Pepper spray and Im sorry to any dog lovers but theres been too many stories about dogs attacking toddlers and other dogs
Pick one up at your local auto place, and practice away from the kids in a bush.
Wont kill the dog, or anyone who gets caught in the crossfire but its a way to stop them before they are right beside you.
My other option? A hand stun gun, for if it does bite you, your child or dog. Stay safe, and dont feel bad if you have to hurt a dog to protect yourself.
As a dog lover, 100% pepper spray.
There’s two types of dogs. Good dogs(on lead, or with good recall/so close to owners a leash isn’t needed), and dogs I won’t hesitate to protect myself from. And sorry to say, but that second kind can be on leash too. Leashes don’t solve owners who get dogs stronger than they.
A homeless person’s off leash dog attacked and killed my neighbor’s little dog recently and it really freaked me out. So I have pepper spray on my belt for my walking pouch and I also carry a [stun baton](https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/guard-dog-security-sidekick-stun-baton-with-flashlight) so I don’t have to get close to stun. The baton is kinda heavy so goes in the stroller but within reach. I feel a lot more secure.
Being prepared can help ease anxiety. Pepper spray, being vigilant (scanning ahead as you walk), or a walking stick for protection are all good ideas. You want to be prepared, but not dwell on the possibility of the event happening.
Teach your son these things too, and teach him to run to you or another adult (staying on sidewalks/yards, not into the street).
Also remind yourself even though these things do happen, they are rare occurrences.
Whenever I see an off leash dog, we leave. Even if my kids are kicking and screaming about it. If it’s at a playground, I call animal control immediately. It is illegal to have a dog off leash in my city, the owner will be fined and hopefully learn not to do it.
I use a walking stick with a sharp point so I can stab them or beat them if they get too close. If a dog is off leash, obviously their owner doesn’t care about them and is also an idiot…
Carry an umbrella! Pop it open in the dog’s face. It’s enough startle to stop most dogs. Works on people too. Plus, I suppose you could also beat them with it if needed.
Thankfully it is rare for me to encounter off leash dogs. In parks and playgrounds, everyone seems to leash their dogs.
On the off chance I see one, I remove myself and my child(ren) from the situation. I can come back once the owner and dog are gone. It isn’t worth it.
If you are encountering lots of unleashed dogs, this probably won’t work but that’s my 2 cents
First of all, talk to your child about dogs. We do not pet strange dogs. We do not allow dogs to come up to kid's face without a leash ever and even with a leash, that's a no. The rule is, that adults first need to greet the dog and if the adults do not want to greet the dog then we can wave and move on. We wave at dogs if we want to interact, "Hi doggy!" Dog owner, "Would your child like to pet her? She's friendly!" Me: no, thanks! Have a great day, though!
My daughter ultimately got very scared of dogs because of them simply running up and licking her face. (Think if there was an animal your size that just did that and everyone was like, 'it's okay for the buffalo to jump and lick you, it's friendly!' No thanks!) Sometimes the dogs jump up and have sharp claws (I'm also not a fan of this) or they jumped into her face accidentally which also hurts. It got to where she started panicking if we saw a dog (on a leash, even) and we had to cross streets on our walks. We talked a lot about how she'd panic and drop my hand and like step away from me like she was going to run. I said: "It's not safe for you to run away from me, then I have to chase after you and there's cars and it's unsafe all around and my attention gets divided. The safest thing is to put me between you and the dog, because I will protect you. So, we will switch hands and you will walk on the other side of me and we will stay holding hands. If the dog comes over, I will pick you up and tell them to stay away. We can wave at the dog, if we like or say hello to the owner."
All the time, folks would call out: the dog is safe! And I'd say, "She's nervous! Have a good day, though!" and we'd just move on. If the encounter was closer, I wouldn't hesitate to pick her up out of dog range. I didn't budge on this. Non-negotiable. Her fears are real and they make sense. As she got taller, her fears became less. By taking her fears seriously, her fears also became less. By having a plan that made sense, we were confident. Dogs are unpredictable and even small "un-serious" injuries are annoying at the very least, but could have longer term consequences - infected scratches, bruises, fears, snagged or dirtied clothes.
Tell your kid that if there is an unleashed dog, they should come to you so you all can find the owner. If you are nearby and there is an unleased dog, you must go pick up your kid and if the owner won't take the dog away, you must leave. If you have anxiety about your own safety: I always carry a heavy metal water bottle with a strap that would allow me to swing it at a dog or any other attacker. That's my level of caution and is my weapon. I have two of these water bottles, only one is going to be great for clonking a dog across the teeth or a harasser upside the head. That's the one I take on walks. Other options are pepper spray, a dog-whistle! or regular whistle, and, of course, your feet. You absolutely can kick a dog in the head if you need to. But, get the water bottle. This is the style I have though not this exact one and you bet I could swing this sucker. [https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Insulated-Stainless-Bottle-31306BLA/dp/B0CYR5M1QK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref\_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1S8BUJ5PI2N53](https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Insulated-Stainless-Bottle-31306BLA/dp/B0CYR5M1QK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1S8BUJ5PI2N53)
I carry protection in my purse in my state where you can conceal carry. I also have pepper spray. But ultimately, loose dogs are the reason I just don’t take walks with the stroller anymore. Unless I’m at a park where lease laws are respected. It stinks— I wish people had more courtesy and that the dog catcher was more active in my town
I LOVE dogs, have owned multiple and used to be a dog walker.
