dealing with someone else's reactive dog

Karen, hi.  I'm going to come at this from the view point of Willow is a reactive dog. 

So, when I'm walking her, the best thing is for the other dog that is approaching or coming at us to just keep going or doing what they are doing.  When they do something special like try to interact or in B's case, sit and stay and watch her, her interest in that dog goes up. 

So, basically what I'm trying to say is keep moving and doing your thing because distance is the best thing possible.  My reactive dog and most reactive dogs have this threshold of tolerance that involves space--as in, say B is 25 ft away, Willow is fine and does her thing, you don't bother her, she won't bother you.  But, now get 5 ft away and we have a different reaction. 

Also, in your specific case, it's safer to keep going because it sounds like the dog is not under the girls control at all.  If that had been me walking Willow that you saw, I would of thanked you for stopping but asked you to keep going.  Or, if that for some reason wasn't possible like say you were having a conversation with someone in the street--I would of turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Hopefully that made sense. 

Lori

I do understand exactly what you are saying and now I need to figure out how to keep him moving but not have him think we are going to say hello.  No doubt I can find something simple to keep his focus on me, but I will admit that getting it in the first place will be a challenge LOL

 I would just keep going or go the other way, but you can help by attempting to do it so that your dog curves his body away from the lunging dog.  That curve of the body may be seen as a "calming signal" by the reactive dog.  In any case, a stand/stay facing the lunging dog would almost always be perceived as threatening behavior, since dogs don't often approach frontally or present the front of their bodies unless they mean business or are socially inept. 

 Well we saw the girl and dog again today and I kept Bugsy moving which wasn't easy as the other dog was lunging, snarling and staring at him.  The girl doesn't have any control and on one of the lunges it got very close to B and he growled and moved towards it.  That is the first time he has ever growled.  This is a disaster in the making.

 Is it possible for you to just cross the street when the dog is appraoching?  Honestly, I think that it would be the best thing.  Bugsy shounds like he is becoming very aggitated by this and if the other dog were to get loose with you guys right next to him, then you could have a real problem.

I would just keep my distance.

sillysally

 Is it possible for you to just cross the street when the dog is appraoching? 

I have seen him lunge at another small dog so it isn't just Bugsy.  It is a disaster in the making though

leave a copy of "click to calm" in their mailbox. Otherwise, well, avoid them as best you can.

kpwlee

I am really unsure whether to talk to the family and say that it might not be best to have her alone trying to handle this dog. 

I'm assuming she's a teen or younger based on the above quote.  Why wouldn't you want to talk to her parents?  Sounds like she and her dog are at risk if this continues not to mention you.  Maybe you could offer to help her with her dog.  I have done that more than once and have not met with anything except gratitude.  I do it for selfish reasons but they don't have to know that. LOL 

sillysally

 Is it possible for you to just cross the street when the dog is appraoching?

I agree. Apollo was reactive, now he more gets excited/eager (but it's a step down, we're working on it....) to see other dogs. But, it used o help so much if the other dog would just cross the street and keep moving. If they didn't cross, we would, and we'd just keep moving.

 MP that isn't a bad idea

Blacklabbie see above we ARE on the other side of the street - no curbs/sidewalks so we are both in the street.  Bugsy walks on the grass on my left.

JackieG

 I'm assuming she's a teen or younger based on the above quote.  Why wouldn't you want to talk to her parents? 

She appears about 15 and I just think it will be an awkward conversation.  I do think it is commendable that she is at least providing some exercise for the dog because no one else is but it is going to blow up one day.  May be not with me and B but as I said it lunges and snarls at other dogs too and there is no way she is able to control it.

I'll try and give them a ring this week if their number is in the directory.

kpwlee

Blacklabbie see above we ARE on the other side of the street - no curbs/sidewalks so we are both in the street.  Bugsy walks on the grass on my left.

I saw that after I posted- my bad!

I guess you just have to deal with it like I had to deal w/ people's off leash dogs in a leash mandatory area. Just try and manage and try to stay away from them. It stinks, but unless the dog gets loose I don't think there's too much you can do except maybe talk to the girl/parents.

What about putting B in an offside heel?  With both Maggie (reactive) and Ziva (nonreactive, just a greeter) I find it much easier to maintain focus on me when my body is between them and the distraction, plus if need be I can step in more quickly to avert problems.

If B has a good "watch me" that can also be very helpful in a situation like this as it gives him somethign to do that's not threatening to the other dog and keeps him from taking matters into his own paws.

spiritdogs

since dogs don't often approach frontally or present the front of their bodies unless they mean business or are socially inept. 

