Dealing with strangers’ dogs when on a walk

[stangs]

I don’t know what it is - if it’s me smelling of horses, or if it’s because I tend to go walking at quiet hours perfect for walking a reactive dog - but I’ve been coming across an increasing number of dogs who’ve taken offensive at my existence.

Today alone, I met:
a) A muzzled (but off leash) mastiff type who stood and growled at me as his owner walked past. For obvious reasons, I took a wide berth of him and kept walking. The owner noticed my wide birth and commented, in a rather upset tone, that he was friendly and I shouldn’t discriminate based off breed. But when she passed me, he did eventually follow behind her.

b) A terrier being walked quite far behind me. Despite the distance, he came running up behind me, barking his little head off but keeping a metre’s distance from me. Initially, I kept walking hoping he’d get bored, but when that proved futile, I stood still, not making eye contact until his owner finally came and collected him.

c) A collie who decided he would run around me in circles, barking, and preventing me from walking on. No owner in sight. Owner only appeared a few minutes later - it turned out dog had disappeared chasing squirrels, but, “thanks to my help” as the owner so …aptly put it, she’d been able to find him again.

In these types of scenarios, where you’ve got an off leash dog and an owner who leaves something to be desired, what do people think is the best course of action to avoid any trouble?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Stand still.
I would have told the mastiff's owner that it wasn't the breed but the growling that I was objecting to.

 

[PapaverFollis]

A) the owner would have got an absolute gobful from me! Along the lines of "your 'friendly' dog is growling at me you inept moron".
A) B) & C) phone out. Record. Send to dog warden with details of time and place and any other identifying features that I could gather.

All owners complete idiots.

I understand you are probably looking for constructive advice you can follow to protect yourself at the time and this isn't it but goodness me dog owners who let their dogs interfere with other people like this and can't recognise troubling behaviour in their dogs give me the absolute rage.

 

[Caol Ila]

No useful advice, but I think it must be a thing that people take their poorly trained dogs out at times when they think trails will be quiet. When the park is hoaching, I rarely have dog problems. Everything that should be on a lead is. I've only had issues with dogs trying to chase my horse at times when the park is super quiet. I'd bet good money that people think, "No one is here at 7pm. I can let Fido, who likes to chase things and has zero recall, off lead. What can go wrong?"

 

[CorvusCorax]

Depends on the dog/how it's presenting. If I think there's a risk of getting nailed, I just go complete neutral/loose and think of something really boring/stare at the ground to the side of the dog. A dog in high arousal can see movements we think are inoffensive as prey/threat.
If I can see no threat I'll go OH HIYA! or just keep going.
If it's just being a dick I might go back into it's space/with verbals.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

We're not all lunatics in the early/later hours of the day. I came home just awhile ago after a late walk with mine in the cooler night temperature. In the city it's easy to walk in the dark due to all the street lights. (Got a bit too cool for my liking this night though, it began to rain.)

As CorvuxCorax said it depends on the dog. The only times I've met really aggressive dogs, I've always had my girls with me, and then I'm all "It's better they take me than my girls", gathered my dogs behind me, and mainly tried to stand myself between the aggressive dog, and my dogs.

On the rare occasions I've met an annoying, but not in my eyes really aggressive, dog without my girls with me, I've chosen a point far away to keep my eyes on, kept my back straight, and calmly, but decisively, tried to march more than walk as if the dog wasn't there.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

In these types of scenarios, where you’ve got an off leash dog and an owner who leaves something to be desired, what do people think is the best course of action to avoid any trouble?

Given that one of the puppies was attacked yesterday and my inability to run, I’m debating a stick. I would probably benefit from using one of those pole things in the woods anyway. I would have no hesitation in using it as a threat.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

There used to be a Social Club at the top of our street and I used to go through the grounds on my way to school on my bike. They had two corgis that used to run loose and would go for my ankles as I cycled through. One day I stopped, got off my bike and started sweet talking them, 'what sweet little doggies' sort of thing, real soppy, syrupy stuff. After a bit of this they drooped and slunk away really embarrassed, it was so funny. Not sure I would try it on a big dog though.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Given that one of the puppies was attacked yesterday and my inability to run, I’m debating a stick. I would probably benefit from using one of those pole things in the woods anyway. I would have no hesitation in using it as a threat.

Since starting dog-walking again after breaking my leg, I take a walking-stick with me, for uneven ground etc. I have fended off several dogs, which, combined with my best teacher voice, seems to have made it clear to their owners that I mean business.

 

[Clodagh]

If OP meant she was not with a dog, I’d be wary if escalating things by waving a stick at a genuinely aggressive dog. I was once cornered in someone’s garden ( I was meant to be there) by their mastiff x ridgeback . I just stood very still and did the 1000 yard stare anywhere but at him. Thankfully they turned up after a few minutes and called him off.
If I’m protecting my dogs there’s no holds barred.
It helps if you know their body language, (I’m probably about to talk rubbish here) tail and head up and barking I’m not as bothered as tail and head down.

