Heard a retired postman (walked a route with the big leather bag) say he carried a sharpened stick and pointed the stick at the dog while it watched him, said he never got bit or chased; barked at a lot tho....
“Walk softly and carry a big stick.”
That’s our “guard” dog, Ruger, peeking around the corner.
I don’t remember what kind of digging tool this handle is supposed to be used on, but I found it at Ace Hardware - along with the rubber cap I installed on the end. On my exercise hikes down to Marsh Creek (2 miles) and back, I wear thru one of those rubber caps every summer, but they only cost a couple of bucks apiece.
At any rate, we have plenty of coyotes (and far too many mountain lions) around here. They always run away as soon as they see us though. On the other hand, I don’t know how many large, farm and ranch dogs I’ve had charge a hundred yards down a driveway to yell at me for trespassing on “their” section of a public road.
I also carry pepper spray and a handgun (usually my Taurus 32 H&R revolver) on my exercise hikes. All I ever had to do though when those farm and ranch dogs come charging down their driveways is “show” them my big stick by tapping the end of it on the asphalt and yelling, “HEY!”
The dogs just stop, then stand there and moan in frustration as I walk on by. I
do keep an eye on the dogs until I get a little way down the road, because every once in a while, one of those son-of-a-guns will try to sneak around behind me. So far though, they’ve been unsuccessful in their sneaky “come in from behind” tactics, and that seems to frustrate them even more.
I’ve told this story before on THR. One morning when I was out on my exercise hike, a County Sherriff’s Deputy was driving by. When he got beside me, he rolled down his window and asked, “Is that big staff for hiking or dogs?” “Yes,” I said. The Deputy just laughed and drove away.