What to do - encountering an off-leash dog

I would think an air horn would be the same as pepper spray...your dog will get it also.

I have considered one, but if it will freak the other dog out, it is going to freak mine out also.

Has anyone had real life experiences with one of these?

chasza,
ha! The only dogs that bother us on our walks are little dogs! The "Oh, I'm just training my dog to walk off leash" lady and her shih tzu (or some kind of furry, little dog) that comes barreling at my dog. My fiancee had to literally barrel right back at it and chase it into the arms of its owners last weekend. What would have happened if he had not been with us on our walks to do that??? My dog would have destroyed that little thing. And I would have felt HORRIBLE.

Yes, J M and I could talk HOURS about this same issue. hahahaha. We're in every "off leash dog" thread talking about the horrible close encounters we've had (or actual encounters).

Bottom-line, I'm not allowing myself to be afraid anymore. It's not worth it. I will walk my dog and be as prepared as possible. She won't get hurt by another dog. No, I worry about my dog in a different way than most do when it comes to off leash dogs. I will do what I have to take care of off leash dogs, or I should say, what I can do. And that's all I can do.

I try to walk her in the morning while it's still dark out and after the sun goes down at night.

where can I purchase a small air horn?

This is why I'm so afraid to walk my little guys around outside of our fenced property.

 
ME TOO !!!!   We do walk, but I checked out the area first to see if there were any off leash dogs first.    But last week I decided to try a "different route", and hadn't checked it first.   As we were going past one house this HUGH animal (took me a while to figure out it was a dog - and even longer to figure out it was a Bouvier de Flanders) came out from behind the garage - off leash.   Prancer didn't seem concerned - I on the other hand was scared out of my wits before my brain caught up and I said "STAY CALM".    The BdeF wanted to check Prancer out and my heart RACED.  I asked the owner to call back his dog but he thought it was funny that "everyone was scared" and didn't make a real attempt to call the dog back.
I have no idea if I did the right thing - but I scooped Prancer up and we walked that way for the next block.   To be honest, I've not gone off our own street since them - it really put a fear into me - what if it WERE a lose dog ?? what if the owner weren't there ???    I only weigh 110 lbs myself, so I'm not a match for a strong dog on my own and I don't think a stick would help me out too much either - I'm not very strong at all.
Ugh - this thread makes me feel that Prancer is just doomed to get all her exercise in the yard only, which really brings me down [&o]

It hasn't happened often, but when a loose dog came up to us, I just stepped between and made sure that the dog would not come forward.  Walk and say No  go home, My dogs like that I take control.

i had two labs charge at me and Kaydee when i had her out on a walk around the block. Without thinking for my own safety (i didnt want a free for all with three dogs in the middle of the street) i stepped in front of Kaydee and made direct eye contact with the lead lab and pointed at him(some dogs dont like that and it seems to scare them) He went from confident that we was going to chase us off to unsure and insecure. head down, tail between his legs, but he was still growling and barking. his companion was old and just along for the fun. they made a half circle but when i followed and kept eye contact and moved towards them they found somewhere else to be.
It was over before it started, but an old lady working in her yard saw the whole thing and commented on how two trouble makers needed to learn a leson one day.
I'm glad we moved from there because a lot of the people didnt believe in properly restraining their pets.

ORIGINAL:  JoAnnDe
 
I have no idea if I did the right thing - but I scooped Prancer up and we walked that way for the next block.

ORIGINAL:  DumDog
 
i stepped in front of Kaydee and made direct eye contact with the lead lab and pointed at him(some dogs dont like that and it seems to scare them) He went from confident that we was going to chase us off to unsure and insecure. head down, tail between his legs, but he was still growling and barking. 

In many cases these techniques will work, but not always.
 
Problems with picking up your dog:
(1)  Some dogs will bite their owners out of frustration when picked up like this.  Sort of a "if you can't bite the one you want, bite the one you can".
(2)  Some seriously aggressive dogs will knock down the owner to get to the dog in his/her arms.  This can put you in the middle of a dog fight.
 
