# Confronting a random loose dog?



## funshine (Jan 21, 2010)

What could I do if this ever happens again?
Unfortunately I might in my neighborhood.

Ok here's what happened.
I was going for a walk with my two dogs intending to walk around two blocks. Both of my dogs are wearing a "non-pull" harness that attached to the leash on two points. We get about 40 yards away from my yard when we see a woman carrying a baby and saying "I wouldn't go any further, there's a pitbull". I had time to ask "off leash?" and the dog was already there (followed the woman?).
Anyways this is a big dog, un-neutered pitbull.
I have one dog (lab) that stays away from anything and she already hiding behind my back. She always carries a tennis ball as well so her mouth is full and I've never seen her leaving her ball behind. My other dog (mix, possibly lab pit) who wants to play with everyone and everything is facing this lose dog. I think she's more curious than protective; she can be little protective sometimes, but I have no idea if her behavior is helping us (= not scared) or taking us down.
I call this loose dog a "good boy" which probably sounds very unconvincing 'cause I'm scared how we're going to make it back home. I don't carry weapons of any kind... should I? This is Texas so it would be legal to get a concealed license, but is this really a good reason? Pepper spray?
Anyways, my "active" dog ends up sniffing, growling, jumping around with this lose dog while we are trying to walk slowly back home. Not sure if this is play or something else. My dogs are girls vs. this boy so this could have helped? I'm looking at this dog trying to figure out how to save mine if it attacks and telling my dogs to "lets go". We are slow since my "active" dog won't turn her back to this stranger and it keeps following us on our heels. The dog follows us to the porch, I managed to get my dogs inside, the dog leaves, everybody alive and unharmed.
I called the city no. and ended up listening all recorded stuff and left a message to animal control. Since nothing really happened I didn't think I could call the emergency no.

So... for the future is there anything I can do? Say something, act certain way, carry something with me? Or train my dogs to do/act someway? I honestly don't even know if they would run home if I would let them loose. Should I try to train them to run home?

Although nothing happened I got scared enough to figure out an emergency plan. This loose dog might be just a nice dog (he had a collar), but I don't want to take changes with an unknown dog owner nowhere near (as far as I know).

Any advice will be appreciated! And feel free to comment.


----------



## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

If the dog has any intents on attacking, it usually warns first, by snarling/hairs standing, some signs of possible stress to look for are a wrinkled forehead, ears straight up/forward or back if it's scared. I think a decent amount of cases end up being when people decide to waddle on over and pet the dog without making sure it's comfortable.

Maybe some pepper spray, or even just a squirt bottle (hurts less, startles a wee bit) would do you good in an emergency.
To be honest I've never been in that type of situation where the dog ended up being aggressive, so I can only tell you what "might" stop it.
But please don't spray unless it does try something, lol poor dog could just be nice or curious.


----------



## funshine (Jan 21, 2010)

Thanks 3musketeers for promising respond. Loved to hear that you haven't seen aggressive dogs running on the streets; maybe this one was just playful :smile:

I hope I'll never meet an aggressive dog. And no worries, I'm not planning to do anything to any other dog unless I find them seriously trying to hurt my dogs. I especially don't want to trigger anything, I guess that's what I need advice for as well. We just walked away (he followed), but what if this doesn't work... that's what I worry here. Probably for nothing though if most dogs are just curious.


----------



## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Pepper spray is the way to go. I carry it with me all the time. Also carry your cell with you in case you need animal control or the police. We've confronted one pit and one rottie a while ago, both loose at different times, but thank gawd Aspen is a big dog. We were able to scare the pit away but it got pretty nasty with the rottie.


----------



## Mollygirl (May 14, 2011)

We was walking our dogs several months ago. We always walk the same way, down one block, over one block, and up 2 blocks, then back toward home. Sometimes we walk more, but that is our normal after work walk. All of us walk together, my husband, son, and me, with our 3 dogs. Well this day, across the street when we was going up the 2 blocks another lady was walking her german shepard across the street. The people across the street was out in their yard with their door open and their boxer and 2 little dogs ran out the house and immediately attached the other dog. The dad was really hitting the boxer but it wasn't doing anything to him. The lady was screaming, we was going nuts, like what should we do, I was about ready to run over their and grab that dog off the other dog. The lady lived right next to them with a fenced yard and finally got her dog to run into the yard away from the boxer and the other little dogs. All three was attacking the german shepard. This was an elderly lady and she was still screaming at the guy when she walked into the house. The dad of the boxer was screaming at the son about leaving the door open. We checked on the lady a few days later and she said her dog was ok but her dog is very old, blind in one eye and is a survivor of parvo. They still have to dogs in the yard but I have notice that when he sees us walking up the road he makes them go inside. My little dachshund was very verbal and will attack if she is being attacked. She would not have a chance with a big dog. I would do anything possible to get another dog off my baby or any of our dogs. My first thought since you don't carry anything and I don't either, but their is always the 3 of us, is to get your arm around the neck and hold tightly, not letting his teeth near you. What I saw with this incident that hitting and kicking would not help. I don't think spray bottle or pepper spray would have helped. This dog was going for the kill. You would have to pull this dog off his victim. I think she was lucky to get her dog away and get in her fence away from him. I was getting ready to run across the street to pull the dog off, which the owner should have been doing, not just hitting and kicking. Probably a stun gun would be your best bet if you were attacked. I won't try a gun because someone else could get hurt and if the dogs are really fighting you won't be able to get a shot in and you might shoot your dog or the bullet goes wild hits someone else.

