We have recently moved and I have noticed a LARGE number of loose dogs in this town. In the past month we (myself and my two GSD's) have been approached by nine loose dogs; some friendly some not and unfortunately one of my dogs is dog aggressive.
My question: if I see a loose dog approaching do I:
-ignore it and keep walking
-say "NO"! make eye contact and take a step towards it
-stand my ground,with my dogs behind me, and wait till it leaves (I noticed Cesar on the "Dog whispherer" takes this approach).
-or say "nice doggie" etc...
Bearing in mind that even though the loose dog may be "nice" my dog is not, and most of the loose dogs around here are not so friendly. (also: i do carry a walking stick)
Any and all opinions welcome.
Samantha

From far off, when I see that there is a loose dog (or a dog who is dragging his handler along and obviously not under control), I change direction. I don't mean "turn tail and run" from a few feet away; I mean I avoid the whole scenario if at all possible. I don't need the possible confrontation.

When it's sudden, ignore and continue is my first (and preferred) choice. If that's not possible, I do indeed stand in front of my dogs and I do stand my ground. They are trained to move behind and stay behind me when I give that command (and it took me a while to train that, but I have used it twice and I think it was worth it).

I'd have my own dog(s) trained to ignore other dogs. I have a foster right now who barks at every moving critter, but he's learning. My own two are trained to move along at heel, and while they were being trained, they were corrected (leash pop and "no") for focus on another dog, long before focus turned into a stare or a challenge.

I know others will have different ideas (and successful ones!), so consider this only one person's opinion.

One thing I think is vital is to have your plan all worked out beforehand, as you are doing. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> If you haven't listened to the "Breaking up a Dog Fight" podcast:
http://www.leerburg.com/dogtrainingpodcasts.htm
I think it's so worth it............ it made me really think about it, and especially made me think about *avoiding* a dog fight.

Connie, I think those are excelent suggestions. I have a neighbor who has 2 chihuahuas. When she is out front, one chi is on a long line & the other is always loose. Everytime someone walks by, the loose one runs yapping & squeeling up to the person & or dog. The neighber then starts screaming "sierra" over & over, walks out to the dog, picks it up, then starts bopping it on the head (sort of a heavy petting) ,while bellowing "shut up" over & over. The 2 of them sing this song all the time. L.A. is such a zoo.

Tons of loose dogs here in Tennessee also. I have both my dobe and pup trained to ignore loose dogs. If they start to focus on the dog I give a correction and keep walking. I decided that about a 20ft zone around me and the dogs was a distance I could live with so as long as they stay that far or more I ignore, keep walking and pay more attention to my dogs than the loose ones. I don't want my dogs displaying any body language or stares that would incite a situation that could have been avoided.
Several times in the beginning dogs would charge (doesn't really happen any more)when that happened I would position my dogs behind me and face the dog slightly leaning in the dogs direction, tried not to make direct eye contact and said no <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />each time this happened the dogs stopped in its tracks. Perhaps I've been lucky because that has been the extent of what I have had to do. Once the dog stopped I turned and continued our walk as though nothing had happened <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

If a dog failed to stop or started to attack I carry pepper spray and would empty it on the dog. Don't really know how effective it would be on a determined dog but so far have not had to find out. As a last resort I have a 38 I carry on the walks with buckshot rounds so as to minimize any unintended damage to persons or property and I would use it. Having the gun is perfectly legal where I live.

My experience with loose dogs is that the more often we go by their homes with absolutely nothing happening the less they show any attention to our presence. In my oppinion the key has been the control of my own dogs and not letting them do anything to esclate the situation into something bad. I had a Staffordshire Bull Terrier that we lost 4 months ago at 17 yrs old, great dog and we miss him terribly BUT I did not walk him where I live now. He was far too interested in seeing if there was a fight to be had and I think it would have been less likely the other dogs would have ignored him. His world was limited to our property and either behind a fence or on lead.

At first my dobe wanted to "check out" or defend itself from these dogs, but now she ignores them. My biggest problem with her is the damn donkey some folks have in a small pasture. The thing hehaws and gets excited, the dobe really wants to defend herself from that MONSTER dog or whatever and she gets really worked up <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />. So, I make her sit with her back to the donkey until she calms down (usually 20 to 30 seconds) and then we proceed. The progress is now where she only needs one or two corrections and then were out of the danger zone and she completely settles down again.

This is just what has worked for me and like I said perhaps I'm just lucky but we routinely come across pits, gsd, labs, rotts and mixes of all. Small dogs loose don't seem to be very popular in the south. (we came from northern Illinois)

I live in Tennessee also and there really DOES seem to be a loose dog epidemic going on!! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> In my city (Knoxville)I live on a main road with heavy traffic and some dum-dummys, that really must not care a hot snot for their animals, just let them roam free.

My two Rotties (yep Glenn us Southerners just have to do it big - even when it comes to dogs <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />are NO WHERE NEAR as trained and well-behaved as most peoples animals on here but just for helps sake I will tell you all what works for me.

