How can I stop a dog attacking my dog?

[Solo2]

My dog, 1 yr old golden retriver, Rollo, has now been attacked for the second time by the same dog and I'm dreading our walks today, as I was quite scared myself yesterday.

This time, the dog - and another - raced towards mine at high speed, from a great distance away, just as I'd arrived with Rollo on a short lead, right next to me. The dog snarled and growled and pinned down Rollo, biting him as he cowered beside me. It wasn't a play thing. It was definitely aggression. Rollo was whimpering (he's a very submissive male).

I shouted at the owner to take his dogs away and he kept calling them. Like last time, they didn't go to him but when they finally did, he - like last time - whipped them with a leather lead as they cowered at his feet. I was almost in tears and not v. clear about what I should do.

I told the man I'd check to see if Rollo had any broken skin but fortunately, the aggressive dog had only pulled out a clump of fur.

Just like last time, the man said his dog is never aggressive and that it must be something about Rollo - perhaps because he wears a muzzle (as this man knows, this is only to stop him scavenging all the time and getting upset tummies). I reiterated that no other dog has ever attacked Rollo or been disturbed by his muzzle.

I was too upset to talk further and walked quickly away with Rollo - who was still on his lead. Last time it happened, he'd been off lead. He always used to love meeting dogs on our walks as he loves to play and sort of expects other dogs to be friendly, I think.

I am now afraid that we'll meet the man again. He seems to walk there -sometimes with his wife too - around the same times as I do but I am stuck with these times of day, as the only slots I have between work. Also, this is the only off lead safe walk for Rollo at present - with lots of farmland fields around, so that he can run free for ages. His recall isn't great at present, although we're working on it - and I can't trust that he'd come back to me immediately.

I feel like I should just avoid this walk but it really is the only good safe off lead walking around here and I feel angry that I should have to stop going just in case we see the aggressive dog again.

What can I do to ward off an attacking dog? Should I shout and stamp my foot or will that incite further aggression and also scare my own dog? Having Rollo on lead right beside me doesn't put off the other dog nor does having him off lead and further away. I'm frightened that oneday I'll also have DCs with me and it's quite awful to have a dog (and on this occasion, it's companion dog too), racing towards us, snarling and snapping and leaping onto Rollo. It's very different behaviour than I've seen from any other dog who just wants to play - very clearly scary aggression.

But should I assume that actually, there's no real problem if the other dog isn't breaking skin/drawing blood - or is clear aggression and biting/snarling , plus Rollo's fear, enough to merit my worry and anger?

Each time it's happened, I've been so shocked and upset that I've not been able to think what to do in the split second it happens. My dog trainer says I should try to write down the license plate of the owner's car and also report him to the RSPCA but this seems a big step to take, when Rollo hasn't actually had his skin broken.

I have to add that I'm slightly daunted by the owners - a distinguished looking 'well kept', elderly couple with incredibly posh accents. Their whole manner is one of this being MY fault and not the fault of their own dog but surely the fact that their dog selectively attacks mine, even honing in on him from afar and even when he's right beside me on lead, can't really be Rollo's fault? Also, if they thrash their dogs - quite viciously from what I've seen - then surely they probably have aggressive dogs because of THIS, not because of Rollo?

The attacking dog is fairly elderly looking and I think a smallish black labrador, as is the other dog they own who was with them yesterday - but I can't tell from afar if it's them, as there are so many lovely, small black labs. walking this route too.

Anyway, is there a good way of deterring a dog, intent on attacking? Also, should I drop Rollo's lead, in case the dog attacks me too or Rollo wants to run off and should I take off his muzzle - if I see the dog coming - to give him a fighting chance?

Please help?

YOu should tell the man to control his dogs in public and muzzle them if they attack another dog ! My dog can be touchy with smaller dogs so off lead she is muzzled...

When I go to the park with my husband we are sometimes confronted by a large dog who goes after our labrador. As the dog heads towards us my husband makes himself as 'large' as possible standing up tall and loudly and in a deep voice shouts "NO". This has worked before as it stops the dog in its tracks.
But ultimately it is the owners responsibility to control his dogs. You should never ever get between two dogs when they are fighting.

Goodness, poor you - and poor Rollo. Sounds upsetting and infuriating. I think, if its possible to talk to the wretched man without getting Rollo mauled, I would say to the man that, as his dog seems to want to attack Rollo for whatever reason , has he any ideas as to how this situation could be better managed? Because you have to walk your dog there, at that time, so...?

