OT: Dog Attack.

[AngryScientist]

Ugh.

My wife and kids were out walking our pup last week. We have a scottish terrier. ordinarily terriers are pretty scrappy dogs, but our girl is really sweet, and a total goofball. she's not "street smart" and wouldnt hurt a fly...

Anyway, on the walk, a neighborhood pit bull who was chained up outside the house, completely unprovoked charged it's lead, broke it's collar and was on my dog in seconds. my poor dog didnt know what to do and just dropped to the ground.

My wife freaked out and was screaming bloody murder and kicking the pit-bull to get it off my dog. thank god she or my kids didnt get bit somehow, but it seemed out for the kill on my dog and ignoring the humans. thankfully the dogs owner heard the commotion and came out and wrestled her dog off mine. apparenly her dog bit her pretty good as she was fighting it.

long story short, a trip to the emergency vet and a bunch of stitches to close puncture wounds, antibiotics, etc etc etc later, our pup is going to be OK.

The real problem now is my wife is [understandably] a little freaked out about walking the dog alone. we have young kids and if that dog instead wanted to go after one of them who knows what can happen.

i want her to feel safe walking with the dogs and kids. does anyone have a recommendation of what she might realistically carry? a gun is completely out of the question.

would pepper spray or mace be effective on a ragey pit bull? maybe a sturdy walking stick? some suggested a loud air horn?

i donno. i'm mad this happened and made me have to think about this.