That is frightening. Our neighbors breed mastiffs, but they also have small dogs that they rescue. It’s really the small dogs that are annoying, because of their high-pitched barking.
On the other hand, it’s a bit disconcerting to have a mastiff coming down to our fence to confront our dogs.
This large dog is a chocolate lab, I think, but he is larger than any lab I have ever seen. I am thinking he may have been out of a lab/st. bernard mix. Not at all friendly and very territorial.
When I was walking up and down the hill, I always walked softly and carried a big stick. When he came charging out I would stop and act like I was ignoring him. I would not move until he went back to his porch.
I figured that if I kept on walking he would think he chased me off, and be even worse. After a few times of this, he started staying on the porch and just watching me.
A dog does not have to be big to be a danger.
A few years ago I was taking one of my walks in a part of the neighborhood in which I do not walk very often. Darlin’ had some work in that area.
One of local neighbors had a generic small brown dog. Prolly about a foot high. I was not in its territory. It came running out from its hedge next to the house. It came after me and fortunately I was able to holler at it and take a threatening stance to ward it off until I could get back to tell Darlin’ about it.
I was armed with a stick and I resumed my walk which took me past that place again. I made sure I was across the street from its yard, but it still came out to get me. I struck it with the stick several times and yet it persisted until once more I could get far enough away that it finally retreated.
There were several neighbors watching, and I learned from some of them that there were a number of neighborhood children on that street who had been similarly menaced.
Darlin’ pointed out to me that one of these little determined critters can slash an artery in the ankle or lower leg and you can literally bleed out seriously while trying to ward the dog off and get away.
The idea of the kids being on bikes, or simply walking past gave me the jim-jams, so I called the police to report it. They took my report, and I felt a sort of ho-hum attitude at the other end of the line. Oh well.
Several hours later, we heard a knock on the door and it was the investigating officer. When he went to the yard, it attacked him, and if he had not had his heavy boots on, it would have harmed him. He took a fuller report and told us that the dog would not be long for this world. It saddened me, but it truly was a danger.