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I do not know of any recent reports that the dogs are still there
I recall someone said I was a gonner with rabies, another said as a camino expert I should know better and someone was concerned that the dog might have caught something ! Needless to say I don't always respond to every comment that is made on the Forum !!
Ok, so my walking pole/appearing threatening/bashing and last resort stabbing theory is correct? I don't want to freak anyone out either... I mean it is rare. But it does happen.usually have a walking pole with me now, just in case and have not any incidents since ( same can't be said about bedbugs although not on the Invierno !). Happy New Year.
The doctor that treated me said the dogs were owned by a shepherd so perhaps he's no longer around. Yes there's always one, it must be quite hard to be a moderator sometimes eh Laurie !I am lost for words...! But with more than 7000 views I guess people make all sorts of weird comments...
With the passing of time, I think that dog in Villavieja is not with us anymore. I walk the Invierno almost annually and I haven't seen him for years now...
Yes partially but I've had Galician farm dogs run towards me where a shout will do...I like shouting fora sometimes, it seems to work too !Ok, so my walking pole/appearing threatening/bashing and last resort stabbing theory is correct? I don't want to freak anyone out either... I mean it is rare. But it does happen.
@peregrina2000 ... thanks for the head's up.
My experience is the same as Bad Pilgrim.They were not there when I walked by this year in July, but I guess it can depend on the day and hour...
You say "fora" ( outside) but the dog is already " fora" (that is the problem). I think that It works because it is a Galician word that the dog understands.Yes partially but I've had Galician farm dogs run towards me where a shout will do...I like shouting fora sometimes, it seems to work too !
Yep thinking from the dogs perspective when it hears fora it knows it should go away !You say "fora" ( outside) but the dog is already " fora" (that is the problem). I think that It works because it is a Galician word that the dog understands.
Yes I agree with you, the dog that bit me was a small rascal !The video marks that walk as taking place on 3rd July, so hopefully that dog situation has been resolved. On a personal note, I never, ever turn my back on an aggressive dog, as the video pilgrim seemed to do. I find it's always best to keep eye-to-eye contact. Oddly enough, I also found, on the camino, that the smallest dogs were usually the sneakiest in trying an attack from behind. Larger dogs always seemed content to bark me out of their territory, provided I walked backwards and maintained eye contact.
There's something about them - I think they have the canine equivalent of a Napoleon complex!Yes I agrr
Yes I agree with you, the dog that bit me was a small rascal !
Actually I’ve always been taught that staring down a dog (eye to eye contact) is confrontational to a dog. Yes keep yourself aware and don’t turn your back but don’t look directly at a dog who is paying a lot of attention towards youThe video marks that walk as taking place on 3rd July, so hopefully that dog situation has been resolved. On a personal note, I never, ever turn my back on an aggressive dog, as the video pilgrim seemed to do. I find it's always best to keep eye-to-eye contact. Oddly enough, I also found, on the camino, that the smallest dogs were usually the sneakiest in trying an attack from behind. Larger dogs always seemed content to bark me out of their territory, provided I walked backwards and maintained eye contact.
Thanks for this. It is something all need to be aware of. But flipping the coin on my dog incident that I had on the VDLP. As pilgrims who have walked the VDLP know you at times have to open and close gates as you go through private farmland. At one point there was a double gate. I walked through the first gate and had to navigate through a thick flock of sheep. After I got through the second gate there were lots of pigs and piglets lying and walking around. All of a sudden a dog the size of a horse came running out of a barn towards me. I thought this is it. I am done for as the farmer was no where to be seen. The dog jumped up on me with his front paws on my shoulders. I am 6’2” so you know how big he was. He then proceeded to bath my face with his massive tongue, jumped down ran in circles with his tail wagging. He found a stick and brought it to me and started barking as he obviously wanted me to throw it. He was a beautiful animal. The farmer came out. He was a total grouch amd yelled at the dog. I know some Spanish and could tell he wasn’t happy with how friendly the dog was with strangers. I told the farmer Está bien, tu perro es muy bonita y muy dulce. your dog is a beauty and so sweet. He grunted and turned and went back in the barn. My shirt and shoulders were covered in mud and the momentary fear of death was well worth the moment of joy with that dog. There are some huge dogs on the different caminos, especially it seemed to me on the VDLP.I have received a PM from a forum member who has passed along information about a new (at least for the forum) dog incident on the Invierno.