 

[skinnydipper]

It helps if you know their body language, (I’m probably about to talk rubbish here) tail and head up and barking I’m not as bothered as tail and head down.

Dog with tail held high, head up and ears forward and weight forward would concern me.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Do not run from a dog anyway, you just make yourself prey, my Mum taught me that when I was about six. If there's someone running and someone not running, the dog will go for the runner (we had police dog handlers come into school, again, thanks Mum, who told us this). They have two extra legs, they will always make the ground up.

As mentioned, the OP never said they had a dog with them as that would be completely different answers from me. But don't run whether or not you have a dog unless you have loads of room and can definitely get out of reach.

Learning body language IMO takes time and looking at lots of different dogs, not just ones you know.

 

[stangs]

Sorry, should have clarified that I didn't have a dog with me.

A) B) & C) phone out. Record. Send to dog warden with details of time and place and any other identifying features that I could gather.

How does one go about finding out who the local dog warden is? I travel out to a fair few different boroughs/counties, so wouldn't know where to start when in a new place.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Council website should usually give a contact or at least to the relevant department and they should be able to put you through.

 

[Clodagh]

I just searched our local council website and can’t see anything. I know a lot were got rid of when the councils ran out of money.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Given that one of the puppies was attacked yesterday and my inability to run, I’m debating a stick. I would probably benefit from using one of those pole things in the woods anyway. I would have no hesitation in using it as a threat.

Hope both of you are as okay as possible. {{{{{{Vibes}}}}}}


Learning dog body language takes time, and practise, and it's important to remember that just as we have words that are homonyms, like band, right, and ring, there are signals in dog's body language which can have more than one meaning.
E.g. sniffing the ground can be a signal the dog is anxious, but a dog often sniffs the ground simply because it smells interesting. So just like homonyms, where the context, and combination of words, tells you whether I'm talking about a band as something that binds, or band as in group, the combination of dog signals, and the situation they're used in, tells you what the dog mean.

To try to put some examples into words, I would say that Tail + head up, and barking, can mean the dog is confident, and simply saying Hello, I see you.

Tail + head up, tense body, weight forward, can mean the dog is not happy to see you. Or e.g. the tension can be related to being focused on chasing your bike, either wanting to catch it or chase it away.

Tail + head down, can be a sign of fear/insecurity/anxiousness, which can sometimes escalate to fear aggression. On the other hand a Border Collie in herding mode often have tail + head down without any fear being involved.

Raised hackles can be a sign of the dog being surprised, curious and/or excited. If the hair start to raise from in front of the tail, it can be a sign of fear, insecurity, uneasiness.
If the hair start to raise from the withers, it can be a sign of confidence, dominance.
Basically, raised hackles can have one reason, or a combination of reasons, like surprise and fear, excited but uneasy, curious and confident...

Barking itself have many nuances, with different meanings.

Actually, I think dogs are better at learning our body language, than we are at learning theirs. They can learn that we show our teeth (smiling) when we're happy. That short spiky hair, or a hat with a large brim is not a signal intended to intimidate them. That we like to show affection with cuddles, kisses, and being close to them. Etc.


Anyhow, to get back to the subject of what to do when meeting a loose dog. Talking can help, and it doesn't have to be sweet talk directed towards the dog, as Errin Paddywack described having used successfully, or an "OH HIYA" à la CorvuxCorax.
After all, dogs are usually used to hearing us humans babble, so talking can make the situation feel more normal, than a person standing silently looking at either the ground or a point far away.

But if you do talk, think about the tone of your voice. Many, many years ago when I had my first dogs, my mum was an expert at saying "Calm down!" In a tense tone which said "So exciting!" Guess what my dogs listened to, her words, or her tone?
The "Calm down!" Was usually followed with "Why aren't you listening to me?", "Calm down!" Still said in a tone which had the exact opposite effect of what my mum thought she said.
She's stopped doing that, but could probably easily slip back into her old bad habits.

 

[CorvusCorax]

That's kinda why I'm reticent to share some of the diagrams floating about. A tail wagging can mean a genuinely happy dog.
A slow side to side can mean carnage is about to ensue.
A paw in the air can mean submission, it can also mean 'imma gonna bite ya now'.
My female does a lot of what look like appeasement behaviours but I wouldn't call her submissive and she can also be extremely forward/pushy.

 

[Clodagh]

working the collies today (well, being next to them while they worked) really highlighted body language. If a bullock turned and kept going towards them they absolutely went tall, curled their lip and then nipped if needed. I saw what I think you all mean about weight forward.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Well, no one wants to be 'on the back foot'!

 

[Clodagh]

Well, no one wants to be 'on the back foot'!

Is that where that quote comes from? Dog fighting? Like ‘coming up to scratch’ and so on?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Is that where that quote comes from? Dog fighting? Like ‘coming up to scratch’ and so on?

No, it's either cricket or boxing I think. But generally, you want to be as stable/grounded as possible in the face of an opponent.

 

[Clodagh]

I realised last night it’s not dogs. Boxing I think?