This morning I did some run and gun on my way to church and a dog chased me. He bite my leg before I climbed over a fence and the fence tore my pants. I do not want to buy pepper spray because it is illegal. Does hair spray work on dogs? I do not want to blind them I just do not want to be bite. What is the best way for protection for dogs when running and recording?

I am waiting for the gs400 and using my zr20 in the mean time.

Perhaps contact the dog pound or SPCA for tips?

Don't let a dog chase you. It takes two willing parties to initiate a chase... the chaser (the dog) and the chasee (you). Refuse to be the victim. Instead of running from an advancing dog, stand your ground. In fact, run toward the dog. The dog will get a hell of a surprise and will stop, reconsider, and turn around to run away from you. It really works! On neighborhood roaming dogs, that is. If you're on that dog's home turf (backyard, etc.), forget about it... he knows that you know that you shouldn't be back there in the first place. But on neutral ground, you chase the dog and the problem is solved.

Thank you I will do this, chase dogs when I see they want to chase me. I am still scared I might be bite.

Use your tripod. It's big and heavy and it looks menacing to humans.

Dogs really hate being kneed in the jaw.

I never leave home without a steak in my pocket!

( Otherwise I agree with the "chase the dog" theory.. then again.. it might NOT work..)

Dylan Couper's wife is a dog trainer so she'll weigh in .. oops .. that's probably a bad turn of phrase .. we can ask Dylan for her opinion.

heh guys i think that you missed the point. he was "run and gunning". he didn't have a tripod. none the less i like the idea of being the chaser but the most important thing is to be assertive and not to come across scared if that is possible. heh wouldn't it be great to catch that on video.

Justin

Carry a stick with you, a big stick if possible, on run and guns you don't need to be using both hands on the camera, if you do need to put it down until you can pick it up again, then when a dog comes at you, chase it, but wave the stick around and bang it on the ground and yell like a crazy person.... i'm sure that'll freak out the dog enough to make it think twice about biting you, unless it has rabies.....ahh the joy of living in a rabies free country!!!! =)

Justin>>> no rabid dogs for us in Aus =)

Now on the bite: you do know you should get an injection for
that, right?

That's only if the dog doesn't have tags, Rob!

Howso? Here in Holland you'll always be required to get an
injection I think. Otherwise you can get some kind of illness I
believe. What do you mean with "tags"?

I'm coming into this late, so poor Tom may already be dead or hospitalized.

Tips via my better half, who has some expertise in animal behaviorism.

If you've triggered the dog's natural "chase" instinct, stopping cold -may- help diffuse the episode. Charging an unfamiliar animal is generally a bad move. If the dog has poor socialization (such as many strays and fight-trained dogs do) chances are good it's instincts will be to charge back and bite. If it's a fighting dog such as a pit bull or rotweiler you can forget about being able to beat the dog off of you.

While pepper spray is illegal in most places, citronella spray is almost equally effective with dogs and safe. It will buy you a minute or two to plan your exit strategy. (Sticks are generally not a great idea for a defense.) The general idea is to force the animal to get a different idea by distracting them through sounds, strong odors, etc. Swinging a stick at an over-excited dog is reinforcing the same idea.

Rabies has become a rarity in the U.S. and Canada. So the greatest hazard you face in a bite wound is infection. And it's nearly as great of a hazard as rabies. You should seek immediate medical treatment for any bite wound that breaks your skin. Even a seemingly minor bite puncture can easily turn into a raging, difficult to control infection within 24-48 hours. Recovery from such infections will be long and painful. (My wife is still recovering from a cat bite received during her volunteer work last February).

>Carry a stick with you, a big stick if possible

I'm not a dog expert, but pretty much every dog I've known backs up or even cowers when I'm holding something in my hand.

The same holds
true for humans, as I train martial arts and run my own weapons sparring group . The most informative are the first bouts of newbies, which cower
from each other even though they know that the rolled up magazine won't really hurt them. Every time the weapon is escalated (Duct-taped magazine -> metal rod core in duct-taped magazine -> long whippy flexible stick -> rattan (solid version of bamboo) stick), the same reaction occurs.

