what do you do - unleashed dogs

My neighborhood is crawling with loose dogs.  I don't take my three for walks unless my DH is with me to help handle the dogs if we encounter a dog who is aggressive.  We've been in some pretty hairy situations even with the two of us.  If I walk alone in our neighborhood I just take one dog at a time and I go early in the morning because I seem to encounter less that way.   It's been a while since I walked in our neighborhood because we found a place near us that we can drive to and walk unmolested.  We also got permission to use a ballfield at a park.  It's nice because we can let the dogs off lead so they can run around.  Yes, it's a bit more time consuming to load them up and drive somewhere but much less stressful for all of us. 

In your situation, with small kids and multiple dogs, I think I'd be looking around for somewhere to walk the dogs and be safe from harm and worry.   We use a subdivision that was cleared and roads built but no houses have been built.  It may take some looking around and cruising for the right spot but it was well worth it to me and the dogs.

 

Yeah, I'd do your best to find somewhere safe to walk, even if you have to get in the car and drive a little.

I've always thought a pop-up umbrella would work well, so long as your dogs are conditioned to it. You could even teach one of your kids to press the button when you give 'the signal', ROFL.

I swear I'm not making light of your situation - my little guy has been attacked TWICE (once, with no injury, the second time with serious injuries to himself and I), I've been attacked once while jogging (no injury, but dog slobber and pepper spray all over my bare legs!) and I can't even count the number of times I've been approached by loose dogs while I'm working as a dog-walker. Really, there is no solution. When it's a chronic offender I'm not shy about leaving a little note if I know where the dog belongs :)

One dog 2 many

giving me a chance to run away with my dogs

Definitely that's the worse thing you can do. Once you give your back at them you turn yourself into "prey", not to mention that it wont make any difference because they will catch you and your kids in less than 2 seconds.

I have encounter this a few times since i walk my dog every single day. A 65lb Pitbull came out of a house while i was walking my dog. The pitbull ran 20 yards in less than 2 seconds before throwing the first bite at Chuck which landed on his backpack. All that i did was place myself between the 2 of them, lowered my center of gravity and opened my arms, the pitbull did 3 steps to the left and i did the same. He then realized that he was not going to be able to get to Chuck again with me being there and returned to his owners who were calling him. I didnt even once had to touch the Pitbull to stop him.

I place Chuck behind me and he stays there, he does not have any problem if i let him deal with the other dog himself but of course thats not recommendable.

What works for me is stand on my ground, when a dog sees that you are not actually trying to run away and you are not "prey" then the whole psychology and dinamics of the situation changes. I just stand there between them and whatever I'm protecting, the dogs know that even when I'm showing that i will not accept to become a prey to them i'm also letting them know that i will not hurt them either.

Not only the pitbull is the only situation i have encountered, this has happened 5 or 6 times with different dogs from different breeds, from chihuahuas and poodles to mutts. The pitbull was the only that got closer to Chuck but that was because his speed and before i was able to position myself in between them.

You dont even have to get close to them, just stay where you are and wait, hands on the waist like "wonder woman" and you'll see that even when the dogs will not go from predator to 100% sumission at least you will be able to see a change in their demeanor, a little bit surpised that you actually didnt run away like all the others do. Take your time.

I remember a small poodle that was is always really angry at Chuck when she sees him, she barks like crazy and pulls on the leash ready to attack. In one ocasion i dont know why she was just not on her leash and saw Chuck. She came like a bullet towards us dragging her feet on the ground like saying "here i come and i'm making a lot of noise with my feet and mouth". Once she saw us that we were just standing our ground she just place her tail between the legs and started walking away like saying "ok i will go now but i still dont like you". Really weird as we never did anything to her whatsoever

What i also carry in Chuck's backpack is a retractable police baton:

http://www.amazon.com/26-Solid-Steel-Expandable-Holster/dp/B002ZQ0K66/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1274301801&sr=8-3-spell

They are portable and can help you to stand on your ground if needed. Nothing like a 26' metallic stick to make you feel secure.

