Your opinion is valuable. I always read your posts.

There is a difference between retreating and creating distance, in my mind.

I think it a difference with a distinction. In my world, I focus on my bond with my mutt without being very concerned about the distractions others with their dogs might pose. I see that type of distraction as a bonding and training opportunity.

My mutt should be confident that I will address any issues we encounter. My voice and my bearing should reassure my mutt that distractions may be interesting but require no assertive behavior or reaction.

Last evening my Bride took my most assertive male GSD for their evening jaunt. Somewhere along the way, two dogs bolted from their house, because their owners were inattentive, and ran toward the Bride and Sam. One was a pit and the other a mongrel of some obscure genetic determination. Both dogs charged. The Bride stopped took out most of the slack in the leash, sat Sam, and waited to see what would happen. Sam sat, very attentively, and waited for the Bride to take action. She stepped between Sam and the dogs. Fortunately, the dogs stopped and backed away when she commanded NO. When the dogs backed farther away, the Bride continued on with the walk. Sam didn't act up, make any sound, or pay much attention to the mutts when the walk continued. I'm proud of Sam's behavior because he is perfectly capable of addressing such a situation.

Making distance comes in many flavors. Last night it was standing to, and directly addressing the distraction. And the owners never did show themselves.

It is my intention to have my mutts be confident and remain in control. For that to occur, in my opinion, the dogs have to believe or be conditioned to me being in control.

When we walk along the Old Erie Canal towpath, I often am confronted by dog people who have dogs that are, in my opinion, out of control. You can see them from afar nearing, and the dogs acting up, and you just know the outcome can be bad. At about ten yards, I sit my dog or down my dog to my left side, and wait for the distraction to pass. Usually the distance between the parties narrows to about two yards in passing. It is an opportunity for me to command my mutt, and praise it, and remind it if necessary that I am in charge.

Creating distance, in my world has to do with asserting control and confidence.

I haven't been overly sensitive to the age of dogs I work with. A young dog needs to have confidence in me and my management of a situation, just as an older dog must.

The distinction is in the word. Perhaps I over reacted to the word retreat. If I move away from a situation, I try to do so with confidence and attitude. I proceed in another direction. I don't fall back, and I work on never creating a sense of anxiety that might travel down the leash. I love and dote on my mutts but I have rules of behavior for both me and them.

As I noted in my epistle, I'm old, fixed in my ways, and should have added, a practiced curmudgeon. LOL

I fully agree with Mike, Bob and also Duanes opinion. I too use only occasionally treats on my walks, in fact quase only when I insert on a spot very poor on distractions a couple of exercises, I want to generalize.

I'm also convinced of creating distance, if I see the distraction level is too high for them. I try to encounter the same or similar situations on other occasion so I can gradually desensitize the dog, always observing their threshold if I can.

They meanwhile walk quite well on a loose leash, also when passing someone with his dog, often offleash. I normally keep calm, I don't want to give my dogs the message: Danger is approaching. I want them to walk calmy near me while we're passing by the others.

Of course I have to keep an eye on the other dog or dogs and estimate from their body signs and their whole behavior, if it is ok to do this. Mine should ignore them. A short look may be inevitable, but I don't allow pulling to them nor enter in any other way into contact. Of course it doesn't always work as it sounds here, but generally, yes.

But what would you do in the following situation?

One of our neigbours has a dog, who is very territorial and barks crazily behind the fence when we pass by. But my dogs are used to it and we can easily continue the walk or even make little exercises like sit, down, etc. without them caring about the barking dog.

But recently he was not behind the fence. which he normally is. He unexpectedly came running towards us and attacked Slippie. I was shocked and screamed, It was difficult to get Slippie more or less behind me - 40 kg - but I managed it somehow.

The attacking dog didn't move away, so I stamped against him and shouted at him and finally he withdrew into the hedge in front of the fence. We passed by. I looked back and saw him coming again, though only slowly. I stamped and shouted again. Then he disappeared and hid in the bushes.

