Last night I learned a lesson.  Not to be so quick to think a "stray" dog needs or wants my help.

Lost dogs always seem to find me and I've returned more than I can count to their happy owners. Last night there was a large male St. Bernard in my front yard.  I watched him for a bit and then went outside hoping that he had a collar on with tags.  He didn't come over to me and I let him stay away at a safe distance but I noticed there was no collar, just a broken skinny leash on him.  He seemed nice enough in the way he reacted to my voice.  He seemed more interested in peeing on everyone's bushes than being friends.

It's been very hot here in California and I thought the big guy would like a drink.  As the bowl was filling I placed a call to see if anyone had reported him missing. No one had.  I took the bowl of water outside and placed it down quite a ways from the dog and backing away from it so the dog felt safe to drink, but that is when the dog went nuts on me.  He stood up on his hind legs and stomped down on his front feet and began to run full speed towards me with teeth showing, growling and barking like crazy.  I did the only thing I could––-my best imitation of Lara Croft on cheat mode....I did a high jump up and over the side of my daughter's pick up truck (not as easy or painless as they make it look in movies).

The St. Bernard must not have liked that I had escaped because he began to try to get into the back of the truck, all the while snapping and growling at me over the edge of the truck.  I scrambled onto the cab of the truck and yelled for my son to place a call to the police.  I told him to stay in the house.  I'm soooo lucky my son heard me.  Usually he is inside with his headphones on listening to music on his computer.  

It turned out that my new neighbors (who are renting) own the dog.  They claimed the dog went through some loose boards in the fence.  So, these are my new neighbors!   The only reason I called the police was because I thought the dog was a stray and it looked like it was not backing down from it's quest to eat me.  I hate getting off on the wrong foot with any new neighbor.

Lord I hope that dog doesn't "slip out" again and go after one of the little kids that live on this court.  Of course there was nothing the cop could do since the dog hadn't bitten me.  The only scrapes and bruises I have are from leaping over the side of the truck.  What a night.   Needless to say, I'm going to hesitate a bit more to help out any "strays" for a while.  

where was your big stick (gun)......why take the risk of checking a stray with out the tools to do it with?....leash and phone...and gun.

Honestly, I probably would have shot it charging me like that.  I hate to say it as I'm a dog owner and love them.  That wouldn't have won any brownie points with the neighbor though.  Glad all is well, now go meet the dog on friendlier terms so he doesn't try to make a snack out of you again.   lol

Cujo was a St Benard wasn't he?....

Don't take me wrong.....I love dogs.....but that's a big son of a bitch to wrestle with.

thats odd they are usually very docile

the jumping a growling thing happens sometimes when they are puppies they just want to play but... the snapping is not ok.

someone raised it wrong.

I've seen a St. Bernard schutzen trained in attack.

MY cousin boy friend has a very anti social Boxer who hates the world, I gave hi ma pig ear then later day he walked up to me and sniff licked me then he went ape shit on me. If i wasn't wearing 511 duty gear, it would have done some damage. I had my side arm in my bed room, since i was at home and just went down stairs for water.

MY worry that it will try something on someone else or my new puppy. Glad your seriously hurt.

I agree with all the comments above.  I'm still trying to figure out why it went nuts on me.  
I've owned dogs all my life and done extensive training with my own and other people's dogs.  
I've always been a pretty good judge of doggie character but this one threw me, like your cousin's boyfriend's dog did, Keenshooter.

No, this dog was not raised well.  Poor thing was a mess, obviously not cared for properly.  Doesn't surprise me though because these
same people keep a very small dog in a tiny little wire cage with no roof over it in the hot California sun without any water.  The little thing yaps and yaps
for help.  I heard that a couple of the people on the street behind me called Animal Control about THAT little dog.  
Honestly, people like that shouldn't own dogs.  I don't see these neighbors winning any Brownie Points.  What a way to make their
entrance.  

I will not be caught off-guard if that dog is out again.......trust me.  

And yes, Cujo was a St. Bernard, I believe.