What I would do is punch it in the nose. That will stop the dog cold. I've only done this once and it worked. Usually, ignoring the dog or yelling at it---showing who's boss---works before it attacks...then punch, if needed.

I usually just put a hole through its cheek with my pen.

Actually, I've never been attacked by a dog, knock on wood.

Here is a non violent alternative and lots of fun to prepare for...
Eat lots of non blanched beans and fried food and raw bean sprouts or what ever gives you bad gas....
then get upwind from the beast and let em rip. They smell even worse to dogs than humans. Just exercise some self control when around others.

I will buy billy club to smack dog's nose who chase me when I run and gun. I do not like to do this but I do not like to be bite.

I usually just put a hole through its cheek with my pen.This only works on stupid humans.I will buy billy club to smack dog's nose who chase me....Don't do that! Just run faster than the dog, or buy some of that bad smell cat spray that you put on furniture so that your cat won't stratch, or bark bark, or get one of those small compressed air horns---geez that should work even with bears, plus it's legal.

If you lie on your back with your paws .. er hands and feet splayed out in a gesture of submission, the dog will know it has won and will leave you alone. Or maybe that's after it ritually tries to hump you.

I used to have a paper route and there was a dog that seemed to just be waiting for me every day to chase my truck and proceed to just stand in front of my truck when I would slow down so that I couldn't continue. I bet he did this with the postman too, maybe anything that was white in color. I thought all of this was funny but it held me up on time. So I bought one of those super-duper water guns with a resevoir and pressure pump and he got a surprise the next day. I wish I had a picture of the look on his face. Every day after that he hesitated before chasing me but that little shit still did but with more caution. I have also heard of people mixing amonia with the water which associates the experience with that smell and they learn real quick. I wouldn't want to hurt the dog. He's just doing what dogs do. Being bitten or almost bitten is different. I would probably try the amonia method with that experience.

Try to have some footages of that stupid dog. Then call a lawyer and bring the owner of the dog in court with this proof. He should have kept its dog attached.

Sure, you nevertheless will be bitten, but you will be rich, and the owner will have to sell his home to pay you! so no more dog!

Everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds!

Don't forget, HUMAN bites are even more dangerous than dogs'..
(Doesn't really matter how much we bruch those teeth..)
=)

Anyone caught jogging in Edmonton while simultaneously shooting footage deserves to get bitten.

Run and gun in the West Edmonton Mall (second biggest after the Mall of the America's )

or


Hit the beast with your camera.

Yeah, but then he'd have to deal with the mall cops. And, as everyone who's ever tried to shoot in a mall with a video camera knows, mall cops suck.

And I especially like the "mall cops suck" video. I wonder if it's still up?

Nope--remember, it was taken down because the evil mall cops threatened lawsuits.

That's right. Thanks for reminding me.

When I was like 12 or 13, I had a CCM Charger 2-speed, black, of course. I used to go ripping through Polo Park shopping mall in Winnipeg during the week day evenings, when there were few shoppers. The evil guards never caught me, unlike poor Alex.

For those just tuning in, in case this baffles you, on another board, whose name shall go unmentioned (what the heck, it doesn't work a lot anyway), a fair young lad not all that far into his teen years, armed with nothing more than a cheap miniDV camera, went with his friends to the local mall intending to grab a shot for a video he was producing in high school. He was shooting his friend, who was simply sitting on a ledge, when the mallnazis came after him and escorted the lads out, rather fiercely, apparently. Some rude exchanges followed, as I recall the story, the kids ran but not nearly fast enough and the mallcops caught them, hauled them to the office where they began an intimidation process (not like those in the media these days, but frightening nevertheless to the kids). However, remember, dear reader, these are techhead kids, video savvy dudes...and good ol' Alex kept his camera running the entire time. Yes!

So he did what any kid with a computer would do these days: he edited his footage into a video called "Mall Cops Suck" and put it up on a website.

The story should have ended there...but...somebody apparently tipped off the mallcops, and the evil mean-spirited mall management threatened a lawsuit with the parents. The kids took down the site.