If I am out walking either dog (NEVER both at the same time - combined weight 175lbs of untrained Rottweiler would NOT make for a good situation) and we come upon a loose dog I move bodily in front on my dog while keeping an eye on the other animal and steer his/her focus and movement in a totally different direction. If they continue to want to look at the other dog I move them a little more forcefully with my lower body until they move away (my dog not the other one)

If the other dog seems to be focusing too hard, or following I stamp my feet and say "NO!" or "GET BACK!" loudly.

Cats, however, are another story. I have a more difficult time keeping control of their actions when they spot a cat - it's like they switch to full on "hunter" mode!!

Full hunter mode is turned on if the dobie spots a rabbit. Dealing with the donkey situation is pretty easy by comparison. From what you said I don't think we approach it much differently and so far it's worked. All the hawks, buzzards, cyotees, and big loose dogs are probably why folks keep the little ones inside and it's really uncommon to see one loose.

Where we came from loose dogs were uncommon so when I moved here the volume of them was a shock and intimidating. Figured I had to get past it so off we went, so far it's now become much less of a big deal. BUT, I'm still as prepared as I can be should something happen.

Loose dogs is actually the issue that prompted me to join the forums here (and this is my first post!). It is endemic where I live (Maryland), in the suburbs, on all the county trails and parks where I like to take my dog to walk. I've been rushed by pitbulls offleash charging us from the woods, I've fended off aggressive dogs of every breed you can think of. I've seen dogs walking with no owner in sight, it goes on and on. The few times I've actually asked, politely, for an owner to please leash their dog, the response is inevitably a tirade of profanity to make a sailor blush.

The thing is, it totally ruins my walks. I get so upset. My dog gets upset; he is a sensitive submissive soul, he doesn't like dogs running up to him even if they ARE friendly which most of them are not. I am usually able to step in between him and another dog and handle it myself (I echo the foot stamping and hollering at the dog method), but still, both of us get all upset afterwards. Much more upset than I'm sure the idiot owner of the off-leash, out of control dog is!

For me this is getting worse and worse, as I'm currently 6.5 months pregnant. I keep thinking, what if I had my baby in a stroller and some aggressive dog just ran up and stuck its nose in her face???? There are lots of ways to handle it, but most of them involve getting all of US, the innocent victims, really, really upset. No way could I fend off dogs the way I do now, with a baby, without getting her very very upset. It's straight up not fair. I don't understand why law enforcement and park police do so little to enforce it. Here, there is a $500 "at large dog" fine. The county could make a FORTUNE!

Anyways if anyone has ideas for better ways to handle aggressive off-leash dogs I'd love to hear them. I've read all the stuff Ed has on the topic (over and over again) and am not sure I'm comfortable with the idea of trying to shoot pepper spray that might blow back at me, my dog, maybe my baby. I guess I'd have to practice with it, but I am frankly just incredibly irked and annoyed that I should have to because some people are too lazy and ignorant to properly care for their animals. It also makes me mad that the poor animal would be the one to get it, when really, I should be pepper spraying the *owner!*

BTW the Humane Society recommends becoming very still, quiet, and averting your eyes when approached by a strange dog. This seems counter-intuitive to me... a bully dog is going to love it if you act submissive. With those pit bulls, had I not been standing my ground the end result would've been worse than my being upset. Is it just me, or is that bad advice?

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BTW the Humane Society recommends becoming very still, quiet, and averting your eyes when approached by a strange dog. This seems counter-intuitive to me... a bully dog is going to love it if you act submissive. With those pit bulls, had I not been standing my ground the end result would've been worse than my being upset. Is it just me, or is that bad advice?

no, that is good advice if you don't have a dog with you. if you have a dog with you, the aggressive dog is going to be focusing on your dog, not you. you have to step in between and very forcefully demand GO HOME! in your sternest, most powerful voice. say it like you just naturally expect that the dog will turn tail and leave, and it will.

When we lived in Illinois as I said before there were few loose dogs to deal with. At the time we had two Staffordshire bull terriers (smaller English pit bull)and my wife who gets up at 3am to exercise would walk the dogs 2 to 3 miles at least 5 days a week. On one walk a loose dog did show up in the dark at about 4am. My wife had both dogs with her and the male, being extreamly bold decided to charge the intruder. This got the female going so she bolted right after him. It all happened so quickly that my wife wound up with about two very determined staffs hitting the end of their lines at full speed. this pulled my lovely 110 lb bride into the ditch, holding on to the leads and joining the dogs by being on all fours.

We weren't as calm about all of this back then so she did the natural thing and started yelling at the top of her lungs for our dogs to stop and for the intruder to leave. Out of the front door of the house came a man and my wife proceeded to give him what for about his dog, responsible dog ownership, and that she was pissed at being pulled into the ditch in the dark. After about a minute of listening to her the guy informed her he didn't own a dog. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

She wasn't laughing that morning but we do get some laughs about it now.

JoAnna,
The stand still, arms at the side and avert eye contact approach worked for me. I was scared and alone with not a soul in sight to help. It was five to seven dogs. I don't know exactly how many I was too scared count. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I allowed the alpha (long-haired GSD) to smell me. It worked and I was allowed to go home without being bitten.