In my eyes this was pure luck. Slippie doesn't attack other dogs on walks, but in this case she could easily have reacted in selfdefense and this could have escalated to a horrible dog fight which I wouldn't have been able to stop.

Was my behaviour wrong? Should I have stood there calmly? But how? Apart from this it would have been a fake. I wasn't calm at all and that dog was so near and threatening.

Your action prevented unwanted dog interaction.

You managed both your dog and the menacing dog.

You took control of the situation and effected a positive outcome.

You proceeded on your walk without further incident.

I probably wouldn't have screamed or admitted to it but I most certainly would have loudly bellowed. Then too, one person's bellow is another one's scream. Whatever it is called, it has to do with confronting a situation and controlling it.

Get you a stout walking stick. It can be a comforting ally when walking your dog. If needs be you can use it or drop it as the situation dictates.

When confronted but an obviously out of control or aggressive dog I have no problem getting in front of my dog.

If the other dog has an owner with it I will put my dogs on a sit and again get in front of it.

I will tell the owner in calm, simple terms that I don't want their dog getting in my dog's face and if it happens I will stop it.

I've been told I was rude and insulting BUT I've never had any serious issues.

One a bit humorous from my point of view.

Walking my two Border terriers and one JRT at a local park and this woman had a furbaby on a flexy and it was all the way out.

I told her to control her dog but, while still walking towards us and telly me how nice and friendy her dog was her fur baby shoved it' nose up the JRTs butt.

Pete lit up on furbaby and I grabbed him and lifted his snarling little self off the ground while chewing out this woman.

Had this happened to the Borders, no issue at all but Pete had a screw or three loose.

The lady started screaming at me and I asked her how would she like it if I walked up to her and stuck my nose up her... aaahh place the sun don't shine.

Well, her eyes really popped open and she quickly reeled that little furbaby in on that flexi and headed in the other direction.

I have absolutely no use for folks that think their dogs need to meet and greet every and any dog on the street.

If they ask for my thoughts I'm more then willing to discuss my thought but most rarely do other then in front of my house.

Bob, the owner was in his yard. He must have seen me or at least heard me when I screamed. He didn't care. But I'm sure he was well aware of what was happening. When I came back from my walk, he had fortunately taken the dog back in his yard.

If it had made any sense I could have gone to him and tell him my opinion. Problem: about three years ago my husband complained, because his son was passing like a fool our house to and fro for hours and every day the same. Since then he doesn't speak with us any more. I greet him each time, when I see him, but he doesn't greet back. For this we have no chance to speak with him about the incident with his dog.

If this should happen again I could call the Police, theoretically. But there is no police here, not really. Just two policemen for such things for the whole town. Apart from this, how could I prove that the other dog attacked and not my pit. Pits have a very bad reputation here, they'd rather believe it happened the other way round.

I love your story with that bright lady. Perhaps you should really stick your nose up at her. No, don't, this could lead to a very unpleasant misundertanding. Lol.

By the way the neighour's dog is not at all a furbaby whom one can lift up.

Mike, thanks for your encouragement. So at least I did some things right.

I screamed because I was shocked, it wasn't a conscious measure to get rid of that dog, it just happened.

I don't really know how I managed to get my heavy Slippie behind me in such a situation. She is extremely strong and she was ready to counter-attack.

What do you mean with "bellow"? I always thought this was the sound of a bull.
Do you mean kind of roaring or grawling? I doubt I'd be able to imitate such sounds in a credible manner. I use such sounds sometimes to impress my hubby, but it makes him only laugh. Never mind, but in such precarious circumstances I don't want a giggling dog in front of me.

A stout walking stick, yes. I'll get one for sure. Would you use it really for beating the aggressive dog or just like an extended arm to make him bite into this and not myself? But why drop it? Do you think he might pick it up and walk away with the throphy or might he really be scared? I for heaven's sake wouldn't like to play tug of war with that beast.

