Question for those of you that walk your dogs?

I walk my dogs every day, Sunday the fur kids and I were walking along happy as could be. We were walking by a house where two labs and a corgi live. The dogs are always in a fenced yard. Not Sunday. I heard something coming up behind us, it was the corgi and one of the labs. The corgi was barking and snarling.

I tried to out run them, I dont know what made me think I could do that. The corgi caught up to us he went at Jada. I was freaking out. I lost my grip on Diamond's leash. She chased the lab back home. Jada flipped the corgi over on to his back, the poor guy was yelping like he was on his death bed. Jada wasn't hurting him. Ebony just sniffed at him. It could have been so much worse.

It still scared me half to death. What should a person do when something like that happens? What do you do when your dogs are on a leash and other dogs are coming at you 90 to nothing?

Oh , how scary! that is one of my biggest fears when I walk my dogs; that a neighborhood dog managed to get out and is loose. (The area is very good about keeping the dogs fenced. So it would be as you encountered, a rare thing.)

I would start screaming bloody murder to get someone's attention. Hopefully, the owners, who can come out and get their dogs.

Holler at the dogs, and stare at them as that is offensive.

Running will just give them a chance to chase; as you discovered.

My problem is my dogs are little. I'm not supposed to pick them up but I think I would. Picking them up just lets the approaching dog follow the flow up to my arm and face area.

I've never actually ever had any of this happen, just my thoughts.

I stood my ground firmly giving the dog "the look" and said NO in my harshest dog training voice. Sasha sat beside me as she does when other dogs approach. The dog stopped well before he got to us, turned and went up the side street.

That scares me to death as well. That any dog sweet or agressive might come towards me and my dog.

What i would do, is try to carry with you at least one treat everytime you take a walk that way if some dog comes towards you, you might be able to calm her/him down by giving the dog the treat. One thing you must always remember DONT run because that will make them chase you even more. I would also scream at the dog/'s as loud as i could to get them to run away.

The advantage of having small dogs like me is picking the dog up, and yet if the dog is bigger than yours she/he can jump at you to get to your dog and probably endup injuring you.

I am sure that the dogs slip of something, i dont think the owner would allow them to roam free, especially if the owner knew her dogs would not get along with other dogs. Some dogs love people, but when they get with other dogs you dont even know who they are anymore, they go nuts.

I get in front of my dogs and yell at the approaching dog to go away. Make myself look as big and scary as possible and always keep myself between the loose dog and mine. They need to know that'll protect them, they don't have to worry about it or protect me.

I used to feel guilty about this next part, but not anymore--if your dog is off-leash, out of control and a threat to my dogs, I will do whatever it takes to protect MY dogs. Doesn't happen very often, but a couple times a winter some nutball dog decides it's a good idea to jump in the middle of my dog team!

There's a lady out here who we frequently run into with her small dogs. She does pick them up when she sees the team coming, which I greatly appreciate. However, it does make what she's holding more interesting! I have found that if she picks up her small dog and keeps moving, my dogs couldn't care less. It's when she freezes that she becomes an interesting distraction.

I had that Happen so many times,My poor Lacy i really almost do not like walking her anymore she always gets attached.

Just last week i was walking her in the new subdivision,There was a new couple and this great big ikita,He came running towards us i was so scared i grabbed Lacy up in my arms he grabbed her foot.

The owner came running and yelling at me?My Lacy was leashed,His wasnt.
The dog was very friendly with me just obviously not other dogs,Which is weird because him being a male and Lacy a female..
I took her into the vets she is bruised more than anything she has a few teeth marks she is on antibiotics.

Some people are not as careful as you and i are,My front yard is not fenced(my back yard is)But i can truthfully say that if anyone and walks by Maggy and Lacy will not move they are really good that way,But for the dogs that do they should be in a fenced in area.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that,Poor Lacy always has something happen to her on every walk we go on.

I used to feel guilty about this next part, but not anymore--if your dog is off-leash, out of control and a threat to my dogs, I will do whatever it takes to protect MY dogs. Doesn't happen very often, but a couple times a winter some nutball dog decides it's a good idea to jump in the middle of my dog team!


Omg, what happens when another dog jumps in the middle of your team? I cant even imagine that.

