Situation Many of Us Could Find Ourselves
 

I don't have answers, but in his efforts to save his Yorkie, this gentleman died. Too tragic and too awful...But I think a lot of us would instinctively (not saying it's right or wrong) fight to save our little ones.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-37094526?ref=yfp

So sad. Years ago when my youngest son was about 4 years old he was attacked by a German Shepherd. The dog had always been kept chained and broke loose after lunging at neighborhood kids over and over. My son ended up in the hospital with huge lacerations all over his head. Thankfully his face was not scared.
The worst of it was that this poor neglected dog was put back out there to attack again. The law at the time, if you can believe it, was that a dog was not put down after one bite. Of course, the owner having a great deal of land and money had much to do with it I am sure.
Yes, I would try to protect my dog just as I did my son. Yorkietalkjilly taught me to carry a big umbrella when walking my little ones. Popng an umbrella open helps to startle the dog and serves as a shield as well.
There have been some sad stories of dog attacks here on YT. If nothing else I hope they warn others to always be prepared. There are just too many irresponsible dog owners.

This is why I won't walk my dogs. I am afraid of the other dogs that people don't and won't control.

Same here, I will NOT walk my Yorkie nor let him run free in the yard or even in a pen. Bigger dogs roam the neighborhood and elsewhere and can jump any fence. And I tell you right now if another dog tried to my dog then I will be forced to take the life of the bigger dog. I have been working out (martial arts) for the last 50 years so I don't need a weapon to protect my Yorkie. Then I would probably put on my ninja outfit and "visit" that other dog's owner. Justice will prevail. I know of two incidences here in Massachusettes where a bigger dog killed a smaller dog. ug

It's up to us to watch out for and protect our little canines, cuz Lord knows you cannot expect others to behave responsibly...I opened a thread awhile back about my scare with an Akita (think it's entitled 'will never ignore my instincts again'). Anyway, I like your style, Milosopher. Ya wanna move to Nevada and live on my street? Talk about feeling safe!!

When I take my girl to walking it's usually at places I think there won't be any problems (don't usually have other dogs), but of course this is no guarantee. I don't walk her in the summer since it's waaay to hot here, even for me.
When I do walk her, I plan to take a pepper/mace spray with me, just incase. If it comes down to it, to protect my yorkie and myself, if I can't scare them off, I'll take out the dangerous dog any way I can.
She's quite literally a fat/fluffy marshmallow that thinks she can be tough alot of times by growling and barking (I've had people be amused by her >_<). She also has knee issues so sometimes she'll "scoot" when it's a short distance. So yea, she's capable of running only so fast for a short time. So I'm a bit overprotective of her x.x

My very nasty neighbor's very nasty pitbull attacked an older gentleman and his very old dog who were simply walking on the bikepath we live next to.
Deputies told this creep he had to "get rid of" it, which look him three weeks to do.
They did not bother to take the dog from him.
Two weeks later he got another larger one. It's NEVER on a leash. He doesn't even have a collar on it.
He parades up and down the road with it running around, proud as a peacock.
It took me very little time to realize Florida's law enforcement is VERY selective.
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Don't just get pepper spray.... buy bear spray!!!! I don't have confidence in pepper spray on an aggressive dog but I'm confident bear spray would do a much better job. If you are in FEAR of a dog attack I would use the strongest thing possible.

Some people are sick and demented to have such vicious dogs. They use those types of dogs to intimidate. Jmho

While bear spray sounds more impressive, from what I've read, some contain LOWER concentrations of pepper than human defense sprays. You really have to read what you're getting. Bear spray has an advantage in distance, but with that comes the disadvantage of size (they are bigger usually). Unfortunately, I've had to use pepper spray twice on dogs (the human kind). Fortunately, it's worked well in both situations and sent the aggressive dog running.

If it comes to hand-to-muzzle defense, drive your fingers into the dog's eyes (yes, small target, but at this point you are up close). Not too many animals (including humans) have the capacity to fight when blinded.

I hate to say those things as I hate to see a dog injured, but you gotta save yourself (and your dog).

Another Danger
 

I recently moved to large retirement community with lots of green spaces, trees, bushes and paths running through it...awesome for walking dogs. While doing just that, I started meeting some neighbors, a few told me to watch my dogs because coyotes had been seen in the neighborhood. I've lived in the same area for almost 15 years and never seen such a thing so I didn't totally believe it.

