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Protect Yourself and Your Dog from an Off Leash Dog

by 52 Comments 

Do you let your dog run off-leash in public? Maybe on a

deserted trail? Or in a big field? Or maybe in your yard while you’re
gardening? If your answer is yes, realize that you are putting your dog in danger,
as well as those people who are walking nearby. Think I’m crazy? Think your dog
is so friendly that he wouldn’t harm a fly? Think his recall is 100% reliable?

 

In the past month, three dog-training friends have
experienced dog aggression from unleashed dogs. In all three incidents, both
they and their on-leash dogs have been injured. All three incidents required
emergency veterinary care for the dogs and wound management for the people.
This month’s article will talk about how to protect your dog and yourself from
an unleashed dog, when and where it’s safe and appropriate to have your dog
unleashed, as well as the risk and danger to which you’re exposing your dog
(and others) when unleashed.

What’s the Problem with an
Unleashed Dog?

Unleashed dogs have always evoked a silent fury from me –
for many reasons. First, unless your dog has 100% recall (meaning: you can call
him away from a herd of deer), you’re putting your dog at serious risk of
getting lost, run over, in a fight with another dog, or shot (in some states,
it’s legal to shoot a dog that is harassing livestock). By the way, there’s no
such thing as 100% recall – even the best dog trainers out there can’t control
the actions of another thinking being. You might have mighty good recall, but it’ll
never be 100%. Just like I’m not a violent person, but there might be the
perfect storm of conditions in which I might haul off and punch someone (if
their dog is unleashed and gets into a fight with mine, for instance). The cost
of “freedom” is very high – and the dog could pay with it’s life. And I get
angry when I see owners knowingly put their dog at risk by unleashing the dog
when they haven’t trained a reliable recall.

He’s Friendly!

That fury I mentioned earlier? It’s silent until that unleashed dog comes
barreling over to see my reactive, leashed
dog. The owner is jogging behind with a big smile, “He just wants to say hi.
He’s very friendly!”  While your dog
might be the director of the social committee, not everyone’s dog enjoys
another dog running up to him. Some dogs are downright offended (or terrified)
and will react with snarls, growls, and lunges toward Mr. Friendly (and so very
inappropriate) Dog.

My favorite unleashed dog incident happened about 15 years
ago when I had a dog who didn’t like people. He was always on leash in public. He was fine with dogs, but not their
owners. We were at Assateague Island and an unleashed dog came bounding up with
the owner’s obligatory “He’s friendly!” I told the guy it was no problem, but
he had to stay where he was, he couldn’t come closer. “How am I going to get my
dog?” he asked. “Call him,” I said. “He won’t come, he wants to see your dog.”
I was thinking “you should have thought about that before your let your dog off
leash.” What if my dog felt the same way about dogs as he did people? That
unleashed dog would have been in a world of trouble. And that’s not fair to
that unleashed dog. His owner let him experience “freedom” without teaching him
how to stay out of trouble (by teaching him to come when called). Just because
your dog is friendly doesn’t mean every dog out there wants your dog to come
say hello.

The Risks of an Unleashed Dog

Most states and municipalities have a leash law. If you
allow your dog to run unleashed in a public space, you’re putting yourself and
your dog at risk. You are liable for your dog’s actions. If your dog is
unleashed and gets into a fight with a leashed dog, the law will probably
protect the leashed dog. You will likely be responsible for any medical and
veterinary bills resulting from a dog fight.

Leashed dogs rarely get hit by cars. It’s those dogs that
are running loose that wind up in the emergency veterinary hospital with
grievous injuries and whopping medical expenses. Hit by car (HBC) accidents are
preventable! Keep your dog leashed.

Leashed dogs rarely show up on “Lost Dog” posters. If your
dog on a leash, he’s probably not lost. You don’t have to plaster your
neighborhood with signs, worry about where he’s spending the night, if he’s
safe or if he’s dying in a ditch. Leashes save lives.

