Approached by dogs - what do you do? - Page 2

I agree with GSDguy, carry a stick. If you are afraid, your dogs and the stray dogs will sense it and it will intensify the situation. If your GSD is dog aggressive this will set off almost any dog. It is something you should work with your dog on. I use to encounter stray dogs on a fairly frequent basis... one time even three came at me and my dog. One in front and two from behind circling me. You can't let the dogs know you are afraid. Always stand your ground and don't back up. I haven't had an attack but I have had several charging dogs. My dog isn't dog aggressive so she will stand her ground with me and wait for the dogs to leave or back away. Sometimes when you go to leave they will start following you again. That is when I stop and take a step toward them. I do think mace or pepper spray could be a good tool however, if the wind isn't in your favor it could also become a nightmare. I know police often carry and use taser guns for dogs. Problem is if there is more than one dog. Confidence is the key and knowing when to stand your ground, when to move forward, and when to walk away is key. 

jra,
In that situation you have two choices,
keep walking and ignore, or stand your ground and wait it out.
Either way there are no guarantee's how things will play out.


Dog repellant is pepper spray, you need to learn how to properly use it, and check local laws about it's use.

A walking stick can be reassuring but again no promises on outcome.

A firearm is a bad idea period.


My best advice is walk somewhere else and report the situation to law enforcement or animal control.

Moons.

Thank you, everyone.  I appreciate all the feedback/suggestions.

I'm not opposed to guns, but wouldn't/couldn't carry one in this situation, for various reasons.

As I pondered this today, I thought of a walking-type stick, but not sure how it would work logistically.  I usually have one leash in each hand.  I will think more about that, though.  Or is the stick mentioned a shorter baton-type?

Hadn't thought of pepper-spray, good idea.  I thought about whether an air-horn might work, but they're kinda big/bulky.  (I can just imagine the authorities being called for noise pollution, LOL.)  Wonder if a whistle might work...  We did try to shoo them away by being a little louder and 'fussing' at them - didn't faze them.

In most instances, if strays are out, I keep walking or tell them to "go" and they'll back up and go on their way OR someone is chasing after their dog that got away from them.  But this time, these dogs weren't going anywhere, and perhaps if the GSD (who does have some aggression issues we're working on) hadn't reacted the way she did, things would have been fine.  There's really no blame to be placed, as much as I'd like to - I suspect these dogs just got out of their yard - I do wish there had been someone out looking for them, though, and maybe could have helped us out a little, LOL.

We did report the dogs and, hopefully, they were picked up before they got hurt or hurt anyone.

So, just to carry this a little further....what would you do if a dog attacked you/your dog?  Obviously, call 911 ASAP while yelling for help is a priority, but is there anything that could be done in the immediate situation to protect yourself/your dog(s)?  Do you drop the leash and give your dog an opportunity to get away or does that only leave him more vulnerable?

if it's a situation I can't handle, then yeah, i'd probably drop the leash, but so far I keep myself between my dog and the other ones.  So far no dogs have wanted to come thru me

I have large dogs and i've had more then one dog come out to bother us while walking. A Weimie was the most aggressive. I walk my dogs on leather leashes and they do make very fine weapons.
I'm had to cinch up on my dogs so they are right next to me. I use the handle as the attacking area and that leaves me with about two feet of leather. Use the handle like a mean parent would use a belt. I go for the strange dogs face and one to two wacks with a 1 inch leather leash will send just about any dog packing. I've also had to "punt" small dogs away from mine as they we're trying to attack my male american bulldog. Lucky for me he simply ignored the little freaks.
Try the spray, or even a squirt bottle of vinigar will offend a lot of dogs who are not dead set on attacking. But are simply being a pest.
Good luck

I've been fortunate that the only stray dogs that have attacked my GSDs have all been jack russel terriers (at least a half-dozen incidents)

Breaking up a dog fight without tools involves having at least 1 person per dog involved in the fight, which of course is very rare when you're just taking your pets for a walk.   (it's for this reason why I cringe when I see dog walkers walking a group of dogs by themselves)

I've been involved in breaking up dog fights at kennels before, and in my experience the cattle prod is the best tool hands down.   Some dogs have the drive to fight past pepper spray, plastic bats, walking sticks, water, etc.  Never heard of a dog who would fight past a shocking cattle prod though.  Sometimes a dog will freak the very first time it's zapped with a prod, if it goes back to attacking then a second zap is usually what it takes for a dog to comprehend and to back away from you.   

Cattle prods are easy to carry in a loop attached to your belt, do not use a short one that can fit in a pocket, you do not want your hands to be that close to a dog that you are zapping, the dog could very easily bite your hand in reflex.  Only use the long cattle prods so you can keep a safer distance. 
Don't ever use a cattle prod as a training tool (as opposed to the shock collar that is a training tool)  outside of farm/livestock aids, they are defense tools only, the next step up from a cattle prod is the gun, IMO.
Cattle prods are for real, serious attacks.  not for pesky animals. 
They're effective against muggers too, lol. 

Two Moons said:  "Dog repellant is pepper spray, you need to learn how to properly use it, and check local laws about it's use."

There are dog repellents that are super-concentrated citronella foams.  If a dog is super-aggressive and bent on destruction it probably won't do much, but I have seen it stop a dog fight that was already underway.  Certainly better than nothing and a good option if you're not comfortable with pepper spray or your area doesn't allow it.  

This comment is totally off topic so I apologize before hand I just couldn't resist. EchoEcho your avatar picture is absolutely adorable!!!! Made me smile.

Thanks Donnorstorm. He was about 15 weeks in that picture and we had a really good snow storm and obviously he was having a really good time. He did sit still long enough for me to snap a picture. All the GSDs I have owned love the snow and love to burry their nose it. 

jra, you reported the dogs? Hopefully that might have helped, but very unlikely.  The only time one of my dogs was attacked, I called animal control and they said they'd come by and pick the dog up who attacked, or at least talk to the owners.... They didn't do a thing, I talked to the people who live next to them, the next day.....no one ever came.   Not gonna lie, when it's cold I conceal a bowie knife in my jacket.  There was only one instance where I almost had to use it.   I've been able to control all of the neighborhood dogs in each neighborhood that I walk through now though thankfully.  You definitely get a different response from dogs depending on your own dog.  I can pass certain dogs with my whole pack, and the dogs just sit there and don't do anything.......I passed those same dogs today with a dog that I just started training for someone....both the dog I had, and the neighborhood dogs reacted.  He tried to lunge/bark and the dog we were close to at the time growled and barked while walking towards us.   I corrected the dog I was working with and let him sniff from a far distance at first, and then we walked back and forth a few times........eventually he got where he was not reactive and didn't pay much attention.  He wasn't exposed to much of anything as a puppy, and I'm literally undoing months and months of terrible training done by a so called "professional" down here.  It drives me nuts that the woman who helped train this dog before is the wife of the "president" of the Schutzhund club of America, and she trains dogs for a living.   Terrible trainer who can't even control her own dogs.   Is there any reason that you can't hold both leashes in one hand? I hold four leashes in one hand and everyone just follows.  If dogs charge towards me, I'm in front of my dogs, and I react towards the charging dogs.  My dogs know I'll protect them and they just stand behind me calmly without reacting even if a dog is running at us.  There is blame to be placed.....if dogs are getting out of their yards it's to be blamed on their owners not being responsible.   The sherriff of all people suggested putting a trap to catch the dog that attacked my dog a few years ago, I was surprised he suggested that. I wish I would have done so because that dog still gets out and goes around terrorizing neighborhood dogs and yards at times.