Reader question: What do you do against (wild) dogs in Thailand?
Dear readers,
I like to roam the streets/parks/gardens in Thailand (particularly Nonthaburi where I reside) looking for Pintail Caterpillars. If there are people in Thailand with the same love/hobby, please let me share your knowledge and experience of growing these caterpillars into butterflies.
But, the problem I literally run into while roaming are the dogs (often those without an owner). Today during the short stroll my heart was in my throat when suddenly 2 black (quite large) dogs loomed up behind me, already growling, barking and therefore menacing. I turned to see them approaching menacingly and growling, then looked straight ahead again and kept on walking, doubting whether I would climb a garage gate any time soon. The dogs approached to 5 meters (I kept walking calmly) and then happily turned around.
Sometimes a dog comes shooting out of a garden, which is luckily stopped by a fence and then sinks its teeth into the fence. You can imagine that when I'm staring at a plant from 1 meter away, I'm scared to the pl..rs.
Recently I saw a Thai man who walked past a small menacing barking dog and then threw his arm up (if he was going to hit the dog) which caused the dog to move backwards. In this situation the man walked towards the dog and in my case they followed me: probably until I was out of their territory.
A number of times I have not walked into streets or streets when I see large dogs standing there.
What is your experience with (wild) dogs in Thailand? What's the best thing to do? Stories about: barking dogs don't bite, I don't believe that.
Many thanks and best regards,
Danny (DKTH)
I can give advice, if you go for a walk or cycle, take a stick with you, and prepare to hit with the stick if they approach you threateningly or barking. moment a dog was hanging on his leg, had to get over it later
in the hospital for treatment and the necessary stitches. Be careful, many dogs don't have enough to eat and are therefore aggressive and unpredictable.
As long as they are barking they will not bite, but they will then be able to snap between barks. I don't know if it will help you, but I always have an (illegal) zapper with me when I cycle. That thing gives off a current of 5000 volts, is rechargeable and can also be used as a flashlight. Of course I don't touch the animals. When the button is pressed, it crackles very loudly and most dogs run away from it. And should a dog get too close… well, I think he will quickly leave if he comes into contact with the device.
I bought mine for about 500 Baht. It is small and comes in a case that you can hang on your belt. I really only use it when the dogs come barking at me. And whether it's one or five, they all turn around.
Some people pretend to pick up a rock. You can also be successful with that. Or when you have a big stick with you. But is the first uncertain… and a stick clumsy and I think you make the animals even more aggressive.
With the zapper I sometimes wonder if the animals don't get used to it... but the first time they are scared...
The best thing is of course to just leave… the beasts have leased a piece of territory as their territory.
Or maybe a piece of sausage, a bag of old bones from your roast chicken will help? Then you make them friends? 🙂
Well, my experience is that they attack you when you show them a stick or something like that. How I hate those bitches. If I want to go to the neighbors in the next street I take my Thai wife with me as an escort, it seems they don't attack her or do anything. It is also true that we have a different body odor than an Asian and that is very strange for that bitch
While cycling I had a plastic canister of black pepper hanging on my handlebars. Throw a little bit at them and they get it in their nose and then they sneeze..... The next time touching the van will be enough.
There are electronic things for sale that produce a high-frequency sound. I bought such a thing in the Netherlands and sure enough, they approached to listen to it…. They liked it too. You can't gauge it.
Pepper spray is also possible, but that is not always legal to obtain.
Shooting is not a solution, there will be a new one. Neuter, castrate all those male dogs. Not with a boulder but neatly….
Not only those stray dogs mean annoyance, but also those nice yaps from neighbors that bark you awake in the middle of the night.
Found the following on this, recently bought a dog whistle with adjustable high frequency tones at a pet shop in the Netherlands, costs € 5,95 and can be worn as a key ring and have benefited from it several times here in Thailand.
You hardly hear this whistle yourself, but dogs and cats have a good ear for it and almost always run off immediately.
Have previously looked everywhere in Pattaya for such a whistle but without success.
Here around the corner of the soi on the way to the floating market there are always a few hanging dogs.
If they make any movement in my direction, I growl a little, show my teeth (I brush them twice a day so they're gleaming white) and say in my best English: watch out, cause i send you to Sakhon Nahkon, one way. And it really helps.
Conclusion: they understand better English than the average Thai and/or they know what happens to them in Shakon Nakhon.
Dogs are indeed a real nuisance, Both the stray dogs and the dogs that come to print out a garden.
I bought a mountain bike last December for cycling in the Phetchabun area. Behind my saddle I mounted a thick bamboo stick. Sometimes holding the stick is enough to scare them off, but some roads I don't dare to take anymore because there is a really aggressive gang there.
Most Thais also like it when a dog follows you, but they themselves cycle with their shiny mountain bike, fully dressed in racing clothes and sometimes even with a time trial helmet, only along the main roads surrounded by black smoke-producing trucks and other road pirates .
I would also like to find a way to cycle around comfortably, without fear of getting a growling bastard after me around every corner.
I think those dogs are not used to the moving legs since they don't attack the moped riders.