How to Protect Yourself from an Unleashed Dog

Unfortunately, you can encounter an unleashed dog anywhere:
in your neighborhood, at the park, or in the woods. My first piece of advice was going to be “Tell the owner to
call their dog.” But it’s not likely that calling their dog will do any good.
If they taught their dog a reliable recall, they wouldn’t allow their unleashed
dog to approach another dog in the first place.

Carry your cell phone with you on walks with your dog. You
can call for help (police will respond to a dog fight) and you can also snap a
picture of the unleashed dog (and owner if they are with the dog) to show the
authorities. Use your video function if you can keep your wits about you.

Keep some spray deterrent on you when you’re out in public
with your dog. There are a few products on the market that may help prevent a
fight from starting, but there are very few out there that will actually stop a
fight that’s already started. I like Spray Shield, an air horn, and a
relatively new product called Interostop. You can find them all online and they
are relatively inexpensive.

I also carry dog treats with me. I use the treats to train
my dog while we’re on a walk, but those treats also come in handy to throw at the unleashed dog. Sometimes you can
get lucky and the unleashed dog will stop to eat the food and you can beat feet
out of there without incident.

If you haven’t taught your dog a reliable recall (he’ll come
away from a running squirrel, a tennis ball, another dog, etc.), don’t let your dog off leash! You’re not
only putting your dog at risk, but you’re also putting another dog and person
at risk. If your dog doesn’t have a reliable recall and is also “iffy” with
other dogs, definitely don’t let your
dog off leash. Even if you’re in what you think is a deserted area. I don’t
want to bear the brunt of your dog’s aggression when I show up with my leashed
dog on the other side of the “deserted” trailhead. It’s not fair to me or my
dog to worry about unleashed dogs when we’re out enjoying nature and adhering
to the leash law. There are 20- and 30- and even 50-foot leashes if you want
your dog to have the ability to “run free,” and that will also keep me and my
dog safe when we’re all out there enjoying the beautiful outdoors together.

Related articles
I’m Social. My Dog Isn’t.
  • Jerry

    Great article!!

  • Shana Ruess

    Great article! I’m social, but not super social, and I’d say my dogs are like that. I have three dogs, two of them are Tibetan Mastiffs. They are show dogs, so they are intact (a boy and a girl), and I don’t let them socialize with other dogs. This isn’t a breed who is naturally good with other creatures. They have 3,000+ years of guardian dog bred into them, asking them to be be friendly and sociable with strangers (dog or human or whatever) is like asking a Border Collie to never ever think about herding something. It just isn’t going to happen. Now, I knew what I was getting into with this breed, so I socialized to dogs and humans and my two are friendly with strangers under the right circumstances. As I said, they are show dogs, they are used to being in rather stressful, cramped conditions with a lot of dogs, and they behave themselves quite nicely there.
    The challenge I have in walking them at parks, or in my neighborhood, or really, just leaving my house, is that unlike many other respondents, my Tibetans WOULD hurt another dog. They are guardian dogs, remember? They think a dog charging up to them is a serious threat to me, and they are more than willing to tear into another dog. And at 120-ish pounds, with a thick, long coat of hair protecting their entire bodies, they are likely to come away unscathed while the other dog is in serious need of medical attention. And even though I’m pretty sure that my two dogs wouldn’t immediately launch into attack mode (because they are well socialized and generally view other dogs with disinterest or mild playmate interest, and the few close calls have been ok) I know it is certainly quite possible, especially if the other dog isn’t actually friendly. So I find myself having to yell out “Call your dog! Mine is not friendly!” Because you know they are ready to yell “Don’t worry he’s friendly.” Then I get horrible looks from people, sometimes they tell me I shouldn’t have my dog outside if its mean. As if we aren’t in a leash only area. If the loose dog just trots up, and they don’t seem threatening, my dogs are much less likely to have a problem with it, but you never know what the other dog is like. And I hate having to sound like I have vicious dogs, because they are nice, sweet dogs. But they are capable of not being sweet and they have the genetics to drive them to treat “others” as threats. Its just supremely unfair to those of us abiding the law. I don’t take my dogs to dog parks or off leash areas. They are always under my control, and I try to avoid other dogs as much as possible, but my kids deserve a walk too.