As a bit of background, you may remember that there have been some reports over the years about loose and threatening dogs on the Invierno. The two that I remember most clearly are the big mastiff in Villavieja whose owner refused to take control and let him wander loose to scare both pilgrims and the guests at the Casa Rural in Villavieja. Here is a link to one discussion. I had personal experiences with that dog twice, in 2012 and 2015, but my understanding is that it is no longer a problem.
The second, and much more frightening, dog situation involved one or two (depending on the day) very vicious dogs located right before arriving at the bridge in Barxa do Lor. Those dogs were chained up and clearly vicious. There was space to pass, but just barely. If the chain had broken, as one forum member said, there is no doubt that we would have been seriously injured or worse. Information on those incidents here. I do not know of any recent reports that the dogs are still there.
This new incident, which is shot live in the following youtube, involves a dog loose in the small village of A Zapateira, shortly after Pobra de Brollón.
I’m posting this not to scare anyone, but just to give a heads up. It is frequently the luck of the draw whether the aggressive dog will be out or not when you pass through. If I were to walk through A Zapateira, or any other village where a barking growling dog appears in front of me, I would retreat very quietly. I would then stand there and shout “oiga” until someone appears to take care of the dog. I have done that on many occasions and someone has always showed up (even once up in the mountains where I had to wait at least 20 minutes for the shephard to show up while his dog was barking).
Any additional info would be appreciated, take care, peregrinos.
I say first ( in Galicia) " Que tal ho? Como che vai? with a smile. Usually worksYep thinking from the dogs perspective when it hears fora it knows it should go away !I
I enjoyed watching his video of day7 on his Camino Invierno. (in general, not in respect to the dog nipping him. ). The dog did appear friendly with wagging tail. Best to be aware .. there are a lot of that type of dog on Spanish caminos. I had a really friendly one follow me on the Levante in 2020. Sometimes they are too friendly. .I have received a PM from a forum member who has passed along information about a new (at least for the forum) dog incident on the Invierno.
Yes, I agree. I was attacked by a neighbours young German Shepherd a few days before giving birth to my second child. Those memories always come to the surface whenever I see unrestrained large dogs even though that was 46 years ago.Having had a dog attack me as a child and remembering the dogs jaws arround my face, aggressive dogs are distressing events
Fricken mosquitoes. I say we genetically engineer them into oblivion. But then again, what would the frogs eat?Well, it's not just he Camino. It's the PCT, the CDT and the AT too.
Agressive dogs are just a part of backpacking.
Oddly enough, dogs are the FORTH leading cause of human's dying from animal attacks.
Link: Which animals kill the most people?
About all you can do is carry Pepper Spray.
It's the worst when they follow you well past the meeting point. Scratch them behind the ears and they are like a friend for life. Then they follow you. I once had to evade a dog for this reason. All I could imagine was some poster saying, "have you seen him?" Eventually he turned around.Sometimes they are too friendly.
