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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU if I dye sprayed an attacking dog?

53 replies

MarcoPoloCX · 16/02/2015 08:23

Long story short. My dogs were attacked twice last year by the same dog. The owner denied to the police all allegations. No witnesses. There were several of the same breed so you couldn't say which one it was. They have four but only ever walk two at a time. They have attacked other dogs, bit a neighbour and caused a guy to fall. If I find those dogs darting towards mine and u called them to recall, would it be OTT if I use a dye spray to defend my dogs if they get too close.

OP posts:
BeggingYourPardon · 16/02/2015 14:26

Food colouring is non toxic, won't damage eyes. But it is a bugger to remove. Some in a spray bottle?

maninawomansworld · 16/02/2015 18:19

If the dog is actually in the act of attacking a person, or even your dog then you can use whatever means you need to in order to halt the attack.
Shoes, sticks, sprays are fine... What you CANNOT do is to attack the offending dog unless it is actually in the act of going for your dog.

A swift kick to the erm... sensitive area should do the trick.

Original poster
MarcoPoloCX · 16/02/2015 20:02

If you know that the dog is aggressive and have attacked you or your dog before, would you still wait for the first bite? A dog fatality happened to someone I know. She avoided the attacking dog and changed the route she took when walking. She bumped into them early one morning and within a couple of minutes of attack , her dog was killed.

OP posts:
mickeyfartpants · 16/02/2015 20:28

I hate dogs so if it were me I would be making a home made pepper spray from vinegar and cayenne.

Put some food colouring in for identification too :)

AlpacaLypse · 16/02/2015 20:32

If a dog is attacking another one, try to grab his back ankles and lift, like a wheelbarrow. I've only had to do this once but it worked perfectly. Without purchase from its hind legs they can't use their weight. Ideally both owners should do this to separate them.

corgiology · 16/02/2015 21:36

Chuck some food in the opposite direction

sandgrown · 16/02/2015 21:47

My Shih Tzu was attacked by three Chihuahuas! They ran away from the owner and were nipping at my dog. I wanted to kick them away but was scared of causing serious injury.

Birdsgottafly · 16/02/2015 22:24

So your neighbour has two massive aggressive dogs, that will attack and bite dogs/ people, yet you think it might be a good idea to spray something at them.

Do you have a death wish?

Not being able to see, doesn't stop a dog lunging and biting.

By all means carry a colour spray to use, when the dog is attacking, so it can be identified, but anything else isvputtingvyourself at risk.

Out of control dogs in pairs, can be deadly.

pepperfish · 16/02/2015 22:28

... I can reliably attest that sticking your fingers up an aggressive dog's butt to stop will end one way - you'll get bitten.

(Unfortunately in my job - veterinary nursing - I've stuck my finger up many a dog's butt. Wouldn't dream of doing it without a muzzle in a dog that is already angry!)

I would avoid the areas they walk in, if you can. Maybe speak to the bitten neighbour and see if they are willing to speak to the police too?

peckforton · 16/02/2015 23:06

I agree Pepperfish dogs guard their butts and react with lightening reactions.
I have heard the one about lifting back legs but never met anyone who has done it.

stonecircle · 16/02/2015 23:17

How on earth would a dye spray deter an attacking dog? How would it help you defend your dogs? The fact that you sprayed the dogs doesn't prove they were actually attacking - the owner could simply say you misread their behaviour?

Booboostoo · 17/02/2015 06:23

I am lost on the use of the dye spray as well but no one is elaborating.

Some of the advice on this thread is very dangerous and likely to get you bitten.

Stratter5 · 17/02/2015 08:22

The dye spray is to mark the attacking dog; as OP has said, the owner has several of the same breed, and OP can't tell which is which. The police won't issue a blanket order to cover all the dogs, so she needs to be able to identify which one is the attacker. The dye spray will colour it.

Booboostoo · 17/02/2015 08:33

Why won't the owner go off the spray dye the other dogs before the police visit? Just saying...

If the main problem is identification then the OP should use a head cam. No two dogs are that similar that they can't be identified from multiple images.

hmc · 17/02/2015 15:38

No, booboostoo - they wouldn't just wash the dye off. Criminal identifier spray can't be washed off and takes several days to fade (I have some)

yoshipoppet · 17/02/2015 15:44

I reckon the stuff farmers use to mark ewes & lambs would take a bit of washing off also. It comes in a spray can so you'd get the added bonus of a hissing noise when you used it.

Booboostoo · 17/02/2015 16:59

I said he would spray the other dogs as well, not wash one off! It's really not that tough to see a way through this master ploy. Now you have four indistinguishable dogs, then you would have four sprayed dogs (and a bitten OP, but this point seems to be a losing battle on this thread).

pepperfish · 17/02/2015 17:16

I would probably avoid all touching of the attacking dogs, or waving your limbs anywhere near them, TBH. Maybe carry a long umbrella if there's any chance of bumping into them on your walk. That way you can use it as a stick to break up the fight with minimal risk of getting yourself injured. You are entitled to protect your animal, but don't do it at a risk to yourself or anyone else as awful as that sounds to any dog lover.

As one poster suggested, carry a camera/go pro. Nothing would beat camera evidence.

pepperfish · 17/02/2015 17:17

I would probably also drop my own dogs lead and give them a chance to run away. A dog on a lead will feel trapped and may react more defensively than one that can leg it out of there.

hmc · 17/02/2015 22:22

Sorry booboostoo - but the first sentence of your post was rather unintelligible!

Booboostoo · 18/02/2015 06:38

Sorry it had a typo, 'the' should be 'and'.

hmc · 18/02/2015 17:05

Grin I guess I could have worked it out if I had tried harder!

Original poster
MarcoPoloCX · 18/02/2015 19:42

The dogs they have are dogue de Bordeaux and I have two small dogs, so I would be very worried in letting them off to escape. They gave a whippet puncture wounds to its neck before that owner let go of the lead. They couldn't pull them off and only way for it to escape is to run away. I think a head cam is the best solution. You record everything. At least they cannot lie about what happened. And be prepared to do whatever to protect your dogs.

OP posts:
SilentCharisma · 19/02/2015 14:47

Take a lighter and some screwed up paper.

Dog attacks you; set light to the paper and scare it.

I discovered this trick quite by accident when our dog was attacked by a local farm dog on the loose. I'd kicked it and tried to pull it off but I was frightened it would go for me if I carried on. I'd happened to pass the postman as I walked up the lane who gave me our post - I set it alight (smoker so I always have a lighter) and thrust it at the dog in question - he bolted, fast. Was just a gut reaction but it worked wonders.

(Annoyingly the post did contain my new cheque book though... try explaining that one to the bank...)

Nearasdammit · 19/02/2015 15:02

Yes because it's a fabulous idea to lean over, thereby putting your face CLOSER to an already angry dog, and bugger it Hmm