Scared:Was that a fight or a play?

[Canis Amicus]

This morning I was walking Rex and let him to swimm a little, I stayed at the river bank (many meters above), then came a man with his dog (pitbull type) off-leash. The dog saw Rex down in the river and wanted to go there; the owner didn't allowed, called his dog but she stayed staring at Rex, at the same time Rex came up from the river with a huge stone in his mounth (as he always does), and that dog blocked his way.

Rex droped the stone, sniffed the that dog, and they started a kind of fight or play. Before they began this scene, I called Rex back, he didn't hear me. I pulled him away from that fight/play. No dogs were hunrt. I put the leash on. After that he took his stone back in his mount and we continued our walk.

Still during the dog's scene the man quicked Rex. When things calmed down he said he will bring a knife next time and will kill Rex.

I did not say anything and went my way back.

I think if I meet that man again and he threats us, I have to report the police (!?), or should I report just now, in order to avoid things to get worse? (The man looks like a "normal" one).

Normally Rex growls/barks/lunges to passing by dogs, and the other owners and me, simply pull the respective dog the other way, and never happened any kind of anthipathy, till now.

People whose dog already met Rex, know how he acts, and avoid proximity. I do the same.

Anyway next Saturday (May 8), he will go to a dog class and I hope he will accepted to future classes (other dogs!!!).

Rex never goes outside off-leash, I wear leather gloves for a better grip and another leash around my torax for more resistence (no dogs around I have free hands) I let him off only to swimm, and when we play retriever at a reserved part of the park, no dogs are around. When we are playing, he doesn't care about passing by dogs.

I do not intend to change our route (Sihlpromenade). The other route (by Limmat River) is too narrow (for him!!!).

Well, I just wanted to share this experience and my feelings with you.
Thank you.


Rosana
and
Rex, GSD, 3y (neutered)