Hi @lt56ny - was that dog encounter on the day stage between Almaden de la Plata and El Real de la Jara? I had a not-so-friendly dog AND farmer encounter on that day stage back in April 2022. Two Spanish mastiffs charged me when walking through a farm that day. I did what @peregrina2000 suggests above and eventually the farmer came down from his barn and walked with me for a few minutes until his two massive dogs got the message I didn’t want to have any of their flock for lunch! BTW - the farmer must be heartily sick of pesky pilgrims exercising their pilgrim rights and walking through his land. No amount of ‘lo siento’ on my part softened his annoyed face.Thanks for this. It is something all need to be aware of. But flipping the coin on my dog incident that I had on the VDLP. As pilgrims who have walked the VDLP know you at times have to open and close gates as you go through private farmland. At one point there was a double gate. I walked through the first gate and had to navigate through a thick flock of sheep. After I got through the second gate there were lots of pigs and piglets lying and walking around. All of a sudden a dog the size of a horse came running out of a barn towards me. I thought this is it. I am done for as the farmer was no where to be seen. The dog jumped up on me with his front paws on my shoulders. I am 6’2” so you know how big he was. He then proceeded to bath my face with his massive tongue, jumped down ran in circles with his tail wagging. He found a stick and brought it to me and started barking as he obviously wanted me to throw it. He was a beautiful animal. The farmer came out. He was a total grouch amd yelled at the dog. I know some Spanish and could tell he wasn’t happy with how friendly the dog was with strangers. I told the farmer Está bien, tu perro es muy bonita y muy dulce. your dog is a beauty and so sweet. He grunted and turned and went back in the barn. My shirt and shoulders were covered in mud and the momentary fear of death was well worth the moment of joy with that dog. There are some huge dogs on the different caminos, especially it seemed to me on the VDLP.
This one was the biggest!
I know - 2 different dogs. On Levante. One followed me much too far - a shepherd I met further along, knew the dog and said he’d make sure he (she I think ) got home …. The 2nd one is a long story. A fight ensued between the ‘saviour’ of the dog and the dog owner.Then they follow you
Sadly, my moral to the story is this... even if they are super cute and super friendly, try to pay no mind unless they are accompanied by their owner. It breaks my heart sometimes to be indifferent. But its for the best for all involved.I know - 2 different dogs. On Levante. One followed me much too far - a shepherd I met further along, knew the dog and said he’d make sure he (she I think ) got home …. The 2nd one is a long story. A fight ensued between the ‘saviour’ of the dog and the dog owner..
Here's the other thing... how often do you notice a well behaved dog off the leash? They exist but don't arouse apprehension. And their owners have COMPLETE control. That happens too. Just don't love on one without their guardian present. I miss buddy.Last summer on the Oregon Coast Trail, I was usually charged by a big dog AT LEAST twice a week. Dobermans, Rottweilers, and even terriers. Universally, they weren't on a leash. Universally, the owners did little to stop them besides yelling, "Rusty NO!"(which Rusty promptly ignored). Universally, the owners would just say, "He's friendly, he just wants to say Hi", or "He's scared of you." No sh*t. He's scared of ME. Universally, the owners are CLUELESS. Universally, there are signs all over the place that say, "ALL dogs MUST be on a leash." Doesn't matter. I've never walked the Camino, but I'm anticipating it will be a s*** show of unrestrained dogs. Yes, MOST will be docile/friendly. I would say DON"T make contact with dogs either way. YES, it's nice to pet a friendly dog, but I don't want a dog following me for like 5 miles because it's dangerous for the dog to be in the NEXT city, because he followed me...and someone ELSE'S dog in not MY responsibility. Yes, yes, I know Spain is not America. But responsibility for pets is global for all pets on Earth. I feel A LOT more comfortable with bears, cougars, coyotes, snakes, than I do with dogs. (Unless crazy people are involved). You NEVER know what crazy people are going to do...
Usually true, for me, but if it is hard core (maybe just a bluff), i don't have time to do this. I like to show them that I could kill them if they attacked. In addition to shouting loudly. But I should learn proper Spanish talking to dogs... usually I just shout "don't f*k with me."3) hide my poles on the other side of my body away from the dog
Nah. I saw it earlier. Funny. My guess is there are commands in Spanish that work better than my swearing at them in English.
Omg. I so love that law! There is that Shepard on either the Norte or Frances that has been constantly running in circles tied up for like years!Whith the new law in Spain of "Bienestar Animal", having a dog tied for a long period is prohibited. For that reason some dogs are going to dissapear on the Camino.