With Jada being part pit bull and Ebony being pit bull even though it was NOT their fault that the other dog came at them like he did I would probably be blamed because I own the pit bulls. :rolleyes: Ebony was such a good girl about the whole thing. Thank God for that.

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Originally Posted by Jadapit

I used to feel guilty about this next part, but not anymore--if your dog is off-leash, out of control and a threat to my dogs, I will do whatever it takes to protect MY dogs. Doesn't happen very often, but a couple times a winter some nutball dog decides it's a good idea to jump in the middle of my dog team!


Omg, what happens when another dog jumps in the middle of your team? I cant even imagine that.

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With Jada being part pit bull and Ebony being pit bull even though it was NOT their fault that the other dog came at them like he did I would probably be blamed because I own the pit bulls. :rolleyes: Ebony was such a good girl about the whole thing. Thank God for that.[/QUOTE

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Even if she wasn't,It would not be your fault.I know alot of people are against Pitbulls,For stupid reasons.

But i cannot honestly say if i had all my dogs out and another jumped in,They would probably do damage.Molly is a scrapper,A German Shepherd tried to fight Molly she put that dog in its place.

They could be great dogs,But i would not say if they were to attack that they were not dog friendly,They would attack because they were protecting you.Our babies for some reason sometimes do not think of themselves,It is us they worry for.

The one thing I would never do is run from the strange dogs. That's
just an invitation for them to chase you. I do something like Queen Of
Poop said. I also always carry a few dog bisquets that could be used for
distraction. It can get pretty scary if the other dogs seem agressive but
you have to remain cool & in charge when it's happening.

I can so relate. I have run into so many loose dogs when I walk my two. It is NOT good when you have a reactive dog. I try to stick my two behind me with a tight leash and step in front of them, and at the loose dog. I usually yell pretty loud too, but in a calm voice: "GO HOME. GET." Stuff like that.

It happens so much around here that I've thought about carrying something around like a spray that won't permanently harm the dogs - because I just can't take the chance of one of mine being attacked.

Like Glacier, I too feel bad yelling at them, especially if it is a case where they are lost, confused and scared. But my dogs do need to come first. And I will do anything to protect them.

When I just had Mickey, we were at the park, and he was on leash. These two JRT's came bolting at him (and this was a HUMAN park with off leash kids) and starting attacking, so I kicked them. Meanwhile, the owners were sitting on a picnic bench, and LAUGHING. :mad: :mad:

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Originally Posted by lizbud

The one thing I would never do is run from the strange dogs. That's
just an invitation for them to chase you. I do something like Queen Of
Poop said. I also always carry a few dog bisquets that could be used for
distraction. It can get pretty scary if the other dogs seem agressive but
you have to remain cool & in charge when it's happening.

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Your right, I dont know why in the world I started running from them. I thought I was going to have a heart attack, I'm to old to out run anything. Lol.

I will start carrying dog treats with me. Thanks for the help everyone.

We talk about this issue all the time on GreyTalk. The general consensus over there is: If you are in the right (your dog is leashed and on public ground), you should do whatever is necessary to protect your dogs.

Bring a big walking stick, a PVC pipe, a rock, spray bottle, pepperspray, Direct Stop, mace, whatever. You have every right to protect your own dogs from loose and aggressive dogs.

FWIW, we have a dog aggressive/territorial dog at the end of our street who we sometimes encounter. Because Ivy is leash reactive, I use any means necessary to push that dog back. One time, I had to throw a rock near it (not actually "at" it), and I didn't feel an ounce of guilt. That dog had attacked us before and I was NOT going to give it that chance again.

I've had that happen so many times. There's a lot of people that let their dogs roam around here. I don't care if there dog is loose if it stays in their yard...or even if it comes over for a friendly sniff...its when it comes charging up to my dogs snarling and growling that I have a problem. :mad: I have been known to act like a crazy person when this happens. :o The first thing I do is get in front of my dogs and yell "Go home!" to the other dog. Usually a bit of yelling/waving my arm at them is enough to get them away. I have had to use the end of the leash and swat them with it...I've had to be meaner than that too, I don't like to, but I can't have my dogs attacked. Nebo tends to not be very friendly to dogs running up to him growling either. If the owner is nearby and doing nothing (you wouldn't believe how often this happens...they sit on the porch and watch :rolleyes: ) trust me they will hear about it. I have never tried to outrun the dogs, I stand my ground and get the other dog to back off.

