So I walked my dogs today....

[Marinus 0]

Sometimes something happens to you that you need to share, immediately, and if not enough friends/family members are available that moment, total strangers (like you guys) are fine too.

It had drizzled all day, and late in the afternoon, just as I returned home from work, the sun came out. So I decided to take my Jack Russell Terriers Jan en Jaap (John and Jabe roughly translated) for a nice long walk in the woods. There they're allowed to walk without a leash, and since they're good with other dogs, play till they drop. I was only just in the woods or suddenly, out of the blue a black Labrador (?) ran up to Jaap, bit down hard in his back, lifted him off the ground, and started to shake. Then he let go, and Jaap was lying motionless on the ground. The attack was over in mere seconds and ended spontaneous.

Luckily I kept my head cool and first I started to examine Jake. There was no blood, and within seconds he started to move and shriek. Within a minute he was back on his feet, but limping and whining. I thought there might be a trip to the vet in the near future, so I politely asked the owner of the Labrador for her phone number, with the intention keep in touch, so her insurance could take care of the vet bill. I think that was rather reasonable. But the lady rather bluntly refused, claimed it was my own fault, because I had my dog unleashed. Like the attack wouldn't have happened if I would have had them on the leash. Anyway, there was a short discussion, between me, the lady and her friend who joint us in the meantime, and then they left, with the lady still refusing to take her responsibility.

Since I'm not the kind of guy that beats up middle aged women in the woods, even if I really feel like it, I thought that that was it. I couldn't make them give me the phone number without ignoring a couple of my more important moral standards. And then, finally I got pissed. The civilized kind of pissed, btw, I'm not the kind of person that loses his temper easily. Jaap by now looked like he would survive without grave injuries, so I picked him up. I thought "If you don't give me your phone number, I'll just follow you home, so I know where to send the bill, and when I'm at it, it'll come in handy when I'll report the incident to the police too." I kept my distance, 100 feet or so, to make it clear that I had no intention to intimidate.

We walked for a quarter of a mile or so, and then the ladies stopped where the path exits the forest. (The location is important because here the entrances to woods are usually blocked by boom barriers to keep motorized vehicles from going in. This one was too) I walked to them, making sure I didn't come too close, and then the ladies started to complain they felt really threatened. (Yes, a polite 180 cm 75 kg man holding a doggie in his arms is one of the most intimidating things two women could possibly ever face) I explained to them that they had nothing to fear from me, but that all I wanted was that the lady payed for eventual damage her dog had done. I also said I would stop following her if she handed me her phone number, like any decent citizen would have done right after the attack happened.

She now said that it was no ones fault because both dogs were unleashed, I in turn explained that while my dogs could be walked without a leash, the only safe way to walk her dog was on a leash and with a muzzle. Then the "intimidated" lady released her dog, obviously to intimidate me. That didn't work out to well for her. I've had a paper route in a rural area for years when I was younger. I had to deal with about 125 rowdy farm dogs on a daily basis, so I know how to handle aggressive dogs. As soon as the dog again went for me and/or my dogs, it took one (apparently very intimidating) growl from me. Two seconds later the dog knew what its rightful place was, shivering behind its owner with its tail between its legs.

Now the ladies became really nervous. The friend threatened to call the police. I replied that I was perfectly fine with that. I put Jaap on the ground, and waited. Nothing happened of course. And then the dog owner told me I would regret it if I wouldn’t leave. I asked politely if that was a threat. She said it was a promise and then started to elaborate what would happen to me. (Husband beating me up, the works) And then, suddenly I grinned, I wasn’t sure if I saw it coming myself, they surely didn’t, but what happened next was sweet.

There a lady whose dog had attacked mine was now threatening me while I had kept my cool for the whole time. Something snapped, I don’t use violence when I don’t have to, but I surely don’t appreciate to be intimidated. I took a couple of steps in their direction, shouted BOOOOO!!!!. It had exactly the effect I wanted. Both ladies fell silent and stumbled backwards with shocked, wide open eyes. What I didn’t think off was the boom barrier, but sure enough they backed right into it. The friend managed to stay on her feet, but the dog owner didn’t. She landed on her back with legs in the air in the mud.

There was an awkward moment of silence, in which I even forgot to laugh my ass off That actually came minutes later when I was walking home whilst giggling hysterically (teenage girl style probably). The lady now wanted my phone number for insurance thingies etc. I told her that if I was her, I would just follow me home to get the address. Then I looked down, and saw that Jaap was wagging his tail with a big fat dog grin on his face. I concluded that it was unlikely that he needed a vet any time soon, and walked home.

Jaap is lying next to me, his back is sore, and he does have a lot of scratches on closer inspection, and he seems to be a little shell shocked, but I think he’ll be okay. A good outcome because the attack looked very violent. I really thought I had lost him when it happened, but apparently he's a tough little critter.

THE END

[regulator 0]

Fantastic story my friend. I had a similar instance happen to me. When I had just gotten my miniature dachshund puppy, Kelsey a few years ago she wasnt much more than 4-5 lbs. My wife and I decided to take a walk around the corner and my wife had the leash and for some strange reason I suddenly insisted she give the leash to me. Not 60 seconds later my wife screamed PAUL!! I look behind me and there was two large pit bulls running at full speed directly at my puppy. I instinctly pinched the leash between my fingers and yanked kelsey up by the neck and into my arms just a second before they got to where I was. My wife jumped up in the tree and the dogs began circling me like they wanted to attack. I yelled at the dogs and now that my dog was removed from the equation the two agressive dogs ran to another old lady trying to get her lhasa apso into her front door...she almost made it and then the dogs grabbed her dog by the back and was pulling it outside while the lady was trying to get her dog inside. I did what I could...I ran full speed with Kelsey in my arms and did my best Adam Vinatieri field goal kick directly into the dogs chest. He screamed loudly and ran home with the other dog. Then I saw the idiot owner and proceeded to straight up curse her out...sorry but when my family is in jeapordy...I go into defense mode and go ballistic. Her neighbor thought she could get in a few pops by saying it wasnt the girls fault...then I proceeded to curse that lady out too. I'm pretty good at remaining calm but when I feel like I'm threatened...the switch comes on and the claws come out. But your story was wonderful. Great job remaining cool.


If either of those dogs had bitten my dog even once she would have died right in front of me and that was not an acceptable proposition.

[Marinus 0]

In my situation, there wasn't a direct threat to me and my dogs after the initial, At least, not something like two pit bulls in kill mode. But in more dangerous circumstances, especially if the danger is caused by stupidity, I've been known to be rather fluent in "French". Judging from your story you reacted adequate to the situation, and saved an old ladies dog in the process, so kudos to you.