I don't remember exactly where it was but thankfully my encounter is now a very fond memory. Sorry you did not have the same experience. Hopefully if you walk the VDLP again you will meet that wonderful horse of a dog and get a face bath too! I hope that kind of experience will never happen again to you.Hi @lt56ny - was that dog encounter on the day stage between Almaden de la Plata and El Real de la Jara? I had a not-so-friendly dog AND farmer encounter on that day stage back in April 2022. Two Spanish mastiffs charged me when walking through a farm that day. I did what @peregrina2000 suggests above and eventually the farmer came down from his barn and walked with me for a few minutes until his two massive dogs got the message I didn’t want to have any of their flock for lunch! BTW - the farmer must be heartily sick of pesky pilgrims exercising their pilgrim rights and walking through his land. No amount of ‘lo siento’ on my part softened his annoyed face.
These situations can be really off-putting - and frightening - for those of us who’ve been bitten in the past.
Cheers from Oz -
Jenny
@peregrina2000 yes you may recall I was bitten too in 2017 Laurie, when I got to the hamlet of Villaviaje a few kms before Cornatel Castle. I carried on walking with a wounded leg (chunk missing!) to call a taxi from there to take me to Hospital. The driver even waited for me so he could take me back to the Castle after my treatment. The discussion generated a lot of comments (over 7,000 views) I recall someone said I was a gonner with rabies, another said as a camino expert I should know better and someone was concerned that the dog might have caught something ! Needless to say I don't always respond to every comment that is made on the Forum !! I usually have a walking pole with me now, just in case and have not any incidents since ( same can't be said about bedbugs although not on the Invierno !). Happy New Yea
I enjoyed watching his video of day7 on his Camino Invierno. (in general, not in respect to the dog nipping him. ). The dog did appear friendly with wagging tail. Best to be aware .. there are a lot of that type of dog on Spanish caminos. I had a really friendly one follow me on the Levante in 2020. Sometimes they are too friendly. .
A common solution particularly on a bike it to squirt your water bottle at the dogs face. Not nice but better than pepper spray and very effective.Well, it's not just he Camino. It's the PCT, the CDT and the AT too.
Agressive dogs are just a part of backpacking.
Oddly enough, dogs are the FORTH leading cause of human's dying from animal attacks.
Link: Which animals kill the most people?
About all you can do is carry Pepper Spray.
Luka, I liked this diagram but find that it doesn’t include my most common encounter - which is dog barking a LOT while standing still. As long as I didn’t move forward, the dog never came any closer to me, just stood there barking. In the “old days,” when I was petrified of barking dogs, I would just stop in my tracks and start to shout Oiga. After enough shouts of “Oiga,” someone would inevitably appear and take the dog, usually after saying dismissively to me “no hace nada.” Yeah, no hace nada until he does.Nope, the dog didn't appear friendly. That is not wagging. The dog is barking and his tail shows a lot of tension. This dog is telling that pilgrim to stay away and that is not what he does, so I am not surprised the dog snapped at him.
After some bad experiences on the French countryside I have been rather scared of dogs when walking. In 2015 I abandoned the Invierno for that reason. I only felt at ease after arrival, but I didn't enjoy walking at all anymore.
Since then a lot has happened. Well, the most important thing that happened was that I got a dog myself. A Spanish Mastiff (like the one in the video). And I learned so much from her (and a dog trainer) about dog communication. That has been extremely helpful for me on my walks. I am still not fond of encountering dogs, but I feel much more secure now I understand them better.
Dogs in principle want to avoid conflict, so normally they give you a lot of signals before they attack. Further in that same video you can see that same dog giving a wellknown calming signal by turning his head to the side. Of course there are crazy dogs and dogs that have been trained to be agressive and attack, but in most situations barking dogs (even if there are loose) don't scare the hell out of me anymore. And that is a big relief.
