In answer to your question... you don't need a threat display.
Most potential problems can be removed by having a dog trained to bark... that's it! 95% of people won't realise that a trained bark is not aggressive, or that the dog is not really looking at them. When it's a gsd barking they back off.

Regardless of how nice your dog is, you have to be aware of other people... there are people who'll just walk past your dog and kick it - for no reason! Even if you are watching can you prevent that? Or if someone walks past with an aggresive dog.

I am a bad owner... I leave storm in sight outside the local takeaway. When i've rung up and only want to pick up my order. However I leave him 'settled' and off-leash. I don't leash him because people won't approach him when 'loose' and I won't tell him to stay because I want him to be able to get away if there is an issue. To him settle means chill in that spot but you can change position, move around a bit if you need to.

Avoiding the confrontation is exactly what I did nor was I at the point where I felt the need to have the dog do anything, but as my OP says this could happen to my wife and or to me in another location at another time, and not have the same outcome. Training a Bark and Hold would be part of the training I am planning on anyway which i stated in the OP. None of what I am concerned with has anything to do with leaving the dog outside the store, none. I kind of expected a little more input and a lot less lecture. Im wondering how many people read the OP before jumping all over me.
Again thank you Tanith for actually answering my question

The confrontation stemmed from the dog being tied in a public place. The man who threatened you approached you in the first place, about the dog. Tying your dog in public is likely to create issues.

You will have parents objecting on the grounds of their children's perceived safety. You will have people who are fearful of, or for, the dog, who object.

You're talking about training a dog in Mondio Ring, a Mondio-style bark and hold, and then leaving it unattended.
What does a Mondio Ring dog do if, during a bark and hold, the decoy attempts to kick it? What about if the decoy tries to run away? If he throws his hands up in the air?

Do you not see that this is a recipe for disaster?

Awhile back, I was in Montana with my dog.
At that point, we'd been training in Schutzhund for about a year.
We were at an outdoor barbeque, where I had my dog on leash, next to me. Someone came up and asked to meet Danke, and he did. He pet her, and she seemed alright with him. She's not anti-social, but somewhat aloof with strangers.

He then walked away, got a drink out of the cooler, and came back.
With drink in hand, he walked back up to the dog, and standing upright, hissed at the dog and threw his hands up in the air.

Needless to say, the dog went batshit, hit the end of her leash trying to get to him barking like a maniac, as he was mimicking a helper agitating a dog perfectly.

Had I not been there, and had she not been on leash, I'd say she would have bitten him briefly before realizing he wasn't wearing a sleeve. That brief bite would have gotten me sued, and possibly my dog destroyed.

Had she been tied somewhere unattended, someone would have gotten bitten. Possibly not that guy, as he would have remained beyond the limit of her leash. But the little kid who ran up later to pet her might have been perceived as another scary threat now that she'd been tormented. And that little kid might have ended up with a face full of teeth from a dog who felt trapped with no ability to escape.

"I kind of expected a little more input and a lot less lecture." end quote

Sorry Kyle, you deserve the lectures.
Do not leave your dog unattended on (or not) a leash within the public sphere. You're only asking for trouble of one sort or other and unnecessarily putting innocents at risk.

Take your lumps and learn.

Edited by randy allen (12/31/2010 03:26 PM)
Edit reason: brain dead

 Quote: Kyle DeSerio

I kind of expected a little more input and a lot less lecture. Im wondering how many people read the OP before jumping all over me.

Kyle, I can understand that on the surface, you feel jumped on and that you didn't get the info you wanted (although I honestly don't think anyone HAS jumped on you - they just told you what you didn't expect nor want to hear).

You asked an honest question for advice, without realizing that what you were asking is not something most folks here would advise you doing. For very sound, solid reasons. Aaron explained it very well and gave an example as to her own experience as how this can backfire and put you in a very liable situation.

No one is jumping on you; they just don't think what you are asking advice on is wise for either you or your dog.

Just because you didn't get the advice you wanted or expected, does not mean you didn't get very good advice.

(All I could think of when reading your op was if this guy really was crazy or on something and your dog DID get in his face, let's just hope he wasn't armed...Things like this can escalate in a heartbeat.)

 Quote: kyle deserio

Im wondering how many people read the OP before jumping all over me.
Again thank you Tanith for actually answering my question

I read it. Every word.

And every word in reply was appropriate.

"Do not leave your dog unattended on (or not) a leash within the public sphere."

There is never a good reason to do it.

Did you notice that Tanith, whose advice you appreciated, said 'I leave him 'settled' and off-leash.'

That's a whole other topic, but her dog is not tied (I almost said this before and I will say it now), trapped, with you not there.

If if were you, I honestly would "Take your lumps and learn."

NO ONE jumped on you. You have a lot of experts here who spoke as one. The wise poster grabs the free (and sound) info and sticks around for more.

I've been on the receiving end. Most of us have. We all have a blind spot or a brain-dead moment or bad info given to us. The thing to do is read what everyone says and think "Whew; I dodged a bullet."

 Quote: Aaron Myracle

The confrontation stemmed from the dog being tied in a public place. The man who threatened you approached you in the first place, about the dog. Tying your dog in public is likely to create issues. ...

You will have parents objecting on the grounds of their children's perceived safety. You will have people who are fearful of, or for, the dog, who object.

You're talking about training a dog in Mondio Ring, a Mondio-style bark and hold, and then leaving it unattended.

What does a Mondio Ring dog do if, during a bark and hold, the decoy attempts to kick it? What about if the decoy tries to run away? If he throws his hands up in the air?

Do you not see that this is a recipe for disaster?

Awhile back, I was in Montana with my dog.
At that point, we'd been training in Schutzhund for about a year.
We were at an outdoor barbeque, where I had my dog on leash, next to me. Someone came up and asked to meet Danke, and he did. He pet her, and she seemed alright with him. She's not anti-social, but somewhat aloof with strangers.

He then walked away, got a drink out of the cooler, and came back.
With drink in hand, he walked back up to the dog, and standing upright, hissed at the dog and threw his hands up in the air.

Needless to say, the dog went batshit, hit the end of her leash trying to get to him barking like a maniac, as he was mimicking a helper agitating a dog perfectly.

Had I not been there, and had she not been on leash, I'd say she would have bitten him briefly before realizing he wasn't wearing a sleeve. That brief bite would have gotten me sued, and possibly my dog destroyed.

Had she been tied somewhere unattended, someone would have gotten bitten. Possibly not that guy, as he would have remained beyond the limit of her leash. But the little kid who ran up later to pet her might have been perceived as another scary threat now that she'd been tormented. And that little kid might have ended up with a face full of teeth from a dog who felt trapped with no ability to escape.

Just hoping nothing is missed.

I grew up in the 50s.. Typical boy and his dogs. They went everywhere with me and often times waited for hours while I was in a buddy's house, store, whatever.
I believe my dogs today would do pretty much the same because I expect a lot out of them.
However, today, I wouldn't think of leaving my dogs alone in public, even if they were in my view. Tied or not!
The world is a different place today. Some things better, many not!

 Quote: connie sutherland

I've been on the receiving end. Most of us have. We all have a blind spot or a brain-dead moment or bad info given to us. The thing to do is read what everyone says and think "Whew; I dodged a bullet."

I can think of at least two such occasions, for myself.
Danke vs kibble+raw, is a major one.
I'm lucky I still have a dog.