Who let the dogs out who - who- who who

[Mowin4cash]

Just wondering if any one has ever been attacked by a dog, cat, horse, bird, etc. before while mowing a property? I was cornered one time by a black lab. He insisted that he was going to eat me alive. But after giving him a haircut and a couple of pierce ears with my Echo 3100, he decided to retreat!

[little green guy]

One propery we do has a dobberman and a pit bull, they don't seen to like me very much and arn't scared of anything either. they bite at the tires of the mower and I've had some real close calls on my butt too. They also bite the trimmer line and have even stopped to thimmer line dead in it's track before. I hate those dogs!

[Currier]

I've had two very close calls. Once on the mower and once going into a back yard. Ever since the mower incident I've thought the ztr would make a great bat to send the puppy flying. I never worry if I've got the trimmer with me but still...it just looks bad for the lawnguy to be locked in a battle to the death with the beloved family pet!:)

[Stonewall]

I had a little whippy-snappy dog that proceeded to charge while I was edging with a trimmer. He put on the brakes, but not soon enough. I edged right on through is nose.

[Premo Services]

A couple years ago a customer had a large,old dog and he was mean. they had a electric fence around property and when I would finish they would let him out and the dog would run, growling real mean at me,until he came to the electric fence. One day I was riding on the sulky cutting and the husband accidently let him out and he charged at me,when I seen him he was just about to get a chunk of my leg,so I quickly put my size 10 1/2 redwing boots out and kicked him hard in the mouth. Boy did that dog yelp and ran back to the owner,mouth bleeding bad. now when I do that property the dog is always out and he goes to other side of house that I am not working and stays there until I am finished. :) I guess you can "teach an old dog new tricks",but I still keep an eye on him and my boots are ready. :)

[TJLC]

I used to mow one house that had three dogs and an electric fence. I think the main word here is USED to.

[Green Finger]

I don't like mowing yards with dog crap in it.
Then you track it in the truck. Then go inside the gas station smelling like dog crap.

PU it stinks.

Do you guys charge extra for dog crap?

[jcoat]

If an animal does charge, what do you use: water, boot or MACE? I ask 'cause owners are very particular about their animals. I say this since I am an animal lover (only if it's cold) and if someone kicks my dog, they will have to answer to me and my size 12 up their butt. If he did, in fact, charge them I could understand their reaction and I'm behind them 100% for doing so (he's 93 lbs), but he's a retriever and will slobber them to death if anything... I guess what I'm getting @ is (a) have you lost any customers to kicking their attacking/snooping animal and (b) to appear socially responsible, do you use water or MACE? I guess in some locales, if someone saw you kicking a dog, you could get in trouble just by their calling the cops, SPCA, etc... my .02!

[watatrp]

I've been attacked by geese before. When they are in the mating season the big dominant male will go to great lengths to protect his mate. If I am alone without equipment I just run. Usually they will run if I have my trimmer or mower.

[Toddppm]

We did a job at a big estate last year with invisible fence for the dogs, all day they were fine and wouldn't get near us. When my guy went to close the gate as we were leaving the dog rushed him from behind, i guess the wire was buried about 5 ft before the fence cause that dog did a nice howl and backflip!

[gusbuster]

This happens to us every so often. No big deal, but does somtimes scare the daylight out of us.

Blackbirds during nesting time will attack us,pecking our heads or scatching the scalps.

As for dogs, I don't get into any kind of trouble with my clients dogs, it's the neighbors. 7 years ago I was charged with cruelty to animals because I killed a dog by nailing it hard over the head with a flat shovel. The local assistant D.A., guessed he didn't have anything better to do. On top of that, the owner of the dog sued me for the vet bills. Neither person won a judgement against me. I did get compesated however from the dog owner's homeowner insurance. It is the only time in my life that I ever sued somebody. I do have a right to protect myself from injury.
John

[osc]

I was attacked by a Great Dane when I was 14. The dog was 6'4" on his hind legs and weighed in at around 140 lbs. He was trained to attack by one of those German systems, sheitzun or something like that. All he got was a hunk out of my backside, luckily I was 20 paces from my own front door and made it in to the house before he killed me.

Long story short, a trip to the hospital and my neighbors lost the law suite.

I wasn't cutting grass but I do own a Great Dane mower now.

[Jusmowin]

Ive had a few run ins with dogs , but the one thing ive learned is that a backpack blow is a pretty effective wepon too. If you blow that thing in their face it stuns them and it gives you more time to get away, atleast it worked for me .

[TLS]

Dont get me wrong, I'm an animal lover. However, I'm not the fondest of Dogs, but I deal with them. I have had many an agravated dog attempt to attack me, however, for some reason, its always when I am weedwacking or mowing (rider). They WILL run away from a weed wacker at full tilt! They will also attempt to chase off a ZTR. I just point the discharge at them and turn them green! They must spend hours getting out the clippings from their eyes. If one EVER does attack me, and injure me, they will however not excape the next weedwacker trimming! P.S. I hate landmines. If you cut lawns with dogs, you know what I mean. Its not the dogs fault its the lazy owners!

[Ssouth]

Was bitten by a dog in Aug. Beside him biting my calf, I pulled a groin muscle trying to kick him. It was not serious and the owner insured me and offered to show dogs medical history. The owner also offered to pay any medical bills (there weren't any) Funny thing is that Monday the same dog was chasing me while I was mulching leaves and I happend to run over him with the front caster. Him limped for a while but was back chasing me before the end of the day. I love dogs and would never do anything to hurt them to bad but you have to look out sometimes. I also carry treats in my pocket to lead them to the basement were I normally put them up while servicing the yard but this time I was all out of treats.