  • Jen G

    Interesting article. But you make it sound as if every off leash dog is aggressive. Some dogs are better off leash than on. In an appropriate place at an appropriate time, it’s good for the dog to allow some freedom and chance to just be a dog. Dogs can be taught to respond reliably to cues, sometimes even better than on leash where owners tend to rely to heavily on leash corrections (intentional or not). Dogs were not meant to live life only on leash, and it would be nice to see more people writing about how to do it instead of scaring and shaming those who respect an animal’s inherent need for freedom.

  • Jen G, thanks for taking the time to comment on the article. My point was that not every *leashed* dog wants an unleashed dog coming up to them. Aggressive or not. I mentioned my reactive (not aggressive) Labrador — she definitely does NOT enjoy an unleashed dog coming up to her — friendly or not!
    And I also said: “The cost of “freedom” is very high – and the dog could pay with it’s life. And I get angry when I see owners knowingly put their dog at risk by unleashing the dog when they haven’t trained a reliable recall.” If you don’t have 100% recall on your dog — leash him. Period.
    As for living life on a leash – there are plenty of contained, legal areas where dogs can be off-leash. And there are 50-foot leashes — they keep the dog safe and give him the “freedom” that so many people desire for their dogs.
    Thanks again for commenting. I have no problem with your unleashed dog as long as you have 100% recall…AND you use that recall to keep your dog away from others.

  • Shauna, thanks for commenting. YES! This is a perfect situation where dog owners are putting their dog at risk! You are following the law with your leashed dogs. Through no fault of your own, your dogs could get into a fight with an unleashed dog. Not fair to you, not fair to your dogs.

  • Excellent post. Just this morning I encountered a man out for a run with his off-leash dog. I heard them coming because I heard him shouting, “No, no! With me! Here!” I turned to look, and the dog was running toward us across someone’s yard a full house length away from his person. It makes me FURIOUS. Thankfully I was out with my nonreactive-couldn’t-care-less dog. But had I been out with my reactive dog, the situation would have been entirely different. I only walk him in on-leash parks so that I can manage him closely. I’ve spent years working on his reactivity, and every negative experience derails some of that effort. In addition to breaking the law, it’s just so selfish and inconsiderate! Clearly, this touches a nerve with me! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this oh-so-important subject!

  • Peggy S.

    As the owner of a very nervous and anxious dog, thank you! Max is big and goofy and quite a novelty but he gets really scared when folks approach him to fast or other dogs come bounding up. He feels much safer when we are all connected to our own canines and humans via a leash. 🙂

  • Jen G, here’s one of the problems I have with unleashed dogs: they too easily wind up dead. Completely preventable if your dog is on a leash.
    http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/off-leash-walk-tragedy-for-my-dog-training

  • Peggy S. I feel your pain! Thanks for taking a moment to leave a comment!

  • I feel your fury, Maggie! It’s absolutely maddening when that happens!

  • It’s one of my pet peeves! Drives me crazy…

  • Janice

    My fav response for the “don’t worry he’s friendly…” as “he” is approaching with tail up, hackles up, head forward, mouth closed is ” I’m not worried, I have bear spray….” I also always walk with a broom handle (in case my knee gives out). more then once unfortunately I have had to use to keep the ” friendly” dog away from my leashed reactive girl. People get pissed, but I just smile and no one gets bit.

  • Janette

    I have three dogs, two are not reactive and my 2 year old german shepherd is, I walk him separate to the other two, avoiding confrontation and he’s on a leash, he also wears his “yellow dog” bandana to hopefully help to keep other dogs at a distance, much easier if other owners put their dogs on one when they see us coming. The other two do have an off leash runaround in an appropriate place but if I see another dog in the distance I always put my two on a leash and since I’ve had my shepherd I must admit I’m much more mindful of other peoples dogs and you don’t know if your friendly dog is going to like every dog anyway, bit like people..

