Dogs

[jonhd]

... the not-particularly-friendly type with not-particularly-intelligent owners! Had an encounter with a large Rottweiller a couple of days ago, at West Wood (Farley Country Park, near Winchester). As I returned to where my car was parked, at the end of a long track, I saw a woman hanging-around by the parking area, with said dog. I guess she was waiting for someone to turn-up, as she wasn't going anywhere.

When I finally reached the parking area, the woman muttered something along the lines of "you shouldn't just be walking around like that"(!), immediately followed by the dog snarling and making a lunge at me (from 3 metres away - I wasn't walking towards the woman, but obliquely towards my car, the other side of the gate that she had plonked herself next to). She held on to it's lead, and it started dragging her along over the gravel, towards me. It was making a lot of noise! So, I just carried-on walking at the same pace, not looking at them directly, towards my car. Got in the car, with them still some way away, so not too close a call. The woman was in her 50's/60's, and quite obviously not strong enough to restrain the dog for long...

This follows an encounter with a couple & their Alsatian, last year. Again, the dog was leashed, but the owner seemed completely unconcerned, whilst the thing was up on it's hind legs, straining at the leash, barking & snarling, less than a metre away from me.

What irks me about these dog owners is their flagrantly anti-social attitude (to their fellow walkers).

When I got home, and mentioned what had happened, to my wife, she suggested I take pepper spray with me, when I go out butterflying. Seems a bit extreme to me! Any practical suggestions? I'm talking about big, angry dogs, barely under control - it doesn't seem to me to be an option to hang around, and engage the owners in conversation!

Cheers, Jon

[millerd]

I sympathise, Jon, having had similar encounters every year - I've stopped mentioning them in my posts for risk of sounding monotonous. I was told off by an owner of a threatening dog once for daring to carry a newspaper ("he can't bear people holding a paper"), and was surrounded earlier this year at a well-known site by no less than five large dogs with no owner in sight. When she finally appeared and I protested at the lack of control, I was told that it was my fault for being there in the first place as I "wasn't from round here".

Even if the animal is "just being friendly" as is so often alleged, I do not want to be licked, slobbered on, barked or growled at, showered with filthy pondwater, and nor do I relish finding myself kneeling in urine-soaked grass (or worse) whilst watching a butterfly at close quarters. I know the argument is that it is the minority of owners that are at fault, but I have to say experience tells me otherwise, and that ultimately very few owners can prevent their unrestrained or ineffectively restrained pets from approaching other people. And of course, the extreme is nearer to your experience where the animal verges on being a loaded weapon.

Pepper spray might work, but could be classed as an offensive weapon in itself, unfortunately.

Dave

[jonhd]

Blimey, Dave. I guess, by the very nature of what we do - wandering around the countryside, often solo, carrying stuff like cameras, tripods, binoculars, stopping to inspect brambles (i.e. acting suspiciously!), etc. - everyone on this estimable site of Pete's will have had similar experiences.
And, from your final para., it would appear that it's the legal aspects of what one can / cannot do, that I'm asking about. Any lawyers about?

Jon

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Jon

Just seen your pm. What can I say, I have also encountered all of the above. The one that particularly annoys me is dog slobber on the trousers The owners generally give me the impression that they think if we are out doing what we do we should expect to be barked at, jumped on, slobbered on or worst of all bitten. Then there is the over inquisitive dog that comes over to investigate just as you have the perfect shot lined up on an aberrant Purple Emperor (or similar )

Whilst out walking around my local patch near Botley recently a large Rottweiler type dog came bounding out of somebodys drive and down the road past me, completely unrestrained. It did not bark or attack me, but I felt intimidated enough to, rather than walk back past this particular location, walk the long way back an extra couple of miles or more. After which I was knackered.

A couple of seasons ago my son was playing a football match at Fleming Park. In the middle of the game a large dog ran on the pitch, seemingly without an owner, and did an equally large 'job' almost exactly on the centre spot The match had to be stopped whilst a clear up operation was mounted, after which the owner arrived.

I am not a dog lover.

[jonhd]

Paul - join the (not a [unrestrained] dog lover) club!

Jon

[Paul Wetton]

I reckon around 50% of dog owners when out commit some sort of offence in our eyes. Either "Jobs" unrestrained dogs or nasty dogs.

Dogs for some reason do not like large tripods and tend to bark at me quite often.

I say get a big, angry dog, barely under control gun but then shoot the owners. Joking apart I tend to try and find spots where dog owners don't take their animals, normally a certain distance away from the car parking area as most are too lazy to walk past a certain distance.