[Green Acres]

I used to have a customer that had a lion in his back yard. Yeah that's right the king of the jungle. He was about a 1 1/2 year old. Then one day I got a call from him asking if he could use my trailer. He was a friend of my brother so I said sure. When he got here to take it I asked him what he was going to do. He said his lion had gotten out and he needed to go get more paneling to build a stronger cage. Sure glad he didn't get out when I was there or he would of ate me for lunch. Every time I was there he would just walk back and forth staring at me.

[geogunn]

in my life I've had lots of runins with dogs and even one cat!

but never when I was cutting grass. I just assume that the noise has them scared off.

now that it is the dead of winter, haven't cranked the ole lesco in two months, I've been trying to walk around the neighborhood for exercise. and dang! you talk about mean dogs! wow!

I carry a thing or two with me including, but not limited to, an extendable asp baton and pepper spray. that pepper spray is bad JU-JU!

let me put it another way. you don't want to spray it, and get a little on your finger, and then pick your nose! MOOSH--you talk about covering alot of ground in a little while...!;)

GEO

[Paradise Yard Service]

Was mowin the tif dwarf bermunda with the Pro-Master 10 blade when out poped this ugly excuse for a Dalmation teeth showing and all. I was right buy my truck and somehow got ahold of the machete. The dog was charging me, I faced him off for awhile and he ran back home. Then he pops up again! Well, another face off and he was gone for good. I really did'nt want to use the machete but when push comes to shove!

Aloha, P.Y.S.

[jeffex]

My fulltime job is mailman. Many of my lawn
customers come from my mail route. There are
many dogs who will try and get me when I walk
by in my uniform to deliver the mail but won't
even get up when I come back in the eves. to
cut the lawn. Mace usually works on dogs unless
it is a mexican hairless or chiauwa[spelling?]
they think its DOG SALSA!!

[Greenkeepers]

I've been chased a ton of times. I used to have a super soaker water gun behind the seat of the truck. You zap them with that and they go the other way! My brother got bit last year while shoveling a walk, the owner wanted to put her down because of it. Bro said no and now the dog's one of the best on the route. She must have realized we saved her life :)

[awm]

NO BODY HAS THE RIGHT TO LET THERE DOG
THREATEN ME WITH THE SAME THING AS A KNIFE
ATTACK.NOTHING IS STUPIDER THAN HEARING AN OWNER
SAY, OH HE WONT REALLY BITE.I love a good dog and have
one.But if your wolf attacks me ,him or me going
to end up dead probably.Its not right for dogs to
be allowed to threaten joggers an such.Idont get
ticked by much but tis does it.

[1stclasslawns]

Before I got back into the bussiness I was mowing my own lawn with a lawn boy with the dead stop handle. The neighbors pit bull got loose and my wife yelled at me just in time to throw the mower at the dog. (too bad it shut itself off) I had her get my gun 'cause we had had trouble with the neighbors and dogs befor. Well she brought me the 12 guage with 3"mag 00 buck. I had relly only wanted the .22 pistol with rat shot. The cops came (who happened to be a long time friend) and told neighbor I had the right to "use deadly force if I felt my life, limb, or property were in danger". Well I've never saw those dogs again they were removed that afternoon. The neighboe left a couple of weeks later.
Jim

[rdh]

when i was a kid we got off schoolbus and a pitbull jumped
though the glass storm door and bit a litle girl she need
alot of stitches . the next morning while waiting for bus
we notice the dog owner had moved must have done it in the
middle of the night i would say they didnt want to fase
reality some low lifes.

[lawrence stone]

Here is a interesting link to ward off pit bulls and make collections easier>

http://www.strictlyanything.com/phonepak.html

[kutnkru]

Green Finger,
We put a clause in our contracts that states if our machines run over "it" they are billed a $5 clean up fee for the first offense and $10 each additional.

Geo,
If you've got a sulky take it for a ride around the block and i bet they wont be as eager to bark when you go by ... LOL

Kris

[Island Lawn]

Pet Poop Pick-up Fee = $10.00 per incident.
Now thats FULL service!
It smells like money to me.
I'll collect it before before I do anything else. I think thats much easier than cleaning up after smearing it on eveything.


[Edited by Island Lawn on 01-21-2001 at 04:11 PM]

[mmorgan]

I really love dogs, especially this one, but once I was mowing inside the privacy fence of a very good customer. He thought I was done and let "Scooby" out. When I walked back inside the fence to string trim. Scooby got a hold of my leg. He tore my pants, but did not break the skin. Scooby's owner called him off and he laid on the ground immediately. Turns out this german sheppard is a trained police dog, althoug not in service. This customer happens to own two very successful ford dealerships, and I guess I could have owned one or both after that incident, but I am not that type of person. I am a Chevy man anyway. LOL! No blood no foul.
As far as "Scooby Snacks" left in the yard, I investigate and even ask potential new customers. Most don't know it, but they pay extra for my dirty shoes!!

[cleancut]

Little dogs are the worst..I've been bitten by the same dog on 3 different occasions..It's in a fenced in area and the little sucker always sneaks up on me..Well enough was enough...The last time I mowed there, I was ready for him..I was blowing off the patio around the pool when the little bast*** came up behind me.I turned and goosed the throttle of my Robin blower and sent him right in the pool..I don't know the exact airspeed of the blower but when people ask me if it's a good blower, I tell them that it can send a 10lb sh**eater scootin across a patio at about 70 mph..!!!Clean-Cut

[KindGardener]

Stone -

Checked out your link... interesting. I first need to check out does the state-issued pesticide QAC (Qualified Applicator Certificate) allow me to apply "lead"?