h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Im again surprised that you think that a spade, starving, drowning, hanging are acceptable methods to kill any animal - I certainly dont know any vets who use these methods or even think they are acceptable. It may well be emotional to you - maybe you have never owned a loved pet and see nothing wrong with these practises I dont know. I have said that even farm animals have to be kept and destroyed in as humane a way as possible, why is the greyhound not afford that right?

If you do not blame the industry or the owners for the thousands of dead dogs which are so overbred only a small percentage even make it to the track - may I ask who do you blame? I would suggest you do a search for justice for Rusty and when you have tell me how anyone is to blame if its not the owners and the industry that uses these sort of people on a regular basis? Unfortunately it is not an isolated case, its happening all the time day in day out.

'I'm again surprised that you think that a spade, starving, drowning, hanging are acceptable methods to kill any animal'

With due respect that is NOT What RH actually said.I believe he is talking about the very gentle act of taking an animal to a vet to be killed humanely.

>> OK, then JWF, answer me this...<<

In India you say? Oh well that's alright then; just be sure you kill it quickly so it can come back as a cat.

The truly manly defense against dog attack is to deliberately and provocatively expose your throat to their gaze and wait for it to leap. As it jumps and rises toward you (canines will always lead with their forelegs well ahead of their jaws) grab its front paws with your hands and spread them wide.

Dogs legs do not spread well and will crack at the shoulders joints before you've reached the extent of your human (I'm presuming here) arms spread and before its jaws can get close enough to your throat to do any damage. Then, push it over onto its back and drive your knee into its ribcage. Broken dogribs are almost perfectly designed to puncture the heart and lungs almost instantly.

Hope that helps.


~jwf~

>> ...am suggesting that an animal that has no real potential life ahead of it (through 'market' saturation if nothing else) is sometimes better off humanely destroyed than kept alive and not dealt with properly... <<

You're about one biblical quote short of rationalising nuclear holocaust.

~jwf~

Actually JWF I didn't want the dog to die just go away as might have rabies as some do in India. It wasn't being ultra agressive but was breaking my skin with claws and getting saliva on my skin with not too hard bites. I was mearly wondering if you would punch the dog like I did in that particular situation and you said you would. It is horses for courses, I know I would kill a dog if had the means and thought it might kill me as trapped.

Speaking of greyhounds... and their cousins the russian wolfhounds...
It seems that Arctic dogsled racers are now crossbreeding these fast and skinny racing breeds with their traditional husky and malamute types.

Trouble is of course that racing hounds have no heavy fur coats and will freeze to death very easily. Especially if it rains (which thanks to global warming it does more often than not) and they get wet. Come nightfall the traditional eskimo huskies curl up and sleep in snowbanks while the new crossbreeds turn into pupsicles.


~jwf~

pupsicles!!

The reason a lot of these posts detailing how to rip apart a dog by its front legs keep disappearing is that its absolutely impossible to do to any dog unless it's docile!

As I own a dog that has shown aggression of sorts, and having fostered dogs who have learnt that biting is a productive way of getting what they want, I feel perfectly qualified to state that there is ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF GETTING TO PAST A DOG'S TEETH TO BE ABLE TO GRAB HOLD OF ITS LEGS.

not with a large dog at any rate. and if you have to stoop to do this, ie the dog is so small even on hind legs it isn't able to get to waist height, you probably don't have too much to worry about.

for adults to be worrying about the bites of small dogs....when did people become so pussified?

some dettol and a bandaid. get over it.

Yet more of the If I don't agree with what you say I will yikes it attitude. Basically someone just wants posts agreeing totally with what they want and stuff everyone else, so I am not going to stay in a thread that is like that so am going to unsub, there are plenty of other sites that are for that.... h2g2 will be a very sad place if it heads that way with onesided threads where anything disagreed with is yikesed. This place is starting to smell, adios.
(unsub)

A mates father used to race greyhounds the last one he had when it came to the end of his racing days it live with him as a pet it fitted in well so it proves there can be life after racing .

When they're aware of the risk of infection, perhaps? Not as bad as human bites, though!

What about children and small dogs? I hadn't realised we talking exclusively about adults.

teas. i take on board your point re children and bites. a bite will be more traumatic for a child and more prone to infection. as a parent or guardian one must err on the side of caution because it isn't our body to be taking chances with, however reasonably.

do you think the 'advice' given in the header post was appropriate or even intended for small children? i can't see it.

the assumption would be that a small child should be within the immediate visibility of at least one adult and the best advice one could give them would be to shout for help very loudly and to stay motionless and calm as per the alternative advice given several times above.

no child should ever be left alone with a dog of any size, and any dog owner who has a dog off leash anywhere near other peoples small children is irresponsible.

but for grown adults to be stressing over a jack russell ankle nip to the extent of advocating lethal responses...i mean...really...