Also years ago when I was in the first grade and my cousin was a year younger, she was coming home from school with me. We rode the bus and had to walk several blocks to my house. It was shorter to go up the alley to my back yard. These 2 giant dogs, as big as us, they looked like german shepards, ran up to us and started jumping on us, I don't know if they were just being really friendly or what but it was really scary because they were barking, jumping and big. My cousin just stood there screaming and I kept telling her to come on, just keep walking, don't stop. Well she wouldn't, she just stood their screaming her head off, which probably excited the dogs more. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to our yard which had a fence. By that time the dogs had backed off. I really don't think the dogs would have bothered us if she wouldn't have stopped and was doing all that screaming. I was never attacked by those dogs before and I saw them many times afterwards but I did not show my fear and just kept walking.


----------



## KlaMarie (Dec 30, 2010)

Sadly, my dogs have actually been attacked two different times while walking in the neiborhood I lived at the moment. Both times I was just walking on the street with my non-aggressive dog (one time a VERY friendly Beagle. The 2nd time was Beauty and she's just neutral to dogs). After those two incidences, I carry pepper spray and most of the time a big walking stick. I'm going to be getting my CCL, but that would be an absolute last resort. And only if it was a big, dangerous dog that was actively attacking my dog, and I feared for my dogs life. 

What is actually most effective for me is my attitude regarding stray dogs. I don't really like my dogs having contact with stray dogs, 1) I have no idea is this dog is carrying diseases, and 2) sometimes I just cannot read a dog to predict when it will suddenly become aggressive--so I don't take chances. When one runs up to me, I take a forward stance in front of my dogs. Most of the stray dogs I've met usually are more respectful of my "go away" attitude than if my dog started barking at it. The stray dog takes a step towards my dog, I step strongly toward the stray. That usually scares them away, and if not, yellling and a big stick also encourage them to leave me alone. 
If I turned around and went home every time I met a stray, I would never get to walk in my neiborhood :smile: So this approach might be different than what you want to do. Of course, you have to gauge how/if the stray is really aggressive or not, so as not to put yourself in the line of fire.


----------



## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

My two dogs, Kiera and Tucker, were attacked by two off leash dogs at a trail we used to really enjoy jogging on. It sucked. They were probably around 5 months old when it happened, and being GSD mixes they weren't really small but they weren't exactly full grown and able to protect themselves. Tucker tried to protect Kiera, and it was a mess, Kiera was running in circles trying to get away from the other dogs who were snarling and snapping and Tucker was just about ready to take one of those dogs ears off. I grabbed a stick and whacked the crap out of one dog and by the time this happened their owner was attempting to call them back. He apologized but boy did I lay into him, I was with my sister, her fiance, and my mother at the time and our group was pretty livid. Thankfully no dog was hurt in this situation but it very easily could have turned out worse. My poor pups were traumatized after this happened. Kiera is naturally very very aloof towards strangers and other dogs and Tucker is just a big wimp with an aggressive front as his best defense. If one of those dogs had managed to get him he would've fallen flat on his belly and peed himself. I have an aggressive dog Indi, she will mind her own business and does not bother a thing, sticks right by me on off leash walks - however, when I see other people walking I think it's just courteous to leash her up and get by as quickly as possible with no interactions. She's very tolerant of other dogs presence but won't allow others to sniff her, in fact they're lucky if they can get to her bum without her throwing a nasty fit. You just never know, and I can't take the risk of my dog starting crap with another dog who just happens to wander up off leash. Cayla actually pointed out some really good things to do, just stand really tall and take very strong willful steps towards the stray animal. I'd personally really like to get a CHL and a baton, though I'm not sure if batons are illegal. Pepperspray would work I guess, I just don't want to hurt my dogs in the process. I've found that whenever my pups seem to be in danger my caution is thrown to the wind and I'm right in the mix, so a baton would probably work well if a fight really did break out.

I think you should carry something with you. Honestly, you just never know when something is going to go down. Friendly interactions can very quickly turn into threatening ones with dogs.