I, too, have been busted by mallcops numerous times in the performance of my own video duties, so I sympathize. Those among us of a less benign outlook on life posted that the mall is private property, to which I reply--hey, let 'em give back the tax breaks, then, as well as the right-of-way to the public streets they so suavely commandeered in their lust for profit.

The malevolant mall menacers also banned the kids from the mall. So the suggestion was made that the kids stand on a public street corner across the street from said mall and shoot video day and night for a week or so and see what happens. However, by this time, they had let bygones be bygones and gone on to newer and better video endeavors.

However...Mall Cops Suck! is the stuff of which internet legends are made. Keep up the good work, dudes!

Hi All. I'm a Meter Reader for the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power and we deal with dogs of all sorts on a daily basis. As somebody posted earlier, running from the dog is probably the worst thing you can do. Unless, of course, it's a big mean Rott or Pit and he's headed your way with a big smile on his face. :)

95% of all dogs will back down when confronted (excepting the trained guard dogs or fighting breeds). It's all about attitude. They will put up one hell of a show to scare you off, but if you stare them down and proceed like you're going after THEM, they will almost always back off. Just from the nature of our job we become experts at reading the body language of dogs and are able to tell at a glance which dogs are safe to go in with, and which ones to avoid.

One piece of equipment that is issued to us is a small black umbrella that pops open with the push of a button. It even comes with a sort of sheath with a belt clip so we don't have to carry it in our hands all the time. Rarely do I have to 'pop' the umbrella to back off a dog, but when I do, boy are they surprised. It's like those lizards that have the fold of skin behind their neck that they open up to make themselves look ten times bigger. If the umbrella fails to scare a dog off, at least I have something for him to chew on (besides my leg) while I get out of the yard.

I hope this helps, and I hope you had that bite taken care of.

-Patrick

Big stick? I'm sure a monopod might do just fine.

Honestly though, If you have the guts to run at the dog (like it says in one of the previous posts) and this doesn't work. Just pop it in the face with anything-foot, fist, knee, stick. Unless it's a wolf or in a pack, you should come out on top.

<<<-- Originally posted by Evan Fisher : Big stick? I'm sure a monopod might do just fine.

Honestly though, If you have the guts to run at the dog (like it says in one of the previous posts) and this doesn't work. Just pop it in the face with anything-foot, fist, knee, stick. Unless it's a wolf or in a pack, you should come out on top. -->>>

I think this statement might work, but beware,
My brother is a dog trainer, and I´ve seen quite a few events on a few of the dog "sports" and trust me on this one, a well trained dog, will not stop with any pop on the face (unless you pop a bullet, or a VERY HARD hit with a bat, and that will not be easy if you are holding a camcorder).

Of course a well Trained dog will not attack you without a given order, unless you are doing something wrong (tresspassing mainly)..

On the other hand, there are "Bad" Trained dogs, that will be much more dangerous.... and those are the ones that usually make the news, and give a bad reputation for many breeds (Pit BUlls, Rottweilers, etc).

I think this dog issue has been tackled all wrong. The dogs wouldn't be bothering you if they weren't insecure deep down. For your benefit, I will diagram the three main Psychographics of K-9's in North America.

Overcompensation Puppies: Much like like frat boys menacing from their porches or balconies, these dogs have deep down fears of being inadequet. These are generally content to stay on their lead, I suspect many aren't even attached but like to appear that way to eliminate stressfull chases. If they do attack, expose you're (hopefulle) superior external genitles to them. Assuming they do not associate what they see with a long lost chew toy, their little puppy libidos will be devastated. Be advised, this may not work for women with fewer than 6 breasts.

Misunderstood Mongrels: Some dogs aren't homocidal. Some don't even have bloodlust! They just really want to play. They are often misunderstood, because people are always too busy with 'people things' to take a moment to pat bellies or scratch ears affectionately. They occasionally get pepper sprayed or have pens jammed in their mouth when they really just want to fetch your slippers. To seperate these pooches from the other, more dangerous types, pretend to throw a ball off to the side. If they go after it, consider taking a moment to bring happiness to a fellow mammal. Who knows, your cholesterol might go down!