KhumJan1, can you confirm that the device of 5,95 euros also works effectively against those aggressive dogs?
I'm leaving next month, I would be grateful to have a solution by then.
Regards Phillip
Just squeeze the well-aimed water bottle while cycling; At least I assume that people always cycle with a bottle of water in Thailand
One piece of advice, buy a TEASER for sale in every market, a stun gun, works great, keeps any dog at bay and… not just a dog, hahaha.
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It's especially a nuisance if you're cycling at the cool times. When it's hot, those bitches are too lazy to get up. But yes, the cool periods are also the best for cycling. I always put a handful of stones in my handlebar bag and a few heavy ones in my cycling jersey. It works but it's not ideal. I'm considering buying the teaser anyway.
I have been coming to Thailand for several years and this in the north east.
Every morning I take a morning walk.
You can hardly believe how often you get a dog after you.
I always carry a stick with which I point at the dogs. They don't seem to like that and then wisely go backwards. I learned from someone from Switzerland.
When night falls, however, it is better not to go outside. Then the dogs gather and attack you, even when you are with the moped.
Where do you buy such a Taeser? At what price?
Love animals but not aggressive stray dogs.
Thank you in advance.
Jan
I bought one in Bangkok, in MBK. But you will probably be able to buy them at almost any major night market…and I mentioned the price above…between 400 and 500 baht. By zapper I meant teaser.
Please the Thai name for such a teaser ???
Another solution, of course, is to move to an environment where only nice people live. I often cycle according to a set route where every time I was harassed by an aggressive dog. Once that was so bad that I had to make a kicking movement towards that dog. Apparently the owner had seen that because I never met that dog again.
Well Hans I also cycle a fixed route with aggressive dogs in fixed places. But the owners will care if they hang from your calves. You have to look for an owner who does something about this in Thailand with a light. But maybe you found one.
It is a route of 2 * 10 km. No more problems with dogs. Not with humans either.
There are nice people everywhere in Thailand. You just have to make them like you too. For example, I once gave the “oliebollen” baker at our local market 100 baht when his wife gave birth to a son. Since then I can't go wrong with that man and his wife and I always get more donuts for my 10 baht than I'm entitled to. That man lives near where that aggressive dog was bothering me. And just as gossip spreads quickly, positive stories about farangs apparently also spread quickly from word to mouth. With the aforementioned result.
Of course that won't always be the solution, but waving to the people along the route every now and then can't hurt.
Most compatriots will have a TV that broadcasts National Geographic. Then (I think) every Thursday evening comes the program The dog whisperer. you should look into that and learn the basics of dog handling. Throwing rocks and hitting them with sticks only makes them more aggressive (what would you do if someone regularly hits you with a stick?)
With your attitude you should indicate that you are bigger and stronger than them.
And indeed: it is their territory and they defend it. I have one myself who was born in this soi and he is sure it is HIS soi. Strangers and intruders must be chased away. And when they disappear he is very pleased. And he's never bit anyone
Yes, Cesar Millan…but even he was once bitten badly by a dog. Only a hard remedy helps against a vicious dog. A baton or taser.
If you are regularly confronted with this problem, I would suggest purchasing a book about dog body language. Some respond out of dominant aggression, fear aggression or territoriality. Then you can adjust your response accordingly. There are dogs that already run off when you look them straight in the eye, others jump at your throat because of that, the same hero for threatening with a stick or something like that. So it is wise to know what kind of meat you have in the tub.
We have been coming to Hua Hin for 5 years, and that month that we are there we feed the stray dogs chunks every day at a fixed time { 10 to 15 pieces }. Never had any problems with those poor animals and after a week you see the gratitude on their faces every time I walk up. Every year we hope that when we come home someone else will do our ;task; taken over.
I've never had any trouble with those poor bastards.
Indeed very irritating those animals and in the evening they form packs. This is also the case in our street and neighbourhood. We have been living here for over a month now with 2 boys (6 and 4) who of course like to play in the street. They are afraid of those dogs, but when I : pai, pai ban ! call, they tease. The boys are now shouting that too… and it works (here).
It's not a teaser or a taeser, it's a taser. Obtainable via the Internet.
Every morning I go cycling for half an hour and my experience is that dogs are the biggest problem. Half a year ago a dog jumped in front of my bicycle on the way to a moped passing on the other side of the road, which he, or said he had intended. Mtg a ride to the emergency room of the hospital located 25 km away. 6 stitches in the heel of my hand, and some abrasions on the arm and knee. It is worth mentioning that the price of the treatment, including tetanus shot, did not exceed 900 Bth. What I also had with me then, but couldn't use because everything went too fast, is a bottle of vinegar, which helps if you spray it in the direction, and the dog gets it in the eyes. next time you just have to grab the bottle and the dog will run off.
Anyway, it is not pleasant cycling in my area with all those dogs, and they are not stray dogs, but dogs that belong to some owner, who do not pay any attention to it, with all the consequences that entails.
When I go for a walk and some grunting snipers approach, I suddenly turn and head straight for them, pointing at them and calling out in the voice of a drill sergeant PAI. And I keep stepping towards them.
