# Walking your dog with a stick in your hand?



## FinnTastic

I don't know why other people do it, but I do it sometimes to distract Finn. When he starts getting excited, he will take the leash and start to pull on it. I guess he wants to play tug of war. Anyway, I give him the stick instead to stick in his mouth.


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## Murphysmom

Yep, same here, we keep Murphy distracted if we hold a stick while we're walking. He's so concentrated on the stick, that it gets him used to lots of people walking by him without him stopping to visit every single person.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

I carry a golf club for protection. We have been charged by loose dogs, and I will protect my dogs against others if need be.


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## FinnTastic

Carrying a stick for protection is a good idea as well. I've only met one dog not one a leash while walking in our neighborhood (stray), and as soon as I made a sound, he ran away. I scared him.


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## Lucky's mom

For the past few weeks I carry a light, aluminun T-Ball bat. The one time I forgot to pick it up...we were charged by an aggressive dog. Luckily yelling "NO" over and over helped that situation.

But I do feel more in control when I have something to defend me and Lucky.

Its not just dog walkers that will carry a stick. Often people who go out for walks will have stick in hand.


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## GoldenHeart6-2

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I carry a golf club for protection. We have been charged by loose dogs, and I will protect my dogs against others if need be.


 
At first I thought carrying a golf club was funny, but actually now I think it's a good idea! I have heard stories of stray dogs in my area, perhaps some form of protection is a good idea! Though I really hope I wouldn't have to use it!!!


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## mm03gn

I see that most of you are saying it's for some sort of protection...I had never even thought of that. 

We carry a stick to and from the park because good sticks are hard to find, and once we get a good one, we just bring it with us like we'd bring a ball  We can't be the only ones...


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## Pudden

hmmm...I don't know if a club would be useful in a dog fight. You might just aggravate the dogs and make them fight harder if you start clobbering them; and there'll be just as even a chance that you'll hit YOUR dog, not the attacking one. 

If you think you need protection, I would go with some kind of pepper spray; I would expect that to be much more effective. The Pud and I pack bear spray when we go hiking during summer.


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## Lucky's mom

Pudden said:


> hmmm...I don't know if a club would be useful in a dog fight. You might just aggravate the dogs and make them fight harder if you start clobbering them; and there'll be just as even a chance that you'll hit YOUR dog, not the attacking one.
> 
> If you think you need protection, I would go with some kind of pepper spray; I would expect that to be much more effective. The Pud and I pack bear spray when we go hiking during summer.


I don't trust myself with pepper spray....looked into it and for some reason I wondered if I could effectively grab it, aim it and shoot it under pressure.

An animal control officer advised me to carry a light aluminun bat. He said if I was charged to aim a thrust to the soft part of the nose and that it would stop the offending dog cold. I felt that type of thing might be a more natural response under pressure then spraying something I've never sprayed before.

Never had the opportunity to test out his advice...or my aim...and hope I never do.


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## momtoMax

Speaking of sticks makes me want to reopen the walk softly and carry a big stick thread but I think I'll wait until summer so we can get some more pictures. Those pics were great!! I want to see more.

About walking with a stick? sorry, never saw anyone do that!!


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## MyJaxson

FinnTastic said:


> I don't know why other people do it, but I do it sometimes to distract Finn. When he starts getting excited, he will take the leash and start to pull on it. I guess he wants to play tug of war. Anyway, I give him the stick instead to stick in his mouth.


 
I carry one for this reason too.. I never thought about protection... umm I guess I just never see that around here. Jaxson walk perfect if he has anything in his mouth, but i think its cause he is trying to not let you take it, but knows he cant pull or the walk is over.


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## janine

I have never seen anyone carry a stick either. But come on Puddin's Mom...I want you to give up the bear spray and bop a bear on the nose with a stick...don't forget your camera!!!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

Alot of people here walk with some sort of stick/club.... and not just those with dogs. We're in a large city with lots of strays (human and canine). I've never hit a dog with my golf club, but I have deterred strays running at us by just sticking it toward them with a stern "go home". We have also been aggressively charged before (from behind), and I can tell you there wouldn't have been time to whip around, and get a spray ready.


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## Laurie

mm03gn said:


> I see that most of you are saying it's for some sort of protection...I had never even thought of that.
> 
> We carry a stick to and from the park because good sticks are hard to find, and once we get a good one, we just bring it with us like we'd bring a ball  We can't be the only ones...


 
Nope, you're not.....carrying a stick for protection never crossed my mind actually. We've been very fortunate with our dogs that we have never been approached or have run into aggressive dogs off leash.

Austin found a stick during a walk one night and carried it all the way home.....months later we still have it!!!! Just the perfect size for him.....Lincoln prefers a ball.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo

I carry juice, poop bags, and a tennis ball. The tennis ball keeps Shadow focused on me very well. Even when dogs are charging their e-fences. I also have pepper spray, but I always forget it. When I was younger I had a spray I kept with me at all times. I would have no problems aiming and shooting that thing. What I have now may take a bit of extra time because now everything comes with a safety.

I did see one man walking down the street with a stick in his hand. When I looked in the rear-view mirror I saw something horrific. I pulled over and called the police.


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## Toto's mom

thank you SO MUCH!! I will definitively get my stick, we have seing just one dog off leash and is a sweet lab, but we better be ok and also will help distract him, he likes to "guide" us biting the leash and trying to lead us 

Thank you!!!


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## tino4ever

carrying a stick for self-defence? hmm ...

well, i've had a couple of really intresting encounters with ppl asking me why I cary my cane when i use my dog.
I know it becomes another thing, but...

Like most of you know, my dog is a guide dog.
I will use my cane to check if Tino does the right thing outside, use it to get his atention (pulling it along the ground on my right side to make him realize i need more space), use it when crossing the street to mark that i want to walk and so on.
I will also on rare occasions tap him on his back with it. a very light touch. it does remind him to move forward a lil faster. and no, we're not talking beating up or anything of that sort.

greetings from Ranveig.


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## AcesWild

GoldenHeart6-2 said:


> At first I thought carrying a golf club was funny, but actually now I think it's a good idea! I have heard stories of stray dogs in my area, perhaps some form of protection is a good idea! Though I really hope I wouldn't have to use it!!!


Driver or pitching wedge?

If I walked with a stick Moxie would not have any interest in it. I would have to walk with a whole rotisserie chicken to get her attention on a day off.


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