View attachment 161820
I was bitten in the face near my eyes when I was three years old, but I didn't know that it had happened until I was 30!I am one of those who had a very bad dog bite when I was five years old, coincidentally on a knee that was bandaged after some surgery, so it got more complicated than a normal dog bite
I agree that it is strange that barking is not included in the diagram. But that might be because barking can mean a lot of things. I think the most important thing with a barking dog that stands still is to stay calm (don't make sudden movements) and give it space. So if it is barking in the middle of the road where you would need to pass (like the dog in the video) I would use the 'oiga' method and not approach it. If you are able to circle around it, the best would be to move ahead in a calm pace, so the dog knows you want to walk out of its territory. However at the same time staying calm isn't an easy job with your heart pounding like crazy...Luka, I liked this diagram but find that it doesn’t include my most common encounter - which is dog barking a LOT while standing still. As long as I didn’t move forward, the dog never came any closer to me, just stood there barking. In the “old days,” when I was petrified of barking dogs, I would just stop in my tracks and start to shout Oiga. After enough shouts of “Oiga,” someone would inevitably appear and take the dog, usually after saying dismissively to me “no hace nada.” Yeah, no hace nada until he does.
After walking several caminos with @Rebekah Scott, I learned to muster my courage and keep on walking, giving the dog space and avoiding eye contact. These recent reports have made me reconsider whether I should go back to my old ways.
I am one of those who had a very bad dog bite when I was five years old, coincidentally on a knee that was bandaged after some surgery, so it got more complicated than a normal dog bite. Anyway…
I wonder where the stage I describe fits in that diagram. Because it is what has happened to me dozens and dozens of times with dogs on the camino.
This sounds like a great idea and a very simple thing to consider doing. Does anyone have experience doing this, and how effective it has been for Camino walkers?A common solution particularly on a bike it to squirt your water bottle at the dogs face. Not nice but better than pepper spray and very effective.
Your retelling of this incident did a very nice job of building the suspense. As someone who shares this fear, I was nervously awaiting the outcome!I have learnt to walk on in this situation.
There's no need. Please don't bring that stuff on a camino with you.If hikers are fearful, they could carry pepper sprays.
Dude, that doesn't count. That's just your fear.barking fiercely but fortunately both times from behind reasonable fences.
Open to interpretation. In the city that I live in, if your dog rushes at people on the street showing aggression regardless of the fence between it and the people on the road then if anyone complains you will get a visit from Animal Control.Dude, that doesn't count. That's just your fear.
Wait, there was a fence right?Open to interpretation. In the city that I live in, if your dog rushes at people on the street showing aggression regardless of the fence between it and the people on the road then if anyone complains you will get a visit from Animal Control.
Animal Control will issue you and your dog with a warning and advise you to either tether your dog around the back somewhere so that it can't access the street edge or get it retrained so that it stops this behaviour.
If a second complaint is received then you will be issued with an instant fine and warned that a third complaint will entail additional action.
If it happens a third time your dog will be impounded and you will be given a date to appear before a judge. The judge has the power to fine you a much larger amount of money, order that your dog be put down, ban you from owning a dog for some period or some combination of all three.
Yes, there was a fence and in the city where I live there is a general expectation that humans can walk down the street, minding their own business without fear.Wait, there was a fence right?
That sounds reasonable, I guess.Yes, there was a fence and in the city where I live there is a general expectation that humans can walk down the street, minding their own business without fear.
Not too many bears behind a fence.Getting back to the OP's original post, she describes an actual attack.
It reminds me of bears on long trails in North America.
What's happens when the bear...just doesn't run away because you raised your arms and yelled?
What happens when, despite your best noise, the bear closes the distance between you and him? Well...that's when things get real...(and underwear needs to be cleaned out afterwards)
Do you know what the dog pepper spray is called? Is it Sabre?Animals the kill the most humans:
1. Mosquitoes
2. Humans
3. Snakes
4. Dogs
If hikers are fearful, they could carry pepper sprays.
They do make sprays specifically for dogs.
Postal Carriers use Halt 1 or Halt 2. Halt 1 is very mild, only .35% capsaicin
To give you a reference, bear spray is 2% capsaicin.
0.35% is just enough to make dogs sneeze and get mild watery eyes (whereby they forget about you).
I would think if enough hikers spray a snarling dog...they would learn to not bother hikers.
Of course, the spray also works on any animal that has eyes and a nose that's trying to harm you.
You can place pepper spray up to 4 oz in checked baggage
This product looks a little more quality than the Halt Products.