Always works. You should never look at those Soi Dogs either, just ignoring them is best.
A little horse whip helps very well and they are gone those dogs.
I think I have to adjust my opinion about the Thai dog. So far my experience is that they sleep alone during the day and when I meet them they completely ignore me. Maybe I have the appearance of a pack leader and they respect me. Yes, I also know that series of the American dog tamer and then after 4 episodes you know exactly how to tackle the 'doggy' problem. However, in other countries they do run after me with a lot of barking and 1 time I also had to climb a tree to prevent bite damage. Conclusion: those Thai dogs seemed to me like a couple of slow divers who trudge alone in the dark after the opposite sex. I've also sometimes thought that the local government let slow dogs roam the streets as traffic calmers. I read somewhere that a Dutch lady lives in Hua Hin who shelters stray dogs and ensures that there are fewer offspring. I think those are the best solutions.
So far effective, pretending to pick up a stone or you actually pick it up, if necessary you can also throw it or have a sturdy stick with you and threaten the dog with it.
A Teaser, have I got that right?, a wire jumps out that should touch the dog and then gives an electric shock?, what to do if there are several dogs?
Nico B
NicoB, above I have already described how a teaser or taser works. You have different types. What you're describing seems very clunky to me. To save you the trouble of searching, mine is smaller but thicker than a cigarette pack. When you press the button, there is a current surge of approximately 5000 volts between two contact points. You don't have to point the device at the dogs. The crackling of the current alone makes them run away. Actually touching such an animal is the ultimate.
You can buy these at almost every night market. I bought mine in Bangkok at MBK. The devices are also illegal in Thailand. I paid 450 baht for it last year.
So, now it would be nice if someone gives a NEW answer. We've had sticks, stones and tasers.
1. When cycling, walking, use the electric taeser.
2. At home in the moo lane I get the alpha male on my property and feed him.
He protects me from all other dogs.
This topic about the stray / stray dogs in Thailand is an extremely good example of how Thailandblog has remained realistic after 5 years and that is why it has remained so much fun.
A few years ago on the various Thailand forums, were you still accused of not understanding life in Thailand, that you were just not called an animal abuser because you only said that you should not have any of those animals because they are gross and smell bad and therefore wanted to stay as far away from them as possible.
Now people are talking about teasers, sticks and stones to chase those beasts away, it could be…
Well that is a good opportunity to talk about those lizards in the house, they call them tjink tjoks here. A few times there has been a discussion about this on Thaivisa, and everyone who opposed them was also called an animal abuser. But the fact is that they are ineradicable and unhygienic, because of the excrement. Unfortunately I have not yet found a pesticide against it, but I praise the day when there is, a taeser seems a bit cumbersome if it hangs from the ceiling.
When I go for a walk in the Ardennes here in Belgium, I sometimes have that problem with dogs. That's why I bought a so-called dazzer a few years ago. That is a small device, roughly looks like a remote control. If you point it at the annoying dog and press the button, it produces a sound that we as humans don't hear but is found to be very annoying by the dog ... and then they start walking, unless they are stone deaf.
I bought this years ago at AS adventure, cost here with us was 45 euros. This is an alternative if you don't want to walk around with such a stun gun or taser or just want to keep the dog in question at a distance without being seen as aggressive by your Thai fellow man, if anyone has seen it. If you choose this as an option, try at a sporting goods store? Camper shop? I don't know if AS Adventure is also based in Thailand.
Don't walk if a dog approaches you. He has 4 legs and you only have 2 legs… he only needs 5 seconds to the front door 🙂
Bruno, several Dazer owners apparently do not have such a positive experience with this device.
on AS adventire site I read: “Only a few dogs run away. Sheepdogs and biting or aggressive dogs don't seem to care much. The device is therefore not worth the money.”
Is this also your experience? After all, 42 euros is not cheap.
Gret Philip
Dear Philip,
Personally I've had no problems with it, it's worked for me dozens of times here, and I prefer this to illegal possession of a stun gun, and appearing aggressive to others when you threaten the dog with a stick.
A while ago I had the problem in the Ardennes here. I meet an owner with a loose dog, and the dog flies at me. I had the dazzer in my pocket and with my hand on the button in my pocket I kept the dog at a distance until we passed safely. The dog's owner didn't know what was happening when his dog suddenly kept his distance, and things continued to be friendly. You can hardly say that about threatening with a stick, or pulling out a taser 🙂
How do the police in Thailand deal with it if you use a taser there? I read here that those things are also illegal there, right?
Best regards,
Bruno
Hello, have read it all carefully and understand that most of them are dog experts. But whatever attitude a Thai dog adopts, they are still fear biters. And a fear biter has no attitude, any attitude is dangerous and it is not your birthday if you are bitten by it .If it is not vaccinated (and most are not) and you get bitten, it can end badly for you, even death or amputation. Advice: take another cycling or walking route.
What seems to me to be the most important thing is to get vaccinated against rabies in advance.
At least you won't get rabies if you get bitten.