Re: [pct-l] Sleeping bags and dogs

[Rebecca Williams <rebeccaw@ix.netcom.com>]

Oh, this is horrible. The whole thing. It's horrible
that someone has been attacted by a vicious dog, it's
horrible that someone had to use an ice axe to protect
themselves (for the dog & for the person defending themselves).

The issues are 1. why is the dog vicious? and
2. how to best protect yourself (and or your own dog) from
a dog like that. (AND most importantly
for dog owners ... do something to correct & prevent
that kind of behavior in your dog. If you can't then you
shouldn't own that dog, and you most certainly shouln't
put anyone else in danger.)

Luckily, I, have never had a personal
encounter with a truely vicous dog. But from the dog training
that I've done, read about & seen a little of ... here are some
useful things to know. (I'm no expert ... I just did my
homework when I got a dog.)

Dogs are pack animals & there is always a leader, ie. an
alpha dog. This is the most aggresive dog in a pack ... the boss,
so to speak. This same realtionship works with dogs &
people. When a family has a dog, that family is essentially
the dogs pack ... or if there is just an individual owner & the dog,
then just those two make up the the dog's pack.
And the owner must be "the alpha dog". The dog needs to know
that his/her owner is the boss ... not the dog. The dog can still
love his/her owner etc. but in the end the dog knows it has
to listen to it's owner & it WANTS to listen to its owner. ...

Some things I've read in term of dogs attacking other dogs
& how to stop a fight ... instead of intervening you should
throw a bucket of water at them / on them.  ...
(The water startles them long enough to restrain them.
I can certainly imagine that there are cases where this might not
work ... but it's supposed to be very effective.)
So, I don't know if this same appoach would work if a human
is being attacked by a dog. (And it's very likely that you
won't have a bucket of water strategically placed on the trail)
... Whatever you do ... show the dog
that you are the dominant one. If you act like a master ... the dog
is more likely to see you as a master ... what I'm really trying to say is
that dogs can sense when someone is "in control". I've been around
dogs that don't listen when given comands .. yet when I give
them a comand ... they listen ... and the owner says ... why?
In training my dog I learned about how dogs think and act.

When a dog goes to bite. Say "NO!" in a deep authoritative voice.
Almost growl the word NO! and do it very forcefully.
Also ... using a hand or a foot to pin the dog down from the neck,
behind the scull. (This is one of the ways mother dogs disipline their
young when they are out of line.)

Now ... for the owners of these vicious dogs. Please do something to
help them. ... Get books on training. Do some research & reading
on WHY dogs become aggresive etc. And the most important thing
in training a dog is consistancy. Dogs do not understand "sometimes"
they understand "always" & "never". And whatever you do ... be gentle
& loving with them in training .. using violence or pain to train them makes
them much more likely to be vicious. Anyone thinking of getting a dog
in your lifetime, keep in mind that the years as a puppy are very useful
in training. Vicious dogs are much like abused children. If they are hit
or beaten they are much more likely to become violent.

One last note ... even if you don't consider your dog vicous ... whatever
you want to call it. If you dog has ever bitten anyone ... besides in their
own defence ... then you have a dog that you need to work with.
If you have a dog that poses any physical threat to others (no matter how nice
he/she is to you) please do keep them home.

Thank you,
Rebecca Williams


Rich Calliger wrote:

> At 9:29 PM -0700 11/1/98, Roger Carpenter wrote:
> > Further, on my PCT hike in '96 I was attacked
> >several times by dogs, whose owners could not control their beasts.
> >Luckily, I had my ice ax to fend off the worst of these attackers.  I did
> >meet some nice dogs, too.  But dog owners who take vicious, uncontrollable
> >dogs into the backcountry are irresponsible.
> >Roger Carpenter
> >P.O. Box 651
> >Vancouver, WA  98666
> >
> >Secretary/Treasurer,
> >American Long Distance Hiking Association-West
> >http://gorp.com/nonprof/aldhaw/
> >
> >* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *
>
> well I don't want to start a flame war here--- but I agree..an ice axe on an
> attacking dog
> sounds very appropriate-- but I take  "police grade" p-spray and used it
> on two dogs that attacked me whoose owner was nowhere to be found..
> they were totally incapacitated-- I could have slain them on the spot
> and probably would have been justified...
>
> A note From karate- if you cannot calm the dogs verbally and are attacked, then
> squat down or knee to present the lowest profile to the animal..I carry
> my pepper spray in my fanny pack (6 ozs)  so it is reasonably handy as
> I have felt like a postman as my long runs invariable cross path with
> one or two dogs on a daily basis as well as on the trail...
>
> Leave the dogs home please..
>
> * From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *



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