The rott won't do anything to the little dogs with a muzzle on. He'll go forward as far as the leash will allow and put himself between you and the dogs. Then he'll try to play with them. Playing he might squish them a little which the little dogs don't like so they keep a little distance next time.

I think having my dog in a sit stay as all that is going on is rather confusing and not fair to my dog. The other dogs seem to take that as a reason to be even more aggressive. One time when I corrected my dog to hold the stay and kicked the other dog away lightly I had the owner freak out saying I kicked their dog. I've been in that situation many times and the dog looks confused. I'd rather handle it the way I described.

I have pit bulls in this area with questionable owners. I made up a baton out of a folding umbrella. It looks like a little umbrella but has a stiff baton inside. I carried it when I had a young pup who wouldn't be able to defend itself at all.

Obviously, you have met this dog and know for a fact that he won't do anything to the other dogs.


I hope Ed offers his advice here......

Dan, that's terrible advice!

Jennifer's dog needs to stay CALM and follow her lead when around other dogs. If she teaches it to go after every dog that comes near it, she'll create a monster and a horrible accident waiting to happen.

She's the leader and it's her job to ward off strange dogs. If the leader's in a fight and needs backup, they'll ask for it. Until then her dog needs to butt out and let her be in charge.

That's the only safe way to go about this...

Contacting animal control and all that is fine after the fact, but in the moment it's important to chase off the offending dog and to make it clear to your own dog that you have everything under control. It's really that simple and it works!

Frankly I don't care how friendly my dog is, I would never let it "squish" another dog, even with a muzzle on. A dog the size of a rott or a shepherd can kill a small dog even with a muzzle on. That's just asking for trouble.

You could always try what I do. I tell the offending dog (in my sweetest sing-song voice) that I'm really sorry for him/her, that their Mommy (or Daddy) is soooo stupid that they could very well get him/her killed by allowing them to run up to strange doggies, and that while they got lucky THIS time, because not everyone is that stupid, and some of us actually have control of their dogs, that the next time could turn out badly for them. I tell them I'll keep them in my prayers as a parting pledge.

People are seriously deranged when it comes to this kind of thing. I had a 2lb chi run up to Caleb the other day. Luckily, he's both well-behaved and warm-hearted toward females of any size, so it was fine, but WTF is a person thinking, sending their baby into a game of Russian roulette w/a dog w/a 90lb advantage??? Also had a bratty kid who wouldn't listen the first 3 times I told him to leave Caleb alone. Finally, when it was clear there was no reasoning with this genetic throw-back, Caleb asked him himself...not as nicely as I had. Nothing like a dog as tall as you are machine gun barking in your face. Gee, maybe I knew what I was talking about when I told the brat to leave him alone? I told him to imagine what would've happened to his face if Caleb wasn't a nice dog. That child is doomed, as are so many small (and large) dogs who are at the mercy of demented owners and parents. Where would you guys be if a huge dog was barking in your kid's face?

Anyway, Jennifer, I would report every single incident. Then you'll have the building all to yourself, lol.

I hope the original poster does not think that Dan's advice has any merit!! This is a great way to cause more problems and create a dog aggression problem that may never be controlled.

Regardless of your breed of dog, as the pack leader your dog looks to you to protect him. Does this mean if your dog is alone he won't defend himself? Absolutely not!

I do not EVER want one of my dogs making the decisions about how to handle strange dogs or people that approach.

I have no problem booting a dog that comes towards me when I am out with my own dog. I could care less what the owner says! This is about my relationship with my dog and the safety of both of us. Heck, I even have been known to place a kick in the direction of an out of control dog at agility practice. I don't care who the owner is, and I don't care what the dog's motives are. I protect my pack of two.

 Quote: jenni williams

Where would you guys be if a huge dog was barking in your kid's face?

To be brutally honest.....if it were my child that ignored the "rules", and disobeyed and disrespected the owner and the dog, I would be dragging them behind a tree and paddling their ass!!!!!

If it were a loose dog that approached and threatened my child, probably in jail for dispatching a dog in City limits......

 Quote: carol boche

 Quote: jenni williams

Where would you guys be if a huge dog was barking in your kid's face?

To be brutally honest.....if it were my child that ignored the "rules", and disobeyed and disrespected the owner and the dog, I would be dragging them behind a tree and paddling their ass!!!!!

If it were a loose dog that approached and threatened my child, probably in jail for dispatching a dog in City limits......

Yes, that's how it used to be. My parents would've *killed* me for that. I remember being in HUGE trouble b/c my Mom **thought** I was teasing my Grandmas's Schnauzer (which I wasn't-it was my stupid cousin, who is incidentally, still stupid 25 years later, and has been bitten by numerous dogs as a direct result of her stupidity). People used to be more culpable. Now, like Jennifer's situation, it almost seems like everyone is daring fate and putting dogs, kids, you name it, into dangerous situations. Hey-if it goes well, great, if not, I'll sue!

I am paranoid in my situation now and can't wait to get out; I'd be climbing the wall's in Jennifer's situation.

 Quote: Cindy Easton Rhodes

I hope the original poster does not think that Dan's advice has any merit!! This is a great way to cause more problems and create a dog aggression problem that may never be controlled.

I do try my best to walk the middle road between right wing and left wing views of how to train a dog. Tank receives both positive and negative reinforcement in his training. However, I use negative reinforcement sparingly, since it's pointless to discipline a dog for disobedience when he doesn't fully understand the command or situation in the first place.

I can imagine what would happen if I were to let Tank take charge of a situation like this on his own. His decimated toys offer a not so friendly reminder of what kind of destructive force he is capable of. I try not to delude myself into believing I am Dr. Dolittle, or that my dog is a canine genius with a thorough understanding of the English language. There will be miscommunication or simply poor timing in tense situations like the interactions with other people and their dogs.

Tank has come a long way with the sit/stay command (he won't even go near food while in a sit/stay), and over time I have increased the level of distractions. However, he is not capable of remaining in one place when another dog is threatening him, or when the dog's owner is acting bizarre. To add to all of this, Tank is going through adolescence, so he will be testing the boundaries with me constantly. So I find that it is usually best to avoid problematic people/dogs or keep them at a distance.

I thank Dan for trying to help, but I feel that he is on the same level as me. At the moment I have more questions about dog behavior than I have answers. So to be on the safe side, I will continue to ask questions about situations I don't feel 100% about.

 Quote: jessicakromer

 Quote:

Anyways, let your dog have his way with the little dogs, he won't hurt them too much with the muzzle on. After all in a situation where a big dog attacks you, you wouldn't want your rott to sit idle because that's what you've accustomed him to? Also he should learn to be ready to defend himself and you even if it's just against dogs.

After a few seconds walk between the dogs and shoo/kick off the other dogs. Hopefully it will be a lesson learned. A dog should not sit passively as he and his owner are being rushed even if it's by little dogs.

While some might agree, I feel this is a very bad idea. If you allow your dog to ever “attack” another dog, even with a muzzle on, you are teaching the dog that it is OK to do this with out a muzzle. Period. .... You know, the more I sit here and think about it, the more this statement makes me a angry. I can list a hundred reasons that is a very bad idea, from hurting the other dog "let your dog have his way with the little dogs, he won't hurt them too much" , to creating/bringing out a monster in your dog, not to mention what it could do to the temperament of the other dog, to the very bad impression it gives any one who witnesses this (including the owner who now feel justified for their fear of the dog). And to top it off she has a Rott! A breed with a poor reputation and propensity for dog aggression.

DITTO.

Speaking of bad advice! I suppose suggesting that the other dog owner should be shot wouldn't be a correct answer? Well........maybe not PC anyway.