  • Kylee

    Great article! I personally have this problem when training reactive dogs and unleashed dogs coming up to us when I’ve asked quite clearly to call them back. But with my own dog I usually always have her off leash around both leashed and off leash areas. My rule of thumb is if I approach a dog who is clearly on leash I will call her back and make her heel right beside me or put her on leash. And if the other dog is off leash ill get her to heel beside me until both dogs are close enough so I monitor the situation.

  • Michele

    I see what your saying and agree to a certain point. If my dog is on a leash and is confronted by one that’s not he is very defensive and reactive. Now put my dog in a setting where he too can be off leash with that same dog and it’s a totally different story! It’s the difference in power and ability to react. I think if your in a designated off leash area or a park/trail that is known to be off leash that’s one thing. If your walking down a street or a public area then no! If people respected the environment they were in not just how their dogs were behaviourally we’d all be better off.

  • Laurie G

    My Labrador is defensive and reactive when he’s on-leash. He loves people and will sit and behave for adults or children to pet him, but when an unleashed dog runs up to us he reacts, and somehow I end up being the bad one. I hear “what’s wrong with your dog?” a lot from these owners.
    Arrgh. It makes me furious!

  • I agree with the majority of your post. I too hate the “he’s friendly!” cry from people who have no control over dog.
    But, your post also seems to take the attitude that no dog should be off leash, ever, unless in a designated off leash dog park. You state that unless your dog has a 100% recall this should be the fact, but then you point out the (true) fact that no dog can have a 100% recall.
    My problem with off leash dogs does not lie in the fact that the dogs are off leash. Rather, my problem is with the owners who clearly have no problem letting their dog rush up to other dogs. I am certain that almost all the cases of dogs rushing other dogs their owner knows the dog does not have a good recall in the face of distractions and simply sees nothing wrong with it. The dogs are repeat offenders vs the owner being shocked about the situation.
    While I can not say that my dog will recall in 100% of situations, I can say with 99% certainty that they will recall (or rather not leave in the first place!) in the situations I put them in. I do take my dogs to baseball/soccer fields and let them run. I also use the fields for training my dogs in disc, obedience, and jump grids. And to make owners of leashed dogs feel better when walking by, I always call my dogs to me and put them in a down stay the second I notice a far off team. Off leash is not the problem, the lack of owner’s understanding the concern of other’s is and the lack of understanding of the high level of training required in order to be “safe” is.

  • oneblankspace

    I was once attacked by an unleashed dog while the owner was locking his front door. The dog scratched me through my jeans and drew blood (he though he was being friendly) — dogs, unlike cats, cannot put their claws away. When the door was locked, the owner promptly turned around and said “He won’t hurt you.”

  • Aniviel

    I agree.
    I have a super friendly Bernese Mountain Dog. He has been in two minor fight, and both times he was on-leash. As soon as he is off-leash, he no longer feels threatened/protective/whatever. Off-leash is happy go-lucky and friendly with any dogs that approach him. Luckily, I live in the country and can let my dogs roam the yard and avoid dog parks.

  • Anna

    I was just at the receiving end of an off-leash dog, more specifically a very aggressive doberman.
    I have no dog, and was out for a early morning run. I saw something running toward me, as I was stretching on the grass. In less than a minute I was cowering on the grass as a doberman circled, barked, and growled at me.
    It got so bad, and he was so aggressive I started to cry. Once the owner finally showed up and called the dog off, I told him that this wasn’t an off-leash park. He said “ok” and walked away. Coming back from my run, same thing happened. This is NEVER ok, ever.
    I have now decided to carry a very potent bear spray.
    This is a note to any dog owner who chooses to have their dog off leash in a park that is not designated as an off-leash park: if you don’t keep your dog on leash, and it starts to terrify someone. Prepare to have that person take every option to protect themselves … if that means chemical protection, then that is something you need to be aware of.
    NOT every person is comfortable with dogs, I know I’m not, and was attacked as a kid…having your dog terrorize me is akin to abuse and should come with criminal charges.
    Also, this whole “dogs are meant to run free” is a pile of lies. Your dog has been bred for thousands of years, it is not a wolf … it has been bred for its looks and capabilities. It has been genetically modified (over generational breeding) to deal with humans and their environment, don’t try and go about and sound all holy when you chose to walk your dog off-leash, you are being a bully is all!

