Dang pitbulls...

Gridwalker306

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Nov 10, 2010
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So today was my last chance to do some detecting, as of tomorrow we will be below freezing until the spring. I have detected the tiny village where I live to death, so I crossed the border to detect the American side of our town. I was having zero luck, digging only memorial cents at the three spots I hit. Then I noticed a mowed open area with an old trail and possibly the impression of where an old building once stood. I detected for a few minutes, still finding nothing great, and when I was down digging, I noticed a loose young pitbull watering the grass maybe 20 yards from me. I stood up, he noticed me and was interested. I stood up and slowly turned and walked through the area, across the road, and onto the porch of the nearest house. I knocked, nobody was home, the dog stared at me from the street for a few minutes. I heard another dog bark in the distance, and the pitbull trotted down the street. I was a little freaked, as I had a much worse experience last weekend.

Last Saturday I got permission to detect an old family farm from a sweet 90 year young lady. She had to leave while I detected, so I was happy to have some uninterrupted detecting time. I heard what I thought was someone calling me, I removed the headphones and hollered "hello"? No response, so I continued. Then, through the bushes, right beside my truck, I see a huge pitbull, and he looked annoyed. There was nobody around, and I was a good distance from my truck, and the dog. I figured he was going to check me out, and I'd rather face him close to the house where someone may come along, rather than in the garden behind the house and bushes. I removed my headphones, gripped my Lesche, and walked to my truck...and the growling pitbull. The truck was locked, no time to fumble with keys, I kept walking until I ran the last eight or nine yards and leaped into the box of my truck. I know it's better to stay calm and not show fear, but I believe the dog was inevitably going to engage me. So there I am, standing in my box, the dog growling on the ground, and nobody around, and only distant farmhouses on the flat prairie horizon. Great. Then I see a tractor out in a field, the driver waving his arms, and I could hear a faint whistle. The dog looked at me before turning to run across the field to the tractor, and whom I assume was the dogs owner. Sigh of relief lol!

Now I'm not a chicken, I'm nearly 6'4, and 235 lbs. I also LOVE dogs! However, these particular dogs are unpredictable, and I don't trust them. A seven year old boy that I know was bitten on the face a couple of weeks ago by a pitbull, in the dogs house, right in front of the dogs owner. I know they can be a good dog, but the erratic behaviour makes me wish they were better controlled and restrained by the owners.

Anybody else have close calls with dogs while detecting? I'm going to carry my knife with me from now on.
 

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In the 70's it was Doberman ' s that were feared. I was an A/C service tech and was called out to work on a back yard unit where no one was home. The dog was loose and charged me from 100 yards away. As a child I was trained to stand my ground. That was tough but I did not move. The dog charged up to me and stopped as close as possible and stared me down. We stood there starring for minutes. Then the dog gave in and just wandered away allowing me to leave. That I did and closed the gate and did not return.
 

Buddy of mine and I was out hunting this summer, down the Driveway from next door they came...2 of them. they paired off against us ( I have seen pits do this before), a friend of mine used to raise and breed them. I carry a Concealed, but I also have Pepper spray attached to my Detecting belt. the one pit that engaged me had a head the size of a plate and was about 1 1/2 ft tall. by the time he got within 3 feet of me I let him have a full mouth full of spray. he ran back up the driveway to the house next door where he came from.

The other pit kept circling my friend trying to find a weak spot, I trotted up some old stairs and let him have it, he ran off as well. The owner came out and was pissed because I had just sprayed his dogs. I didn't care because I knew we were that close to being in full combat with these Dogs. even though some are ok, these Dogs will turn on you in a heart beat IMO, I wouldn't even think to trust one with a child around, and that's my take.
 

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Really painful to read ignorant posts about how aggressive and born to kill these dogs are. Please do some reading before spewing garbage you heard on TV. Pitbulls, amstaffs and bulldogs were bread for their loyalty, extremely high pain tolerence, physical strength, mental stability, and because they are amazingly smart. Not because they are baby killing and grandma mauling machines. As a matter of fact, the miniature breeds are much more aggressive and bite a lot more people, but do no damage because of how tiny and insignificant they are, so no one cares to do a news segment on them. Any and all animals can be trained to attack and kill, except that some are better suited for the job than others. Give a dog fighter a poodle, a lab or a cat and all of them will attack your grandmas and your kids with the same vigor as a pit. Just as some food for thought, Ceasar Milan owns 20 something dogs and most are pits. Phew, had to vent, sorry guys. Anyhow, please meat my Amstaff, his name is Argas and he's 5 years old. Amazing, friendly, very protective and affectionate little guy: <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1078419"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1078420"/>
Thank you for posting Perses! I can't believe all of these people really believe that a dog is born and it's automatically a killing machine. I wish someday people would realize that WE are the root of all the problems.... Yes human beings are the ones that #%^* every thing up. It's humans that train dogs to be mean and aggressive or turn a dog ugly because they beat it every day.
I wasn't even going to read any more on this thread but I'm glad I did and I'm glad you posted. That's a beautiful best friend you have
 

