what are good self defense tools against dogs

B

benchmadebob

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May 12, 2008
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Today i went on a day hike i went of the trail a bit and gathered som ddead pine to bush craft with. so i went to split my first piece and i hear alot of craking off sticks and i wait aboout 2 seconds and here come 10 deer 9 does and 1 buck. And so i was like ok and i get back to bushcrafting and i hear the loudest barking a growling i have heard in my life. And it kept getting louder and louder and it sounded like it was comming frow the derection the deer were coming from. So i started to get a little worried. i have found what looked like wolf tracks in that area last year. So i strted to walk and i got back on the trail and i started to walk faster and faster and the noice kept getting louder and louder. Until i was in a sprint in aout 8 inches of snow. And i only got a glimpse of the animal and to me it looked like a group of large dogs. And i started to cross what i thought was a field but it turned out to be a bog and quess how i found that out i fell in up to my knee.

So my question is what if i had to defend myself against the dog/wolf thing what is a good tool. Im going to start of my carrying a large hichory walking stick and a fixed blade. Im thinking about getting a rc-4.
 
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id go with a himilayan imports 20'' ang khola...:D

but seriously, the walking stick is a good idea, you could put a blunt spike on the end too. i would think most fixed blades would fare pretty well against dogs, especially the rc-4. i would think that after wouded dogs would back down pretty quick. if you are up against a pack though, id climb a tree or somthing, then just hit them with the stick from range.
 
A 12 gauge pump with buckshot

If you can't carry a gun, you are going to be bumming if is a pack.

For ONE dog, you wrap a cloth around your left forearm, when the dog bites it and hangs on, you cut its throat with a fixed blade.
 
bear spray and an expandable baton. if firearms may not be permitted for carry in your neck of the woods. if firearms are permitted my personal choice would be a ruger mark III
 
Those air horn cans or pepper spray might work as a deterrant ... for dogs anyway

Dunno if a knife would be of any use against a wild pack of dogs
 
Bear spray is certainly a good start.

The walking stick---something heavy enough to put a good amount of blunt force behind, but something light enough to allow for quickness in the hand---is also an excellent idea. If you're not into walking sticks, something like an ASP extendable baton is another good idea.

Myself, I'd carry a firearm. If you have a CCW, something like the Taurus Judge would be an affordable, effective solution. Load it alternatively with .45 Colt JHPs and .410 buckshot.

If discretion isn't necessary, the aforementioned 12-gauge sounds like a good idea too.
 
Bob,
i would personally carry a short, stout walking cane type of walking stick. something about 36" long that i could get a good two handed grip on and swing like a baseball bat.

in my mind's eye, i see a knife as being too short...you would have to let the dog get close enough to bite and scratch before you could reach it with your blade. as far as i'm concerned, as much distance as possible is best.
 
steelscout30 said:
Bear spray is certainly a good start.

The walking stick---something heavy enough to put a good amount of blunt force behind, but something light enough to allow for quickness in the hand---is also an excellent idea. If you're not into walking sticks, something like an ASP extendable baton is another good idea.

Myself, I'd carry a firearm. If you have a CCW, something like the Taurus Judge would be an affordable, effective solution. Load it alternatively with .45 Colt JHPs and .410 buckshot.

If discretion isn't necessary, the aforementioned 12-gauge sounds like a good idea too.
Click to expand...

I wish i was old enough to have a ccw. I was ready to pull out my fiskars But i didnt know what would be better a knife or hatchet. I want to carry a bigger blade now though.
 
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Well they say as part of training is to hit them on the nose with a newspaper..whether or not that would help is questionable. (As I am not very fond of dogs, I can't say if it works one way or the other.)

As for a non-lethal tool, you should be carrying a whistle as part of your PSK so have it ready to use. The noise might deter them. Otherwise you can always report what you saw to the local animal control or something similar if they could be a real threat.
 
Hiking staff for me. I have the Extra Size stick from Brazos with the "hitchhiker" end on it. That hitchhiker end works like a shillalegh to put all the force in a small spot. It packs a WALLOP
 
I had a dog come running at my wife and I while we were on a walk. The dog was growling, but not really showing it's teeth.

I yelled at the same time pointing to the side that I wanted the dog to go. Low and behold the dog stopped in it's tracks put it's head down and went in the direction I pointed.

Yelling at a dog has gotten me out of two potentially aggressive encounters with a dog. It would be the first thing I'd try before resorting to something physical. Of course if the dog is at a full on sprint and you can see he wants to attack in his eyes I'd do what I needed to do to protect my wife and kid. If I didn't have time to react I'd probably throw my arm up to let the thing bite me and not my family. I'd then proceed to make sure he couldn't bite anyone anymore.
 
Im thinking of getting a thicker hickory walking stick and maybe a long hawk or something like that. The walking stick i have now will brake thick glass bottles in air but i want a thicker one.
 
google Blackthorn Walking Sticks.

designed as weapons, originally.

Work up something like that...good velocity, some weight at the end.

I've heard of packs of dogs attacking humans...but never, ever experienced any, and I've been woodswalking a long time.


ymmv
 
If you use a stout walking stick, grasp it in both hands and use the END to jab at the dogs mouth, side and chest. This is more effective than swinging like a bat, where you could lose the stick if the dog grabs at. Use a lunging thrust, and i gaurantee the first hit will back the dog off, second will leave it in pain etc .
 
I think I'm more worried about dogs when in the woods than any other animal. Feral dogs don't have the natural fear of humans that most wild animals have and they will work together if there is more than one of them. Outside of a firearm I'd say a walking stick is the best defense against small to medium animal attack of any kind. I usually hike with either a 5' hardwood staff or a 3' blackthorn walking stick and feel that it gives me decent protection against almost anything that I might encounter in the northeast. Barring that, I'd use my knife and/or climb a tree. That being said, I've been an avid hiker for over 25 years and have never been attacked by anything other than a grouse. I was able to turn the tables on the grouse by just throwing a rock at it. :)
 
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Weapon or no weapon, never ever run from a predator.

I've soothed scary dogs by firmly yelling "NO!" I've also had success by kneeling down and talking soft and friendly. I don't think either would work on a pack. I always carry pepper spray and a gun.
 
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