Chewie attacked by 2 dogs. Advice on self-defence?

[Kimmy & Chewie]

What a traumatic start to Valentine's day. Chewie was attacked by 2 dogs on our walk this morning :(

Every morning I take him for a walk down our street and there're these 2 dogs which always barks (at anyone who walks by). One's a Jack Russell and the other a Spitz. They bark a lot from behind the fence/gate, but I never ever see anyone come and go from that house in the 2 years I had Chewie. I assumed no one lived there and dog is there to guard the place.

This morning, the (remote controlled) gate opened just as we walked pass. A car was backing out of the driveway. Both dogs came charging at me and Chewie. They looked really aggressive, so immediately carried Chewie off the ground. But both dogs surrounded me, jumping to take a bite at Chewie's dangling paws and tail, so I couldn't really get away. Chewie weigh around 22kg (44lbs) so I couldn't carry him for long and he was slipping out of my arms (butt first to the floor). I kicked the Spitz in the head...he was unfazed and kept charging.  At that time, the Jack Russell bit Chewie's tail, he yelped. So I turned to shout and shoo him away, but then the Spitz came in and bit Chewie's leg. Another 2 more yelps. I was on the verge of tears. So carried him up again. All the while, yelling and kicking at the dogs to go away.

Just in time, someone from the house came out and chased the dog back into the house. 

After a thorough check of Chewie, he's fine. No blood. His tail and legs were damp from the attackers drool. I think his thick fluffy fur protected him

I plan to walk with a stick from now on as this could happen again. But I just want to ask the group if there are other ways to better-handle incident. What to do, say or act in such situation?

 

[Pam & Trixie]

Im so sorry this happened to you & Chewie! I know how scary it is.
Our last dog was attacked when we were on a walk. I do not think that having Chewie on the ground would have kept the dogs from biting/attacking him. I am glad you were not bit though when you were holding him.

I would definately report the incident...Without a skin break...I dont know if they would call it bites/attack. But it needs to be reported...What if the dogs have done this before & it is on record...

I would also recheck Chewie over...Just because We didnt see the bites on our dog until 2 hours later & we had checked her over very good... thought the wet areas were saliva ...And then later found the blood (it was at night) It was a deep puncture wound - so maybe it wasnt bleeding right away.

I think a stick of some kind is a good idea. I also think a spray might be good too.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

One thing that works sometimes is a very loud "NO!  SIT!".  These dogs are peoples' pets so sometimes that's enough to snap them out of it and get them to stop. It's worked for me a few times - Luna seems to rub most boxers and pitbulls the wrong way...

I'm not a very big person, so I could never physically wrestle a dog off Luna... but my loudest angry teacher voice sometimes does the trick.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am so sorry this happened to you and to Chewie. Eve though you didn't see blood, if he yelped when he was bitten, it must have hurt him, so it sounds like those dogs did break the skin. I would double check those areas very carefully.

These dogs have morons for owners. I would definitely report this to Animal Control.

I think a lot of us have this problem. In any neighborhood, there is bound to be at least one irresponsible dog owner. We have had some out of control dog escape a house or a yard and charge JD on more than one occasion, but so far there has only been a lot of snarling and showing of teeth, no actual biting. I'm at a loss as to what to do myself. I do carry one of those miniature baseball bats and my phone so that I can call 911 in an emergency, but  that doesn't seem like enough if JD was really ever attacked, and there is no way I could pick him up, lol. I do avoid one particular street where I know there is a 90 lb American Bulldog who has jumped the fence, but I can't avoid every street in the neighborhood.

[Chelsie]

Before I got my goldendoodle, my Chorkie was attacked by a Jack Russel who was off leash. Eli was screaming basically and I was yelling at the dog to sit. The Jack Russel would not stop, even for her owners. I finally got my leg between her and Eli and she stopped briefly. I picked Eli up and she ran off to her owners. They came up and were sorry, but just had a sense of not caring about them. I demanded their dog's rabies info and vet's number. I also advised them to keep their dog on a leash if they can't control her. I haven't seen this dog off leash since, so I may have done some good there! Eli luckily was not injured, just his pride. I now carry the Halt spray on our walks. Sorry to hear this happened to Chewie...I would avoid that area as well, some dog owners are complete morons.