  • Nikkavy

    Right. And the appropriate places include the off leash park and private property with permission. And nowhere else! No exceptions!

  • Gale Hull

    EXACTLY! My reactive GSD and I have been attacked numerous times by off leash dogs. I have been bitten in the scuffles that ensue. GEE, folks who don’t have good (or any) recall for their dogs are afraid to approach my over-the-top snarling, barking, and lunging GSD. I am yelling “Come get YOUR dog!!” while lying face down in the street, desperately clinging to her leash. We fenced our entire acre and a half so our dogs have a place to be free and act like dogs. On the street on a walk, they need to be good canine citizens and it is impossible when they are charged by another dog, “friendly” or not. A dog that approaches another dog that is sending EVERY signal for that dog to back off is NOT properly socialized. This happens most often in my quiet neighborhood when someone lets their dog out to go potty at exactly the wrong time, in their unfenced yard. OK. Off my soap box. Great article! Thanks!!

  • Ellen

    I am glad you don’t live in my neighborhood. Your dogs inherent loss of freedom might cause my leashed dog his life. Didn’t you read this? It is not that the unleashed dog is aggressive, it is that he/she is not under control in most situations. I run a rescue and it is in our contract that none of our rescue dogs should be unleashed except on their owners property in a secure fence or another secured area. That does nOT include dog parks because too many owners are not in control of their dogs. I would bet that almost 100% of dog on dog and dog on human bite incidents could be avoided by following ONE rule. Keep your dogs leashed.

  • Pamela

    Thank you for writing this! I have a friendly dog (always on a leash or a long line), but have come across far too many off leash dogs on public parks and trails where the owners look at you as though you are mad to ask them to leash their dogs up. I will certainly be sharing this with friends!

  • Faith

    SO happy to see another trainer saying this!
    I have a 6mth old Aussie puppy going though personal therapy training, she is on a 4 or 50ft lead at all times unless in a specified off leash dog area with little to no dogs (I use empty off leash areas to work on recalls)
    My problem is that my pup is TOO friendly, and has trouble in her early teen stage understanding that not ALL dogs want to initiate play with little 25lb furry missiles aimed directly at their face/hips. I have to tell parents their dog cannot greet my dog because shes is super obnoxious about it and we are working on it (I have specific dogs who dont mind that we practice with.
    at least aggressive dogs get the back off, parents FIGHT with me about letting their happy dog greet my dog, and then get offended when I firmly tell them to call their dog off or I will report them to the local PD. UGH

  • Fantastic article, reflects our feelings exactly . We had a run in with unleashed dogs yesterday, and their owner ( who could NOT recall them on command), said it was our fault, and that if our dogs were not good around other dogs, we should not bring them to this area. It was NOT a designated dog area, but rather a boat launch,in a state park, where dogs are only allowed before it opens. We run into this situation so often while hiking with our dogs ( who are always on a trekking line)…90% of the unleashed dogs and owners are fine, but that other 10% drive us crazy!!!

  • L Harney

    Leash laws are concrete laws not a suggestion. All dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet while in public. The law also states that the leash must be in your hands at all time. If an owner is not responsible enough to follow the law, I don’t trust that the owner can be responsible in the training of his dog. I wanted big dogs so I bought a house with a very big backyard. My dogs can run to their hearts content.
    Your points were great but don’t put your dog on a very long lead, that could lead to big trouble.

  • L Harney

    I don’t think the article said that all unleashed dogs are aggresive. Sorry but the law is the law. All dogs in public spaces have to be on leashes. If you want your dogs to run free go to a dog park. Or better yet have a yard big enough for your dog to run. You don’t get to choose which laws to follow and which ones not to follow. So leash your dog.