You've recieved some great advice. Everyone has already stated just what I was going to say. :)

No matter, the same problem occurs in my neighborhood aswell. A firm "Go Home" seems to always work, but I always remember my dad bringing a heavy walking stick when he went on walks with me. He was ready to do whatever was needed to be done to protect us.

Hopefully you won't run into a situation like that again!

That has happened to me a couple of times when I walk Beenie and Frankie.
Both times, the dogs that were running toward us stopped a few feet away after I started yelling NO really loudly and stimping my feet.
When They were pups, I could pick them up but now, at a combined wieght of 55 lbs, that's not possible.

I wanted to add that once, when Frankie was a pup, he was in the back yard and started running toward the side yard barking. He was running toward the meter reader. She quickly opened a small umbrella before Frankie reached her and scared him! That was a genious idea and you may want to do that even though I'm not sure how fast you could open an umbrella while walking 3 doggies! :) I know I probably couldn't with the two of them... but just an idea.

I just stand still and keep a firm hold on the leashes of my dogs and remain quiet. Yes, thats happened to me loads of times and our Jess and Mist did give the others dogs more than they bargained for but they were on leashes and, generally, when the other dog realised they had bitten off more than they could chew, they'd walk off in a huff with no damage caused to either party.
I wouldn't worry about the owners of the other dogs because it's theirs that are out of control in a public place and so would be them that got into trouble if it came to it.

Our Jess and Mist were both capable of standing their ground and even winning with most other dogs so I didn't need to protect them myself...they tended to get rid of the other dog themselves....lol.
I would never have started shouting at the other dog because that would just rile our Jess and Mist up even more and that was the last thing they needed. I had to remain calm and quiet in these situations so as not to send the wrong message across to them. They were already mistrustful and aggressive with other dogs as it was, especially our Jess. I'd only have to stamp my foot at another dog and she'd go barmy wanting to shred it to bits.

This thread gave me the willies. Given what happened to me, I haven't walked Logan in ages (although we're fenced, there's nuthin' like a good, long walkie!) I daren't venture out without John. The day I got Logan, I took her for a nice long walk. We encountered a girl with her black lab. After they passed us on the other side of the street, I heard a blood curdling scream. The lab pulled so hard, his leash unhitched. The girl screamed like a lunatic that her dog hates other dogs. (that would have been the old me), I wasn't sure what Logan would do, so I stood still, as did she (yay). As calmly as I could, I told the lab to "SIT" as the owner came racing over in tears. Nothing happened, but I was petrified. I learned my lesson with Cody (1st time owner) and no longer run..like, duh, I can barely walk.

Thanks for the idea of an umbrella! Good idea. I also agree that I would do whatever it takes to defend Logan like I did the puppy.

In a situation where the other dog is aggressive... I would stand still, with my dog behind me, and tell the dog to go home.

Now that I really think about it, I've never actually been faced with an aggressive, loose dog. There are several rude Golden Retrievers & Labs in my neighborhood who are always out in their yards, but they aren't aggressive, just rude. I will tell them to go home, Gonzo will tell them off, and they're pretty much on their way.

I feel bad for anyone who has aggressive dogs loose in their neighborhood. It has to be scary. But, I think, most importantly, DON'T RUN! That will just provoke a dog to give chase.

I have never had this happen and it scares me to death to think of it as I am reading your stories. Long ago my dad was walking my childhood dog, and an off leash dog came up and attacked my dog. My dad was so shaken he nearly had a heart attack. When he got home he and mom raced Laddie to the vet and he was OK in time.

The worst thing I have faced on my walks is dogs snarling/growing at us from out of windows or in a fenced yard (cyclone) where they can see us but not get to us. Bella's tail goes way down and she is clearly afraid. Ripley acts like "bring it on." :rolleyes: I like the idea of bringing an umbrella or some sort of device for protection, but honestly just the thought of this terrifies me.

