My wife, 15 week old daughter and I go for walks while the weather is still nice. We stay in our neighborhoods mostly. We are one street over from our home and are walking up a slight incline in the road. I'm looking over at a house and my wife says my name in a worried voice.
I whip my head back around and notice a dog (breed unknown, size of a German shepard) heading towards us full bore from about 100 ft away. I told my wife to get back (daughter in stroller). I stepped forward and started to draw my pocket knife and as the dog was about 15 ft away I yelled, "NO DOG, NO". Sure enough it stopped. By this time the owner is yelling at the top of her lungs for the dog to return. It does turn around and head back.
I have passed this dog before and it is usually chained up in the front yard. It always barks (normal). The owner never said a word to us and headed inside.
As we head back to the house my wife asked, "Where you going to kill that dog?" and I said, "If it got within arms length I was sure going to try."
Be careful out there. It makes me wonder what would have happened if I wasn't there with my wife and child.
Hi, I had a similar situation occur to me at a local high school, during a evening walk.
I was walking back to my vehicle, down an enclosed fenced in, cat-walk like path, as I noticed an older man with his five unleashed GS dogs, approaching my direction. I was to far away from an opening, out of the cat-walk.
I decided to stand quietly, in a non-threatening manner, at the side of the path, hoping that all five dogs would run by. The first two dogs ran by, but the third larger dog turned in towards me, and tried to grab a hold of my left side hip area. I was able to push my self away with my right hand, giving myself an arms length from the dog. I shot the dog with a good dosage of o.c. (pepper stray), of which I had in my left hand. The dog immediately broke off its attack, and retreated from my position. A fourth dog was also coming in for the attack, on my opposite side. I was able to spray this dog as well, of which it turned away from my position.
I assured the owner that I was o.k., in a rather shaken up like manner. We both went about our separate paths.
My advice would be to always be prepared for the unexpected misfortunes that occur in life. Don't be fooled by the environment, that may appear to be peaceful at times. The minute you let down your guard, is when tragedy can and often does strike, which can alter your life, permanently.