Loose pitbull in my neighborhood!

This afternoon after I had my supper, I was here at my computer when I heard my dogs barking loudly at the patio doors, and when I went to look I saw thru my patio doors this huge scary-looking pitbull standing in my backyard! I was so upset, here I had just been outside with my two little dogs. Now I do realize that not all pitbulls are bad, and I love all breeds, but this dog was so large and massive, and he was loose, and I don't even want to know what may have happened had we been outside for one of our walks. I did call Animal Control to have them look for the loose pitbull after it left my area. So, now the problem is, I am afraid to take my dogs outside for a walk, heck, I am even worried about taking them outside to go potty. Maybe I should buy some pepper spray, I don't know. What a mess. I am going to talk to neighbors and ask if they've seen this dog and if they know who it may belong to. I do know that one of my neighbors encountered a large dog about a month ago, she has a small Poodle mix she takes out for walks, and she said this large dog acted aggressive when she ran into it on one of her walks and the hair on the other dog's back stood up. So this has me concerned, and I am going to ask her if it was the same dog I saw today. Anyone else ever have trouble with loose dogs while you are out with your Cavaliers? I'm not even sure what I would do if I were to encounter an aggressive dog on a walk with my two little dogs, all I know is I would pick both of my dogs up as fast as I could and hold them, but it worries me because dogs are so quick.

:yikes

Oh my god, how scary. I'm sure the poor thing will be picked up soon (or else it's vacated your 'hood by now). I know there are tons of people who like pitties, but uh ... :yikes I'm sooo not a fan. Sorry if I'm offending someone ... but eek!

I can imagine how frightening that was and is for you. I arrived home one day to find a beautiful irish setter in my driveway. It followed my neighbor home when she was walking her tiny yorkie. The setter made her so nervous that she picked her yorkie up in her arms and the setter kept jumping up at her as she walked. I pulled into my driveway as she was walking into her yard. Tucker saw the dogs, he was in my backseat, gave a bark, and the setter came to my car and jumped up at the back window. I couldn't tell if he/she was aggressive or friendly. I'm such a coward I sat in my car for 5 mins, the dog stayed, still jumping up at the window. Tucker was barking his head off. So I pulled out of my driveway and drove around for 10 mins. When I returned the dog was gone. I felt badly for not getting out of my car and looking to see if the dog had tags, but I felt nervous and couldn't bring myself to do it.

Renee, that's terrible :yikes - I would definitely get some spray! Might want to walk only one dog at a time for their safety. I would even consider driving my dogs someplace else to walk. I hope they catch the dog soon.

Joanne, I probably would have done the same thing! :shock:

I was thinking about doing that....driving the dogs some place else to go for our walks. I feel bad about the loose dog too, I really wouldn't want it to get hit by a car. Hopefully it just got loose and it was a one-time thing.

I used to live in a neighborhood where one guy would let his rottweiler off leash. :yikes I always drove my dog to a park so we could have a safe and peaceful walk.

That is what I'm going to do.....we're going to get in the car and drive to a park for our walks. Gosh, a loose Rottweiler, that is not good!

I am still going to try and find out where the dog lives though, there are little kids down the street from me, and a day care. Not to say it was a vicious dog, who knows yet. But, there is a busy highway just up the hill and I wouldn't want to see the dog get hit either.

I would be very angry :swear: Irresponsible dog owners infuriate me. And people who have scary looking dogs that are really nice, but still let them wander frightening other people come under the category of "irresponsible" in my books.

That would scare me to death! I know full well that not all pit bulls are aggressive dogs, but you hear enough stories that you never want to meet one roaming around by itself. Its owner is highly irresponsible.

When we first moved into our house, the woman across the street had two Dobermans that she used to allow to have free run of her property (for security, presumably). Problem was, the dogs thought the whole area surrounding their house and the street was their property. They resented our presence in our own driveway, and I had small children at the time that had to be put on and off the school bus every day. I spoke to her directly about them, got nowhere, and then called the dog officer--and finally she started to keep them in during the hours when the kids were getting on and off the bus. (Big whoop. They would still come up our driveway at other times when the kids would be outside playing.) Finally, after a couple of years, the dogs disappeared (I have no idea what happened to them--they may have been older) and they replaced them with a beautiful dalmatian that they never trained properly and who used to bark at us AND chase cars that came down the street. I nearly hit him myself a couple of times, coming home. I was able to make friends with him finally so I knew he was all bark and no bite. Thank goodness they moved eventually.

