My view.

I go Birding 'proper' without my dogs... it would be cruel for them to sit still for long periods whilst I was sat at 'scope.

Other times, I go dogwalking with a bit of Birding added... for example, Wigan Flashes, 3 Sisters, Haigh Country Park, River Douglas.

At these times, my dogs are not on the lead (unless there's another dog coming by that is, then they go on for safety reasons) - my dogs are well under control, I don't let 'em mither anyone (unless folk say they don't mind and make a fuss) and I 'scoop the poop'.

Have to say, my dogs have been on my 'local twitched' too - last year they saw the Great White Egret (Walmsleys), the Red-throated Diver (Scotsman's) and last week, the four Black-necked Grebe (Scotsman's) - now, how many dogs do you know can add those to their tick list?

:D

Neil.

paint arrived - dogss wound is infected £60 at the vets so far - ho hum...

Marbury last Sunday - some idiot in wellies with a Golden Retriever was paddling about by the brook encouraging the dog to chase the Coots which had been feeding on the grass. Also flushed the White Wagtails and any waders grrrrr

ordered from your link dave, thanks.

there is however a stockist in manchester it seems, but it was paypal online.

http://www.farbgel.com/contact.html

church street in the city centre, £9.99 per can if anyone wants to call and buy direct.



-- Edited by Paul Cliff on Tuesday 31st of March 2009 09:25:55 PM

thanks dave.

thankfully she escaped without any open wounds, though god knows how.

edit to add, spoke too soon - just found 2 puncture wounds in the folds of skin between her shoulder and ear - odd she didn't bleed at the time but the wounds are weeping clear fluid slightly now, so will get her to the vets in the morning. bugger.

it had her by the throat and didn't let go until after repeated kicks to the ribs. my old girl is 12 now and thou she has the heart of a lion she's no-longer got any teeth having worn them flat on a lifetime of carrying large stones. i doubt she'd be as lucky if there was a next time, so i don't want another repeat if i can help it!

gonna order a couple of cans now.



-- Edited by Paul Cliff on Tuesday 31st of March 2009 09:58:53 PM

Hi Paul

Hope that your dog recovered OK.

The spray that I have used in the past is called T.I.W. FARB GEL SPRAY which when I got them last 2 years ago were under a fiver. Due to more people carrying these cans the price has shot up.

The best one on the internet is called UV personal attack/defence spray made by a company called M.A.C.E , [ its not the Mace spray that is illegal in the UK]. This spray is totally legal in the UK and is given out to some women's groups and female Uni students.You can get it from;

Crime prevention products on 01494 792 592 or visit their website at;
http://www.c-p-p.co.uk/product/asp/ProdID/2324/af/page.htm

The price is now about £17 per can which is a bit expensive but if it stops your dog from being seriously hurt or yourself suffering injury then it is cheap at half the price.

The spray was designed to help people defend themselves in mugging attacks and has been successful in the UK and it is also very good against dog attacks without hurting the dog.

Also, for the ladies that visit this excellent forum, buy a can , it might stop you from coming to harm when you are out birdwatching.I make sure that my daughter carries one when she goes out or is at Uni.

dave have you got a link to the paint cans? only seem to be able to find stuff that's £10/£15 per can.

bought a couple of the maplins dogchasers after my dog was beat up by another staffy last week - irresponsible owner with their dog off the lead...

Respectful dog owners with well trained dogs are not normally a problem. I have spent many hours birdwatching with people who bring their dogs with them and not had any problems. As a rule, decent dog owners have well trained dogs.

I rarely visit Pennington now mainly due to the dog problem and the little brats that accompany them.I could have quite happily launched a Jack Russell called Tyson which was trying to remove my trouser leg into the centre of the flash the other week as its scum owner laughed and said that the dog was only playing with me.

The owner stopped laughing when I pulled out a can of fluorescent red Criminal Identifier Spray [ totally legal and available on the web @£4.95 a can] and sprayed his little dogs head. The spray is safe and takes a week to wash off and stopped the dog in its tracks. The owner was not happy and told me he would ring the RSPCA so I told him to ring the police as well so I could get him done for having a dangerous dog.

Exit one dog owner and one very bright red Jack Russell.

I have been carrying a can of CI spray for a couple of years after having a couple of run ins with farm dogs on the mosses, it might not stop me from getting attacked but hopefully it will identify the dog for the police if I ever need them.

Can we have a Tournament for the number of times you're bitten by a dog whilst out bird(watch)ing? Both Judith Smith and I have points so far...

I actually got punched in the face by the dog owner when I suggested he pay for a new pair of trousers that his dog had ripped and covered in my blood!!!

I have 3 dogs myself which are by no means perfect BUT are well trained, as a birding dog owner i use my common sense when and where to let them roam and run, but notice on all to numerous occasions dogs which are left to there own devices with owners quite happy for their pooches to crap anywhere and go anywhere. A kick for half these dogs wont do them any harm just get an earful from the owner.

cheers
jason

Dean Macdonald wrote:

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Can birds hear the ultrasonic dog scarer?

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I think they probably can Dean, but when I've used it I've been too pre-occupied with the dog coming towards me to notice

Gary

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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No problem posting links Gary as long as they've been checked as ok by yourself, are legitimate and not linked to anything that isn't relevant to birds or birding etc, the Maplins link for this thread ticks all those boxes as ok

---

Here's a direct link then

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=33094

Gary

Anthony Dixon wrote:

---

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

No problem posting links Gary as long as they've been checked as ok by yourself, are legitimate and not linked to anything that isn't relevant to birds or birding etc, the Maplins link for this thread ticks all those boxes as ok

---

I like it!

