Best way to handle this? - Page 1

Had a close call while out tracking. My dog was down on an article and a dog came out of the nearby tall grass and headed our way. We're out in the middle of nowhere, no one else around. There was some posturing and fortunately this other dog decided to run off. So here's the question - your dog is on lead, an AGGRESSIVE dog comes up and tries to start a fight, and no one else is around. What's the best for you and for your dog in handling this situation? I've heard about carrying something like pepper spray, but let's assume for the sake of this discussion, that you forgot to bring it along, or you dropped it somewhere on the track.

if the dogs actually do engage, pull the back legs out from the aggressor. no matter what, you are at risk for being bitten. Pepper spray might wind up on you, depends on the wind.

LaPorte, Most dogs out running around are not going to start a fight, posturing aside. The question is, how does your dog respond to other dogs? It sounds like all was ok here and thankfully so. IF I had a dog who I thought was going to be aggressive to another dog wandering up, I personally would try shooing the other dog away and use some good old obedience with my own dog to help prevent a fight from ensuing. It is my personal experience that most dogs do not want a fight unless there is a real reason for it. I personally would not use pepper spray in this scenario. Good tracking otherwise?

Hi LaPorte...I have had a similar experience while tracking...I was tracking my dog on probably a 15'leash...just my dog and me out on the tracking field...no one else around...and all of a sudden a dog appears from behind us and coming straight at us...it's another male dog... All I did was control what I could...just my dog...and I ended up taking off my waist lead and tried to chase him away...but when I looked up and saw the dog...He was another one of mine that had gotten out of the crate in the van...It didn't matter 'cause they would have gotten into a fight too... I think you guys are right in saying that a dog that just happens up on you like that is looking for food or maybe even his owner...but they're not looking for a fight...So I think you can chase the dog away with good old fashioned yelling and posturing of your own...

Yeah 9x's out of ten posturing and yelling will do the trick. If not prepare to get bit. I have always shown aggression twords lose dogs and maybe I'm lucky but I have never been bit. The people I know of that have been bit, is usually in the arse or back of the leg with smaller dogs. My mother included, twice. LOL Seperate occasions. Don't turn your back and don't run for sure. I'd use my leash to strike out at the lose dog. If that doesn't scare them off, nothing is going to.

Pepper "spray" as it is called, comes in several forms, one of them being in a little heavier foam suspension that doesn't redirect as easily in the wind as a lighter finer spray. This has been used by hunters and hikers, and is said to be powerful enough to back off a bear. I have used it to break up a bitch fight (dogs, that is) and have used it to subdue combative suspects. It works. Still pay attention to wind direction, if you can, and try to spray downwind to minimize your exposure risk. And use a short burst of spray. The longer you spray, the longer it takes for the air to hit and activate, and the longer it takes to work.

I think the question was what to do if you don't have pepper spray or anything else if there is a fight. The answer is you get to hell out of the way. If you are the only one around, there is nothing that you can do but get yourself seriously hurt. If you try to interfere and if you try to hold onto your dogs leash or pull back on his legs, he WILL bite you. At the moment he is being attacked by another dog, his brain has gone into survival mode and you are just in his way no matter how much he loves you. If you try to "control" your dog with the leash, you could actually contribute to him getting hurt by the other dog. You would be putting him at a great disadvantage. If all hell is about to break lose, let go of the leash, get out of the way, and hope that your dog can end it quickly with th aggressive dog running away. Here's to hoping that doesn't happen.

AS usual, I assumed we all knew better, than to have our dogs confined and unable to deffend himself. Not good to try to break up a fight but you can do allot to keep one from happening. My dogs are off leash quite a bit and we come accross other dogs on a regular basis. I know my dogs and not worried about how they will react. It's the other dog I send running, before he decides to make a stand. Your own dog will bite you if you try to break it up and you happen to get in his way. They are bitting anything that moves at that point. Only once have I seen a fight that scared me and was out of my control. Happened at the rescue with 20+ dogs running together. Well a cocky one messed, with the wrong older cocky one and a fight ensued. I didn't have enough hands and feet to kick all that jumped in on Zorro and he lost part of an ear before the fight stopped. Zorro was a very high ranked dog in the pack and all the dogs who jumped him after the fist dog, were very low ranking dogs. That saw their advantage and took it. Moral, I had my back turned, "feeding time" didn't see the warning signs and it's too hard to stop once it starts. You have to be loud, bold and ballsie, even ready to take a bite to keep a dog fight from happening. When I see a strange lose dog walking twords me, I pump myself up and asess him up and down. I imagine what I will do before anything even gets to that point, just always be ready to go. Most dogs aren't bold enough to take on a human who ain't backin' down. Someday I may come upon one that does but I'll take him head on, not running to entice a chase.

Half of the bites I've received came from breaking up or trying to prevent a fight(all by my own dogs). The other half have been from weak nerved unstable dogs who bit without provocation. If you fear for the wellbeing of YOUR dog you can pull the back legs of the assailant and prepare for him to turn on you. If he does prepare to evade or give him a HARD kick in the chest. This will likely come unexpected and knock the wind out of him allowing you and your dog to move on unharmed.

I would unhook the tracking line and slip the hook through the handle. Pull the line through until you have a loop and then wait for offending dog to arrive. Slip quickly the loop over the offender and ungently yank tightly while taking a few steps. Hang offender until passed out. Unloop poor dog and keep tracking line looped. Go hunting for owner with line.