Animals the kill the most humans:
1. Mosquitoes
2. Humans
3. Snakes
4. Dogs
Why wouldn’t pepper spray be a good solution? Surely it supports a person during attack…?I think about 25.000 humans are killed by dogs a year. While there are 7,9 billion humans and about 900 million dogs on this planet. And I am pretty sure that tragically most victims were a) children b) attacked in their homes / by dogs of family or friends.
And I don't think carrying pepperspray (or something similar) is a good solution. Neither for dogs nor for humans.
True. But while of course that dog shouldn't have been walking there freely without the owner, this attack could have been avoided. The dog attacked because the pilgrim ignored the dog's signals and approached him.Getting back to the OP's original post, she describes an actual attack.
Pepper spray is a weapon. If all pilgrims would carry around pepper spray you can wait for stories of pilgrims being attacked by their own pepper spray. And besides that, I am afraid it would be used on many dogs without any necessity.Why wouldn’t pepper spray be a good solution? Surely it supports a person during attack…?
Sure understood. I am not too phased by dogs but I used to live with a Romanian girl who was terrified of dogs (there are a lot of wild dog issues in Romania) and I think she may have carried something!Pepper spray is a weapon. If all pilgrims would carry around pepper spray you can wait for stories of pilgrims being attacked by their own pepper spray. And besides that, I am afraid it would be used on many dogs without any necessity.
And also, if every pilgrim would carry it around and dogs would start to make that associacion (unknown people with backpack and poles means pain) I can imagine it could have an opposite effect. Some dogs might just get agressive to defend themselves.
My original post was "Dog from Hell" ( having had some negativity on the thread name ), I have concluded a long arduous Camino Primitivo early November and am feeling some remise not updating my findings concerning a 'dog deterrent device'. Although my understanding and love for dogs runs long, I am aware of situations where a loose dog can be a threat to the health of humans ( I am not naive ) and will not elaborate. I had attached a powerful pen light ( erroneously thinking 1850 lumen but in reality 350 ) to my walking cane having a "strobe setting". I tested it on myself....saw dots for a minute or so.
I am happy to announce 'it works' !! , it disorients without harm or threat ( yes, I did have two occasions to field test otherwise).
The flashlight setting ( strobe not the correct choice ) proved invaluable with the morning "underthebed check".View attachment 161189
Maybe but I like the idea of pepper spray. Just feels a bit more powerful and helpful if confronted by a vicious dog!Instead of pepper spray or squirting water how about the idea in this post?
Blmey!!! ‘Food for thought’ there! Thanks.--Well, trekking pole tips are also weapons. Jamming one into a dog's face isn't exactly safe, vs, having a runny nose for an hour.
--I like the water idea. That's a good reason to use the "sport cap" on my Smart Water bottle.
--Maybe 25-35,000 people are killed by dogs. But as someone who works in an ER, I can tell you people come in all the time with dog bites. Some are small wounds. Some are quite devastating and require a call to the plastic surgeon. I'll say this...NEVER bend down and put your face near a dog you don't know. So many people have had life changing facial injuries by doing that.
--It feels like it's easy to get into victim blaming. "Well if the pilgrim wouldn't have been walking the Camino, my dog wouldn't have had to attack her. So It's HER fault she got bit."
--If a dog is blocking the road, with a fence on both sides, going "around", isn't always possible.
--In all my hikes, in different parts of America, I've been charged by dogs probably about 20 times. Usually, if I go as wide away from the dog as I can, and keep moving, they'll give up. If you turn your back on the dog while a dog is acting aggressive, you will very likely to get bit on your achilles tendon. My wife got bit on the back of her leg last year by turning her back, while a dog was charging her. If the owner is there, they'll usually yell at the dog, but universally the dog ignores their yelling.
--The only time I've used pepper on a dog was several years ago when I was on a country road near my home. I was walking my old dog. Suddenly, a big German Shepard ran up to the fenceline, doing the usual coming unglued, snarling, barking, like he wanted to rip me a new one. The GS was trying so hard to get out/through the fence. Finally he DID find a small gap in the fence and wiggled his way through the gap and was charging at me and my dog. All it took was about a 1/2 second burst of pepper into the air. He sniffed it, turned around and ran back through the fence. Had I not had the spray, he likely would have killed my dog, and torn me up trying to get him off of my dog. I don't think I even got any of the spray ON him. Dogs have very sensitive noses, and just getting a whiff of pepper is enough to change their minds.
