Self defense precautions

[LiLNomad]

On the way back from Alumafandango I did 3 days solo in Lake Siskiyou. The campground was empty. I kept my airhorn & larger pepper spray in the trailer and while hiking wore my emergency whistle and carried my small pepperspray. Used common sense, had my dinner and campfire early then retired for the evening. I always lock my trailer door.
LilNomad

[kscherzi]

Camped on my own since I was 18. Later married, two boys, now grown. Rarely did I think about security problems when camping. Grew up in a tough neighborhood, so have an idea about situational awareness. I camp to escape urban issues. I think most others do too. Rarely had a fellow camper seemed threatening. Most campgrounds are filled with children.

[Tomy]

I've never found better protection than a dog. I've never had a dog that didn't love me and my family. Never a dog that didn't think my kids were his kids. Never a dog that wouldn't give their life for their family.

That territorial bark at the door will discourage 90 percent of people, the other ten percent will change their mind when I open the door.

The relationship between our two species goes back beyond recorded history. You'll love a dog more than any gun, any spray, any anything.

If you ever want someone that will always have your back, begin a relationship with man's best friend.

[Panama Red]

Unless you have a Pomeranian that thinks it owns your wife, then you get bit every time you try to get smooches...

-Red

[Silverflames]

When camping with family we have a 50 lbs Austrian Shepard mix, 110 lbs rotty, and a 90 lbs catahoula tied out with us. Strangely we never have any problems with folks bothering us...






Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[Panama Red]

I had a German Shepherd years ago, best dog ever, and NOBODY came near us. She wouldn't let you out of your car if you pulled in the yard. Not so much with the Boston Terrier and the Pomeranian...

-Red


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[warbler5]

Originally Posted by Tomy

I've never found better protection than a dog. I've never had a dog that didn't love me and my family. Never a dog that didn't think my kids were his kids. Never a dog that wouldn't give their life for their family.

That territorial bark at the door will discourage 90 percent of people, the other ten percent will change their mind when I open the door.

The relationship between our two species goes back beyond recorded history. You'll love a dog more than any gun, any spray, any anything.

If you ever want someone that will always have your back, begin a relationship with man's best friend.

I agree....even though my 75-lb yellow Labrador Retriever thinks everyone is his friend. However, I recently taught him to respond with a bark and growl to the command "get it" when we hear a sound that cannot be ID'ed. Of course, that person outside the door doesn't realize that this dog is a lover, not an attack dog, unless they met him earlier that day in the campground!

[westernjeep401]

Originally Posted by Tomy

I've never found better protection than a dog. I've never had a dog that didn't love me and my family. Never a dog that didn't think my kids were his kids. Never a dog that wouldn't give their life for their family.

That territorial bark at the door will discourage 90 percent of people, the other ten percent will change their mind when I open the door.

The relationship between our two species goes back beyond recorded history. You'll love a dog more than any gun, any spray, any anything.

If you ever want someone that will always have your back, begin a relationship with man's best friend.

Yes indeed.

However, our little senior citizen needs my 24/7 care nowadays.

[Tomy]

My Shar Pei passed away recently. He had a really deep growl that made him sound like a much large dog. We still have our pug and he's getting pretty up there in years also. His back legs barely function.

[withidl]

I have no desire to do business in non-reciprocal states.

[Silverflames]

Our Shepard mix is really getting up in years, and is showing signs of doggie dementia and other problems. Sadly his time is getting close, so I feel for you. Old guy is just plum worn out.




Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[gomotomoto]

Originally Posted by withidl

I have no desire to do business in non-reciprocal states.

Hey withidl, how does the x5 tow the 31' do you have a special hitch?

[withidl]

Originally Posted by gomotomoto

Hey withidl, how does the x5 tow the 31' do you have a special hitch?

Do a search on "withidl" and you will find many posts with photos regarding the details of my assembly. I do use a Hensley hitch interface.

[gomotomoto]

Originally Posted by withidl

Do a search on "withidl" and you will find many posts with photos regarding the details of my assembly. I do use a Hensley hitch interface.

Read a few, impressive!!

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by withidl

I have no desire to do business in non-reciprocal states.

Ya got to respect a person who lives by principles!

I don't care to have my rights divvied up by politicians either.

The right of self defense is a natural right..... Period.

[Ag&Au]

I am amazed this thread lasted so long, before someone thought it was time to get it shut down.

Take a look at Daisy, my avatar. She lies in that position right inside the doorway at night. If anyone were to enter the trailer and step on her, I'm pretty sure their next memory would be in the ER getting stitched up.

Ken

[Landshark]

Very interesting thread! These are issues we often discuss.

We travel with our male Doberman--he loves people and is very friendly as long as others are friendly. Dobies are very smart, however, with the situational awareness thing: they are observant, judge for themselves when the situation has gone questionable, and react appropriately on their own every time. We take our Dobes through basic AKC obedience training; that's all they need to be good citizens--their genes will kick in when called for.


We have stayed in truck stops, rest stops, and Walmart parking lots and never felt threatened, but a Doberman goes a long way toward turning away the bad guys. He functions as our early warning system, deterrent, intimidator, and final barrier. I often wonder, however, whether we could let him be injured on our behalf--we love him to death and would probably take a bullet for him instead of the other way around!

Vivian

[Stefrobrts]

Our dogs are Eskimos - also known as spitz, which is a 'watchdog' breed - they watch and bark like crazy, and hopefully shut it down when I ask (we're still working on that part). I would not expect them to do anything to an intruder, but the intruder wouldn't know that! Anyway, they are busier here at home protecting us from the never ending parade of girl scouts, high school football fundraisers, Jehovah's Witnesses, and roof inspectors that come to our door. We have never had any sort of incident on the road, though they do like to bark at all the other dogs at rallies!

[Tomy]

Originally Posted by Silverflames

Our Shepard mix is really getting up in years, and is showing signs of doggie dementia and other problems. Sadly his time is getting close, so I feel for you. Old guy is just plum worn out.

Losing my Shar Pei was very hard on me. I started walking around Green Lake (about 3 miles) every day to deal with the grief.

Sometimes I work from home (I'm a software engineer), and he would lay next to me and stare at me like I was the greatest human on the planet.

He thought he was one of the parents for our kids, and when we would come home without the entire family, he would sit at the door waiting for the last kid to come home.

Dogs are a lot smarter than we give them credit for, or perhaps I should say they have really really great intuition. I sometimes think their sense of smell might be a predictor of human intention.

Vivian, sounds like Doberman's have refined that talent.

The most unsafe my family has felt on our cross county trips tent camping was a KOA on the border somewhere between Michigan and Ohio, simply because of the number of inebriated persons with mullets.

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Our dogs are Eskimos - also known as spitz, which is a 'watchdog' breed - they watch and bark like crazy, and hopefully shut it down when I ask (we're still working on that part). I would not expect them to do anything to an intruder, but the intruder wouldn't know that! Anyway, they are busier here at home protecting us from the never ending parade of girl scouts, high school football fundraisers, Jehovah's Witnesses, and roof inspectors that come to our door. We have never had any sort of incident on the road, though they do like to bark at all the other dogs at rallies!

I have always been curious about American Eskimos' origin, so I thought I'd look it up. I found it interesting, so if anyone else is curious, here's the interesting (at least it was to me) story.

American Eskimo Dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ken