<>

Out of curiosity (and in case it ever became necessary) how about if you were behind the dog when it was attacking someone else. You'd be able to get at its legs quite easily then (although I imagine it would be quite difficult to get good leverage that way).

i wouldn't try to do anything with a rottie or pit bull or ridgeback that was in attack mode without a weapon of some kind. not unless it was a matter of life and death or close to it.

i figure anyone who thinks differently is either a hero or an idiot or really doesn't know much about dogs.

which reminds me, it's been awhile since someone jumped in a lions enclosure to do battle with the king of the jungle. every few years, someone somewhere will try that stunt.

Depends how robust the immune system is. Any infection is potentially more serious in a child, certainly.


I thought we'd moved on to a more general view of dog attacks & tactics.


Yes, a bit extreme. I didn't realise your comment was addressing that specific point as opposed to the other deterrents discussed.

If I was in the position of having a terrier's teeth clamped round my ankle, I suspect the shock and pain might make me use as much violence as possible to stop it.

no you won't. i can almost guarantee what you will do because i've seen it often enough in my life to know it plays out nearly exactly the same every time. plus it's funny to watch. little dog bites at ankles. human lifts leg out of way. dog barks at now aerial leg. leg comes down. dog goes for legs again. human walks around backwards in a circle. (there is a figure 8 variant) dog tries to catch a leg. repeat until person kicks dog with side of shoe or human or dog runs away.

human always says GERRAWAAAAY at some point. interestingly, this word is identical in every english accent or idiom.

i have never once in my entire life seen a human get down on all fours and attempt to poke the eyes from a jack russell or fox terrier as a matter of self defence. all rather pythonesque really.

<<"killing animals... because it is an illegal activity."

It isn't, and you know it isn't. It might be an offence against property to kill someone's dog, but you can kill most animals you want. I have some great tips on killing wasps, and on hunting wild rabbit. In fact, some of the tips on what to do with wild rabbit once I'd caught and killed it I got from this very site.>>

It is and it isn't. As you said, hunting for sport that can also be used for food or killing wasps and other insects that can kill you (I for one can go into anaphylatic shock if stung by one critter), is one thing.

Killing simply for sport with animals that cannot be used for food, such as dogs, at least here in the United States, is illegal. Michael Vick of the Ravens American Football team can vouch for that. He has been in a lot of hot water for being a part of an illegal dog fighting ring.

On a different onte, I understand some people where I live will kill deer simply for the sport and just take the heads and not use the meat, but here too deer are considered pests so many don't complain. Part of that is the human factor, as some will buy deer corn to feed the deer. Therefore, when they do that easy food comes more deer roaming in the streets and towns where's it's not safe for all concerned.

I do want to say apologies if I appear insensitive about the deer. I'm personally against killing any animal except for food, but I've also taken pictures at wrecks that were caused because people hit deer, and they were pretty gruesome - deer and car.

That said, I understand why the editors closed down the original thread. They didn't want to have someone go there and say "Oooh, this looks like a good idea, let's go kill dogs." Given the stories I've read about Vick and illegal dog (and for that matter cock) fighting rings, I can see why the editors would use discretion here.

Now, personally, if it were life and death, it would be a different matter, as I know a few people scarred for life because of a dog attack. Also, I know of one dog - a chuhuahua - that basically became an evil, vicious dog because one of its owners abused it. There was a reason I called it a hell dog because I bent over one day to pet it and it jumped up to try and take a bite out of my face. But, yes, there's legal and illegal killing of animals, and I see both sides here.

Also, I don't know if this has been suggested, and I don't know the legalities of it, but if you have an portable mini-airhorn (made of compressed gas), you can scare away dogs of any size when it's depressed. Dad used to have to carry one all the time walking to a favorite eating haunt of his, and he did use it once or twice. The sound was loud enough the dogs just ran away, because Dad was the scarier person. It's, apart from a slight ringing in your ears after use, harmless to both.

Of course, this has a downside: you have to have it in your hand when in use. So, you'd have to carry it in your hand or attached to some sort of wristlet so you can reach if if a dog does attack you.

The best defense though is to stand still if the dog sees you. They like to chase down their prey, so if you run, you'll excite it. It's also one reason why kids get attacked like they do. You also don't stare down the dog, because you're trying to show dominance in it's eyes, which can be seen as a challenge. I've had to use the passive appearance - eyes down - look away a bit (but not so much I didn't have eyes on the dog) and it worked.

Now, if those don't work and you get attacked, the ideas I've read here about protecting the vital organs is best. But, best way to avoid it is to have a good defense.

There's a difference between what one should or might do if only threatened by a dog & what one should or might do once they've got their teeth into you.