  • I’m not sure where you live L Harney, but thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. The leash laws vary around here — there isn’t a government-wide mandated leash law. Most communities have their own individual laws.
    There is a community around here where dogs are allowed off leash as long as they are under voice control.
    Another community has a law that if your dog is on a shock collar, that will suffice as a leash.
    I only *wish* the 6-foot leash was indeed a law everywhere.
    Thanks again for stopping by!

  • hadley

    Instead of being risky and letting your dog off leash, just get one of those 50 foot leashes. My dogs love those and i can keep them and others safe with it

  • Yep, I feel your frustration. My little Labrador, Lily, is the same way. Off-leash (in our backyard), she’s friendly with other dogs. On-leash, she’s quite reactive.

  • Anna, oh no. I’m sorry to hear of your experience. It must have been terrifying. Even I — the girl who loves dogs — have been afraid of a dog before and it left me shaking. Agreed 100% that dogs don’t need to be off-leash to “be dogs.” I hope you have more pleasant (read: neutral) interactions with dogs in the future. Please accept my apology on behalf of that person with the Doberman.

  • Pamela, so many people come to my good-manners class telling me how much they enjoy off-leash hiking with their dog. I always cringe because recall (coming when called) isn’t usually their dogs’ strong point. It’s a frustrating experience to have people with off-leash dogs who don’t know how to come when called. Makes hiking a lot less enjoyable.

  • So frustrating, isn’t it?!

  • Hadley: thanks for stopping by. Yes, those 50-foot leashes are wonderful! I just washed mine because it was *caked* with mud from some of our more recent travels. What would we do without those long lines?!

  • Melissa

    This just happened to me this morning. I had two LARGE german shepherds on leash and another large dog ran at us. I don’t know how I held them. the two women with the other dog took an endless amount of time to catch them and we are all lucky no one got bitten…

  • Deborah

    This dog came charging at us and the owner was shouting “Cymba NOOOO!!”, as he caught her a little over halfway to us he got her by her collalr and was pulling her back toward the house, he was having to pull so hard that he had dug his feet in and his thighs ,well he was practically 6 inches from sitting on the ground. This was one strong dog. I, meanwhile was frozen I knew if we ran or moved that it would encourage her to give chase, so while standing there busting out with beads of sweat from my heart racing, and as he gained control of his dog, I said to him: ” Oh! Thank God”!
    Needless to say I was afraid to walk my dog. Did some research and found UDAPpepper power. It is a spray that tour guides use in Alaska to deter bear attacks. So I ordered some. Took about a week to get here, but thankfully, I feel much safer and can now take my dog for his much anticipated, well deserved walk!! I LOVE MY DOG !!!!

  • Deborah

    I know that our reactions transfer down the leash to our dogs, and that they react according to the signal they receive. I have been working on remaining calm, cool, and collected when unleashed dogs come bounding up to us, it s not easy, because. I do not know these dogs, or their intentions…..so far, we are now able to calmly keep walking past small dogs, he even resist the urge to chase after cats and squirrels. But I still have a problem with larger dogs, and now, I don’t have to worry if they are friendly or not. I have the spray. Best thing is that it will deter the animal without causing injury.
    Ii am cautious about taking my dog into places where he might get ticks, or anything worse, like that dog killing virus that was going around not too long ago, so I prefer to take short walks around the 2 block area where I live, since I can’t walk very far myself.
    Most if the dogs people have around here are pit bulls. I love these dogs, they are wonderful pets, but I do not want to be charged at by anyone, or anything.
    HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP SOME OF THISE OEIPLE UNDERSTAND MY OBJECTION TO HAVING THEM OFFLEASH

  • Thanks for stopping in, Gale. I know, it’s very frustrating when people’s dogs come running up to you and your dog. It’s not only frustrating, but as you noted, it can be dangerous for you if the dog catches you off guard and you fall. Ouch! We have a large fenced yard, too — for the very same reason you do. We love it!

