Alot of attack posts.

I just bought a can of Direct Stop,,just for the purpose!

ORIGINAL: dyan

I just bought a can of Direct Stop,,just for the purpose!

Me too!
And I look like a nut! I carry a smallish shoulder bag that I keep Ella's poop bags in, some treats, Halt! dog repellent, a break stick, an extra leash, and various other things. I also have Ella in her backpack. I keep the direct stop latched to the handle of this bag so that I can grab it and use it real fast, if need be.

But I want one of these horns that you all speak of.

Where can I buy one? What do they even look like?

Oh, and I also carry my cell phone in my pocket and I have AC's number programmed in it.

Oh, and I also carry my cell phone in my pocket and I have AC's number programmed in it.

YES!  The most important thing. JUST IN CASE!!
But about that horn,,,what would it do to our own dog???

I think the most important thing though is to know your neighborhood, or whereever it is that you walk your dogs.  If you know that "that house on the corner" has two dog aggressive uncontained dogs, DON'T walk by it. 
 
Part of managing the environment is to keep your eyes open and make decisions based upon your own experience. 
 
I'm not saying that any of the posters haven't done that, I am just saying that for lurkers or other readers- don't tempt fate.  Keep your eyes and ears open at all times.  Most of the time if you read your dog's own body language that will tell you something is up or it isn't. 
 
I agree that you should carry specific items if you are walking your dog or dogs alone.  A cell phone is key, if it has a camera function-so much the better.  DO NOT hesitate to call AC if you encounter a loose dog or if you are attacked.  In most cases AC has to write up a report.  If you call shortly after the incident, then there is a record of the when-one of the most important parts of that report.
 
 

 Most of the time if you read your dog's own body language that will tell you something is up or it isn't.

   Ha,,,take Bubblegum for a walk when its rainy, windy, dark, etc etc.  She is nervous unless the conditions are just perfect.
I worry about my dog when people in my neighborhood thinks its a riot that their cute little princess of a small dog comes after Bubblegum and barks and looks like they are attacking her while we are walking on leash. My one neighbor a few houses down stands and laughs...what a riot!!  Sure,,but if his "little barking princess" gets close and then Bubby starts barking back, and she has very long legs..can slap that dog silly with one swipe.  How happy is he going to be? And will he then call and report my dog who is on a leash walking at my side?  YES!  That is the kind of thing I am also worried about. I must protect my own dog!
The other thing is my friend who walks her little yorkie early in the morning every day. The little yorkie is a yapper,,,barks at anything she sees that she feels like barking at. On the one street that she walks is a tied up new Golden,,, and this little dog is barking at it day after day.   One day the golden got out and ran right after the yorkie...unfortunately... picked it up and almost killed it mainly because of the size difference. Broken ribs and all.  Of course I was worried about the little dog (who eventually with surgery healed quite nicely and is 100% fine now) but I felt so very bad for the goldens owner. She was a young girl with little kids...didn't work and didn't have a lot of extra money.   She had rescued the golden a few weeks before that...was working to make a nice pet out of it.   She offered and did pay the vet bill which was well into the thousands....she most probably took every penny she had to do that, and was so very nice about it. She called my friend a lot to make sure the yorkie was fine...and offered to even drive anywhere they had to go about the dog.
She did everything nice. My friend is RICH RICH RICH...could have been nicer about the money part of this because she knew the lady was a young stay at home mom, but she had an attitude that it was the young ladys dogs fault.   And it was. BUT why was this little yorkie allowed to walk by this house every day and bark at this dog....day after day. Even the vet said to friend..."I wonder what she was saying to that dog!"
I am scared to death of dog attacks. I only walk in certain areas with Bubblegum... I won't even walk where I used to take Ollie,,,mainly because Bubby seems to attract more attention than Ollie did.  But I'm seriously not for reporting dogs unless the owners are rude and won't take responsibility for their dog.  Sometime dogs slip out of the house...sometimes its a complete accident. Dogs are dogs...we really don't know what they are thinking from one minute to the next. As Xerxes says,,,don't go places where you know there is an aggressive dog. Make sure you know where you are walking. We as walkers have to take some responsibility also.

I am very awake and alert when I walk Ella.
I know two houses that let their dogs run loose at times. We avoid those houses. But of course, not everything can be prevented and if there are OTHER loose dogs that I'm unaware of, I of course cannot avoid those. I have learned, and fast, how to read Ella's body language. At least enough that I know when there is going to be trouble. I've also learned NOT TO WAIT when I see her signaling. I know not to think, "but maybe she won't do anything..." because she will.
There is a lady a street over from me that lets her dog run free. This dog has charged us before. My boyfriend ran the dog home, scaring the crap out of it. But I kept walking with Ella. I was MAD. And I've told this lady before THAT MY DOG IS NOT GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS. But she won't listen. If my dog attacks that little dog because it charges at us, my dog will be blamed. So I'm calling AC if I see that dog loose on our walks.

I live in the boonies, but we do have a very effective dog warden. If you report a loose dog she is on it in a New York minute. This means that in our area we are generally safe. I've  had a couple of encounters with loose dogs. After the first one - where a family's dogs got out and were roaming the street and menacing people (we got a warning from a house as we were approaching) I carry;

1. Direct stop
2. A beating stick - a long rattan cane.
3. My cell phone.
4. Walk with a buddy.

The direct stop and cell phone are in pockets and I am very used to carrying my beating stick - it's light, and useful for poking Yoshi []

Paula

Ha,,,take Bubblegum for a walk when its rainy, windy, dark, etc etc. She is nervous unless the conditions are just perfect

 
See, you know your own dog.  That's what I'm talking about.  Alot of the people I see on walks don't know why their dog is doing this or that, or what even typical behavior is.  So your awareness is a good thing![sm=wink2.gif]

ORIGINAL: dyan

and she has very long legs..can slap that dog silly with one swipe. 

 
Not to mention the paws on Danes.  My cousin's 4 1/2 month old's paws are bigger than my fist and then some. 
 
If I know there's a loose dog in a certain neighborhood, we don't walk in it period.  I don't want to take any chances. 
 

What you are usually doing with both of your hands is trying to keep your little dog alive, holding her while the attack is happening. An air horn would defen me and my sweet dog. I have heard them. I would not carry anything to hurt me or my dog like sprays that can get in our eyes, THEN you couldn't fight back. I carry an umbrella, sometimes a small bat. I LOVE  when my tall son or hubby comes with us. That is when I know we would be OK. I am in a gated comm. We have a safe neighborhood, but dogs still get out.
 
Years ago, my dog and I were attacked and she just barely survived. GREAT vet. Anyway, it is easy to plan and I do hope it works for others, I have been there and I just wanted to save my dog, fighting the Rott. for my poodle. I was losing, but the owner showed up thank goodness.

My dog and I were attacked.... my pitty and I were walking from my back yard to my front door to come back in the house...the samoyed next door got out of their house and went  right for Sammy, picked her up by the neck and shook her as though she was a ragdoll. While trying to save Sammy, I got bit. I bought pepper spray after that,,,but the can of Direct Stop claims its not as dangerous as pepper spray!