----------



## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

We have several aggressive dogs in our neighborhood who's owners let them run loose now. I walk two big dogs but it doesn't seem to deter these dogs, they still come up to us with their hackles up, growling. Rocky is the one that hides behind me, but Shade will take on any of them so I have to be careful. Usually I just keep walking and keep Shade on a short leash and these dogs never get closer then twenty feet or so. The trick is trying to keep Shade under control because he wants to protect me! I've been working hard with him on ignoring other dogs and he is getting a lot better. 

I have an expandable baton that I can carry with me. I've never had to get it out, but it's there for reassurance.


----------



## funshine (Jan 21, 2010)

Thank you for all the great advice :smile:
And thank goodness everyone has survived even some of the tightest situations. Sorry to hear how the attack turned traumatizing CavePaws :frown: I'm sure my wimp would get mental scars too.

I think I'm definitely going to put both pepper spray and baton on my list. Some batons seem to even come with a holster which is handy since our walks are fairly short and climate hot (don't want to wear extra jackets etc. for pockets). I have my hands full with 2 dogs.

I think the best thing I've realized through your stories is that strays go for dogs if they are to attack. So if I can keep myself calm I should be able to use these weapons to protect my dogs if necessary.
Hopefully I'll never need to use anything, but feel much better and more prepared with some gear :thumb:


----------



## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

3Musketeers said:


> If the dog has any intents on attacking, it usually warns first, by snarling/hairs standing, some signs of possible stress to look for are a wrinkled forehead, ears straight up/forward or back if it's scared. I think a decent amount of cases end up being when people decide to waddle on over and pet the dog without making sure it's comfortable.
> 
> Maybe some pepper spray, or even just a squirt bottle (hurts less, startles a wee bit) would do you good in an emergency.
> To be honest I've never been in that type of situation where the dog ended up being aggressive, so I can only tell you what "might" stop it.
> But please don't spray unless it does try something, lol poor dog could just be nice or curious.


THey don't always. The one that put Lily in the e-vet gave no warning at all. He was on her like white on rice and resulted in 15+ stitches in her stomach despite me breaking him off her in less than 30 seconds. Only reason it took me that long was because he wasn't wearing a collar. I can only imagine how bad it would have been if that dog had attacked someone who had no clue what to do and freaked out...
Oh and she was heeling politely on leash in the city where there are leash laws.

I'm seriously considering getting some bear spray. I had to kick the crap out of some aggressive dogs (labs) the other night. And the stupid owner KNEW they were aggressive and was uselessly yelling a good thirty some odd feet away. I was very very proud of my dogs for letting me handle it. Even my friend's dog agressive Lab/Rhodie mix would let me handle (by handle I mean chase off by yelling, throwing rocks, kicking, etc.) loose aggressive dogs without reacting.

I don't care if its "friendly" or not. Its not getting the chance to wound my animals. I've chased off so many loose dogs... sometimes I get lucky and can do an about face before they see us. Not always though.

I've also had to pick up Lily and run. That must have looked pretty ridiculous.

I'm so freaking sick of people being irresponsible and letting their dogs run loose. I can't even tell you how many times some stupid person has gone "oh he/she's friendly!" and then their stupid loose aggressive dog tries to take the face off my politely heeling dog that I worked really hard to teach to ignore strange dogs and is actually very very friendly and social to people/animals.

One time I had a loose Scottie dog follow Lily and I home. He hung with us in the yard until AC came to pick him up. He was sweet, but oh boy he was lucky I hadn't been walking one of my roommate's RR mixes at the time...

The sad thing is that I'm really careful where and at what times I walk. People are just so irresponsible with containing their animals...


----------



## funshine (Jan 21, 2010)

monkeys23 said:


> The sad thing is that I'm really careful where and at what times I walk. People are just so irresponsible with containing their animals...


Sad but true hwell:
I'm actually also walking only around certain blocks that I thought were the safest. That's why we sometimes walk laps just to avoid going to even worse streets here with several loose dogs.


----------



## pitbullmamaliz (May 18, 2011)

I have a reactive dog so off-leash dogs are the bane of my existence! I usually put Inara in a sit behind me and then stomp a couple steps toward the dog, hollering at it to go home. If it persists, it will get kicked. I'll make that a last resort, but I own a pit bull, so even if she bites out of self-defense, newspaper headlines would blame her. I will do whatever it takes to keep her from getting involved in a tussle, even if it means I get bitten. Haven't yet though - apparently loose dogs think I look pretty scary when I'm snarling at them and trying to kick them. *wink*

As a side note, I carry pepper spray for my job (high octane pepper spray) and they always tell us not to use it on dogs because it won't work. It won't stop a determined dog, and you and your dog are going to end up getting hit with it, too, unless the wind is perfectly blowing at your backs.


----------