  • Aniviel, yes, on-leash reactivity is a real problem. My little Labrador is leash reactive as well. However, I can’t let my girl roam the yard (except the fenced in area) because I’m worried she’ll wander too far, or that some other neighbor has the same idea and their paths will cross. There’s no good answer except long leashes in a quiet, low traffic area.

  • Yes, Nikkavy, thanks for chiming in — definitely those two spots only! I’ve found that so many people with aggressive dogs all take their dogs to the same place: the “deserted” parkland where “no one goes.” Yeah, no one except people with dogs who are all aggressive! Yipes!

  • Leashes would definitely prevent lots of problems…

  • Yep, bear spray will work, I’m sure! I carry a dog repellant spray and thankfully haven’t had to use it…yet. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t have to! 🙂 I have considered bringing something a little more potent like bear spray in case the dog’s aggressive and off-leash (my nightmare)!
    One of the houses I walk past has two GIANT shepherds that attempt to climb over the fence every time we walk past. I always go to the other side of the street when we pass them to put as much space between us as I can. And I have my spray at the ready!

  • Yes, well said Janette — dogs are quite a bit like people: they don’t like everyone who crosses their path. So true…

  • Thanks for chiming in, Kylee! As long as you can legally have your dog off-leash *and* you can call your dog away immediately from even the largest distractions, then you’re within your rights as a dog owner.

  • Michele, thanks for stopping by! I, too, have a leash reactive dog who does ok when she’s off leash. She’s allowed off leash in our fenced yard at at my parent’s place on Lake Anna. That’s it — other than those two areas, that girl is leashed! Even with her on-leash reactivity. Her recall isn’t 100% and I’d hate for her to run up –playfully– to an on-leash dog and cause problems. Therefore, that chickie is on-leash almost all the time!

  • Oh yeah, I’m definitely not comfortable with dogs rushing up to other dogs — or the owners who allow it. I’m with you there!
    Yes, if you don’t have 100% recall on your dog, he shouldn’t be off-leash. And yes, I also believe that no one has 100% recall on their dog. 🙂 Therefore, I believe that dogs should be on-leash unless they’re in a fenced area. Most municipalities have laws regarding on-leash dogs. I’ve found that people don’t know the law or don’t care to follow it. Which is a shame.

  • Thankfully it all ended well. Sorry to hear of your experience. Experiences like this leave me shaking all day.

  • The bear spray is popular on the comment threads. I’ll be looking into it!

  • Yes, indeed, altering our own reactions to off-leash dogs can help diffuse the situation. Hard to do sometimes, though!

  • Niko Bellic

    I walk my dogs (2 male dobies, a female bloodhound, & a male huskie mix) every morning on 2 double leashes – they are trained not to react to other dogs on property or on leash – if they are bum rushed by an agressive dog I have used – air horns – pet corrector – citronella spray to effectively defuse the situation – most of the time it works – last resort throwing an object or kicking the attacking dogs with heavy hiking boots – my dogs & I have a right to walk in our neighborhood without being harrassed by unbehaved dogs that are not on their property & off leash – most owners are responsible and have come out and retrieved the dogs – only 1 owner with a small dog that bit one of my dobies aggressivly reacted when I used citronella spray on both small dogs that rushed into the street because he left his gate open – I did inform him to get his dogs under control as my dogs if they reacted could kill both his dogs instantly – he threatened me with a baseball bat – it’s not the dogs that are the problem it’s lazy/ignorant owners that fail to train their dogs

    • Mike Mckairnes

      Hey Niko….I have had similar problems walking my rescue greyhounds…..several times unlatched screen doors have flown open and out comes a snarling big dog…I douse them with pepper spray…I have no time to find out if they are really “nice dogs”. The one time an owner chased me threatening to f** me up…saw the pepper spray and stayed away. Wound up calling 911 and he was fined. If I see him again there may be tragic consequences. So be careful my friend….humans need behavior training as well.

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