Dog attack after Pobra de Brollón, July 2023

[peregrina2000]

I have received a PM from a forum member who has passed along information about a new (at least for the forum) dog incident on the Invierno.

As a bit of background, you may remember that there have been some reports over the years about loose and threatening dogs on the Invierno. The two that I remember most clearly are the big mastiff in Villavieja whose owner refused to take control and let him wander loose to scare both pilgrims and the guests at the Casa Rural in Villavieja. Here is a link to one discussion. I had personal experiences with that dog twice, in 2012 and 2015, but my understanding is that it is no longer a problem.

The second, and much more frightening, dog situation involved one or two (depending on the day) very vicious dogs located right before arriving at the bridge in Barxa do Lor. Those dogs were chained up and clearly vicious. There was space to pass, but just barely. If the chain had broken, as one forum member said, there is no doubt that we would have been seriously injured or worse. Information on those incidents here. I do not know of any recent reports that the dogs are still there.

This new incident, which is shot live in the following youtube, involves a dog loose in the small village of A Zapateira, shortly after Pobra de Brollón.

I’m posting this not to scare anyone, but just to give a heads up. It is frequently the luck of the draw whether the aggressive dog will be out or not when you pass through. If I were to walk through A Zapateira, or any other village where a barking growling dog appears in front of me, I would retreat very quietly. I would then stand there and shout “oiga” until someone appears to take care of the dog. I have done that on many occasions and someone has always showed up (even once up in the mountains where I had to wait at least 20 minutes for the shephard to show up while his dog was barking).

Any additional info would be appreciated, take care, peregrinos.

 

[oursonpolaire]

This should be communicated to the Guardia Civil, who have a responsibility for pilgrim protection.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I do not know of any recent reports that the dogs are still there

They were not there when I walked by this year in July, but I guess it can depend on the day and hour...

 

[Mark Francis Auchincloss]

@peregrina2000 yes you may recall I was bitten too in 2017 Laurie, when I got to the hamlet of Villaviaje a few kms before Cornatel Castle. I carried on walking with a wounded leg (chunk missing!) to call a taxi from there to take me to Hospital. The driver even waited for me so he could take me back to the Castle after my treatment. The discussion generated a lot of comments (over 7,000 views) I recall someone said I was a gonner with rabies, another said as a camino expert I should know better and someone was concerned that the dog might have caught something ! Needless to say I don't always respond to every comment that is made on the Forum !! I usually have a walking pole with me now, just in case and have not any incidents since ( same can't be said about bedbugs although not on the Invierno !). Happy New Year.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I recall someone said I was a gonner with rabies, another said as a camino expert I should know better and someone was concerned that the dog might have caught something ! Needless to say I don't always respond to every comment that is made on the Forum !!

I am lost for words...! But with more than 7000 views I guess people make all sorts of weird comments...

With the passing of time, I think that dog in Villavieja is not with us anymore. I walk the Invierno almost annually and I haven't seen him for years now...

 

[Damien Reynolds]

usually have a walking pole with me now, just in case and have not any incidents since ( same can't be said about bedbugs although not on the Invierno !). Happy New Year.

Ok, so my walking pole/appearing threatening/bashing and last resort stabbing theory is correct? I don't want to freak anyone out either... I mean it is rare. But it does happen.

@peregrina2000 ... thanks for the head's up.

 

[Mark Francis Auchincloss]

I am lost for words...! But with more than 7000 views I guess people make all sorts of weird comments...

With the passing of time, I think that dog in Villavieja is not with us anymore. I walk the Invierno almost annually and I haven't seen him for years now...

The doctor that treated me said the dogs were owned by a shepherd so perhaps he's no longer around. Yes there's always one, it must be quite hard to be a moderator sometimes eh Laurie !

 

[Mark Francis Auchincloss]

Ok, so my walking pole/appearing threatening/bashing and last resort stabbing theory is correct? I don't want to freak anyone out either... I mean it is rare. But it does happen.

@peregrina2000 ... thanks for the head's up.

Yes partially but I've had Galician farm dogs run towards me where a shout will do...I like shouting fora sometimes, it seems to work too !

 

[Flog]

I've had more than my share of loose, angry dogs on several caminos, including twice on the invierno, on both occasions it was in the same place somewhere after Rodeiro, in 2021 and 2023. Most times it seems to me, dogs are just bored and looking for a little attention and a few soothing words is enough to calm them, but my stick is my friend and gives me the confidence I need to feel I'm in charge of the situation.

Having been bitten once as a child, I quite understand and appreciate some people's pathological fear of dogs.

 

[JillGat]

I wonder what would happen if one carried a chorizo for an offering? I miss my dogs when I'm in Spain, so I usually try to call them to me, talking baby talk, and they always run away because they think I'm crazy. Not saying this would always work, obviously! Once I was stepping through a doorway into an albergue and a small dog jumped up and bit me hard on the ankle. The hospitalera said, "Sorry, don't worry about it. She's sick." Well THAT was reassuring...

 

[William Garza]

Having had a dog attack me as a child and remembering the dogs jaws arround my face, aggressive dogs are distressing events

 

[OzAnnie]

They were not there when I walked by this year in July, but I guess it can depend on the day and hour...

My experience is the same as Bad Pilgrim.
I guess you can be unlucky anywhere ., but walking the invierno early October this year .. not a bad mannered dog to be seen. I walked this route in 2018 also, and only saw a couple of angry dogs on chains then. They weren’t around this year either.

 

[Drifter]

Well, it's not just he Camino. It's the PCT, the CDT and the AT too.
Agressive dogs are just a part of backpacking.
Oddly enough, dogs are the FORTH leading cause of human's dying from animal attacks.
Link: Which animals kill the most people?
About all you can do is carry Pepper Spray.

 

[Pelegrin]

Yes partially but I've had Galician farm dogs run towards me where a shout will do...I like shouting fora sometimes, it seems to work too !

You say "fora" ( outside) but the dog is already " fora" (that is the problem). I think that It works because it is a Galician word that the dog understands.

 

[Takahiwai]

The video marks that walk as taking place on 3rd July, so hopefully that dog situation has been resolved. On a personal note, I never, ever turn my back on an aggressive dog, as the video pilgrim seemed to do. I find it's always best to keep eye-to-eye contact. Oddly enough, I also found, on the camino, that the smallest dogs were usually the sneakiest in trying an attack from behind. Larger dogs always seemed content to bark me out of their territory, provided I walked backwards and maintained eye contact.

 

[Mark Francis Auchincloss]

You say "fora" ( outside) but the dog is already " fora" (that is the problem). I think that It works because it is a Galician word that the dog understands.

Yep thinking from the dogs perspective when it hears fora it knows it should go away !

 

[Mark Francis Auchincloss]

Yes I agrr

The video marks that walk as taking place on 3rd July, so hopefully that dog situation has been resolved. On a personal note, I never, ever turn my back on an aggressive dog, as the video pilgrim seemed to do. I find it's always best to keep eye-to-eye contact. Oddly enough, I also found, on the camino, that the smallest dogs were usually the sneakiest in trying an attack from behind. Larger dogs always seemed content to bark me out of their territory, provided I walked backwards and maintained eye contact.

Yes I agree with you, the dog that bit me was a small rascal !

 

[Takahiwai]

Yes I agrr

Yes I agree with you, the dog that bit me was a small rascal !

There's something about them - I think they have the canine equivalent of a Napoleon complex!