 Quote: Christina Stockinger

Bob, the owner was in his yard. He must have seen me or at least heard me when I screamed. He didn't care. But I'm sure he was well aware of what was happening. When I came back from my walk, he had fortunately taken the dog back in his yard.

If it had made any sense I could have gone to him and tell him my opinion. Problem: about three years ago my husband complained, because his son was passing like a fool our house to and fro for hours and every day the same. Since then he doesn't speak with us any more. I greet him each time, when I see him, but he doesn't greet back. For this we have no chance to speak with him about the incident with his dog.

If this should happen again I could call the Police, theoretically. But there is no police here, not really. Just two policemen for such things for the whole town. Apart from this, how could I prove that the other dog attacked and not my pit. Pits have a very bad reputation here, they'd rather believe it happened the other way round.

I love your story with that bright lady. Perhaps you should really stick your nose up at her. No, don't, this could lead to a very unpleasant misundertanding. Lol.

By the way the neighour's dog is not at all a furbaby whom one can lift up.

Mike, thanks for your encouragement. So at least I did some things right.

I screamed because I was shocked, it wasn't a conscious measure to get rid of that dog, it just happened.

I don't really know how I managed to get my heavy Slippie behind me in such a situation. She is extremely strong and she was ready to counter-attack.

What do you mean with "bellow"? I always thought this was the sound of a bull.
Do you mean kind of roaring or grawling? I doubt I'd be able to imitate such sounds in a credible manner. I use such sounds sometimes to impress my hubby, but it makes him only laugh. Never mind, but in such precarious circumstances I don't want a giggling dog in front of me.

A stout walking stick, yes. I'll get one for sure. Would you use it really for beating the aggressive dog or just like an extended arm to make him bite into this and not myself? But why drop it? Do you think he might pick it up and walk away with the throphy or might he really be scared? I for heaven's sake wouldn't like to play tug of war with that beast.

To "bellow" is to ROAR like a Beast = To speak with Authority in a DEEP & LOUD "no nonsense" tone of voice, LOL.

Christina,

The scream vs bellow had to do with me being tongue in cheek. In most of the training sessions I have participated in, I try to get women to lower their voice register when working with their dog. So when you used the word scream, I was just trying to make light of the situation. Or in other words, ignore any thing in my post that had to do with any part of the word scream.

The walking stick thing has to do with using it to keep a distance between you and your dog, and any menacing creature. And you can always drop it to control your dog better.

A walking stick isn't usually viewed as a weapon, so it comes in handy as a tool to discourage an intruding dog. It can be used to maintain space.

More importantly, you controlled the situation, so ignore my ramblings

Mike, no problem. Your comment was very helpful for me. The bellowing though was confusing for me. I was even experimenting to produce such sounds I guessed you might have meant. Then my husband entered my room without me noticing it and asked very bewildered me what the heck I was doing.
I normally give commands and generally speak to my dogs in a calm manner. The scream came because of fright.

Thanks also for the explanation about how you handle the walking stick. Especially the dropping it surprised me.

Candy thanks too for your explanation. Glad I don't need to practice bellowing. So in future I'll experiment for certain situations to speak with authority in a deep, loud voice without nonsense tone with my husband and my dogs. Sorry

Following up on some of the initial replies about my question- I realized that I just did not understand the process of working on focus and eye contact in new places until the puppy class we started recently. Not sure why I didn't really "get it" until then- the concept was in the ME puppy video and it has been talked about in other places. I think I was too worried that she wasn't focusing on me right away and felt like I did something wrong. I did- I wasn't patient enough!!

Anyway- the process of going to new environments with a bag full of treats and just sitting there, even when your pup is barking and looking at everything but you initially, then marking when he/she finally turns and looks at you is something I wish I'd started much earlier. Hope that helps someone else-

When you go over the ME videos 100 times you will learn 100 new things.

That's what's great about them.