I hate when this happens. I try to get between my dogs & the strange dog, & do something menacing - yell, wave arms, stamp foot forward. doesn't always work because Star thinks she should be the one out front protecting us! She did get bit by a loose golden I was trying to fend off. I couldn't believe the owner stood there watching saying how dogs will be dogs. I hope she took it more seriously when the Animal Control officer visited her after I called & he came out. I called them to go check if that dog had a current rabies vaccination, since it bit Star.

That happened to me once, I threw my dogs leashed on the grown and ran at the dog shouting. Probably not the smartest thing to do, but it worked, but the dogs looked at me like I was crazy after that. :p

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Originally Posted by Jadapit

Omg, what happens when another dog jumps in the middle of your team? I cant even imagine that.

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Generally my dogs will ignore a dog on the side of the trail and follow the ON-BY commands. If the other dog gets in their way though, it gets ugly fast. I often wonder what the other dogs are thinking when they decided to take on 6 to 8 dogs at once!

I carry an axe handle with no cutting head on it and I will use it to get a dog out of my team. Sometimes, usually if Paxil is leading, we just keep running and the other dog gets run over or bounced out of the way. I've never hit a loose dog with the sled. The dogs get them out of the way before that.

Franklin was injured once by a loose Belgian that jumped him. I didn't get off the sled and up to him fast enough. That's part of why I let Daisy come with us all the time. She always lets me know when something is coming.

I often let Mac run loose with us too. I never really meant to train him to do this, but Mac's job has become to chase loose dogs off! He just does it instinctively and I encourage it now. I used to feel guilty about that too. Now I figure if your dog doesn't come when you call it, it shouldn't be off leash in the first place.

one time I was walking my three and a chihuahua i had never seen before came and started yapping and attacking Kona...i freaked out and took at stick and just used it to push the dog away. If its a huge dog that was snarling viciously I would stay calm (dogs can sense if you are scared or not you know) and...well, I don't really know. Ive never really thought about it!

I have small dogs. The largest is 30 pounds, and the smallest 8 pounds. They are very friendly dogs. I don't worry about them. I worry about the other dogs. If my dogs are on a leash in a public place, I consider myself and my dogs to have the absolute right-of-way over a loose dog.

I just pick up the little ones. But that doesn't guarantee your dog's safety, or yours, if a large dog wants to get your little dog.

I carry Mace with me. I would not hesitate for one second to Mace an aggressive dog. I've never had to do it, but I would, in a heartbeat.

It's probably not the smart thing to do, but it's happened twice to Kia and I and both times I put myself between the approaching dog and Kia.

The first time was at a state campground and it was a small dog that came tearing out from behind a camper. Kia turned tail and tried to run so I let go of her leash. I turned placing myself between the snarling tiny terror, made myself look big, and yelled, "Go Away!". The dog stopped it's approach but continued to bark and growl at me. The owners came out, grabbed their dog and mumbled an apology. I was livid. I told them if I caught their dog off leash/tie out again, I'd report them to the rangers.

The second time was far more scary.

I was riding my bike with one of those dog walker attachments. A golden retriever came tearing out of it's yard (with it's owners yelling in the back yard), teeth bared, snarling, the whole 9 yards. It's eyes were locked on Kia and she had no where to go. I knew we couldn't bike away fast enough, so I laid the bike down and aimed a kick at the dog's head just as it was lunging at Kia.

I'm not sure if that action startled it or if it decided I wasn't worth tangling with, but it balked and missed Kia (and my leg thankfully), and backed off (was nearly hit by a car since he lingered in the roadway) before the owners caught up to the dog and grabbed him.

No apology, they just ushered him off.

It was such a rush of adrenaline. I didn't want to hurt the dog but protecting my dogs comes first. I guess it's just a maternal instinct that takes over.

I'm sorry that had to happen to you. It's not a fun situation to be in at all.

Living in what I think is *the stray dog capitol of the world*.....I see this all the time. As dorky as it is I stand my ground. Hold the dogs behind me, hold my hand out and say "NO!" Stomp my foot at them. Anything to let them know These are MY dogs and I don't want you here! I would never run from a dog. Makes the dog think I fear him and could make him actually attack me. If I do what I normally do it makes the dog think twice.