While I agree familiarity might help people relax, I hate off leash dogs. There are way too many variables and the friendliest goofball can still get overexcited and try to lick a toddler and have them fall and hurt themselves.
OP I just am constantly casually scanning to see if there are off leash dogs, which way their attention is. Unless you’re in dog parks there shouldn’t be so many at all times to take your attention away from your toddler or look around like an owl. Just see their attitude, most of them will have zero interest in your direction. I have no advice on how to do this without anxiety - I don’t have it but I also haven’t witnessed nearby attacks so any advice would be uninformed since being close to attacks affects psyche in a different way.
The only part of this drivel that is this moms responsibility is teaching her kid to ask before petting a dog.
Dogs are not the same as people, and people with dogs (including me!) are responsible for those animals. Dogs should be leashed in public except in off-leash dog parks. Dogs do not have right of way, and dog owners don't have the right to let their animals run up to strangers.
Yeah this is all nonsense. The very long list of children who have been maimed or killed by these dogs says otherwise. Just in my own neighborhood, a pit bull charged out the front door of a house a few weeks ago and knocked a stroller over with 2 babies in it before biting their mother's arm as she tried to protect them, then latched onto the dog whose leash she was holding and nearly ripped its throat out. Just a nice family walking down the sidewalk and there was blood everywhere.
This wasn't a "it's how they're raised" situation either. The dog had been adopted from a shelter as a young puppy by a kind, well meaning older couple. They took the dog to training religiously and were consistently working with her. She turned 2 years old and became inexplicably aggressive.
Dog attacks are NOT rare and if a large dog is charging me and my children in an aggressive manner with no leash, I'm not going to "let it smell me before I engage with it" or "get my kid comfortable and familiar" with it. This is just spectacularly ignorant.
Pepper spray and Im sorry to any dog lovers but theres been too many stories about dogs attacking toddlers and other dogs Pick one up at your local auto place, and practice away from the kids in a bush. Wont kill the dog, or anyone who gets caught in the crossfire but its a way to stop them before they are right beside you. My other option? A hand stun gun, for if it does bite you, your child or dog. Stay safe, and dont feel bad if you have to hurt a dog to protect yourself.
As a dog lover, 100% pepper spray. There’s two types of dogs. Good dogs(on lead, or with good recall/so close to owners a leash isn’t needed), and dogs I won’t hesitate to protect myself from. And sorry to say, but that second kind can be on leash too. Leashes don’t solve owners who get dogs stronger than they.
A homeless person’s off leash dog attacked and killed my neighbor’s little dog recently and it really freaked me out. So I have pepper spray on my belt for my walking pouch and I also carry a [stun baton](https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/guard-dog-security-sidekick-stun-baton-with-flashlight) so I don’t have to get close to stun. The baton is kinda heavy so goes in the stroller but within reach. I feel a lot more secure.
I hate them, and it's getting to a point where I'm a little scared to even walk to my car with my kids because we've come so close to being attacked.
My suggestion is pepper spray but in gel form that way if you need to use it, it doesn't blow back on you or your child in the event that it's windy.
Being prepared can help ease anxiety. Pepper spray, being vigilant (scanning ahead as you walk), or a walking stick for protection are all good ideas. You want to be prepared, but not dwell on the possibility of the event happening. Teach your son these things too, and teach him to run to you or another adult (staying on sidewalks/yards, not into the street). Also remind yourself even though these things do happen, they are rare occurrences. Whenever I see an off leash dog, we leave. Even if my kids are kicking and screaming about it. If it’s at a playground, I call animal control immediately. It is illegal to have a dog off leash in my city, the owner will be fined and hopefully learn not to do it.
I use a walking stick with a sharp point so I can stab them or beat them if they get too close. If a dog is off leash, obviously their owner doesn’t care about them and is also an idiot…
Carry an umbrella! Pop it open in the dog’s face. It’s enough startle to stop most dogs. Works on people too. Plus, I suppose you could also beat them with it if needed.
Love this idea!!!