At Fermyn Woods this weekend where "jobs" can be useful for attracting Purple Emperors, The main ride was covered in the stuff along Cherry Lap but at a much further distance from the car park in Lady Wood barely a turd in sight.

Good luck to all and hopefully no more nasty dog encounters.

[Susie]

Don't blame the dogs, it's the owners at fault.

[Matsukaze]

One thought I had had for identifying a fellow lepidopterist in the field is that they would be someone whose dog takes a straighter line across a flowery meadow.

[Bill S]

Blimey, Dave. I guess, by the very nature of what we do - wandering around the countryside, often solo, carrying stuff like cameras, tripods, binoculars, stopping to inspect brambles (i.e. acting suspiciously!), etc. - everyone on this estimable site of Pete's will have had similar experiences.
And, from your final para., it would appear that it's the legal aspects of what one can / cannot do, that I'm asking about. Any lawyers about?

Jon

Not a lawyer, but have you ever seen pepper spray for sale in the UK? That should tell you all you need to know.

Regards

Bill

[red dog]

I am a keen lepidopterist and a dog owner (Japanese Akita) I understand your concern about unruly dog's and there owners.
I take my dog everywhere I go and always keep him under control and have had no problems.
So please remember Not all dog owners are bad.

PS here is a photo I took of some butterflies on a dog turd in Lady Wood 17/7/2013

[Susie]

That's an amazing image!

[jonhd]

To all lepidopterist dog lovers(!): of course, it's down to the owners, not the animals themselves - no argument with that.

To bring things back on track (a bit), I really only wanted to try & elicit any (legal, socially acceptable) ideas or strategies that some of you may be able to offer, either to defuse the situation, or offer a sure-fire 'escape route'. Hypnotism, anybody?!

Jon

[Susie]

Take some dog treats with you. Say a firm 'sit!' to the offending pooch. Throw dog treat away from you and run away.

[red dog]

[quote][/Take some dog treats with you. Say a firm 'sit!' to the offending pooch. Throw dog treat away from you and run away.]
Good advice but Never run away because the dog will just chase you walk away and keep an eye on the dog.

[P.J.Underwood]

It is quite easy really.You just have to learn to talk to them in their own language-as I did to make them friendly in the surgery.It works out on walks.Try it-and see the owner's reaction!!!
P.J.U.

[jonhd]

Dear P.J. Underwood - I think that may be a bridge too far, for me. However, as a schoolboy, I thoroughly enjoyed the Dr. Dolittle books. Surely, you're not suggesting there is a canine lingua franca? I had presumed that different dogs (breeds?) would 'talk' different languages. Finally - there's only so much time! As a self-confessed linguaphobe, I fear that learning 'Dog' (and it's dialects) may take me a rather long time...

Susie - I think you've illustrated one of my concerns, with your suggestions. What 'doggie treat'? Surely, that varies from pooch to pooch (hound to hound)? You suggest running away, red dog says running away is the last thing you should do. My point being that the advice for taking palliative measures is going to vary. And, when a large rottweiller is dragging it's ineffective human payload towards you, I found that there wasn't much time for experimenting with alternative strategies!

Are there any kind of 'distraction strategies', perhaps? "Oh, look - over there, behind you..." (in doggie language, of course).

Actually, I think I've already reached a conclusion (and thanks everybody for your suggestions): in 'emergency' circumstances, you don't negotiate (with dog or owner); you simply do your best to effect an exit, hoping that it doesn't result in a savaging.

Cheers, Jon

[Ian Pratt]

We have a very friendly 10 year old black Labrador. Two and a half years ago he was attacked and almost killed by our neighbours two Rottweilers. He needed over £400 of vet's fees to sew him back together. Remarkably he appears to have weathered the attack very well . In this case the owner has at least 4 Rottweilers which she keeps for "security" purposes and when the attack took place our dog was on a lead on a public footpath and the other dogs were running free! The police and dog warden were less than helpful in doing anything about the attack and we were given the choice of either prosecuting the young girl who had "control" of the dogs or forgetting it. We wanted the police to prosecute the owner but they would not.
Despite this, my view is that over 90 % of dog owners are responsible , but the other 10 % are a nightmare.
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is the relevant statutory provision- see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/65/contents See section 3 particularly regarding dogs out of control in a public place.
Ian

[jonhd]

Thanks for that, Ian.

Jon

[Susie]

Oops, my previous post was supposed to have a on the end as was firmly tongue in cheek.

[Debbie]

I really hope that nobody gets hurt, and I have also had experience of a verbally abusive dog owner last year, as well as the scare of a out of control dog. (Why of why do dog owners not respect your space)