Loose Dog While On Walk

[dante2zoe]

I realize up front that I don't help matters any. I walk my four greys and elderly whippet together after work in the evenings. All are leashed and we walk around the neighborhood. They all walk well and rather on the slow side (Indy, the whippet is outsized and somewhat frail. He gets all kind of upset if he isn't allowed to come with us). We are regularly approached by kids, bikes and other dogs on leashes. There are no sidewalks.

 

Today, I am walking along the side of the street, when across the street and coming from a backyard, I hear barking. I look up and this German Shepard clears the fence, charges down the hill and across the street. I immediately start dragging my pack up the neighbors yard toward the house screaming (or trying to because I have no voice from a cold) to "get your dog." The dog ran up into the yard where I was. It was probably trying to be friendly, but my dogs are on a leash and this one is not. My last encounter with an off-leash dog (dragging it's retractable leash) was not pleasant and my dogs were freaked by that encounter. My female turned to this other dog and growled. Fortunately, they got their dog quickly and nothing happened.

 

How should I have responded? They apologized and I just explained that my dogs do not do well being rapidly approached by off-leash dogs. I realize that my dragging them up the yard and screaming probably stressed my dogs more than the approaching one did, but, I admit, I panicked. While I have control of my dogs while walking, I have no illusions that I can break up any possible altercation surrounded by all those leashes and having a rather full poop bag in my free hand, to boot!

 

Are there any suggestions as to how I can better handle something like this while not inadvertently causing more problems myself? (I should note that, as a middle schooler, I was attacked and bitten from behind by a dog that cleared its fence. That was not a pleasant experience and the police had to get involved. Yuck)

 

I don't have anyone to walk with and I don't have the luxury of walking them in smaller groups, just in case.

[rschultz]

I think u handled that quite well. I only have one dog but I carry a small spray bottle filled with water/vinegar and i can hang it from my pocket. This way I have something to try and get the dog away with, without hurting someone elses dog. It is always frightening when u see a dog charging toward your dogs.

[dante2zoe]

Thanks. I usually try to get between the loose dog and mine and yell Go Home or something like that. However, today, I was dragging them backwards up and hill, croaking like Kermit the Frog. It must have been a sight! While I really don't care if the neighbors think that I am a lunatic, I don't like them to leave with the impression that my dogs are unstable or something.

 

I should have also added that when we meet others, mine are well-behaved and received. They are favorites with the "regulars."

[Guest sheila]

normally I carry a walking stick and I use as a distraction for off leash dogs. I haven't had to hit a dog with it (yet) but I have used it to wave in front of the dog or bang the ground of the dog to distract it. I have occasionally used it to push a dog away. I don't know how you would be able to use ANYTHING that you have to carry and use with your hand though, if you've got 4 dogs in tow. \

The only thing I could suggest is getting a second pair of hands to help with the dog walking or finding a way to split up the walks so you only have 2 dogs at a time.

[RobinM]

We carry a stun gun which can be purchased online.

[Guest mrs]

I've heard there is citronella spray you can buy. I haven't actively looked for this yet but I'm thinking of purchasing some.

 

I was walking my dog tonight and these 2 lunatic dogs who are always in their yard were running back and forth barking. I swear one of them almost cleared the fence (hard to believe it won't happen one day). It really scared me. I'm going to look at PetSmart for the spray but if anyone knows where I can buy it, I'd appreciate knowing. Thanks.

[Guest burgerandfrey]

I've been in similar situations before, but with smaller dogs than German Shepherds! That must have been frightening! Fortunately our two greys don't usually retaliate when it comes to aggressive dogs. They just want to distance themselves from them as much as I do. Fortunately it seems like most dogs are just guarding their yards and will not chase as long as we move away from their yard. When I'm at a safe distance I try to note the address so I can contact the owners and/or animal control.

 

The one exception was when an elderly woman was walking her little white dog (I think it was a Bichon) and the little guy slipped his collar and started running towards my dogs barking and snarling. I did the little guy a favor and stepped in front of my dogs and picked him up before he could become a greyhound snack His owner was very apologetic and grateful that my dogs didn't fight back.

 

I should probably carry something to spray an attacking dog with, but I gotta say that when another dog really comes after you there is hardly time at all to react, and I'd probably end up spraying my dogs and myself as well. I have sprayed charging dogs with water when they chased me on my bicycle. That seems to get them to stop, and I do sometimes carry a water bottle on walks.

 

Controlling one dog is tricky enough, but controlling two or more when they might panic and run in different directions makes things even harder. On the other hand, when you are walking your pack you'd think a dog would be crazy to try and actually attack a group of greyhounds! A few weeks ago a border collie came out of nowhere and charged my dogs. Lola and Zeke both just wanted to get away, but they bolted in different directions and threw me off balance. I almost fell over! The dog was still coming at us and I was kicking at him while trying to get my dogs behind me. He finally went back to his yard. It made me really angry because my wife is five months pregnant and this loose dog could have caused her to take a dangerous fall if she had been the one walking the dogs. I returned later and left a note on the door warning that I will call animal control if this dog is ever outside again without a fence or a leash.

[Fruitycake]

I'm sorry you had something like this happen and I am glad that everyone is all right!

 

I think at best I would avoid that house by taking another route if possible. I hope they take care to either raise the fence or tie the dog when in the yard to prevent another fence-hop.

 

We have a neighborhood dog that in the winter learned that she could jump the fence because the snow was high enough and they had to have her tied until the snow melted. Thank goodness she doesn't realize that when she jumps when running along the fence barking that she is actually jumping high enough to make the fence. At least this dog is friendly, so we just calmly walk her back to the front and explain that she's hopped the fence. Again.

 

I'd like to second a spray bottle with something that smells bad but not a dangerous chemical. I've been tempted to fill a bottle set to "stream" for some fence aggressive dogs that can get their head and neck between their fence and the neighbor's fence when we walk by and bark and snarl and snap. I try not to go down that side of the block, but some mornings I am halfway down the block when Allie's Enemy (with his human) appears at the other end walking toward us on the same side of the block and I have to change sides of the road because they won't.

 

I hope your cold gets better!

[Guest kydie]

I love the vinager and water idea, someone on another thread suggested a riding crop, and I AM GOING TO GET ME ONE OF THEM!

[Guest mcsheltie]

I carry a big walking stick I got in the Smokey Mts. I could knock out an elephant with it. If loose dogs run at me I don't even wait to see what their intentions are. I put my dogs behind me and snarl at the dog to get the he77 out of there. I bang the stick on the ground and if the dog comes withing striking distance I let them have it. If you don't take the upper hand right away things move to fast and get out of control. I try not to make direct eye contact in these situations. That can trigger a dog to attack you.

 

We were hiking last weekend and a dog came running out of it's yard at us. I did what I described above. My husband says... that wasn't very nice, as the dog turned tail and ran away. The dog had it's hackles up and was growling! I was supposed to say nice dogie and let it attack my hounds? Not a chance! I gave him an earful for not protecting us

[Guest Greytluv]

I carry a sjambok (sp) now. Someone on here suggested it. I hope to doG I never have to use it.

[Guest BorzoiMom]

I've not had this situation happen while I've owned Dutch, but usually if an animal comes rushing up with intent I get as large as I can and use the demon voice. I use the deepest, scariest voice I have, the animal thinks if I get a hold of it it will die, and I'll run or walk toward it. It has kept me ok when a stallion or other horses have run up on me (this stallion intended harm) and when I've been dogless and approached by barking yard dogs. Acting like a victim turns you into a target (IMO).