Carl Rover: Here are the baddies; these boys aren't necessarily trained to go for the jugular, some of them are born to kill for their own amusement. They have gained power as they won a lot of seats in the last election. Now, however, they are out of the job for at least 3 years, so they're bored and looking for sweet sweet flesh. One of their favorite past-times is tearing into the 'liberal media.' This includes anyone with a camcorder who is not currently brandishing a firearm or supressing a human right. Thus, if a dog of this type is on your case (you'll know it by it's GOP tags) quickly praise Bill O'Reilly for his journalistic integrity.

See? Violence is never the answer. There's always another way.

<<<-- Originally posted by Tom Koerner : ...occasionally get pepper sprayed or have pens jammed in their mouth... -->>>

This reminds me of something, but I can't say just what.

If you are desperate for a deterent. When I was a kid a neighbors dog would always chase us on our bikes and bite us if it could catch us. My dad gave me a squirt gun with diluted ammonia (very diluted). The dog went after us again and it got a squirt, it never chased us again. This was a last resort... I'm a dog owner and would never allow that to happen to my dog, but if he ever chased or bit anyone I would have responded appropriately.

<<<-- Originally posted by Tom E Young : Thank you I will do this, chase dogs when I see they want to chase me. I am still scared I might be bite. -->>>Dogs can smell fear. Perhaps he will call your bluff and kick you ass.

One thing's for sure, dogs don't like pain. carry a walking stick or even a tree branch and whip him when he tried to bite. You might also add a "No!" while you're doing it.

<<<-- Originally posted by Robert Knecht Schmidt : Everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds! -->>>

Easy, Pangloss.

Ask the dog if it realizes that it is just displacing pent up rage on the wrong person.

One round from a Glock 19 placed squarely between the eyes will make the assailant get verrrry sleeepy. :-)

Follow instincts. Climb tree ;)

Carry a cat. When the dog shows up, toss the cat at him. This will startle dog and cause him to stop charging you.

a) Cat will run, dog will chase cat.
b) Spunky cat will open claws, dog will run.
c) Dog and cat will have a good fight. Get camera going and sell footage to evening news. Sell to national news if cat wins.

My good buddy Mark is actually the head of the NYC ASPCA law enforcement. He was one of the first officers when they turned to a law enforcement branch. We grew up in the same apartment building. He is always on the show animal precient on cable TV. I'll ask him for a real answer when I see him again. This will put an end to the topic I hope. BTW, he has told me about dozens of bites over the years. If I have learned anything, there is no real answer.

I don't waste my time being polite or deferential to aggressive dogs and not having much in the way of fangs or jaw power, I needed an accessory.

Several years ago, I found just the right limb on an ash tree and converted it into a multipurpose staff. It is 5.75 feet long, 2.3 inches in diameter at the top, weighs 3.2 lbs. and is slightly curved. It has a rubber cane tip on the bottom for traction. It has saved me from several dog attacks, one of which put the dog into deep regret. Dogs that have experienced near misses when I swung it around, don't make further passes at me-----picture Gandolph in the "Lord of the Rings". Twice, it has helped me block assaults by berserk hominids-----meth users, I assume.

It is an indispensible field aid for camera work in rough country. I can lean on it with a camera and use it like a monopod. But its main purpose is for climbing on slippery hillsides and it's even more important on descents. It's also good for parting or whacking down berry vines. If I were to encounter angry, antler-bearing animals in rutting season or a large predator in the woods, it would give me a fighting chance.

While doing some camerawork for a friend's movie this week, 2 typical "rednecks" came to the filming location (a public rock quarry type area) and they brought along 2 pitbulls. I have always been terrified of pitbulls by the fact that they are bred to kill. Anyway, we're trying to film this movie and these people are screaming and swearing at their dogs and just making a lot of noise. That's when the pitbulls began to fight, one latched on to the other one's neck and wouldn't let go (Oh, for the record, we were at a safe distance above them looking down, I was hiding behind a tree, lol) and then the people keep screaming louder and louder and it took about 2 minutes for one of the "rednecks" to pull the attacking pitbull off the other one and I glanced over and almost threw up at what I saw. The pitbull that was attacked was white but his neck was red after the attack and even from a distance we could see the blood gushing out. They hurried off with their dogs, screaming and swearing and we resumed filming, though the rest of that day I was freaked out that they left a pitbull behind and I was very lightheaded.