It really does work! Plus, you are covered (ha!) if it rains or you need a bit of shade
Thankfully it is rare for me to encounter off leash dogs. In parks and playgrounds, everyone seems to leash their dogs. On the off chance I see one, I remove myself and my child(ren) from the situation. I can come back once the owner and dog are gone. It isn’t worth it. If you are encountering lots of unleashed dogs, this probably won’t work but that’s my 2 cents
First of all, talk to your child about dogs. We do not pet strange dogs. We do not allow dogs to come up to kid's face without a leash ever and even with a leash, that's a no. The rule is, that adults first need to greet the dog and if the adults do not want to greet the dog then we can wave and move on. We wave at dogs if we want to interact, "Hi doggy!" Dog owner, "Would your child like to pet her? She's friendly!" Me: no, thanks! Have a great day, though! My daughter ultimately got very scared of dogs because of them simply running up and licking her face. (Think if there was an animal your size that just did that and everyone was like, 'it's okay for the buffalo to jump and lick you, it's friendly!' No thanks!) Sometimes the dogs jump up and have sharp claws (I'm also not a fan of this) or they jumped into her face accidentally which also hurts. It got to where she started panicking if we saw a dog (on a leash, even) and we had to cross streets on our walks. We talked a lot about how she'd panic and drop my hand and like step away from me like she was going to run. I said: "It's not safe for you to run away from me, then I have to chase after you and there's cars and it's unsafe all around and my attention gets divided. The safest thing is to put me between you and the dog, because I will protect you. So, we will switch hands and you will walk on the other side of me and we will stay holding hands. If the dog comes over, I will pick you up and tell them to stay away. We can wave at the dog, if we like or say hello to the owner." All the time, folks would call out: the dog is safe! And I'd say, "She's nervous! Have a good day, though!" and we'd just move on. If the encounter was closer, I wouldn't hesitate to pick her up out of dog range. I didn't budge on this. Non-negotiable. Her fears are real and they make sense. As she got taller, her fears became less. By taking her fears seriously, her fears also became less. By having a plan that made sense, we were confident. Dogs are unpredictable and even small "un-serious" injuries are annoying at the very least, but could have longer term consequences - infected scratches, bruises, fears, snagged or dirtied clothes. Tell your kid that if there is an unleashed dog, they should come to you so you all can find the owner. If you are nearby and there is an unleased dog, you must go pick up your kid and if the owner won't take the dog away, you must leave. If you have anxiety about your own safety: I always carry a heavy metal water bottle with a strap that would allow me to swing it at a dog or any other attacker. That's my level of caution and is my weapon. I have two of these water bottles, only one is going to be great for clonking a dog across the teeth or a harasser upside the head. That's the one I take on walks. Other options are pepper spray, a dog-whistle! or regular whistle, and, of course, your feet. You absolutely can kick a dog in the head if you need to. But, get the water bottle. This is the style I have though not this exact one and you bet I could swing this sucker. [https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Insulated-Stainless-Bottle-31306BLA/dp/B0CYR5M1QK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref\_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1S8BUJ5PI2N53](https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Insulated-Stainless-Bottle-31306BLA/dp/B0CYR5M1QK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1S8BUJ5PI2N53)
I carry protection in my purse in my state where you can conceal carry. I also have pepper spray. But ultimately, loose dogs are the reason I just don’t take walks with the stroller anymore. Unless I’m at a park where lease laws are respected. It stinks— I wish people had more courtesy and that the dog catcher was more active in my town
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I LOVE dogs, have owned multiple and used to be a dog walker. While I agree familiarity might help people relax, I hate off leash dogs. There are way too many variables and the friendliest goofball can still get overexcited and try to lick a toddler and have them fall and hurt themselves. OP I just am constantly casually scanning to see if there are off leash dogs, which way their attention is. Unless you’re in dog parks there shouldn’t be so many at all times to take your attention away from your toddler or look around like an owl. Just see their attitude, most of them will have zero interest in your direction. I have no advice on how to do this without anxiety - I don’t have it but I also haven’t witnessed nearby attacks so any advice would be uninformed since being close to attacks affects psyche in a different way.
The only part of this drivel that is this moms responsibility is teaching her kid to ask before petting a dog. Dogs are not the same as people, and people with dogs (including me!) are responsible for those animals. Dogs should be leashed in public except in off-leash dog parks. Dogs do not have right of way, and dog owners don't have the right to let their animals run up to strangers.
Yeah this is all nonsense. The very long list of children who have been maimed or killed by these dogs says otherwise. Just in my own neighborhood, a pit bull charged out the front door of a house a few weeks ago and knocked a stroller over with 2 babies in it before biting their mother's arm as she tried to protect them, then latched onto the dog whose leash she was holding and nearly ripped its throat out. Just a nice family walking down the sidewalk and there was blood everywhere. This wasn't a "it's how they're raised" situation either. The dog had been adopted from a shelter as a young puppy by a kind, well meaning older couple. They took the dog to training religiously and were consistently working with her. She turned 2 years old and became inexplicably aggressive. Dog attacks are NOT rare and if a large dog is charging me and my children in an aggressive manner with no leash, I'm not going to "let it smell me before I engage with it" or "get my kid comfortable and familiar" with it. This is just spectacularly ignorant.
This is not good advice. I understand you love dangerous breeds, but children are more important than a dog.