But some people just shouldn't have dogs. That's all there is to it.

I have become very weary of stray dogs (or just those not on leads for that matter).

Actually, I found out a few weeks ago that a colleague was attacked by a Pitbull in his neighborhood. (I thought he had hurt himself playing soccer :? )

It turns out he was jogging in his neighborhood with his daughter when all of a sudden a Pittbull attacked him. The dog bit off pieces of his leg and foot and they have to graft pieces of skin onto his leg. I was horrified. I have never heard of such a thing in my life! (I wouldn't really believe if he wasn't a colleague) He was out for over a month, then on crutches, then had a cane and is finally limping around. I bet it really scared his daughter. I didn't ask him, but it's my understanding the dog went home to its owner. :yikes

So, yes, be careful. You just never know what can happen when you are out walking, jogging, etc.

I know, it just drives me crazy how irresponsible some people are....and in the end the poor dog pays the price for its owners stupidity. And it may very well have been a friendly dog, but I didn't want to take that chance with my two little dogs.

I know how everyone feels about strays, especially big breeds wandering the streets.

A few weeks ago there was a big (i'm not sure what breed it was) male dog walking around our street - no owner in sight, it wasn't even wearing a collar, and it frightens me to think of what would happen if it got into our yard somehow.

Whenever i take Chester for a walk down near the beach, if i see a big dog off the lead, i automatically pick Chester up if i feel threatened, i would only let them interact if it was on a lead and the owner says that it's friendly.

I just don't like to take a chance, as you know how precious our cavvy's are to us!

i think it was a rotwiller, but it was years ago, we had one loose in our neighbourhood, my sister had been babysitting across the street and was walking home, and the dog chased her ontop of a car,
she eventually got away of course, but we had to call the police.
the police came and spent over half an hour trying to get this dog..who bit hte police officer (thank god he was wearing a tooth proof???? glove) ..i only veguly remmeber this happening, but im pretty sure the dog had to be tranqilized ..or something..they had to sedate it somehow...it was insane.

My gosh that mustve been frightening!!! i would be freaked out too! i know all pit bulls arent bad but all the ones ive heard of have been agressive

I used to live in a neighborhood where one guy would let his rottweiler off leash

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yeah i do too... once i was on a walk with my previous dog, Ally, and she barked at him...and he went crazy...he ran up to us and i didnt have time to pick her up so i was pulling at her (almost choking the poor girl) trying to get her away from the dog ...i got her behind me and the rottweiler jumped on me and knocked me 2 the ground...i had cuts everywhere! and my jeans were ripped.....luckily the owner called the dog in from the garage but didnt have the courage to show his face...i was too shaken up to do anything about it...

you do not want 2 get into that situation trust me!

hope its owner or someone around takes the dog before either he or your dogs get hurt! :flwr:

I had new neighbors move in my neighborhood that had a pit bull that would get loose and come in my yard and bark at my back door when he saw my dogs. :x I talked to the neighbors which did no good. We ended up putting a 6' fence to protect our dogs.
judy

i would give my neighbour 6 foot fence!! People who have dogs are the ones responsible for them!! that was not very fair on ye!

There is nothing I'd love more than to walk all three of my cavs at the same time, but I'm afraid to do so because I've seen loose dogs in my neighborhood, mostly retriever types. But I don't know how friendly they are. :? I don't want to take a chance, as I can only carry one cav at a time!

I definitely agree with your plan, Remali. Better safe than sorry. I've always been a bit skittish around Pits, Rottys, etc, partially because even without meaning it, they may really inflict a horrible, maiming bite (read Jon Katz's book)...one of the reasons we decided on a fence was that occasionally I will see the stray dog around here. -Natalie :flwr:

cavlover said:

I had new neighbors move in my neighborhood that had a pit bull that would get loose and come in my yard and bark at my back door when he saw my dogs. :x I talked to the neighbors which did no good. We ended up putting a 6' fence to protect our dogs.
judy

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Six foot fence will not stop a pit bull. I had a neighbor's climb a 6 foot fence and attack my dog.