Unfortunately, it's true, while in my car, I saw one very near to my home out in broad daylight. I pulled over to the curb and honked my horn a few times. No fear, it just stood there and stared at me. It was so much larger than I would have expected.

Now I'm afraid to take both my Yorkies walking at the same time. I carry one of those horribly loud air horn things as the spray requires some ability to grab it and aim it in the right direction. Myself, like almost anyone else on this board, wouldn't think twice about jumping in to save my dogs.

Of course, I have noooo idea if the air horn would actually scare off a coyote. It's supposed to be able to be heard for a half mile. I worry that if I do have to use it, the incredibly loud sound could scare my dog or a neighbor to death.

It's a sad thing when wild animals are deprived of a place to live and hunt because their habitat is plowed up to build yet more homes. It seems no concessions are made for this at all. They are just left to starve. Their only small chance is to come into the neighborhoods to hunt.

Today I got into a verbal altercation with a dog walker who was at a leash free park. She judged that two of her crew was just playing, I disagreed and said you allowed things to escalate. We went back n forth like that several times, and finally I just said we each have our own opinion. I left immediately.

On the rare occasions I walk Cody I carry a can of wasp spray, it shoots a distance of 25 feet, yeah, I was told by a member on YT it is illegal to use, but, if a large dog is coming for my lil boy it will get sprayed. I live in a heavily wooded area, stray dogs come out of the woods, reason I don't walk Cody often. For all that use any kind of spray, just make sure the wind or breeze is at your back otherwise YOU will get the spray. I have a large back yard with only 4 foot high fence, I am ALWAYS in the yard with Cody, if a dog should jump my fence I would put myself between that dog and my boy, I would rather get bit up then have my baby killed.

:thumbup: My Mom is a Property & Evidence Officer with a Police Dept. One of the Officers told her years ago to carry wasp spray when she walks her babies OR when she goes for a walk alone as it works much better & travels a greater distance then mace or pepper spray. With mace & pepper spray, you have to waite for the culprit to be on top of you before it works. We carry Wasp spray as well, never heard it was illegal to use. Hmmmm, Maybe I'll just have to carry my Pistol instead then.

I had read an article where women were getting robbed in their office, they started using wasp spray as a means of defense because of the distance factor. What a GREAT idea for aggressive dogs. When the YT member wrote it was illegal. I did a google search for my state, and YES it is illegal, BUT, I STILL carry it. Whose dogs are these? why are these aggressive loose? They WILL get sprayed. I am NOT going to wait for a crazed dog to get 3 to 5 feet near my pup to use pepper or bear spray, I want to STOP that dog at a distance, give me time to scoop up my boy. I do not CARE if it is illegal.

I do not CARE if it is illegal. I'm with you 100%, Matese!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Tsk tsk I'm very sad about this incident. Poor guy he love his yorkie so much but can't imagine that he will die protecting his dog tsk tsk. That owner of the pitbull is very irresponsible we don't need to scare from dog because of this situation, every owner has their own responsibility to their dogs and that's a good key to improve their behavior and be more active on socializing. We know dogs are animal so we need to be careful and we are the one responsible for changing their behaviour. Especially to the dog that high risk aggression like pitbull.

These people with dogs like that will not keep them on a lead for one good reason , they use these dogs to intimidate and scare.Thats the same wherever you go in the world sadly.
I can fully understand all of your sentiments regarding your precious dogs , sadly all of your measures are illegal here in the UK , luckily my Yorkie is 20lb and is part of a pack of four , Cavapoo , Labrador and Germsn Sheppard.

If my 12 lb boy had your 3 as back up I wouldn't need my wasp spray lol.

I don't have a pack like that but it still might be wise to carry a baseball bat even with such a great group.