 Okay, not to pick a fight or something, but I totally disagree with that. In fact, I rarely see dogs that DON'T approach front on. People are always saying dogs don't do that and I'm telling you they do. All the time. Some dogs don't like it. Most are thoroughly fine with it. Both my dogs are very well socialised and they always sniff around the face first before they do anything else. Kivi is still a pup in his head, but he is neither socially inept nor does he ever mean business. He always approaches front on screaming submissive signals. Penny is certainly not socially inept being 13 years old and seen just about every dog personality there is. She doesn't approach much anymore, but when she meets a dog for the first time it's always sniff at face, then circle and sniff at butt. She has very little interest in picking fights. My mother's two dogs are the same. They don't pick fights, they are very comfortable around other dogs and well socialised, and they at least sniff in the general direction of the other dog's face before doing anything else. They all get as close to touching noses as the other dog is comfortable with. It never starts a fight or gets another dog upset.

Most of Kivi's dog park pals will charge up to him at a gallop and screech to a halt right in his face. People are always saying that's rude, too, but he doesn't mind. Penny does, and the dogs that behave that way don't do it to her. Sometimes I wonder if we know very much at all about dog etiquette. I am beginning to think it doesn't exist. Different dogs have different styles. A polite dog is one that adjusts their behaviour in response to the signals they are receiving to avoid tension. I reckon it's got nothing to do with some unwritten book of dog manners.

Sorry to hijack. To answer the OP, I think ignoring is the best course of action. It tells both your dog and the lunging dog that there's nothing to be concerned about. One thing I've learnt from wild animals is they will often ignore you right up until you start looking at them. They are so leery of interest from someone.

 

corvus

spiritdogs

since dogs don't often approach frontally or present the front of their bodies unless they mean business or are socially inept. 

 

 Okay, not to pick a fight or something, but I totally disagree with that. In fact, I rarely see dogs that DON'T approach front on. People are always saying dogs don't do that and I'm telling you they do. All the time. Some dogs don't like it. Most are thoroughly fine with it. Both my dogs are very well socialised and they always sniff around the face first before they do anything else. Kivi is still a pup in his head, but he is neither socially inept nor does he ever mean business. He always approaches front on screaming submissive signals. Penny is certainly not socially inept being 13 years old and seen just about every dog personality there is. She doesn't approach much anymore, but when she meets a dog for the first time it's always sniff at face, then circle and sniff at butt. She has very little interest in picking fights. My mother's two dogs are the same. They don't pick fights, they are very comfortable around other dogs and well socialised, and they at least sniff in the general direction of the other dog's face before doing anything else. They all get as close to touching noses as the other dog is comfortable with. It never starts a fight or gets another dog upset.

Most of Kivi's dog park pals will charge up to him at a gallop and screech to a halt right in his face. People are always saying that's rude, too, but he doesn't mind. Penny does, and the dogs that behave that way don't do it to her. Sometimes I wonder if we know very much at all about dog etiquette. I am beginning to think it doesn't exist. Different dogs have different styles. A polite dog is one that adjusts their behaviour in response to the signals they are receiving to avoid tension. I reckon it's got nothing to do with some unwritten book of dog manners.

Sorry to hijack. To answer the OP, I think ignoring is the best course of action. It tells both your dog and the lunging dog that there's nothing to be concerned about. One thing I've learnt from wild animals is they will often ignore you right up until you start looking at them. They are so leery of interest from someone.

 

Yes, they do it all the time if they are socially inept.  Let me clarify - sniffing about the face is NOT what I consider a frontal approach.  To me, a frontal approach means that the dogs are making direct eye contact and facing one another, not averting eyes or making any circular moves with their bodies.  That body language is threatening.  And, just because most dogs "don't mind" being approached that way does not mean that it's normal greeting behavior - all that means is that most dogs are more or less subordinate and don't elect to cause a ruckus.  They simply use distance increasing signals or appeasement signals that thwart a real attack on the part of the approaching dog.  If you ever have a dog approach a dog that doesn't think it's ok, watch out.  Also, on leash greeting behavior is often not what you would see if the dogs were free to move about.

Actually, we know quite a lot about dog etiquette (great book on the subject by Barbara Handelman, for anyone interested: "Canine Behavior - An Illustrated Handbook", and also Brenda Aloff's book on body language.  

Behavior such as you describe at the dog park is not necessarily rude, since, as you say, it is coming from known "pals" who have already figured out your dog's M.O.  And, I get the same thing at our play groups - dogs figure out very quickly who they can and can not be so bold with.  If they try the same thing on my Sioux or Sequoyah that they try on the eternally bubbly Labs, they quickly get told off Aussie style.

As we know, too, some very reactive dogs will react to ANY approach, even an approach from a respectful language-savvy dog.  And, some dogs will NOT react, no matter how rude the greeter is.