--Ahh...I love the smell of Rottweilers in the morning....it smells like...a normal hiking day.
I've looked back through the thread, perhaps I've overlooked it but can't find a reference to any mention of jamming a pole tip into a dog's face.. what an aggressive and cruel suggestion.-Well, trekking pole tips are also weapons. Jamming one into a dog's face isn't exactly safe..
I strongly disagree.Maybe but I like the idea of pepper spray. Just feels a bit more powerful and helpful if confronted by a vicious dog!
I agree, there just isn't a place for it in a camino environment. I would hate for weapons of any kind to become normalised in these circumstances. I don't believe a stick falls into this category, as it's a helpful aid but will also help keep an aggressive animal at arms length.. if all else fails.Pepper spray is a weapon. If all pilgrims would carry around pepper spray you can wait for stories of pilgrims being attacked by their own pepper spray. And besides that, I am afraid it would be used on many dogs without any necessity.
And also, if every pilgrim would carry it around and dogs would start to make that associacion (unknown people with backpack and poles means pain) I can imagine it could have an opposite effect. Some dogs might just get agressive to defend themselves.
It's been mentioned several times in this thread that hikers have used their trekking poles as defensive tools. And I said it "WASN'T SAFE" to do that.I've looked back through the thread, perhaps I've overlooked it but can't find a reference to any mention of jamming a pole tip into a dog's face.. what an aggressive and cruel suggestion.
Hi Drifter,It's been mentioned several times in this thread that hikers have used their trekking poles as defensive tools. And I said it "WASN'T SAFE" to do that.
Well, the goal is for both you and the dog to end the confrontation without any injury. If a dog is within a trekking pole distance...that's pretty close. Besides, when your adrenaline is PUMPING it's too easy to hurt the dog with a trekking pole. Also dogs are SO FAST. It would be hard to stop a large dog with just a trekking pole, or a stick. They're just too good at doing the "dodge".Hi Drifter,
I'm wondering why it isn't safe to use a hiking pole to defend yourself from an attacking dog? I'm an animal-lover, but if I was being attacked I'd defend myself using my poles if necessary. The intent would not be to hurt the dog, but if the alternative is that I'm going to get ripped up then I'd do what I needed to do, in order to drive it away.
I completely understand the points you're making. I've bred, shown and trained dogs all my life and am comfortable that I could defuse most situations with aggressive dogs, but they're not robots and behaviour can be unpredictable. If I ended up in an unavoidable situation where a dog rushed me and attacked, I would use whatever was at hand to defend myself - poles or whatever. The key in my mind is to try to not end up in that situation in the first place, but as we know, life can throw spanners into the works. There have been recent cases here in New Zealand of people being mauled to death by dogs, so it's definitely something which needs to be taken seriously, albeit not sensationalised.Well, the goal is for both you and the dog to end the confrontation without any injury. If a dog is within a trekking pole distance...that's pretty close. Besides, when your adrenaline is PUMPING it's too easy to hurt the dog with a trekking pole. Also dogs are SO FAST. It would be hard to stop a large dog with just a trekking pole, or a stick. They're just too good at doing the "dodge".
Several times when I've been charged, the owner will try to grab the dog's collar, but the dog wasn't about to let that happen. They're just very fast.
The farther away you can keep any threat, the less chance of getting hurt. It's why bear spray shoots out 30 feet. If you let a bear get within 6 feet of you...something's gonna break.
List of Contentious Topics on Hiking Forums:
-Sleeping with your food
-Carrying a gun on trail
-How to stop a dog from attacking you while on trail
I carry a U.S. Coast Guard whistle as it can be heard a mile away in pretty violent weather and massive undulating seas. It lets the owners know, if home, there is a situation outside…and, it does deter the dogs from approaching. I used it twice on the Portuguese Camino, traveling solo, and I was really glad I had it, deployed it, and it worked!I have received a PM from a forum member who has passed along information about a new (at least for the forum) dog incident on the Invierno.