 

[DBart]

The video marks that walk as taking place on 3rd July, so hopefully that dog situation has been resolved. On a personal note, I never, ever turn my back on an aggressive dog, as the video pilgrim seemed to do. I find it's always best to keep eye-to-eye contact. Oddly enough, I also found, on the camino, that the smallest dogs were usually the sneakiest in trying an attack from behind. Larger dogs always seemed content to bark me out of their territory, provided I walked backwards and maintained eye contact.

Actually I’ve always been taught that staring down a dog (eye to eye contact) is confrontational to a dog. Yes keep yourself aware and don’t turn your back but don’t look directly at a dog who is paying a lot of attention towards you

 

[Joynz]

I was really afraid back in April 2023, when confronted with an aggressive dog that came from across the opposite side of the street - growling very low, and getting really close. Barking would have been a relief compared to the really intense growling…

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have a fear of big dogs as I was bitten on my upper arm by a Rottweiler ten+ years ago. The dog pulled the leash out of the young girl's hand, ran at me and jumped up and attacked me. I've been frightened occasionally by dogs on the Caminos, but thankfully the only loose ones I see are the gentle ones roaming around the villages, hoping for handouts from pilgrims, and a good scratch behind the ears.

 

[lt56ny]

I have received a PM from a forum member who has passed along information about a new (at least for the forum) dog incident on the Invierno.

As a bit of background, you may remember that there have been some reports over the years about loose and threatening dogs on the Invierno. The two that I remember most clearly are the big mastiff in Villavieja whose owner refused to take control and let him wander loose to scare both pilgrims and the guests at the Casa Rural in Villavieja. Here is a link to one discussion. I had personal experiences with that dog twice, in 2012 and 2015, but my understanding is that it is no longer a problem.

The second, and much more frightening, dog situation involved one or two (depending on the day) very vicious dogs located right before arriving at the bridge in Barxa do Lor. Those dogs were chained up and clearly vicious. There was space to pass, but just barely. If the chain had broken, as one forum member said, there is no doubt that we would have been seriously injured or worse. Information on those incidents here. I do not know of any recent reports that the dogs are still there.

This new incident, which is shot live in the following youtube, involves a dog loose in the small village of A Zapateira, shortly after Pobra de Brollón.

I’m posting this not to scare anyone, but just to give a heads up. It is frequently the luck of the draw whether the aggressive dog will be out or not when you pass through. If I were to walk through A Zapateira, or any other village where a barking growling dog appears in front of me, I would retreat very quietly. I would then stand there and shout “oiga” until someone appears to take care of the dog. I have done that on many occasions and someone has always showed up (even once up in the mountains where I had to wait at least 20 minutes for the shephard to show up while his dog was barking).

Any additional info would be appreciated, take care, peregrinos.

Thanks for this. It is something all need to be aware of. But flipping the coin on my dog incident that I had on the VDLP. As pilgrims who have walked the VDLP know you at times have to open and close gates as you go through private farmland. At one point there was a double gate. I walked through the first gate and had to navigate through a thick flock of sheep. After I got through the second gate there were lots of pigs and piglets lying and walking around. All of a sudden a dog the size of a horse came running out of a barn towards me. I thought this is it. I am done for as the farmer was no where to be seen. The dog jumped up on me with his front paws on my shoulders. I am 6’2” so you know how big he was. He then proceeded to bath my face with his massive tongue, jumped down ran in circles with his tail wagging. He found a stick and brought it to me and started barking as he obviously wanted me to throw it. He was a beautiful animal. The farmer came out. He was a total grouch amd yelled at the dog. I know some Spanish and could tell he wasn’t happy with how friendly the dog was with strangers. I told the farmer Está bien, tu perro es muy bonita y muy dulce. your dog is a beauty and so sweet. He grunted and turned and went back in the barn. My shirt and shoulders were covered in mud and the momentary fear of death was well worth the moment of joy with that dog. There are some huge dogs on the different caminos, especially it seemed to me on the VDLP.
This one was the biggest!

 

[Glenshiro]

I walked this route in the second half of June 2023, and saw no dogs at Barxa de Lor. However, I recognise the dog at A Zapateira, although I'd forgotten about it until I saw the video. When I passed by, the dog barked at me, but a woman appeared almost immediately and called it away, so I thought nothing of it. Dogs are very much a feature of the Invierno, especially from A Rua onwards which seems to be mainly dairy cattle country.

I grew up on a farm, so I don't find them intimidating, but I do know that there is no such thing as a dog to be trusted completely and a degree of wariness is advisable. That, and a trekking pole, gripped firmly and pointed at the dog while walking backwards to a safe distance.

 

[Pelegrin]

Yep thinking from the dogs perspective when it hears fora it knows it should go away !I

I say first ( in Galicia) " Que tal ho? Como che vai? with a smile. Usually works

 

[Drifter]

 

[Pelegrin]

Que tal ho ? Como che vai ? ( how are you?) is what the owner says to be friendly.

 

[OzAnnie]

I have received a PM from a forum member who has passed along information about a new (at least for the forum) dog incident on the Invierno.

I enjoyed watching his video of day7 on his Camino Invierno. (in general, not in respect to the dog nipping him. ). The dog did appear friendly with wagging tail. Best to be aware .. there are a lot of that type of dog on Spanish caminos. I had a really friendly one follow me on the Levante in 2020. Sometimes they are too friendly. .

 

[susanawee]

Having had a dog attack me as a child and remembering the dogs jaws arround my face, aggressive dogs are distressing events

Yes, I agree. I was attacked by a neighbours young German Shepherd a few days before giving birth to my second child. Those memories always come to the surface whenever I see unrestrained large dogs even though that was 46 years ago.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Well, it's not just he Camino. It's the PCT, the CDT and the AT too.
Agressive dogs are just a part of backpacking.
Oddly enough, dogs are the FORTH leading cause of human's dying from animal attacks.
Link: Which animals kill the most people?
About all you can do is carry Pepper Spray.

Fricken mosquitoes. I say we genetically engineer them into oblivion. But then again, what would the frogs eat?

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Sometimes they are too friendly.

It's the worst when they follow you well past the meeting point. Scratch them behind the ears and they are like a friend for life. Then they follow you. I once had to evade a dog for this reason. All I could imagine was some poster saying, "have you seen him?" Eventually he turned around.

 

[JennyH94]

Thanks for this. It is something all need to be aware of. But flipping the coin on my dog incident that I had on the VDLP. As pilgrims who have walked the VDLP know you at times have to open and close gates as you go through private farmland. At one point there was a double gate. I walked through the first gate and had to navigate through a thick flock of sheep. After I got through the second gate there were lots of pigs and piglets lying and walking around. All of a sudden a dog the size of a horse came running out of a barn towards me. I thought this is it. I am done for as the farmer was no where to be seen. The dog jumped up on me with his front paws on my shoulders. I am 6’2” so you know how big he was. He then proceeded to bath my face with his massive tongue, jumped down ran in circles with his tail wagging. He found a stick and brought it to me and started barking as he obviously wanted me to throw it. He was a beautiful animal. The farmer came out. He was a total grouch amd yelled at the dog. I know some Spanish and could tell he wasn’t happy with how friendly the dog was with strangers. I told the farmer Está bien, tu perro es muy bonita y muy dulce. your dog is a beauty and so sweet. He grunted and turned and went back in the barn. My shirt and shoulders were covered in mud and the momentary fear of death was well worth the moment of joy with that dog. There are some huge dogs on the different caminos, especially it seemed to me on the VDLP.
This one was the biggest!