On a more serious note, I've seen owners on a number of occasions let their dogs jump into the small back water near the main pools at Reddish Vale and let them chase wildfowl.
I remember I was going to give one such owner 'what for' one day last summer, but a Canada Goose, protecting her young gave the mutt a taste of it's own medicine!

---

but I was being serious

Can birds hear the ultrasonic dog scarer?
Just curious.

The last time i was at penny 2 dog owners were merrily chatting away while their dogs ran riot in front of new hide, scaring everything off!!

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

No problem posting links Gary as long as they've been checked as ok by yourself, are legitimate and not linked to anything that isn't relevant to birds or birding etc, the Maplins link for this thread ticks all those boxes as ok

---

I like it!

On a more serious note, I've seen owners on a number of occasions let their dogs jump into the small back water near the main pools at Reddish Vale and let them chase wildfowl.
I remember I was going to give one such owner 'what for' one day last summer, but a Canada Goose, protecting her young gave the mutt a taste of it's own medicine!

No problem posting links Gary as long as they've been checked as ok by yourself, are legitimate and not linked to anything that isn't relevant to birds or birding etc, the Maplins link for this thread ticks all those boxes as ok

I usually carry an ultrasonic dog scarer. Small device about the size of a pack of fags that fits in your pocket. You can get them from Maplin Electronics for £15 (put 'dog chaser' into the product search). The best thing is because they are inaudible to humans the dog owners don't know you are using it and therefore don't get stroppy. Dog usually stops dead in its tracks. I can't remember whether we are allowed to post web links or not.

Gary

the one at penny i hate the most is the woman who arrives every morning at about mid day walks in the bunting hide ,then the spanial she has with her runs round the front of the hide scares everything off after youve been freezing for 2 hours waiting for the brambling to arrive,then it rolls round in the crap at the front of the hide,she shouts it into the hide then it runs along every seat and if your on one across you ,your camera ,your new bag,then she says dont worry theyl soon come backproblem is she does it every day,and says every day have there been any rats this morning,she actualy thinks the hides put there so we can all watch and photograph the rats

If a person jumped on you it would be assault. I see no difference if a dog does it. PS The lump hammer would be for the dogwalker, not the dog! I hate the way dogwalkers think a quick apology makes it OK - it doesn't.

There is no emoticon for deep sigh! Exactly. The Mersey Valley esp. Millgate Fields area is now completely ruined by dogs. Passing waders do not use the big bend below the GC anymore because there's always half a dozen mutts gamboling in the river (then wiping their paws on you). Often these multiple dog ensembles are professional dog walkers - I believe the pay is very good indeed.

Jeeez and I had to pretend to be concerned about my girlfriend's sniffly dog this morning!

No,sorry can,t even start to be polite about it,bain of my life,parks full of dog poo,paths full of dog poo,even abram flashes has it,s own dog walker(why does anyone need 9 spaniels)It,s crap but ranting on here not,s going to change anything,maybe someone can knock up a few 'rabid dog lost, reward offered'signs just to make them a little bit wary.

cheers geoff

I think its a bit like hoodies,i don't blame them ,i blame the parents,and dogs the same 30 years ago anyone had a dog they spent time when it was a pup,and trained it to heel,and not to jump up at anyone,now for some reason everyone seems to have 3 dogs,they are all massive,and obviously they have spent nil time training them.PENNY never used to be a dog toilet,in fact it only used to have birders,and golfers.but unfortunately the big car park,play area,hot dog van etc just atracts so many people ,its like blackpool sea front of a weekend.I MUST FIND A QUITER LOCAL PATCH AGAINPerhaps ill follow ians lead and stick to the south and west side of the flash,i may pick up a few extra points in the comp doing that

John the problems everywhere last week at Crooke a woman with 2 dogs the dogs came bounding up all over me great big uns to and i am not so big all us i got off her was its ok there only playing after covering me in all kinds of S####.
Do these dog owners not know that not everybody likes the DAMN THINGS and then if they do go for you they always say its never done that before.
If they know that they jump up to all and sundry please put them on the lead when they see someone coming thats all i ask for.

Cheers Jimmy

Dog's and dog walkers are the bain of the nature photographer!
They have an uncanny habit of turning up at the precise moment I've manged to zoom in on a target and scare it away...This has happened on countless occassions and a good few times when I've been about to photograph a species I haven't captured before.

As much as I like dogs, if it's likely to jump all over strangers and cover them in mud, then it should be kept on a lead.

Carry a lump hammer

even though i've nothing against dogs or dogwalkers,i had one myself until i was in my mid 20's,but do other birders than me seem to have the same problems as me,in a 3 hour period yesterday i had a rotweiler,a red setter,and some other massive red labrador,on 3 separate ocasions dive up at me ,all 3 leaving mud on ,my coat,jeans,bins,camera!!etc and the 3 owners said the first,i:should have told it to get down,the second totally ignored me let it dive all over me until i told him the next time it jumps up it'l need a new set of teeth,then he just shouted it awaythe third ran full on through mud hit me with both paws,splashing mud on me ,my camera and bins.the 3 people with it said it won't do you any harm
my answer was no but it won't do my ~~%***g washing or buy me a new camera either.
The reason i stopped going to my old local patch (houghton green pool)was this was happening every visit with the constant dogwalkers ,all with 3 dogs each(another thing ive noticed ,no one has one anymore)Is it just me or is everyone having these problems at pennington dogtoilet

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 08:51, 2009-02-07

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 08:53, 2009-02-07