special delivery letter to a house that had an English sheepdog. He told us before he left that he was going to "get" the dog. The truck he drove out to his attack had right hand drive because it was used on a rural route with mailboxes.

His plan was to drive up, incite the dog from the truck, spray him in the face and then throw up the sliding window. Because it was a right hand drive truck, he was spraying with his left hand and using his right to throw up the window. He was right handed and his timing was off. The window was on the way up when he sprayed. The pepper spray kicked back and hit him in the eyes. The guy's face was all swollen and he had to go home for the afternoon. The rest of us in the PO thought it was wildly funny and a great example of karma!

Huskyluv wrote:

MelissaI wrote:

Claudia, I looked up the Canicross belt and that would be SO AWESOME! Same issue though...they're right next to each other. Mya I tell ya!!!

Could you have one on a regular lead and the other attached to the belt? That would space them out so you don't have to worry about Mya while also leaving you with one free hand.

I thought they could add another hook/tie on the other side so you could have each on one side of you?