Spinoff: What DO you do when you and your dog meet an unleashed dog?

[jetsmom]

Rusty was feral for about 4 yrs before I caught him. It took 9 mo of leaving food by the side of the road to get him to trust me enough to catch him. Neighbors had tried to trap him with no success. He will defend me and my other dogs against any dog running up to him.
To avoid problems I walk him late at night between 11:30-2 am when people aren’t usually out with their dogs. I also walk him only in neighborhoods I know where the dogs are contained. In fact, I’m leaving shortly to go walk him.
I had an old English sheepdog bite my cocker years ago. Person was yelling “she’s friendly” as dog made a beeline for us, and immediately grabed my dog in the back severely enough to tear the skin away from the muscle and leave puncture wounds and crept us (air bubbles crackling when you patted her back). Vet bill included drains, antibiotics andndntnd pain killers.
Another time, a loose pit bull in a man’s garage where he was working came racing across the street towards me and my 2 dogs. I couldn’t escape, so when he was about 10 ft from me, I jumped towards him and yelled in my loudest, growliest voice “GEEETTT HOOMMEE!!”. He did a U turn and raced home, tripped over the curb and summersaulted into his yard.
Another time walking Rusty, and my cocker, and my elderly German shep, at 1030 at night a guy appeared walking 2 German shep off leash. They charged by dogs, and my German shep was attacked, and my cocker tried to run away, the other direction as far as his 6 ft leash would allow. In the time it took him to hit the end of the leash, Rusty had the shep on the ground holding him by the skin on his back, not letting him up. He probably saved my cocker. Owner stood there ineffectively yelling “heel”, whole this occured. I called AC the next time i saw them loose, and found out where they lived. I started carrying bear mace and after stun gun after that.
We moved from that neighborhood soon after.

Now, if I see a loose dog ahead, I will avoid going thar way, either going around the block or turning around and going home. I’m not going to risk my dogs getting hurt. People that have loose dogs infuriate me. If you want to let your dog loose, go to a dog park, or somewhere where there are no leash laws (not just unenforced leash laws).

[CanadianTrotter]

I mostly walked my shepherd at night as well but there were times I did have to have him outside our property during the daylight hours. Even those few times it was almost as if he were a target for loose dogs to come running at. He wasn’t even afforded safety from other dogs on his own properly fenced yard. He couldn’t get out but smaller dogs could get in. A neighbour used to let her dog come through my fence to crap on my lawn. When I caught them in the act I went out the back door and hollered over to her that the next time I saw her dog squeeze through my fence that I would let my dog out immediately and she could deal with the clean up of what would be left of her dog. Never saw her dog or its crap on my back lawn ever again.

No, I wouldn’t have done it…but she didn’t know that.

[frisky]

I used to have a reactive dog. My dog was around 75+lbs and she could be a nut. I was like many other people in that I would walk at odd hours or play sentry looking for other dogs. Cross the street.

Many people have offered really good advice, but the game changer was when I started putting my body between my dog and the other dog. I would put her behind me and not let the other dog near me by yelling or what have you depending on the situation. I have a very good teacher voice with a few truck driver words thrown in. However, most times I didn’t want the little pug/shitzu/lap dog to get hurt by my dog:) It was my job to protect her and my dog began to trust that I could deal with problems.

I remember being panicked when I had the reactive dog, but I tried to learn to speak calmly and clearly to the owners of off-leash dogs. I think dogs also react off your emotional output. Most of the dogs were friendly and the owners didn’t understand my predicament.

I have a very gentle and pretty wise dog now. He was about 5 years old when I got him and not great social skills. One day, 2 kind of ruffian dogs decided to gang up on him at the park. They weren’t attacking him, but they were begining to get intense at harassing him, taking nips. He was a little afraid. I basically got on top of him to protect him and chased the other dogs off. I’m not sure I would be so brave/foolish in a scary situation, since people can get hurt badly, but I think it’s my job to make sure he’s okay. I would have no problem getting physical with another dog. (I detest hitting horses-- and watch many people do it absentmindedly-- but I would respond with appropriate force in select circumstances.) He’s a much more secure dude now and can back off the big dogs.

One time another off-leash dog bit him. It was quick and I did not realize what happened until later. I regret not giving the owner a piece of my mind, since, in hindsight, it seemed like an ingrained attack habit of the dog. It was utterly unprovoked. I got him out of the situation quickly, but the deed had been done.

[CanadianTrotter]

My guy was the opposite, I couldn’t be between him and another person or animal. When we were out walking and passed a person or another dog he would immediately put himself between me and them. Then he would gently nudge me with his shoulder and move me away from whoeve/whatever it was.

Anytime someone came into the house, known person, friend or stranger, he would edge his way in between us and stand or sit there. This was when I first got him and soon decided that unless it was a good friend that I was completely comfortable with, I would just remove him and tuck him away in his special room or put him on a leash that I had attached to a circle ring screwed to the floor. That way he was still included in the social interaction but safely contained.

[vxf111]

Even if your loose dog is friendly, if it’s not reliable to voice commands and runs up to another, leashed dog-- that can be interpreted as threatening behavior to the leashed dog. And because of that behavior, the leashed dog may feel defensive and lash out. So just because your dog is friendly, doesn’t mean it can’t cause a major problem if it’s off leash and not under control.

I have no problem with off leash dogs that are UNDER CONTROL in places where that’s permitted. But under control means UNDER CONTROL. If you call your dog, it will come to you-- even if something exciting is happening. Under control does not mean your dog generally minds until it sees another animal and then it runs away from you and you can’t stop it/get it to return to you immediately.

[Altermyne]

[QUOTE=CanadianTrotter;9020218]
I have only ever owned large dogs that can take care of themselves.[/QUOTE]

I have a friend whose 90# Greyhound was attacked and almost killed by 2 dogs who got out of their fenced in yard.

Size doesn’t always matter.

[MissAriel]

I have had this happen in my neighborhood on occasion, but fairly regularly at the barn, despite the “All dogs must be on leashes” rules and signs. As a result of these incidents with aggressive, but all hat, no cattle-type dogs, my dog is now leash reactive where she wasn’t before. I need to be hyper vigilant for the wandering dogs and try to avoid them or alert the owner.

Recently some new boarders moved in. I was walking my dog across a courtyard and a loose dog started to approach very slowly. I called out “Whose loose dog is this?” and the owner immediately came and got her, apologizing for her being loose. I said “Thanks for getting her, my dog can be leash reactive with loose dogs” and another new boarder commented that leashes are the devil! :eek: No, leashes keep us all safe.

CanadianTrotter - I would love to try your method! I’m just afraid they will call my bluff, their dog will end up in tatters or worse, and I will end up with vet and legal bills. Yes, I know I am in the right, but I live in a pretty liberal area, and own a mixed bully breed. Not sure I would prevail.