Problems with intimidating a dog:
Learn to read doggie body language and be very careful when trying this technique.  Some dogs will accept the challenge and you have to be prepared to defend yourself.  For some people this technique is like using an unloaded gun to bluff an armed robber.
 
Milani, Dr. Myrna, Body Language and Emotions of Dogs: A Practical Guide …, 10/1993[font="times new roman"]
[link>http://tinyurl.com/6s9g6]http://tinyurl.com/6s9g6[/link][/size][/font]
 
Cohen, Stanley[font=verdana][size=3], How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication, 4/2001
[linkhttp://tinyurl.com/5oee5]http://tinyurl.com/5oee5[/link][/size][/font]

Argh! I just encountered this today. I do garden design in the spring and summer months. I was just finishing up and had released my dog from her down/stay spot in the shade when I heard the other dogs bark. They were in full charge. I stopped them in their tracks at about 20 feet away with deep bark of "OUT!". I got my dog into the car and headed back to collect my tools. The two dogs just kind of milled around while I ignored them. They calmed down and went away.

I am very comfortable with dogs and my dog does nothing to add to the situation, so in this case it was diffused quickly.

But each situation is different. I can only say that no dog will ever get to mine without getting through me first. A back-up spray is always a good idea if you don't have a garden tool handy in an emergency...

I haven't read every word in the posts did anyone mention a large umbrella w/ an auto button, just pop it open between you and the off leash dog, he won't be able to get at you.

I haven't read every word in the posts did anyone mention a large umbrella w/ an auto button, just pop it open between you and the off leash dog, he won't be able to get at you.

It was mentioned above, but it is a good enough idea to be mentioned again.  The only problem is when there is more than one dog.  Then you can need multiple umbrellas.  [8D]

Well...I guess I should consider myself lucky that I haven't had any more problems with off-leash/stray dogs than I've had!  What about leash laws?  Our town does have one and there are very few loose dogs on our walks...& usually they have a collar & tag so I expect they've somehow just escaped for the moment.  Should I feel guilty if I call animal control to remove a dog that is running around without an owner?  Does anyone know what they do with dogs they pick up?  If the dog has a collar & isn't harassing us, then I'd try to contact the owner first but the pitbull we saw didn't have a collar, although she didn't look like she'd been neglected.  I'm not sure I would want it distroyed unless it had been aggressive towards us, but it shouldn't be allowed to run loose either.  I thought about the pepper spray & horn, but am also worried about Morgan getting sprayed or blasted, too...I'm leaning towards the collaspible walking stick. 

. I thought about the pepper spray & horn, but am also worried about Morgan getting sprayed or blasted, too

In some cases the situation has to be managed for the least amount of harm, rather than no harm.  If I have to choose between pepper spray and teeth, I'll choose pepper spray.  It causes no lasting harm and I can reverse the effects fairly quickly.

Here is a post on neutralizing pepper spray:
[linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/m.asp?m=312948&mpage=1&key]http://forum.dog.com/asp/m.asp?m=312948[/link]

Or just have someone walk with you if possible.  It seems that dogs know when they are outnumbered. One dog and one person, won't always sway a persistant dog.

But add another person to the mix and your odds get better.

 I have found that shooing a dog off, while trying to get yours moving and to a safe place isn't all that easy.  It can cause confusion for your own dog, especially if he has a protective streak.  Which a lot of dogs have toward their owner.

If your dog sees you shooing and barking at the other dog, he is most likely going to want to join in on the fun. 

It is also hard to make yourself look big.... because in order to do that, you are going to have to face the dog.  If your dog is leashed and by your side, then it too, is face to face with the dog.  Which is a bad position for yours to be in if the dog is looking for trouble.

So, someone  else can shoo and pop the stick/umbrella/direct stop or whatever while you and your dog move on.

Thanks for the website - I've printed off the info & will keep it on hand...hopefully I'll never need it!  I usually walk before my husband gets home & enjoy the one-on-one time with Morgan - he definitely pays closer attention without friendly distractions around!...but I may wait for the company if the pb shows up again!