Hi @lt56ny - was that dog encounter on the day stage between Almaden de la Plata and El Real de la Jara? I had a not-so-friendly dog AND farmer encounter on that day stage back in April 2022. Two Spanish mastiffs charged me when walking through a farm that day. I did what @peregrina2000 suggests above and eventually the farmer came down from his barn and walked with me for a few minutes until his two massive dogs got the message I didn’t want to have any of their flock for lunch! BTW - the farmer must be heartily sick of pesky pilgrims exercising their pilgrim rights and walking through his land. No amount of ‘lo siento’ on my part softened his annoyed face.
These situations can be really off-putting - and frightening - for those of us who’ve been bitten in the past.
Cheers from Oz -
Jenny

 

[OzAnnie]

Then they follow you

I know - 2 different dogs. On Levante. One followed me much too far - a shepherd I met further along, knew the dog and said he’d make sure he (she I think ) got home …. The 2nd one is a long story. A fight ensued between the ‘saviour’ of the dog and the dog owner. .

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I know - 2 different dogs. On Levante. One followed me much too far - a shepherd I met further along, knew the dog and said he’d make sure he (she I think ) got home …. The 2nd one is a long story. A fight ensued between the ‘saviour’ of the dog and the dog owner. .

Sadly, my moral to the story is this... even if they are super cute and super friendly, try to pay no mind unless they are accompanied by their owner. It breaks my heart sometimes to be indifferent. But its for the best for all involved.

 

[Drifter]

Last summer on the Oregon Coast Trail, I was usually charged by a big dog AT LEAST twice a week. Dobermans, Rottweilers, and even terriers. Universally, they weren't on a leash. Universally, the owners did little to stop them besides yelling, "Rusty NO!"(which Rusty promptly ignored). Universally, the owners would just say, "He's friendly, he just wants to say Hi", or "He's scared of you." No sh*t. He's scared of ME. Universally, the owners are CLUELESS. Universally, there are signs all over the place that say, "ALL dogs MUST be on a leash." Doesn't matter. I've never walked the Camino, but I'm anticipating it will be a s*** show of unrestrained dogs. Yes, MOST will be docile/friendly. I would say DON"T make contact with dogs either way. YES, it's nice to pet a friendly dog, but I don't want a dog following me for like 5 miles because it's dangerous for the dog to be in the NEXT city, because he followed me...and someone ELSE'S dog in not MY responsibility. Yes, yes, I know Spain is not America. But responsibility for pets is global for all pets on Earth. I feel A LOT more comfortable with bears, cougars, coyotes, snakes, than I do with dogs. (Unless crazy people are involved). You NEVER know what crazy people are going to do...

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Last summer on the Oregon Coast Trail, I was usually charged by a big dog AT LEAST twice a week. Dobermans, Rottweilers, and even terriers. Universally, they weren't on a leash. Universally, the owners did little to stop them besides yelling, "Rusty NO!"(which Rusty promptly ignored). Universally, the owners would just say, "He's friendly, he just wants to say Hi", or "He's scared of you." No sh*t. He's scared of ME. Universally, the owners are CLUELESS. Universally, there are signs all over the place that say, "ALL dogs MUST be on a leash." Doesn't matter. I've never walked the Camino, but I'm anticipating it will be a s*** show of unrestrained dogs. Yes, MOST will be docile/friendly. I would say DON"T make contact with dogs either way. YES, it's nice to pet a friendly dog, but I don't want a dog following me for like 5 miles because it's dangerous for the dog to be in the NEXT city, because he followed me...and someone ELSE'S dog in not MY responsibility. Yes, yes, I know Spain is not America. But responsibility for pets is global for all pets on Earth. I feel A LOT more comfortable with bears, cougars, coyotes, snakes, than I do with dogs. (Unless crazy people are involved). You NEVER know what crazy people are going to do...

Here's the other thing... how often do you notice a well behaved dog off the leash? They exist but don't arouse apprehension. And their owners have COMPLETE control. That happens too. Just don't love on one without their guardian present. I miss buddy.

 

[Robo]

Dogs are always a bit of a concern. And there are lots on the Invierno.

On my 2023 Camino I came across probably a hundred or two at least, along the VdlP, part of the Frances, the Invierno and the Fisterre.

On only one occasion was I really concerned.

I tested out various tips from members here, and found the best policy was 1) ignore them 2) do not make eye contact 3) hide my poles on the other side of my body away from the dog 4) keep my distance and just keep walking.

Sure I had noisy barking dogs follow me, but once I was out of 'their' area they left me alone.

We have to remind ourselves that most of the dogs we come across are not Pets.
They are guard dogs, working dogs, protecting property and livestock.

Unless the dog was clearly friendly from a distance, I would not talk to it or make eye contact.
Looking at and smiling at a barking dog is a threatening gesture, as you are making eye contact and baring your teeth.

I'm not saying people don't get bitten, as clearly sometimes they do.
But there are steps we can take to minimise the risk I think.



.

 

[Drifter]

Oh, totally. I LOVE dogs. I have a 14 year old Black and White Springer Spaniel. But my advice is to not interact with any dogs while walking. If you're in a hostel, and there's the "hostel dog", then sure...get your doggie dose.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

3) hide my poles on the other side of my body away from the dog

Usually true, for me, but if it is hard core (maybe just a bluff), i don't have time to do this. I like to show them that I could kill them if they attacked. In addition to shouting loudly. But I should learn proper Spanish talking to dogs... usually I just shout "don't f*k with me."

 

[Drifter]

But I should learn proper Spanish talking to dogs... usually I just shout "don't f*k with me."

 

[Damien Reynolds]

View attachment 161642

Nah. I saw it earlier. Funny. My guess is there are commands in Spanish that work better than my swearing at them in English.

 

[Pelegrin]

Whith the new law in Spain of "Bienestar Animal", having a dog tied for a long period is prohibited. For that reason some dogs are going to dissapear on the Camino.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Whith the new law in Spain of "Bienestar Animal", having a dog tied for a long period is prohibited. For that reason some dogs are going to dissapear on the Camino.

Omg. I so love that law! There is that Shepard on either the Norte or Frances that has been constantly running in circles tied up for like years!

The other one I feel bad for is definitely on the Norte... but that Labrador is locked in a cage overlooking the camino. Last time I saw her she seemed very depressed.

 

[lt56ny]

Hi @lt56ny - was that dog encounter on the day stage between Almaden de la Plata and El Real de la Jara? I had a not-so-friendly dog AND farmer encounter on that day stage back in April 2022. Two Spanish mastiffs charged me when walking through a farm that day. I did what @peregrina2000 suggests above and eventually the farmer came down from his barn and walked with me for a few minutes until his two massive dogs got the message I didn’t want to have any of their flock for lunch! BTW - the farmer must be heartily sick of pesky pilgrims exercising their pilgrim rights and walking through his land. No amount of ‘lo siento’ on my part softened his annoyed face.
These situations can be really off-putting - and frightening - for those of us who’ve been bitten in the past.
Cheers from Oz -
Jenny

I don't remember exactly where it was but thankfully my encounter is now a very fond memory. Sorry you did not have the same experience. Hopefully if you walk the VDLP again you will meet that wonderful horse of a dog and get a face bath too! I hope that kind of experience will never happen again to you.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

What are the Spanish commands for dogs? Some dogs will respond to commands from others besides their owners, so one could at least make an attempt.