IKR? Sometimes at least some effort is better than no effort and alot of times the dogs may even listen better to the owners than to others. I've heard how dogs are attacking or messing with people just passing by and the irresponsible owners are either just standing by, doing nothing and just watching or taking amusement to the situation. Those kind, tick me off the most. I won't have any sympathy when it comes down to it.
But, I can have more leniency or even sympathy, if the owner shows true remorse and/or serious effort to prevent/stop the dangerous situation. Some kind of genuine effort, at least. I'd feel more inclined that it's an honest accident, as opposed to serious neglect or even down right maliciousness. Granted it won't stop me from doing what I need to do, but it'll make me more inclined to try my best to make the situation more positive for both our situation.
Now there are some owners that are well meaning but lack common sense X.x They are sometimes a bit more harder to figure how to handle, because they seem so naive or just so nice and innocent about dog/human body language that you just don't feel inclined to get firm with them >_<;; I've come across one such before.
I've had one little old, sweet lady have a puppy that will obviously be a much bigger dog later, not reign in/discipline this pup when it was pawing at my girl. At first my girl seemed curious and sniffing at the pup but when the pup got on hind legs and pretty much pawed at her and basically scratching at her, she was not a happy camper and began to snap at the pup X_x;;; I knew both dog and lady didn't mean any harm (she was trying to keep telling me that her pup was not trying to be mean), but at the same time both my body language (and tone) and my dog's should've tipped her off that we are not comfortable with her pup's behavior. I've even had a worker at the store we were in mentioned they don't believe she could handle that pup when it's older and much bigger.
I've had others that are very good about handling their dogs, like one that was bigger than mine, and my girl was looking up at them and was showing signs of a greeting (to me that's what I understood), but the other gave a low growl and we both immediately parted, with some apologetic words/body language to each other.

June of this year, Cody was on front deck that is gated, I was in front of my neighbors house talking to them, I hear Cody start to bark, I look over to see why. Coming up the road are 3 young kids about 12 or 13 yo, two of the kids were walking pit bulls. Cody's bark was getting more aggressive, I RAN to my house to get Cody inside, my concern was one lung these pit bulls would get loose from these kids. As I was "fast trotting" to my house I hear one kid (a girl) say "my dog eats that for a snack" REALLY!!! I get Cody in the house, then I get in my car and follow these kids, they lived 4 house apart from each other and 10 houses past my house, I went to the house of the girl that made that comment, told the mother what the girl had said, the mother says their dog is a genital dog not a fighter, I tell her of my dogs aggressive barking and could be a challenge to her dog, who could easily in one lung pull free from a young child. Her comment was "I'll worry about that if the time comes" I tell her now I see where your daughters attitude comes from, also threw in IF that time comes and it is my dog he will get sprayed with wasp spray that could blind the dog and came back home. Now when I am on my front deck I have the wasp spray on a table right in front of me. My drive way to the road is appox. 120 feet, enough time for me to get Cody in the house before any dog could reach my deck, I am sure I would never have to use the spray, but I feel I at least gave this mother food for thought of the possibility what COULD happen if her pit got away from a young child that would not have the strength to hold back an angry pit bull. This is how ppl are raising their children, to use pit bulls as a bullying method. I LOVE Pit Bulls, beautiful animals, it is people's attitude such as this ladies, and children that hear how the parents talk that cause Pit Bulls to be banned from many housing communities.

A second person has been killed in the Uk this week by a pitbull type dog , this time a 3 year child in London.
There are not many Breeds of dog I dislike , Pitbull types are the one I'm truly wary of , even being the owner of a RAF Police dog.

OMG how very,very tragic.

Very very tragic but again every time I read about these type of incidents it's caused by people having the wrong type of dog for their abilities or situation and it ends in tragedy.
I'm a new Yorkie owner hence joining this forum to learn more about the breed , but I've been brought up with German Sheppards all my life and have one as my work dog.
I know how dangerous these dogs can be if they are not trained correctly and pitbull type dogs are just the same.

Sadly people under estimate the power and potential savagery of a dog , and the bigger the dog the worse it can be.
Having been taken down by a dog in training exercises I can testify it's not a pleasant experience even with the protective clothing and face masks.
With certain breeds comes far greater responsibility which many ignore.

ANY/ALL large breed dogs have potential to be a danger. It is not the breed but the size of the dog. I know many Yorkies, Chi's, Shihtzus & so on that IF they were large dogs could/would kill someone without a doubt. Basically it boils down to 100% owner responsibility to train & socialize their pets. I would also like to add, I don't think it's EVER Ok when we are walking our little ones, to meet & greet on the sidewalk or anywhere else we may be walking our babies, with a larger dog that could cause serious damage or death to a little dog. When walking a dog, the dog feels it's responsible for the safety & well-being of not just its self but for the person walking it as well, as you ARE a pack member to that dog. Even the most docile dog can sense potential danger from another dog. Your dogs response may very well cause another dog to attack, even if the other dog originally had no plans to attack but now feels that your tiny dog is a threat to its human. So IMHO it is best to just stay clear of dogs larger then yours when on walks in whatever way possible.