A few weeks ago I was going for a walk. Suddenly a large dog came charging across the street and when it got close, it barked then moved away, came closer, barked and then moved away. Had I continued to walk, run away, flailed my arms, or moved toward it, the situation may very well have ended differently. I immediately stood still, slightly sideways to it and called to its owner across the street. She did come and get her dog fairly quickly but I hear about instances of off leash dog ‘attacks’ that resulted in injury, bites, severe fear or worse. It has prompted me to write about the topic.
Most communities have dog leash laws because of the safety risk to others as well as the loose dog. Still, neighborhood dogs or unfamiliar strays can find themselves on unwelcome property or within a dangerous distance from people, dogs, vehicles, or other animals. Here are some dog safety and dog bite prevention suggestions to be pro-active in preparing for a potential encounter with an unleashed dog.
It is important to note that each situation is very different and there is no cookie cutter approach for handling that situation. There is also no guarantee that these strategies will protect you and/or your dog (or child) in any given situation. That being said, the more ideas you have and the better prepared you are, the greater the likelihood that you will be unharmed.
NEVER assume a dog that is playing or has its tail wagging will be safe to approach or to approach you and/or your dog (or child). It can take a split second for an encounter to go bad. Your dog’s leash is also taking away one of its defense mechanisms, flight.
Prevention:
Avoid areas where you know from past experience there is a greater likelihood of seeing loose dogs. If you know in advance there are certain streets where owners allow their dogs to roam or there are certain parks where people often do not use leashes, simply choosing other places to spend time will alleviate any potential risk.
Be aware of your environment. If you see a loose dog that is in the distance, it is always best to avoid it by calmly turning the corner, walking the other way, even looking for someplace that can serve as a barrier such as a car, bushes or wall. Do whatever you can to avoid the loose dog seeing and reacting to you and/or your dog.
Preparation:
Even before an incident occurs, it is always a good idea to be pro-active in teaching your dog an emergency sit/down and stay, to follow beside you as you quickly change direction including doing a U-turn, and to walk on a loose leash by your side. You may also want to teach your dog to move and sit behind your body in case there is a time when you may need to be a body block between your dog and another dog – or even an unwelcome child or adult. Additionally, you can teach your dog to look back at you when there is a distraction.
Always bring smelly, valuable treats with you on walks as they may come in handy in an emergency…and make for great reinforcers too!
Wear clothing that will not prevent you from moving away. Avoid flip-flops or sandals on walks.
Always bring a cell phone with you that will allow you to quickly and immediately call for help if needed, and also to take a photo or video of the unleashed dog.
Purchase citronella-based Spray Shield as a safe, last measure. This spray is aversive to most dogs and can be sprayed directly at an oncoming dog. It is good to practice using it in advance. Spray Shield can also be used to stop dog fights.
You may also want to bring an umbrella with you on walks that, with the push of a button, can open in the face of an oncoming dog to disorient or scare it away. PLEASE NOTE: BEFORE using this, spend the time desensitizing your dog to the opening umbrella or you may terrify your own dog as well.
Be very conscious of your own stress response to situations. Running away, flailing your arms, screaming, physically confronting the off-leash dog, or picking up your own dog or child very likely will only serve to heighten the arousal of the other dog (even your own), and thus the potential safety risk. Additionally, tightening the leash attached to your own dog will heighten your dog’s fear and/or arousal. Practice your ability to breath deeply and think clearly in different situations.
Get to know how dogs communicate.
While a dog with soft body muscles that may have a tail wagging loosely from side to side, eyes that are open, and an open mouth that almost looks like it is smiling may be interested in playing or a head rub; that dog also may be a dog that is unaware of personal boundaries and could get too close just because it wants to play. However, a fight can ensue if the approached dog (on leash) is not that comfortable having its space invaded.
Be very cautious if the approaching dog is exhibiting any of the body language I describe below. The dog may bark or growl and back up. Its ears may be back while its eyes may be squinting, showing white around the edges. Its tail may or may not be tucked and his hackles (the hair at his shoulders and base of his tail) may be up. Also, the corners of its mouth will be pulled back with its teeth possibly showing.
An extremely dangerous dog is one that looks very confident and makes itself look as large as possible. Its nose may be wrinkled as it bares its teeth. Its eyes will be squinted and focused. It will either be totally silent and still or will have a deep bark. Its ears and neck may be forward while its shackles will be up. Its tail will be held high or straight behind him, still or stiffly wagging. This is a dog who wants to attack.