How about just "NO!"?

Here's a website. But you would probably need the Galician and the local dialects?

11 Dog Commands in Spanish (sit, lie down, stay, come, heel, paw, …) - Tell Me In Spanish

Puppies are the cutest things ever, aren’t they? But a well-behaved dog that knows how to follow basic commands is not only cuter, but also very impressive. What about a

www.tellmeinspanish.com

 

[MarioM]

@peregrina2000 yes you may recall I was bitten too in 2017 Laurie, when I got to the hamlet of Villaviaje a few kms before Cornatel Castle. I carried on walking with a wounded leg (chunk missing!) to call a taxi from there to take me to Hospital. The driver even waited for me so he could take me back to the Castle after my treatment. The discussion generated a lot of comments (over 7,000 views) I recall someone said I was a gonner with rabies, another said as a camino expert I should know better and someone was concerned that the dog might have caught something ! Needless to say I don't always respond to every comment that is made on the Forum !! I usually have a walking pole with me now, just in case and have not any incidents since ( same can't be said about bedbugs although not on the Invierno !). Happy New Yea

My brother and I were attacked by a group of dogs while walking in France. Thankfully we had walking poles to defend ourselves! We were not harmed

 

[Luka]

I enjoyed watching his video of day7 on his Camino Invierno. (in general, not in respect to the dog nipping him. ). The dog did appear friendly with wagging tail. Best to be aware .. there are a lot of that type of dog on Spanish caminos. I had a really friendly one follow me on the Levante in 2020. Sometimes they are too friendly. .

Nope, the dog didn't appear friendly. That is not wagging. The dog is barking and his tail shows a lot of tension. This dog is telling that pilgrim to stay away and that is not what he does, so I am not surprised the dog snapped at him.

After some bad experiences on the French countryside I have been rather scared of dogs when walking. In 2015 I abandoned the Invierno for that reason. I only felt at ease after arrival, but I didn't enjoy walking at all anymore.

Since then a lot has happened. Well, the most important thing that happened was that I got a dog myself. A Spanish Mastiff (like the one in the video). And I learned so much from her (and a dog trainer) about dog communication. That has been extremely helpful for me on my walks. I am still not fond of encountering dogs, but I feel much more secure now I understand them better.

Dogs in principle want to avoid conflict, so normally they give you a lot of signals before they attack. Further in that same video you can see that same dog giving a wellknown calming signal by turning his head to the side. Of course there are crazy dogs and dogs that have been trained to be agressive and attack, but in most situations barking dogs (even if there are loose) don't scare the hell out of me anymore. And that is a big relief.

 

[dailycamino]

Well, it's not just he Camino. It's the PCT, the CDT and the AT too.
Agressive dogs are just a part of backpacking.
Oddly enough, dogs are the FORTH leading cause of human's dying from animal attacks.
Link: Which animals kill the most people?
About all you can do is carry Pepper Spray.

A common solution particularly on a bike it to squirt your water bottle at the dogs face. Not nice but better than pepper spray and very effective.

 

[peregrina2000]

Nope, the dog didn't appear friendly. That is not wagging. The dog is barking and his tail shows a lot of tension. This dog is telling that pilgrim to stay away and that is not what he does, so I am not surprised the dog snapped at him.

After some bad experiences on the French countryside I have been rather scared of dogs when walking. In 2015 I abandoned the Invierno for that reason. I only felt at ease after arrival, but I didn't enjoy walking at all anymore.

Since then a lot has happened. Well, the most important thing that happened was that I got a dog myself. A Spanish Mastiff (like the one in the video). And I learned so much from her (and a dog trainer) about dog communication. That has been extremely helpful for me on my walks. I am still not fond of encountering dogs, but I feel much more secure now I understand them better.

Dogs in principle want to avoid conflict, so normally they give you a lot of signals before they attack. Further in that same video you can see that same dog giving a wellknown calming signal by turning his head to the side. Of course there are crazy dogs and dogs that have been trained to be agressive and attack, but in most situations barking dogs (even if there are loose) don't scare the hell out of me anymore. And that is a big relief.

View attachment 161820

Luka, I liked this diagram but find that it doesn’t include my most common encounter - which is dog barking a LOT while standing still. As long as I didn’t move forward, the dog never came any closer to me, just stood there barking. In the “old days,” when I was petrified of barking dogs, I would just stop in my tracks and start to shout Oiga. After enough shouts of “Oiga,” someone would inevitably appear and take the dog, usually after saying dismissively to me “no hace nada.” Yeah, no hace nada until he does.

After walking several caminos with @Rebekah Scott, I learned to muster my courage and keep on walking, giving the dog space and avoiding eye contact. These recent reports have made me reconsider whether I should go back to my old ways.

I am one of those who had a very bad dog bite when I was five years old, coincidentally on a knee that was bandaged after some surgery, so it got more complicated than a normal dog bite. Anyway…

I wonder where the stage I describe fits in that diagram. Because it is what has happened to me dozens and dozens of times with dogs on the camino.

 

[Drifter]

Boy, dogs on the Frances must be EXHAUSTED by the end of the day after like 5000 people go by.
That, or the dog is the owner's passive aggressive way to voice their frustrations that like 5000 people are walking by their house.

 

[Flog]

Most of the dogs on the Camino Frances in my experience have been docile, lazy even.. they are so used to passing pilgrims. It's always been on quiet routes with few passing pilgrims, that I've encountered angry dogs, and most of them in more isolated places. In 9,000 odd kilometres, it's only been moderately scary a handful of times and it certainly wouldn't be often enough to be a concern..

 

[trecile]

I am one of those who had a very bad dog bite when I was five years old, coincidentally on a knee that was bandaged after some surgery, so it got more complicated than a normal dog bite

I was bitten in the face near my eyes when I was three years old, but I didn't know that it had happened until I was 30!

Apparently, my parents thought that I would forget about it if it was never brought up, despite the fact that I had an unexplained scar in my eyebrow.

Rather than forget about it I internalized it and had a real fear of dogs of any size, and was also teased about my fear a lot.

When I was 30 I was talking to my sister in law about my discomfort around dogs, and she said "it's probably because you were bit by a German Shepherd when you were three." I was flabbergasted. It was something that my older brother distinctly remembered because he was there when it happened.

Just having the knowledge of what happened to me has allowed the fear to greatly dissipate, but I'm still not interested in dogs coming close or jumping on me. I also resent when people say things like "you can't trust anyone who doesn't love dogs."

I did have a scary incident between Dumbría and Muxía in 2017. I was walking through an area with just a few houses on a Sunday morning. No one was outside their homes. A German Shepherd was barking ferociously behind the walled garden of a house. I was on the other side of the street and stayed calm because there was a wall separating me from the dog.
Then he jumped the wall between his house and the neighbor's house. I thought "uh-oh, that wall isn't going to stop him," but I was still fairly calm because he seemed to be respecting the boundary of the street. Then he jumped into the next yard that didn't have a wall between the garden and the street - just a low chain across the driveway. The dog then rushed into the street towards me. I raised my hiking poles and shouted "NO." He paused, but did not retreat. I continued firmly shouting "NO" and he finally went back to his own house.

I did immediately regret leaving my breakfast companions at the bar a few km earlier! But I felt very proud of myself for not totally freaking out and panicking.

