As a pet sitter and dog walker, I am out each and every day of the week walking dogs in the neighborhoods of Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills and Laguna Niguel.  At least once or twice a month we encounter a loose dog in the neighborhood.  This can be a stressful situation to find yourself in-you don’t know where the dog lives, where it came from, if it’s friendly or not, and all of that may not matter if your dog is stressed by an off-leash dog while they are leashed.

I once had an English Bull Dog bust through a locked screen door to get at the dog I was walking on the sidewalk.  Luckily the bull dog realized its mistake when it got close to my 120 pound dog, who simply turned her head to look at the pudgy dog approaching her, gave a low, deep growl and kept walking.  Thankfully the bull dog ran back home as quickly as it had run out.  But that’s not usually the case.

Here are eight strategies you can use and practice with your dog should a loose dog approach you the next time you and your furry best friend are out on a neighborhood walk.

1. Stay Calm – that means both you and your dog need to remain as calm as possible. I know, the adrenaline starts pumping when you see a loose dog.  It’s natural to get your hackles up, but if you remain calm, your dog will also feel that calm energy from you and that helps to settle him down.

That also means, Don’t Run.  That could be considered a game to the loose dog and you don’t want that.

2. Practice the Emergency U-Turn. Steadily turn you and your dog in the opposite direction of the approaching loose dog and/or cross to the opposite side of the street.  I suggest you practice this technique a little during each walk so your dog is not surprised when you do it.

3. Work on getting your dog to look at you when you see another dog, working with treats helps with this. If you can get your dogs attention, try using the term “watch me” or something similar, there will be less eye contact between dogs, thereby alleviating some of the tension between them.

4. This next one is amazingly simple, but has worked for me. State in a loud and firm voice “Go Home” to the loose dog.  You should repeat this several times and in the same loud, firm voice; it’s amazing how many times that will work.  The dog stops, almost as if they’re considering what you have said, and then turns and goes home, or at least goes in a direction other than towards you.

5. Think about carrying treats and a slip leash with you. Sometimes you will come across a loose dog who is not aggressive and you can see that he has tags on.  If you have a slip leash with you it is easier to get control of that dog and read his tag, hopefully reuniting him with his family.  If you also have treats, that could make slipping the leash over a little easier.   I do carry a slip leash in my car and have used it several times to get loose dogs under my control and enable me to read their tag.  Each time (luckily) I have reached the owner and made the reunion possible.

Trying to leash a dog is not appropriate in every situation.  You need to be able to assess and determine what will work.  I once walked a loose dog (with no tags) up and down the neighborhood streets where I found him roaming, he was gentle and allowed me to leash him up.  As we walked I paid close attention to his body language, and he began to show interest in one particular house.  Just then the family drove into the driveway and wondered why I was walking their dog.  They had no idea he had slipped out of the yard when they all left the house for a ball game.  Happy Ending.

6. Treats can also serve as a way to distract an approaching loose dog. Throw the treats far away from you and your dog, thus getting the loose dog to go after the treats in the other direction, giving you time to practice your U-Turn and get out of there.

7. I have heard a dog trainer say she always walks with a jacket or sweat shirt tied around her waist, no matter what the weather is. In the event you or your dog are attacked, this can be used to throw over the head of the attacking dogs eyes.  ONLY use this tactic if the dog has crossed over into attack mode.  If you throw something towards an aggravated/aggressive dog it could trigger an attack that may not have occurred otherwise.

8. It’s also wise to carry an umbrella with you, an automatic one is best. But you need to train your dog not to be fearful of an opening and closing umbrella or you could make this entire situation worse. Use the umbrella either as a device to keep the approaching dog away or, in case the dog is close and about to attack you or your dog, pop the umbrella open in the dogs face.

If none of the above tactics work and your dog is attacked, try throwing your jacket or backpack or purse between the dog’s mouths.  If you happen to carry an air horn, use it.  The noise may startle them and end the fight.

If you attempt to separate dogs in a fight, grab both rear legs and pull up and back, you want to disengage their mouths.  This may stop their fight as they turn towards you to see what is going on.  Distance yourself immediately from the situation.  This technique works best if the other dog is also being pulled off simultaneously.

That last tactic is very difficult to do.  Please use caution if attempting.

Lastly, if your dog is attacked, please look for injuries immediately.  Puncture wounds may not bleed immediately.  Using your hands, or if you have a thick coated dog, a blow dryer on the cool setting, move the dogs fur in the opposite direction of growth.   You will more easily be able to see any puncture wounds and get your dog medical attention.  If you have a small dog that was attacked, please take him to their vet for an evaluation.  They may have internal injuries that you cannot see.

I hope this information proves useful to you in avoiding an unpleasant experience while out walking your dog.  It’s great exercise for both of you and provides bonding time as well.

If you need help walking your dog, or any other petsitting needs, please check out my Services Page.

Thank you.