As a bit of background, you may remember that there have been some reports over the years about loose and threatening dogs on the Invierno. The two that I remember most clearly are the big mastiff in Villavieja whose owner refused to take control and let him wander loose to scare both pilgrims and the guests at the Casa Rural in Villavieja. Here is a link to one discussion. I had personal experiences with that dog twice, in 2012 and 2015, but my understanding is that it is no longer a problem.
The second, and much more frightening, dog situation involved one or two (depending on the day) very vicious dogs located right before arriving at the bridge in Barxa do Lor. Those dogs were chained up and clearly vicious. There was space to pass, but just barely. If the chain had broken, as one forum member said, there is no doubt that we would have been seriously injured or worse. Information on those incidents here. I do not know of any recent reports that the dogs are still there.
This new incident, which is shot live in the following youtube, involves a dog loose in the small village of A Zapateira, shortly after Pobra de Brollón.
I’m posting this not to scare anyone, but just to give a heads up. It is frequently the luck of the draw whether the aggressive dog will be out or not when you pass through. If I were to walk through A Zapateira, or any other village where a barking growling dog appears in front of me, I would retreat very quietly. I would then stand there and shout “oiga” until someone appears to take care of the dog. I have done that on many occasions and someone has always showed up (even once up in the mountains where I had to wait at least 20 minutes for the shephard to show up while his dog was barking).
Any additional info would be appreciated, take care, peregrinos.
What a great idea. I know that some of the newer backpacks have whistles attached, but I use a 23-year old ragtag pack. I could easily attach one to my pack with a lanyard and it seems like a much better solution that striking with a hiking stick, shooting pepper spray, etc.I carry a U.S. Coast Guard whistle as it can be heard a mile away in pretty violent weather and massive undulating seas. It lets the owners know, if home, there is a situation outside…and, it does deter the dogs from approaching. I used it twice on the Portuguese Camino, traveling solo, and I was really glad I had it, deployed it, and it worked!
I had three occasions on Camino Nascente last year when aggressive dogs came perilously close to me in spite of owners calling to them. I don't use walking poles but I have a sun umbrella which is within reach, and in all three occasions I used it to scare the dogs away.I have received a PM from a forum member who has passed along information about a new (at least for the forum) dog incident on the Invierno.
As a bit of background, you may remember that there have been some reports over the years about loose and threatening dogs on the Invierno. The two that I remember most clearly are the big mastiff in Villavieja whose owner refused to take control and let him wander loose to scare both pilgrims and the guests at the Casa Rural in Villavieja. Here is a link to one discussion. I had personal experiences with that dog twice, in 2012 and 2015, but my understanding is that it is no longer a problem.
The second, and much more frightening, dog situation involved one or two (depending on the day) very vicious dogs located right before arriving at the bridge in Barxa do Lor. Those dogs were chained up and clearly vicious. There was space to pass, but just barely. If the chain had broken, as one forum member said, there is no doubt that we would have been seriously injured or worse. Information on those incidents here. I do not know of any recent reports that the dogs are still there.
This new incident, which is shot live in the following youtube, involves a dog loose in the small village of A Zapateira, shortly after Pobra de Brollón.
I’m posting this not to scare anyone, but just to give a heads up. It is frequently the luck of the draw whether the aggressive dog will be out or not when you pass through. If I were to walk through A Zapateira, or any other village where a barking growling dog appears in front of me, I would retreat very quietly. I would then stand there and shout “oiga” until someone appears to take care of the dog. I have done that on many occasions and someone has always showed up (even once up in the mountains where I had to wait at least 20 minutes for the shephard to show up while his dog was barking).
Any additional info would be appreciated, take care, peregrinos.
Not being a dog expert it's hard to know.Why do dogs attack in the first place?
Are they afraid?
Angry?
Taught aggression?
Why do unprovoked dogs attack?
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