 

[Luka]

Luka, I liked this diagram but find that it doesn’t include my most common encounter - which is dog barking a LOT while standing still. As long as I didn’t move forward, the dog never came any closer to me, just stood there barking. In the “old days,” when I was petrified of barking dogs, I would just stop in my tracks and start to shout Oiga. After enough shouts of “Oiga,” someone would inevitably appear and take the dog, usually after saying dismissively to me “no hace nada.” Yeah, no hace nada until he does.

After walking several caminos with @Rebekah Scott, I learned to muster my courage and keep on walking, giving the dog space and avoiding eye contact. These recent reports have made me reconsider whether I should go back to my old ways.

I am one of those who had a very bad dog bite when I was five years old, coincidentally on a knee that was bandaged after some surgery, so it got more complicated than a normal dog bite. Anyway…

I wonder where the stage I describe fits in that diagram. Because it is what has happened to me dozens and dozens of times with dogs on the camino.

I agree that it is strange that barking is not included in the diagram. But that might be because barking can mean a lot of things. I think the most important thing with a barking dog that stands still is to stay calm (don't make sudden movements) and give it space. So if it is barking in the middle of the road where you would need to pass (like the dog in the video) I would use the 'oiga' method and not approach it. If you are able to circle around it, the best would be to move ahead in a calm pace, so the dog knows you want to walk out of its territory. However at the same time staying calm isn't an easy job with your heart pounding like crazy...

 

[Camino Chrissy]

A common solution particularly on a bike it to squirt your water bottle at the dogs face. Not nice but better than pepper spray and very effective.

This sounds like a great idea and a very simple thing to consider doing. Does anyone have experience doing this, and how effective it has been for Camino walkers?

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I was also attacked, by two German Shepherds, when I was four years old, bitten on the face and chest and hospitalised. I think that the biggest physical scar, on my face is now hidden by my wrinkles and years of sun damage but the physiological scars are still close to the surface.

Generally I do my best to avoid dogs, particularly dogs I don't know. I love all animals and so I don't dislike dogs but generally I am uncomfortable around them as I am constantly alert.

Before my first Camino it was a real concern for me but the call of the Camino was stronger than my fears.

I don't recall any incidents on the Frances but this year on the Madrid there were a couple.

When I walk in an area without obvious hazards I tend to zone out and my mind wanders off into other places. On two occasions while zoned out in an urban area dogs have suddenly rushed at me, barking fiercely but fortunately both times from behind reasonable fences.

In that first moment as my mind comes back to reality visions of those two German Shepherds return with force and if anyone was watching you would probably see me levitate off the ground by half a metre or so!

My heartbeat goes off the scale but then as soon as I see that they are behind a good fence quickly returns to something survivable, if very fast.

I have learnt to walk on in this situation.

Of more initial concern was a situation that occurred as I walked through a tiny settlement some days later. There were, perhaps, three farm houses on my left and empty paddocks on my right. Ahead, within one of the houses on the left I could hear multiple dogs barking loudly as I approached and so I moved to the far right of the narrow road and continued walking slowly with a watchful eye.

Then, about 150 metres in front of me, a German Shepherd appeared out of the paddock. I stopped and looked at it and it stopped and looked at me. I wondered to myself what to do. It was showing no signs of aggression but there was no one else around and so I had to decide if I was just going to stay standing still until someone appeared or if I would try to proceed.

It was towards the end of a long day walking and I wanted to get to my destination and so I decided to walk on. Next I needed to decide where to walk. Would I cross the road to the side with the houses and loudly barking dogs, walk down the middle of the road or keep to the right? For some reason I chose the right hand side and started walking slowly towards the German Shepherd while keeping my eyes down and on my feet.

As I walked the GS crossed the road to the house side and started slowly walking towards me. I was a bit worried about this but it's lack of aggression gave me some confidence and so I ignored it as best I could and continued walking slowly.

It stopped a couple of metres in front of me and turned around, matching my pace, a step or two ahead of me.

We continued this way as we went past the barking dogs that, it turned out, were chained up in the yard of the last house. The GS ignored the other dogs as we walked past and so did I.

As we walked I formed the (undoubtedly incorrect) idea that this GS was sent to protect me and that it was placing itself between me and the perceived danger and so I relaxed a little.

We walked on in this manner, the GS on the left of the road a couple of steps ahead of me for almost a kilometre and I decided that it was guiding me on my way and I started to worry that it might keep walking with me and become lost. I was by this time very relaxed with it's presence.

Then the GS stopped and watched me as I walked past and on down the road until I was out of sight.

I suspect that the GS was just doing its job and being vigilant about a stranger in it's territory and escorting me off the territory but in my mind it had become a Camino angel sent to protect me and I found that this thought has helped me be more relaxed around dogs ever since.

 

[peregrina2000]

I have learnt to walk on in this situation.

Your retelling of this incident did a very nice job of building the suspense. As someone who shares this fear, I was nervously awaiting the outcome!

 

[Drifter]

Animals the kill the most humans:
1. Mosquitoes
2. Humans
3. Snakes
4. Dogs
If hikers are fearful, they could carry pepper sprays.
They do make sprays specifically for dogs.
Postal Carriers use Halt 1 or Halt 2. Halt 1 is very mild, only .35% capsaicin
To give you a reference, bear spray is 2% capsaicin.
0.35% is just enough to make dogs sneeze and get mild watery eyes (whereby they forget about you).
I would think if enough hikers spray a snarling dog...they would learn to not bother hikers.
Of course, the spray also works on any animal that has eyes and a nose that's trying to harm you.
You can place pepper spray up to 4 oz in checked baggage
This product looks a little more quality than the Halt Products.

 

[Flog]

If hikers are fearful, they could carry pepper sprays.

There's no need. Please don't bring that stuff on a camino with you.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

barking fiercely but fortunately both times from behind reasonable fences.

Dude, that doesn't count. That's just your fear.

Now, a free roaming GS eyeing you. That counts. For the fear factor at least.

Glad you were ok.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Dude, that doesn't count. That's just your fear.

Open to interpretation. In the city that I live in, if your dog rushes at people on the street showing aggression regardless of the fence between it and the people on the road then if anyone complains you will get a visit from Animal Control.

Animal Control will issue you and your dog with a warning and advise you to either tether your dog around the back somewhere so that it can't access the street edge or get it retrained so that it stops this behaviour.

If a second complaint is received then you will be issued with an instant fine and warned that a third complaint will entail additional action.

If it happens a third time your dog will be impounded and you will be given a date to appear before a judge. The judge has the power to fine you a much larger amount of money, order that your dog be put down, ban you from owning a dog for some period or some combination of all three.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Open to interpretation. In the city that I live in, if your dog rushes at people on the street showing aggression regardless of the fence between it and the people on the road then if anyone complains you will get a visit from Animal Control.

Animal Control will issue you and your dog with a warning and advise you to either tether your dog around the back somewhere so that it can't access the street edge or get it retrained so that it stops this behaviour.

If a second complaint is received then you will be issued with an instant fine and warned that a third complaint will entail additional action.

If it happens a third time your dog will be impounded and you will be given a date to appear before a judge. The judge has the power to fine you a much larger amount of money, order that your dog be put down, ban you from owning a dog for some period or some combination of all three.

Wait, there was a fence right?

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Wait, there was a fence right?