We had a boy mauled to death by a pit bull here recently. Everytime that happens, the owner always says: "I can't understand it, he's such a gentle dog and has never attacked anybody." Then the neighbor usually says: "That damn dog goes crazy out in the back yard and would kill anything in site." Leaving a pit bull off the leash is the same thing as leaving a loaded gun out in the open for anybody. Worse, maybe. People who have them should be indicted for murder and/or assault when there is an attack. They are killer beasts, and the only reason to have one is so it can one day attack somebody.

Exactly, I don't understand why they are legal. I would much rather be chased by a madman with a knife then a pitbull as pitbulls are faster, more powerful, etc. A friend's mom of mine told me how she knew someone that was in a wheelchair and their parents left the handicapped person outside for a few seconds to get something in the house and when they came out their child was dead. His throat had been ripped open by a loose pitbull and no time was served by the owner.

Just read this on Yahoo news. She was worried about the dog so she locked the kid in the basement. THAT is the kind of thinking these people always seem to do. It's not just the damn dogs, it's the damn owners. Look at later on in the article where she says, "...when you're born you're destined to go and this was his time" referring to her own kid. Sheesh. The woman should be locked up for murder.

SAN FRANCISCO - The mother of a 12-year-old boy killed in his own home by one of the family's two pit bulls says she had been so concerned about one of the dogs that she shut her son in the basement to protect him.

Maureen Faibish said she ordered Nicholas to stay in the basement while she did errands on June 3, the day he was attacked by one or both of the dogs. She said she was worried about the male dog, Rex, who was acting possessive because the female, Ella, was in heat.

"I put him down there, with a shovel on the door," Faibish said in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. "And I told him: `Stay down there until I come back.' Typical Nicky, he wouldn't listen to me."

Nicholas apparently found a way to open the basement door.

Despite her concerns about Rex that day, Faibish told the newspaper: "My kids got along great with (the dogs). We were never seeing any kind of violent tendencies."

Faibish found her son's body in a bedroom. He was covered in blood from several wounds, including a major head injury. No charges have been filed.

"It's Nicky's time to go," she said in the interview. "When you're born you're destined to go and this was his time."

Ella was shot to death by a police officer the day of the attack. Rex was taken to a shelter, but Faibish said she wanted him put down.

I know that media portrays pitbulls as terrible dogs, and some of them are, but most any dog is what it is made into by man. I adopted my pit from a rescue 20 pounds under weight with broken ribs and a busted nose, she was a skeleton and scared of the fly swatter for years. But she was wonderful, yes she was aggressive with other animals, and needed to be leashed (all dogs should be as no one can tell you their dog will never bite) but she was loving and sweet and snuggly and smart, and she loved children. I wonder how many of you "experts" really know anything about the breed besides the jilted media stories that never tell the whole story and often call dog pitbulls to sell papers when the dog is a mix breed mut. Have you ever looked up a pitbull rescue site? For every one pitbull who attacks thousands are attacked by people, puppies with eyes guaged out, dogs tied up and lit on fire. I would tell you the demons are not the dogs but the ones who often own them. And the more people like you decide that the dog is the enemy, with no real knowledge, the more the dogs are relagated to living with criminals who don't care what society thinks, and who find it funny to beat a dog. I'm not saying this dog is for everyone, just the opposite, there are few people with the brains, courage and strength of character it takes to own such a grand breed. And with owning it comes a responsibility to watch your dog and know when it's time to say goodbye to your best friend. I loved my Cheeka more than anything, I cry everyday because she is gone, but I knew when she crippled her back leg that she would never be the same dog, she could not recover from that and keep her gentle spirit, and so my husband and I made the choice to end her life now instead of waiting till she was in so much pain she snapped at someone. I have loved in my life but never so much as I loved that beat up dog the world wanted to throw away.