[Camilla and Darwin]

I'm so sorry that this happened to Chewie. I guess my best attempt would be to go tell the neighbors that if they let it happen again you will alert animal control about the bites. Whether or not you do... I think it may intimidate them into taking better control of their dogs.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Kimmy, I'm so sorry this happened to you and Chewie. I imagine it is just as emotionally damaging as it is physically damaging. I agree that Chewie could have some puncture wounds that would be hard to detect and also some bruising. Poor guy.  This is a concern for me too as there is no way I could protect Tara from a dog attack, especially from larger dogs. I've heard pros and cons of using pepper spray and one is that it doesn't work in the wind and you can easily end up spraying yourself or your dog.  I've been looking at these Zap Canes lately but I'm just not sure. They are walking canes with voltage used for protection.  They are actually illegal in some states. I'm not sure if they are available to you either. Many times dogs just come out of nowhere and you only have seconds to make your move.There may not be time to pull the spray out of your pocket and uncap it. This item would always be a at the ready.  Any one else heard any pros or cons about this type of item?

http://www.securityproductsamerica.com/products/stun-guns/zap-cane....

[F, Calla & Luca]

Not I.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

What a terrible thing to happen. I remember that Chewie was also attacked at the obedience class too some time ago.  I was with my Maltese on a walk once and the same thing happened. Because he was so small I actually held him above me.  Probably not the best thing to do but instinct takes over if you aren't better prepared with another strategy.  I do hope that Chewie is ok after such a fright and that there are better ways to protect our doodles from attack.

[Kimmy & Chewie]

Yes, that's right Nicky. He was attacked by an off-leashed labrador around June/July last year. Required 8 stitches under his right eye :(

Chewie is ok physically and mentally. I took him for a walk this morning (different route) and he was back to his happy-self :)

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

google search had quite a few articles- here is one suggestion: 

Water would likely be no match for a Pit Bull attack such as the one last week. So we asked Pawfun’s Holistic Dog Trainer, Anna Bettina Johnson, of Calling All Dogs what to do.

Anna says: Dog fights and even attacks happen. Whether we feel prepared to handle them or not, any time you take your dog somewhere other dogs are present you risk the chance that a dog fight or attack can occur. One important thing to keep in mind – dogs who are fighting and are interrupted will often re-direct. This is when people get hurt. That being said, these are the things that have worked for me in the past:

I understand that many people recommend carrying mace or pepper spray. I usually recommend a small squirt gun or spray bottle filled with straight white vinegar. Vinegar will sting when it hits the mucus membranes (eyes & nose), but will not cause any permanent or long-term damage to the animals. Usually it is enough of a distraction that you can separate the animals. [Pls note: If you elect to carry pepper spray, make sure you try it out in a safe location so you know how it works in the event of an emergency!]

If you are by yourself, I do not generally recommend trying to break up a dog fight. It is simply too easy to get seriously hurt. Scream for help or pull out your cell phone & dial 911. But don’t try to get in between two dogs that are intent on doing damage.  

[Kimmy & Chewie]

Hmm. This is very interesting. Thanks Lori for the information. 

Since there are no HALT available for sale in Thailand, think I'm going to try the white vinegar squirt gun.

[Christine & Shelby]

I would report the incident to your local animal control (you and Chewie are probably not the first to have this experience).  It's completely unacceptable.  I'd also visit the owner of the dogs and discuss your concerns.  How the owner responds will speak volumes.  This is so upsetting.   When I think of a pepper spray - I just wonder how accurate it would be in that kind of chaos and would Chewie accidently get in the cross fire.

So sorry this happened and so thankful that Chewie is ok, although probably a bit traumatized.  The important thing is to get him back on a normal schedule asap... take your walk tonight or tomorrow morning as you normally would.