Yes, there was a fence and in the city where I live there is a general expectation that humans can walk down the street, minding their own business without fear.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Yes, there was a fence and in the city where I live there is a general expectation that humans can walk down the street, minding their own business without fear.

That sounds reasonable, I guess.

Edit: I can't back off. I mean it's one thing to be scared of a free roaming dog. But a dog behind a fence? We're talking about Spain here.

 

[Drifter]

Getting back to the OP's original post, she describes an actual attack.
It reminds me of bears on long trails in North America.
What's happens when the bear...just doesn't run away because you raised your arms and yelled?
What happens when, despite your best noise, the bear closes the distance between you and him? Well...that's when things get real...(and underwear needs to be cleaned out afterwards)

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Getting back to the OP's original post, she describes an actual attack.
It reminds me of bears on long trails in North America.
What's happens when the bear...just doesn't run away because you raised your arms and yelled?
What happens when, despite your best noise, the bear closes the distance between you and him? Well...that's when things get real...(and underwear needs to be cleaned out afterwards)

Not too many bears behind a fence.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Animals the kill the most humans:
1. Mosquitoes
2. Humans
3. Snakes
4. Dogs
If hikers are fearful, they could carry pepper sprays.
They do make sprays specifically for dogs.
Postal Carriers use Halt 1 or Halt 2. Halt 1 is very mild, only .35% capsaicin
To give you a reference, bear spray is 2% capsaicin.
0.35% is just enough to make dogs sneeze and get mild watery eyes (whereby they forget about you).
I would think if enough hikers spray a snarling dog...they would learn to not bother hikers.
Of course, the spray also works on any animal that has eyes and a nose that's trying to harm you.
You can place pepper spray up to 4 oz in checked baggage
This product looks a little more quality than the Halt Products.

Do you know what the dog pepper spray is called? Is it Sabre?

Edit- sorry I have seen the links thank you!

 

[Luka]

Animals the kill the most humans:
1. Mosquitoes
2. Humans
3. Snakes
4. Dogs

I think about 25.000 humans are killed by dogs a year. While there are 7,9 billion humans and about 900 million dogs on this planet. And I am pretty sure that tragically most victims were a) children b) attacked in their homes / by dogs of family or friends.

And I don't think carrying pepperspray (or something similar) is a good solution. Neither for dogs nor for humans.

 

[TravellingMan22]

I think about 25.000 humans are killed by dogs a year. While there are 7,9 billion humans and about 900 million dogs on this planet. And I am pretty sure that tragically most victims were a) children b) attacked in their homes / by dogs of family or friends.

And I don't think carrying pepperspray (or something similar) is a good solution. Neither for dogs nor for humans.

Why wouldn’t pepper spray be a good solution? Surely it supports a person during attack…?

 

[Luka]

Getting back to the OP's original post, she describes an actual attack.

True. But while of course that dog shouldn't have been walking there freely without the owner, this attack could have been avoided. The dog attacked because the pilgrim ignored the dog's signals and approached him.

 

[Luka]

Why wouldn’t pepper spray be a good solution? Surely it supports a person during attack…?

Pepper spray is a weapon. If all pilgrims would carry around pepper spray you can wait for stories of pilgrims being attacked by their own pepper spray. And besides that, I am afraid it would be used on many dogs without any necessity.

And also, if every pilgrim would carry it around and dogs would start to make that associacion (unknown people with backpack and poles means pain) I can imagine it could have an opposite effect. Some dogs might just get agressive to defend themselves.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Pepper spray is a weapon. If all pilgrims would carry around pepper spray you can wait for stories of pilgrims being attacked by their own pepper spray. And besides that, I am afraid it would be used on many dogs without any necessity.

And also, if every pilgrim would carry it around and dogs would start to make that associacion (unknown people with backpack and poles means pain) I can imagine it could have an opposite effect. Some dogs might just get agressive to defend themselves.

Sure understood. I am not too phased by dogs but I used to live with a Romanian girl who was terrified of dogs (there are a lot of wild dog issues in Romania) and I think she may have carried something!

Re weapons I did see a guy with a knife once on the Camino….big thing too. He thought it was perfectly normal. Why would you bring a blade on a Camino. I kept away from him! I don’t think he was using it maliciously, he definately wasn’t, but if you from a city seeing a knife can be quite a thing!

Anyway back to dogs!

 

[Drifter]

--Well, trekking pole tips are also weapons. Jamming one into a dog's face isn't exactly safe, vs, having a runny nose for an hour.
--I like the water idea. That's a good reason to use the "sport cap" on my Smart Water bottle.
--Maybe 25-35,000 people are killed by dogs. But as someone who works in an ER, I can tell you people come in all the time with dog bites. Some are small wounds. Some are quite devastating and require a call to the plastic surgeon. I'll say this...NEVER bend down and put your face near a dog you don't know. So many people have had life changing facial injuries by doing that. Dogs don't "want a kiss", they consider that an act of intimidation. Just in the past couple months, I've read stories of one woman having had her nose bitten off. Another woman had her upper lip bitten off. Don't put your face near a dog's mouth.
--It feels like it's easy to get into victim blaming. "Well if the pilgrim wouldn't have been walking the Camino, my dog wouldn't have had to attack her. So It's HER fault she got bit."
--If a dog is blocking the road, with a fence on both sides, going "around", isn't always possible.
--In all my hikes, in different parts of America, I've been charged by dogs probably about 20 times. Usually, if I go as wide away from the dog as I can, and keep moving, they'll give up. If you turn your back on the dog while a dog is acting aggressive, you will very likely to get bit on your achilles tendon. My wife got bit on the back of her leg last year by turning her back, while a dog was charging her. If the owner is there, they'll usually yell at the dog, but universally the dog ignores their yelling.
--The only time I've used pepper on a dog was several years ago when I was on a country road near my home. I was walking my old dog. Suddenly, a big German Shepard ran up to the fenceline, doing the usual coming unglued, snarling, barking, like he wanted to rip me a new one. The GS was trying so hard to get out/through the fence. Finally he DID find a small gap in the fence and wiggled his way through the gap and was charging at me and my dog. All it took was about a 1/2 second burst of pepper into the air. He sniffed it, turned around and ran back through the fence. Had I not had the spray, he likely would have killed my dog, and torn me up trying to get him off of my dog. I don't think I even got any of the spray ON him. Dogs have very sensitive noses, and just getting a whiff of pepper is enough to change their minds.
--Ahh...I love the smell of Rottweilers in the morning....it smells like...a normal hiking day.

 

[trecile]

Instead of pepper spray or squirting water how about the idea in this post?

My original post was "Dog from Hell" ( having had some negativity on the thread name ), I have concluded a long arduous Camino Primitivo early November and am feeling some remise not updating my findings concerning a 'dog deterrent device'. Although my understanding and love for dogs runs long, I am aware of situations where a loose dog can be a threat to the health of humans ( I am not naive ) and will not elaborate. I had attached a powerful pen light ( erroneously thinking 1850 lumen but in reality 350 ) to my walking cane having a "strobe setting". I tested it on myself....saw dots for a minute or so.
I am happy to announce 'it works' !! , it disorients without harm or threat ( yes, I did have two occasions to field test otherwise).
The flashlight setting ( strobe not the correct choice ) proved invaluable with the morning "underthebed check".View attachment 161189

 

[TravellingMan22]

Instead of pepper spray or squirting water how about the idea in this post?

Maybe but I like the idea of pepper spray. Just feels a bit more powerful and helpful if confronted by a vicious dog!

