[yorkietalkjilly]

I walk with a huge black umbrella that self-opens when I push a button. It is a big thing and impressive as it opens!
The thing I found most helpful to me about the open umbrella is the distance it will keep a troublesome dog away from our immediate vicinity. I have yet to have one ever get even remotely close to me and my baby with the trusty brolly fully employed. They either go the other way immediately(99% of the time), stand their ground if the owner is making them or give you a very very wide berth. They don't get close enough to or try to keep an aggressive attitude when they hear the umbrella whoosh open and see that imposing shape blossom open before their eyes. It is very disconcerting to any dog. It is a good diffuser of tense situations but should it not be, a sturdy or actual defensive umbrellas can serve as a real weapon should you actually run into a dog who is bent on attacking. When my little Jilly was attacked by a 65 lb. Dalmatian on a neighborhood walk, my walking stick(pre-umbrella) was how I saved her life and how I got her free of the big dog's jaws. It was after the attack that I decided to use a closed umbrella for future walks - even if I have no dog with me.
But the role an open umbrella best serves is just a dissolver of bad attitudes. Most approaching dogs aren't really bad, they just are excited and out of control and this tool helps them to settle down rather quickly and become serious about how they can best stay well clear of you, your dog and your umbrella. And it gives you a wonderful sense of security, which a dog can read from quite far off.
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