Note to Perses: Your dog sounds wonderful. Yes, it's often people who train or abuse their dogs into being violent, but those same people often don't keep their dogs confined. And my reporting the true story of a grandma's pit killing her small granddaughter in my own town is not "an ignorant post", nor are others' true stories of themselves or their family's horse being attacked by pit bulls "ignorant posts"! Respect is needed both on this forum as well as in our lives outside the computer world. Andi
 

I don't think anybody in this thread has been ignorant at all. People telling their stories of being attacked, or nearly attacked, has nothing to do with stereotyping or ignorance. It has to to with the fact that people in out hobby are outdoors, and need to watch out for animals, including loose dogs. Especially loose dogs with a reputation of being unpredictable, and the physical and mental capabilities of inflicting a lot of damage.

I don't believe it's all the master's fault either. I have seen pit bulls with good training go mental and attack people for no reason. Again, I love dogs!
 

Perses, thanks for your comments. I didn't start this thread to dissect the psychology of large dogs, or their masters. I only wanted to hear about other peoples experiences while detecting, and what they do to keep themselves safe. A pit bull that is properly trained and restrained is fine with me, what people do in their own houses and yards is none of my business. It becomes my business when an aggressive dog is staring me down in a place where he shouldn't be. It's very unnerving, and dangerous. I'll be getting some pepper spray. As for your comments about tiny dogs being just as aggressive only on a small scale--I'm never worried that I'll have my throat ripped out by a chihuahua. I absolutely love dogs, I would really like to get a nice Lab someday. Right now I'm too busy running a business and raising a family to give a dog the attention it needs. I'll wait until I retire, and do it right.
 

Pepper spray would work better than a knife. A weighted club also works, but you have to be quick with it.
 

Just had the same thing happen to me. I was in a run down side of town. I was hitting a grove all the sudden a angry pit was right on me. I grabbed my shovel and was like cmon you mother f*****. I almost took his head off. He backed me all the way out of the park and to my car. I felt like finding the owner and giving them a peice of my mind. These are the reasons my wife won't let me carry. I'd a shot this dog in a heart beat. I like dogs I have one but I'll be damned if I'm gonna get bit Be careful out there.

Damn bud. You didn't tell me about that one
 

I have close calls with dogs all the time in the park, and the owners think that no one is around, and just them off the leach i love dogs and i own a pitbull but im not going to get bit i will use my shovel to take one out...
 

Used to be a paperboy. I used a spray bottle that I filled with ammonia. Worked every time.
 

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in their defense a dog is aas mean as u make it ....as for the 2nd encounter u was on his turf and he didnt know u any good dog of any breed will growl at a stranger
 

coy dogs are always bad when the coyotes breed with strays coz they not afraid of ppl
 

bear spray would do it to so u could escape but i would definately leave if i used that because once they get it out of their eyes they not gonna be happy
 

I have multiple dog spook tales while detecting. Once had about 4 circle me jumping in and out of the "ring" aggressively. Was ready to part the hair on a Doberman when the owner came running and yelling at me, then I told him it would be his turn next. On and on. One of the worst incidents was having a van load of drunken Indians drive up and start taking a leak in the middle of the road. I was detecting an old one room school site in the middle of nowhere. Some of them were getting/lippy aggressive. I kept my mouth shut and kept a tight grip on my Raven shovel as I walked back to my car, watching out of the corner of my eye.
 

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I haven't had any negative experiences with dogs while detecting, but when I was younger I did. I was helping my then girlfriend with her newspaper route while she was working her other job. It was collection day, so I knocked on a guys door for payment. It was hot that day, and the screen door was ajar. Out barrels this little white mutt barking it's head off. Without warning, he latched onto my kneecap. He sunk all 4 teeth in and was thrashing his head. I can tell you, that little ******* bit HARD and would not let go. The owner wasn't coming out to help. I had tried to pry it's mouth open and snapped in on the snout, but he was committed. Finally I gave him a quick punch, straight down on the bridge of the nose. My father told me if this situation ever happened, that is how you "take care of it" . The dog looked knocked out but it's teeth were still in my knee. I unlocked his jaw and pulled him of . He fell on the porch and wasn't moving. He wasn't knocked out...he was dead. Apparently when you strike a dog hard enough on the bridge of the nose at a downward angle, it pushes a piece of bone behind its sinuses into its brain. I was upset that it did some damage to my knee, but also upset that I killed it. After a visit to the ER and some stitches, I went home and told my father what happened. He said "I told you it works". I told him that I didn't want to kill it and he laughed...and laughed...and laughed! He's a gruff man's man if you know what I mean. Lol. As for the owner of the dead dog, my then girlfriend told me that he said the dog must have died because of the heat or something. She didn't tell him the difference and I really didn't care!
 

I see this happened to you over a year ago.....did you ever go back and get your shoes?
Scary experience for sure. Sure glad the farmer called Fido off of you.
 

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