 

[TravellingMan22]

--Well, trekking pole tips are also weapons. Jamming one into a dog's face isn't exactly safe, vs, having a runny nose for an hour.
--I like the water idea. That's a good reason to use the "sport cap" on my Smart Water bottle.
--Maybe 25-35,000 people are killed by dogs. But as someone who works in an ER, I can tell you people come in all the time with dog bites. Some are small wounds. Some are quite devastating and require a call to the plastic surgeon. I'll say this...NEVER bend down and put your face near a dog you don't know. So many people have had life changing facial injuries by doing that.
--It feels like it's easy to get into victim blaming. "Well if the pilgrim wouldn't have been walking the Camino, my dog wouldn't have had to attack her. So It's HER fault she got bit."
--If a dog is blocking the road, with a fence on both sides, going "around", isn't always possible.
--In all my hikes, in different parts of America, I've been charged by dogs probably about 20 times. Usually, if I go as wide away from the dog as I can, and keep moving, they'll give up. If you turn your back on the dog while a dog is acting aggressive, you will very likely to get bit on your achilles tendon. My wife got bit on the back of her leg last year by turning her back, while a dog was charging her. If the owner is there, they'll usually yell at the dog, but universally the dog ignores their yelling.
--The only time I've used pepper on a dog was several years ago when I was on a country road near my home. I was walking my old dog. Suddenly, a big German Shepard ran up to the fenceline, doing the usual coming unglued, snarling, barking, like he wanted to rip me a new one. The GS was trying so hard to get out/through the fence. Finally he DID find a small gap in the fence and wiggled his way through the gap and was charging at me and my dog. All it took was about a 1/2 second burst of pepper into the air. He sniffed it, turned around and ran back through the fence. Had I not had the spray, he likely would have killed my dog, and torn me up trying to get him off of my dog. I don't think I even got any of the spray ON him. Dogs have very sensitive noses, and just getting a whiff of pepper is enough to change their minds.
--Ahh...I love the smell of Rottweilers in the morning....it smells like...a normal hiking day.

Blmey!!! ‘Food for thought’ there! Thanks.

 

[Drifter]

Re: Strobe Light
Or both...if the light doesn't work.
It seems like if the charge was during midday, when it's super bright outside, it wouldn't have much effect. But a it's a good idea. Maybe if the attack was in the early morning or near sunset.
I know it's just crazy talk, that dog owners should control their dogs...

 

[Flog]

-Well, trekking pole tips are also weapons. Jamming one into a dog's face isn't exactly safe..

I've looked back through the thread, perhaps I've overlooked it but can't find a reference to any mention of jamming a pole tip into a dog's face.. what an aggressive and cruel suggestion.

Maybe but I like the idea of pepper spray. Just feels a bit more powerful and helpful if confronted by a vicious dog!

I strongly disagree.

Pepper spray is a weapon. If all pilgrims would carry around pepper spray you can wait for stories of pilgrims being attacked by their own pepper spray. And besides that, I am afraid it would be used on many dogs without any necessity.

And also, if every pilgrim would carry it around and dogs would start to make that associacion (unknown people with backpack and poles means pain) I can imagine it could have an opposite effect. Some dogs might just get agressive to defend themselves.

I agree, there just isn't a place for it in a camino environment. I would hate for weapons of any kind to become normalised in these circumstances. I don't believe a stick falls into this category, as it's a helpful aid but will also help keep an aggressive animal at arms length.. if all else fails.

 

[Drifter]

I've looked back through the thread, perhaps I've overlooked it but can't find a reference to any mention of jamming a pole tip into a dog's face.. what an aggressive and cruel suggestion.

It's been mentioned several times in this thread that hikers have used their trekking poles as defensive tools. And I said it "WASN'T SAFE" to do that.

 

[arfajajc]

It's been mentioned several times in this thread that hikers have used their trekking poles as defensive tools. And I said it "WASN'T SAFE" to do that.

Hi Drifter,
I'm wondering why it isn't safe to use a hiking pole to defend yourself from an attacking dog? I'm an animal-lover, but if I was being attacked I'd defend myself using my poles if necessary. The intent would not be to hurt the dog, but if the alternative is that I'm going to get ripped up then I'd do what I needed to do, in order to drive it away.

 

[Drifter]

Hi Drifter,
I'm wondering why it isn't safe to use a hiking pole to defend yourself from an attacking dog? I'm an animal-lover, but if I was being attacked I'd defend myself using my poles if necessary. The intent would not be to hurt the dog, but if the alternative is that I'm going to get ripped up then I'd do what I needed to do, in order to drive it away.

Well, the goal is for both you and the dog to end the confrontation without any injury. If a dog is within a trekking pole distance...that's pretty close. Besides, when your adrenaline is PUMPING it's too easy to hurt the dog with a trekking pole. Also dogs are SO FAST. It would be hard to stop a large dog with just a trekking pole, or a stick. They're just too good at doing the "dodge".
Several times when I've been charged, the owner will try to grab the dog's collar, but the dog wasn't about to let that happen. They're just very fast.
The farther away you can keep any threat, the less chance of getting hurt. It's why bear spray shoots out 30 feet. If you let a bear get within 6 feet of you...something's gonna break.
List of Contentious Topics on Hiking Forums:
-Sleeping with your food
-Carrying a gun on trail
-How to stop a dog from attacking you while on trail

 

[arfajajc]

Well, the goal is for both you and the dog to end the confrontation without any injury. If a dog is within a trekking pole distance...that's pretty close. Besides, when your adrenaline is PUMPING it's too easy to hurt the dog with a trekking pole. Also dogs are SO FAST. It would be hard to stop a large dog with just a trekking pole, or a stick. They're just too good at doing the "dodge".
Several times when I've been charged, the owner will try to grab the dog's collar, but the dog wasn't about to let that happen. They're just very fast.
The farther away you can keep any threat, the less chance of getting hurt. It's why bear spray shoots out 30 feet. If you let a bear get within 6 feet of you...something's gonna break.
List of Contentious Topics on Hiking Forums:
-Sleeping with your food
-Carrying a gun on trail
-How to stop a dog from attacking you while on trail

I completely understand the points you're making. I've bred, shown and trained dogs all my life and am comfortable that I could defuse most situations with aggressive dogs, but they're not robots and behaviour can be unpredictable. If I ended up in an unavoidable situation where a dog rushed me and attacked, I would use whatever was at hand to defend myself - poles or whatever. The key in my mind is to try to not end up in that situation in the first place, but as we know, life can throw spanners into the works. There have been recent cases here in New Zealand of people being mauled to death by dogs, so it's definitely something which needs to be taken seriously, albeit not sensationalised.

 

[MaineSally]

I have received a PM from a forum member who has passed along information about a new (at least for the forum) dog incident on the Invierno.

As a bit of background, you may remember that there have been some reports over the years about loose and threatening dogs on the Invierno. The two that I remember most clearly are the big mastiff in Villavieja whose owner refused to take control and let him wander loose to scare both pilgrims and the guests at the Casa Rural in Villavieja. Here is a link to one discussion. I had personal experiences with that dog twice, in 2012 and 2015, but my understanding is that it is no longer a problem.

The second, and much more frightening, dog situation involved one or two (depending on the day) very vicious dogs located right before arriving at the bridge in Barxa do Lor. Those dogs were chained up and clearly vicious. There was space to pass, but just barely. If the chain had broken, as one forum member said, there is no doubt that we would have been seriously injured or worse. Information on those incidents here. I do not know of any recent reports that the dogs are still there.