If you were having time to think you maybe could do a thousand more other things, but sometimes you are inside the "hole" before you know it, and it's either run or stay right there where you are.

I carry Spray Shield and/or a walking stick in my neighborhood (mostly for coyotes, not unleashed dogs), but I have no hesitation about telling a dog owner to recall their dogs, and that I do not permit my dogs to meet other dogs while on leash.  If they cannot recall the dog, after fair warning, I have no problem squirting the dog, or popping open my umbrella, or whatever, to keep the dog away from my dogs or me.  If a dog were to attack my dog(s), I will do whatever it takes to save my dogs from injury. I agree with espencer that you should never run away - it engages predatory drive in some dogs that would not normally have chased you, and you aren't fast enough to get away from a dog that is bent on attacking you.  Instead, put any object you have between you and the attacking dog (notebook, umbrella, stick, tree, etc.)  Sometimes, it helps to simply tell the approaching dog to "sit" (it's a cue most dogs know well, and some of them actually do it!)  When they realize that you are a human who knows the obedience language, they are often less likely to test you.  Don't stare at any threatening dog, though.  Some of them will be on you in a flash if they perceive a threat or a challenge.  Avert your eyes, stand your ground, and when it's safe, back away slowly.  Try to keep your own dog's body language non-threatening, too.  Turn his head from time to time, or quietly ask him to watch you.

Definitely that's the worse thing you can do. Once you give your back at them you turn yourself into "prey",

I agree.  Thank goodness the motorist blocked the dogs off, so I was able to run without them chasing me.

 M

Except for 2 incidents, I have stood my ground and firmly said "NO" several times with success.  Incident 1:  My husband blocked a loose rottie (ran out of an open garage) from getting to me & our current cairn, then the owner caught it, only to have it break free from the owner's grip on its collar, charged again, husband blocked again, owner grabbed it again. Incident 2:  Previous cairn was attacked on a dark morning walk by a loose GSD that came out of nowhere from behind a bush in front of us. This cairn was a dog that always stood up for himself.  There was a brief scuffle, and I was screaming "NO" firmly over and over and the GSD thankfully ran with its tail tucked.   The owner came running up the street and began comforting his dog!  I was still in shock and turned and we went home.  My dog had a small scratch on one ear, but was fine.  I wish now I would have said something to him.  Anyway I do carry pepper spray, but he was attacked so fast I dropped it in the dark.  I think I should carry a walking stick or a golf club as I see some people do.  I always have my phone now as well.  Right now I am on crutches so I hobble a little as my son walks our dog.

My dogs dearly don't want to get into any fights with strange dogs. With that in mind, I'm happy to let them be wherever they want to be doing whatever they want to do and in all seriousness I mostly take my lead from Kivi because he's very well socialised and the things he can do with dogs behaving aggressively is far more effective than anything I can do. He thinks a kiss and a play solves any problem that's solvable and he's usually right about that. If it's not solvable he knows before he engages with the dog and he often comes in close to me and lurks slightly behind me. If he, Mr Social Butterfly, doesn't want to have anything to do with a dog I'm on VERY high alert, but usually if he avoids them they avoid him. If it's determined to have something to do with him I hold still and just watch. If the dog has approached at anything less than a charge it is very rare for a fight to break out. My boys will do anything at all to avoid a fight and have so far been successful in that. If the dog wants a piece of them all I can do is act as I see fit. I'll stand my ground, body block, and I'll do my big "Git home!" I will slowly and deliberately walk towards the oncoming dog if it's not charging. Charging dogs scare the bejesus out of me and I dodge if I can.

 

Totally depends on the situation. If the dog isn't dead set on getting mine, I put them in a stay, behind me, and tell the dog off. If the dog *is* dead set on getting them, I pick them up, tell the dog off, and use whatever part of my body is handy to fend it off with. I have had to quit walking alone, because of the loose dogs in the area.