What a scary thought. Think I would just give up if I thought I needed an alarm before I went out. We should all take care but we mustn't frighten ourselves.

Laura - what a frightening experience for you and well done - isn't adrenalin wonderful!

Poor you laura i would of been scarred but alot of kids dont say anthing to me with big oscar they actually step of the pavement to let me past, which is dead funny coz oscars a big dafty and is likely to lick them to death! But you have rasied a good point a alarm is a good idea!

I don't use anything but like a few have said this evening should really.

We don't go out after dark here as gangs of kids roam the streets. Unfortunately we stick out like sore thumbs in the town we live in which draws unwanted attention - so we keep well away from it.

Bella/Amts it's like no-one in our town has seen a Dane before...blonde hair, blue eyes, stereotypical if that's what it's considered. I'm sure OH wouldn't mind the attention if it were from 20-30 something females though LOL

Try adding a GSD to the combo LOL

Laura, very brave thing of you to do, but pls be careful, these things more often than not go incredibly wrong.

There's that dreadful story of the 5 year old boy who was set upon by 5-7 11-12 year old kids....apparently he survived but it's just devastating to hear about, with happy slapping and all these incredibly antisocial activities it's concerning.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. Maplecottage I totally agree it could have easily gone the wrong way for me it isn't something I would advise anyone to do or something I'd normally do. My temper took over as Jake is so precious to me the thought of anyone hurting him meant pure rage took over!!

I am looking into taking self-defence classes and also going to buy some form of alarm/spray. I have found a legal self-defence spray on the internet which sprays an attacker in the face: doesn't harm him but dyes him red and blinds him for long enough for you to get away.Have a look at this link and tell me what you think.

http://www.stoppa.co.uk/acatalog/Sto...nce_Spray.html

I read about that poor 5 year old being left for dead by those children. For those of you living in quieter areas not London I would still urge you all to be aware of these things.It does happen up and down the country look at Abigail the young mother who was stabbed in suburban surrey.

The product looks good, just need to ensure that you're fast enough to spray it though because it could be snatched off you and used against you - think you're right, combine it with self defense courses and it would work very well indeed...adds a bit of peace of mind too.

Thanks for the link Laura. might just have to show this to OH.

xi

Where we lived before, I used to walk Tia around a lake in a public park, a favourite hangout for the local teenagers. Thankfully I was never approached but carried a long, metal cased torch, inconvenient I know, but useful in that it was not designed to be a weapon and I would therefore stand a better chance, in law, should I have ever used it.

Now, because of Pj's work, I 'babysit' Charlie after 5.30pm so a late evening walk is out of the question. If I walk alone with the dogs in the day, I wrap Pips lead around my hand leaving the (oversized) clasp free to swing a little.

Again, not designed as a weapon, but useful non the less.

I agree that it can be quite a scary place, the outside, but I am sure that all the youngsters aren't that bad, perhaps just showing off infront of their 'homies'

i stay in a relatively small village and have never thought about that, however having staffies may put them off. The stupid thing is i have a personal alarm that i got free at uni last year, where is it- under my bed however i'm trained to react fast if attacked, nurses are all taught it now although some don't get updates where as we do still it's different in a ward setting where you have help on hand, so i'm digging it out and attaching it to my jacket so i always have it now

i dont bring anything to protect myself tho i guess if i was approached i would run... i wouldnt stick around to find out wot would happen.
I guess i do to some extents rely on the dogs to protect me, but then if i have them offlead i wrap the lead round my hand so that the metal bit it swingable, probably wouldnt do much damage if someone was intent on attacking me!

scary thought isnt it i spose, being attacked. Im always wary if i see a person walking on their own in the middle of the fields

It's really interesting to read all your thoughts. Ashlady I know loads of teenagers who are loveley. The incident the other night just got me thinking it certainly isn't just teenagers people need to be aware of! I believe the majority of people out there are good so no one should be living in fear it's just being able to strike that balance of being able to defend yourself should the need arise.

Have you thought about self-defence classes? Not only will it help keep you fit, what you learn might come in handy one day

The thing you have to watch about sprays and stuff is most of youwill have them in your handbag, pocket etc but in a 'real' situation would you be able to get to them? And what if your attacker took it off you and used it against you?

If you can, try to find a 'Wing Chun' school, the style was partly devloped by a.... woman! It is excellent for 'less-bulky' people and brilliant for situations where you find yourself in close quarters.