This new incident, which is shot live in the following youtube, involves a dog loose in the small village of A Zapateira, shortly after Pobra de Brollón.

I’m posting this not to scare anyone, but just to give a heads up. It is frequently the luck of the draw whether the aggressive dog will be out or not when you pass through. If I were to walk through A Zapateira, or any other village where a barking growling dog appears in front of me, I would retreat very quietly. I would then stand there and shout “oiga” until someone appears to take care of the dog. I have done that on many occasions and someone has always showed up (even once up in the mountains where I had to wait at least 20 minutes for the shephard to show up while his dog was barking).

Any additional info would be appreciated, take care, peregrinos.

I carry a U.S. Coast Guard whistle as it can be heard a mile away in pretty violent weather and massive undulating seas. It lets the owners know, if home, there is a situation outside…and, it does deter the dogs from approaching. I used it twice on the Portuguese Camino, traveling solo, and I was really glad I had it, deployed it, and it worked!

 

[peregrina2000]

I carry a U.S. Coast Guard whistle as it can be heard a mile away in pretty violent weather and massive undulating seas. It lets the owners know, if home, there is a situation outside…and, it does deter the dogs from approaching. I used it twice on the Portuguese Camino, traveling solo, and I was really glad I had it, deployed it, and it worked!

What a great idea. I know that some of the newer backpacks have whistles attached, but I use a 23-year old ragtag pack. I could easily attach one to my pack with a lanyard and it seems like a much better solution that striking with a hiking stick, shooting pepper spray, etc.

Now my question is - since I assume the Coast Guard doesn’t sell their whistles to the public, do you have any suggestion of a good one to get? Amazon has a listing of “coast guard approved whistles” but there are lots, and I’m also not sure what that means. Many thanks, @MaineSally!

 

[nycwalking]

Why do dogs attack in the first place?

Are they afraid?

Angry?

Taught aggression?

Why do unprovoked dogs attack?

 

[Drifter]

If noise is the strategy, this Air Horn hits about 115 decibels. I use to carry this one. It is loud. Never had to use it.
It looks like the loudest whistle might be the Storm Whistle at a 108 decibels.
I don't know that loud noises would deter a determined dog. Maybe might alert the owner. But if the owner can't/won't respond to his dog GOING APE, he probably won't respond to a whistle either.

 

[Maggie5859]

I have received a PM from a forum member who has passed along information about a new (at least for the forum) dog incident on the Invierno.

As a bit of background, you may remember that there have been some reports over the years about loose and threatening dogs on the Invierno. The two that I remember most clearly are the big mastiff in Villavieja whose owner refused to take control and let him wander loose to scare both pilgrims and the guests at the Casa Rural in Villavieja. Here is a link to one discussion. I had personal experiences with that dog twice, in 2012 and 2015, but my understanding is that it is no longer a problem.

The second, and much more frightening, dog situation involved one or two (depending on the day) very vicious dogs located right before arriving at the bridge in Barxa do Lor. Those dogs were chained up and clearly vicious. There was space to pass, but just barely. If the chain had broken, as one forum member said, there is no doubt that we would have been seriously injured or worse. Information on those incidents here. I do not know of any recent reports that the dogs are still there.

This new incident, which is shot live in the following youtube, involves a dog loose in the small village of A Zapateira, shortly after Pobra de Brollón.

I’m posting this not to scare anyone, but just to give a heads up. It is frequently the luck of the draw whether the aggressive dog will be out or not when you pass through. If I were to walk through A Zapateira, or any other village where a barking growling dog appears in front of me, I would retreat very quietly. I would then stand there and shout “oiga” until someone appears to take care of the dog. I have done that on many occasions and someone has always showed up (even once up in the mountains where I had to wait at least 20 minutes for the shephard to show up while his dog was barking).

Any additional info would be appreciated, take care, peregrinos.

I had three occasions on Camino Nascente last year when aggressive dogs came perilously close to me in spite of owners calling to them. I don't use walking poles but I have a sun umbrella which is within reach, and in all three occasions I used it to scare the dogs away.

 

[Drifter]

Scariest Moments I Experienced When Hiking the Camino de Santiago

 

[Robo]

Why do dogs attack in the first place?
Are they afraid?
Angry?
Taught aggression?
Why do unprovoked dogs attack?

Not being a dog expert it's hard to know.
But I came across literally dozens of dogs last year on the VdlP/Invierno.
10 a day is not uncommon.
Most were just lazing around.

Some. The real noisy ones, were protecting something.
Livestock, a property etc.
Sure, some seemed big and scary!
But once I moved past they were quiet.
It lasted maybe 50-100 metres.

Only once it was serious.
Looked like 3 'attack dogs' coming at us across a field at full speed.
They were protecting sheep, but came at us from about 300 metres away.

What stopped them?
Going totally beserk at them yelling in Spanish and being hyper agressive.
Like FULL ON........
They stopped dead in their tracks.

Once we moved on, they returned to the sheep.

But that was the only time I was really shaken up by dogs.

I guess most of the behaviour is becase they are guarding something.
And fear we might intrude.......

Very few of these dogs are 'pets'........

Another 'interesting' situation was crossing in front of a farm house.
Huge lawns running down to a river.
The Camino ran across the lawns and over a bridge on the river.
(You cross through lots of private property on the VdlP, opening and closing gates)

Two huge dogs were lazing in the sun on the lawns.

So I took a big detour around them, making no eye contact.
All was good.
I made it over the bridge OK and about 100 metres past the dogs I stopped to take a photo.
Lovely farm house, lawns, river.......

The dogs stood up, on their side of the bridge and gave a couple of huge barks.
I interpreted that as "On your way Pilgrim"
So I didn't hang around to take a photo.
The dogs just lay down again.........

Many of the 'guard' dogs seemed to be of this type.
Bit bigger than a German Shepherd I'd reckon.



Depending on the Camino you plan to walk, it's maybe worth at least thinking through how you will deal with aggressive dogs, just in case. Better to have a plan even if you never use it.

Never met any on the Frances, bar 3 small agressive yapping ankle biters in the final 100km.
A stick kept them away.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I posted this incident at the time, but it's relevant to this thread. I was on the Camino Verde back in July, had my one and only disagreement with a dog. Young Alsatian, sitting practically in the middle of the road. Pretty much ignored me when I walked past ( on the side away from the property), but I paused to take a drink about 15/20 metres later. Clearly too close to home for this youngster. He was after me like a shot. Fortunately barking, so I had time to turn around and fend him off. I've played 'attack ' a lot with Alsatians as a teenager, and this dog wasn't in full attack mode / ultra aggressive, but was still lunging/ jumping at me. Not as worried about him, but one of those b. Large dogs appeared to see what all the fuss was about. Fortunately, he was more looking at the youngster with a 'What are you up to?' expression than interested in me. After a hard rap on the nose with the handle of my pole the youngster decided to back off, so I backed away too and both parties were 'happy'. No more issues with dogs at all.

My instinctive reaction was what saved me from at the very least being knocked over and very possibly bitten. As most large dog owners know, once you are down you go from being a person to potentially being prey. When he lunged, the dog concerned was quite literally going for my face /throat. Had I not learnt and perfected that maneuver ( to fend him off) as a youngster it could have been a very different outcome.