To have been terrified at this?

[frostedviolets]

There is a dog that I often see out and about.

Whenever it sees me or my dog it goes really hard eyed and stares at us and walks more slowly towards us.

It’s not a collie so not ‘herding’ behaviour.
it’s absolutely massive.
Like some enormous hound type dog.

Honestly, this dog absolutely petrifies me but it’s always leashed.

It was on the path today but loose (I didn’t realise at first), staring and slowed as usual but I wasnt too concerned because I thought it was leashed.

When it got close to me it approaches me, not a happy bouncy approach but that slightly lowered ‘predatory’ type fast walk.

I turned my back on it quickly while the owner quickly grabbed its collar.
Apparently ‘he’s never done that before’
I just about managed to squeak out ‘it’s okay’ but honestly I was absolutely petrified.

I’m unsure if I should be concerned?
I have thought about reporting it but it hasn’t actually ‘done’ anything to me, I don’t know if it would be silly of me to report it?

I'm not a dog lover so I understand your fear but I dont know what you would actually be reporting?

Who would you report this non-incident to?

Dog warden or 101

Guess I’m being silly then yes?

I understand your fears but what exactly would you be reporting? Because the dog hasn't done anything except approach you slowly, albeit in a manner you find menacing.

My dog & I often get approached by other dogs in a manner I find concerning but it's just something I accept, although I really dislike it. I will call out to the owner to put their dog on the leash but of course then you get the standard "s/he's very friendly!" response. Despite the fact that my poor dog and I clearly disagree! Obviously if the dog attacks anyone or makes a move to then the situation is somewhat different.

I guess I find the sudden staring, the deliberate slowing down, the fast predatory walk really threatening and I am worried the dog might bite me one day.

I have only interacted with one other dog who behaves the way this one does and he attacked my dog with absolutely no warning whatsoever.

This dog worries me.
I worry he’s going to be the same, just going to suddenly ‘go’ and attack me with no warning.

But I feel like I can’t really say anything to 101 because it hasn’t behaved ‘aggressively’

Think you've answered your own question tbh

Any dog might bite one day ,I don't think you report a,dog because you think it might attack you one day ?.

Could it be that it sees you "cowering" and assumes you are "prey", so to speak and that is why it hunkers down and slowly approahes you?

You need to be calm and confident and "Alpha" when it comes to dogs, as they react to you. Next time you see the dog, keep your head held high and exude confidence and you might find it just ignores you

Maybe a dog like yours attacked him once, and he is scared.

I would try to avoid though.

Maybe a dog like yours attacked him once, and he is scared

Perhaps.
Though I didn’t have my dog with me today

Collies aren't the only dogs that round up. Many breeds have been traditionally used as sheep/cattle dogs. THat's how the German Shepherd and the Anatolian Shepherd to name just 2 got their names. The picture shows an Anatolian Shepherd

Picture not showing. Try again

My wolfhound girl tends to do the stalking thing. It’s because she’s trying to hold in her natural desire to bounce up to every dog and go “PLAY WITH ME!!!!”
She’s been taught to approach slowly so as not to terrify smaller dogs.
I’m not sure what exactly has you worried though. It looked at you and came towards you?

THat's how the German Shepherd and the Anatolian Shepherd to name just 2 got their names. The picture shows an Anatolian Shepherd

I am familiar with the Anatolian as DH is of Turkish descent and these are his favourite breed.
They are livestock guardians and don’t herd.

I’m not sure what exactly has you worried though. It looked at you and came towards you?

I don’t know, there’s just something about it I find utterly menacing.
It honestly terrifies me.

The way it immediately goes hard eyed and rigid, the deliberate slow walking towards me (and dog, though I was alone today) while still staring at us.
The way it approached me today.
It wasn’t a slow hesitant walk or a friendly relaxed fast walk.
It was very much like the fast walk/run you see collies doing.
Silent, quick, slightly lowered.
I always feel like it’s on edge and about to savage me/us.

Why don't you talk to the owner and find out about the dog? The previous dog who attacked yours has left you with the fear that means you could be picking up on danger or just completely paranoid.

Certainly you can't call 101 - what would you say? "A dog in the park is eyeballing me and walking slowly up to me"?

@scarbados Anatolian Shepherds are livestock guardian dogs, not herding dogs.

I'd actually get in touch with the local dog warden. It sounds like the dog is fixated on you and unless something is done it'll keep getting worse.

The previous dog who attacked yours has left you with the fear that means you could be picking up on danger or just completely paranoid
Totally.
I’m not entirely sure which one it is.

Certainly you can't call 101 - what would you say? "A dog in the park is eyeballing me and walking slowly up to me"?
I know, your right.
I would sound absolutely ridiculous wouldn’t I 😂

I’ll just make a bigger effort to avoid it in future

I think you are right being cautious around this dog.
Can you change your route for a while?

I would have spoken to the owner. They may be able to explain the behaviour or you could say your dog (and you) are nervous after a previous attack and could they please keep their dog away.
If you put yours on a lead I would expect them to do the same. (Doesn’t mean they will though.)

One of our neighbours has a dog who does this, whether it is to people, or passing cars or other dogs. It also runs round the garden barking for no reason. for fucking hours it looks to me like it’s just nervous of everything. It’s ineffectual owner seems not to have trained it correctly as it’s been like this since it was a puppy.

Sounds like you see this dog, with yours, a lot. Why not organise a doggy introduction session in a controlled environment so it gets to know you both? Takes any uncertainty out of future meetings which sounds the issue tbh

Certainly you can't call 101 - what would you say? "A dog in the park is eyeballing me and walking slowly up to me"?

One of the best things I've read today.

Don't try and stare down an intimidating dog.

Sounds like you see this dog, with yours, a lot. Why not organise a doggy introduction session in a controlled environment so it gets to know you both? Takes any uncertainty out of future meetings which sounds the issue tbh

Absolutely not.
My dog is frightened of large dogs, she won’t approach larger dogs at all and would most likely be pretty antisocial if I got them to meet.

I didn’t have my dog with me today, I was alone and it seems like this dog only dislikes me and my dog..

I do see it out and about a lot, I commented to DH weeks ago how upset I was that I had seen this dog again walking in front of me and it had been perfectly fine and relaxed with many strange dogs (popular walking route) yet immediately goes starey and tense at the mere sight of mine, and just me alone it seems