On a walk:
If you are by yourself, stand still as a tree, and turn sideways to the dog avoiding eye contact but remaining fully aware of the dog. Movement has the potential to trigger predatory behavior, a herding instinct, or can cause a fear reactive dog to bite as you move away.
As I mentioned above, if you see a loose dog that is in the distance, it is always best to avoid it by calmly walking the other way, even looking for someplace that can serve as a barrier such as a car, bushes or wall.
If there is not the distance or time to calmly walk to a safe place, do your best to assess the situation quickly. If the dog’s owner is close, ask that person to call the dog. I have seen instances where a dog has been on or off leash while approaching, only to have the owner reassure that the oncoming dog is ‘friendly’. Friendly is one of those labels that can be interpreted in so many ways; and unfortunately, the majority of those interpretations do not take into account how that encounter is making the approached dog or person feel. A dog that has loose body muscles can still harm a child or traumatize another dog. Say whatever it is you need to say to the loose dog’s owner to convince that person to move the dog away.
If there is no owner in sight or you cannot convince the owner to intercede, and you can not calmly and safely move away, one of the least intrusive ways you can discourage the off-leash dog from continuing to approach is to give that dog something more valuable to do. A happy dog (as described above) with loose body muscles may quickly go into a sit or down if asked. And of course, you can reinforce that behavior by tossing a handful of tasty treats for it to search for as you walk away. Even if that dog does not do an asked behavior, you can still throw a fist full of treats toward it with the intent of startling, not hurting it. This more than likely will not stop that dog from approaching in the future (remember, reinforced behaviors continue) but it will give you time to calmly move away.
Keeping the focus of the stray dog on you rather than your dog may be helpful, since it is easier to manage your own communication. Do not stiffen or stare directly into an aroused/aggressive dog, and even turn your body slightly sideways.
If that strategy won’t work, you could try something else to startle it. Try to put yourself between your dog and the oncoming dog, stand squarely forward and yell ‘No’ or ‘Stop’, or suddenly open that umbrella (again, please make sure you have desensitized your dog to this BEFORE trying it on a walk).
If your dog begins reacting to the approaching dog with barking, lunging or growling, do what you need to do to minimize stress and move your dog further away. Damage control and safety are your top priorities. However, use that as an excellent learning opportunity. If your dog snarled or lunged at another dog from about 20 feet away, that information will be useful in knowing what type of environment should be avoided and in creating a behavior modification plan to desensitive/countercondition your dog to the presence of another dog.
Spray Shield is another (last resort) option if the dog is within close range of you.
What NOT to Do:
This is worth repeating. DO NOT run away as that could trigger the loose dog’s instinct to chase and will more than likely heighten its arousal. And DO NOT flail your arms and body as that too will more than likely heighten the dog’s arousal. Keep in mind that standing behind a tall building will also block your vision to be able to see if the dog is continuing to approach. DO NOT move to a location where you could potentially be cornered by the stray. If you need to, lure your dog with a high value treat as you move in another direction – getting to a place of safety is a priority but do so while remaining calm.
NEVER grab the collar of the unknown, unleashed dog or put your hands anywhere near its head.
Do not pick up your little dog (although in some cases, you may choose to take that calculated risk) as that too can heighten the loose dog’s prey instinct and arousal. It very likely can put both you and your dog (or child) at even greater risk. Instead, if you are being approached by an aggressive dog with high risk, look around to see if there is a possibility of tossing your dog to someplace safer like over a fence. If your dog is larger, you will need to make a judgement call as to whether or not your dog may be safer if you dropped your leash so that it could run off.
*If* a dog fight does ensue, know that if you get in the middle and try to separate them, there is a very high probability that each dog could redirect that aggression/arousal on to you. Arousal is flowing out of control, and sometimes that adrenaline can take days to get back to a normal level.
The reality is cases of truly aggressive dogs intent on causing bodily harm are rare, but they do occur. More common, dogs may inadvertently simply by being over aroused; or may exhibit defensive behavior when too close for comfort. Remember, the leashed dog does not have an escape.
It is worth repeating. It is important to note that each situation is very different and there is no cookie cutter approach for handling that situation. There is also no guarantee that these strategies will protect you and/or your dog (or child) in any given situation. That being said, the more ideas you have and the better prepared you are, the greater the likelihood that you will be unharmed.
And the better prepared you are, the more you can focus on having fun!