Let him come up with some solutions, grrr.

I don't think there is much you can do, tbh, otherwise - water sprays and whatnot might work, but might not and might aggravate things, or get you attacked too. I wouldn't go down that route, personally.

The other owner sounds like a right pillock. In your position, I think I'd walk with an umbrella/stick in case I needed to protect my dog, and also a mobile phone. If the other dogs come near, and he again tries to blame your dog for his inability to control his dogs , I think I'd make a show of saying I was calling the police and having him arrested for having his dogs dangerously out of control in a public place (or something). No wonder they don't come back to him if he beats them. Arsehole.

Yes, he sounds like a complete dickhead.
And of course his dogs' recall is crap if their 'reward' for contact with him is a beating. And no way is their behaviour your or your dog's fault.
And you'd be completely within your rights to threaten him with a call to the police. It sounds as if these people will boss you around unless you get in there first, IYSWIM.
Also, though, if an attack looks imminent, do let go off your dog's lead - at least that way he can get away from the other dogs.
I sort of agree about taking umbrella/water spray with you, except for that if other owners are determined to blame you for the attack then they're also likely to suggest that these precautions prove that your dog's always getting into fights, or whatever.
If other dogs are charging yours, let go of the lead so your can run away, and turn your back on the other dogs. That's a fairly safe, reasonably reliable way of diverting the other dogs.

I have the same problem. I regularly (4 or 5 times a week) meet a lady who is a dog walker and she has a pack of dogs that surround mine barking furiously and often nipping and charging at them.

Now my collie is not good with other dogs but always comes back so I put her on her lead but I don't stop her from defending her space anymore. If they come too close they get bitten, but I don't really want this as I'm trying to make her better around other dogs!

My poor spaniel however is like your Rolo, very submissive and after an few incidents in the last month and these dogs several times a week he has become nervous around other dogs.
I have thought about carrying a small water pistol but tbh there are 4 or 5 big dogs and a water pistol wouldn't have much effect. Shouting at them seems to work but again I can't shout at 4 at once they just come from behind!

I now try to avoid the dogs, if I see them first I walk a different way but sometimes I can't.

Could you walk at a different time? Or even from a different direction so you don't meet this dog? Or even with a friend, someone who is prepared to shout at the dog and look intimidating so you can concentrate more on Rollo.
I would take off his muzzle tbh at least then he could defend himself even though he might not!

otherwise you are welcome to borrow my collie I can assure you it won't pin her down!

It is TOTALLY the responsibility of the owners of the attacking dog to keep it on the lead where there is a risk that it might go for your dog.

I have a dog that has a few "target" dogs -- dogs that he particularly dislikes for hard-to-fathom reasons of his own. I wouldn't dream of making those dogs' safety the responsibility of their owners, rather than my responsibility. There is no place for victim blaming here!

So I think it would be completely reasonable to get a bit assertive with the owners, an as polite and friendly a way as possible. IME people with "difficult" dogs can get a bit defensive, but that is because they are very aware that they are in the wrong, and are panicking a bit inside.

Oh, but a suggestion of how to stop the attack if the owner isn't on hand or his dog is ignoring him: petshops sell cans of compressed air that make a hissing noise when pressed. A bit too negative for use as a general training aid, I think. But in a case like this, to use as an emergency distraction from very unwelcome behaviour, it might be good.

Their dog is atttacking your dog.

It is their responsibility to stop it.

Their dogs should be muzzled and securely on leads.

Carry a stick and phone the police and dog warden immediately if it happens again.

Poor Rollo.

Just because the arsehole owner of the attacking dogs says it is only Rollo they attack, doesn't mean its true. Can you ask other dog walkers if they have had any run ins with them?

I would definetely call the Dog Warden next time. If nothing else, you may stop those poor dogs being beaten.

It might be Rollo's submissiveness that is inflaming the attacks - BUT this no way excuses the behaviour of the other dogs, or their owner. If they attack one submissive dog, then chances are they are attacking others.

I hope poor Rollo can go back to enjoying his walks.

I agree with all those who say call the police. Don't risk it escalating and your dog (or someone else's dog) being seriously hurt, if not killed. If the police choose not to pursue it you've at least done all you can and will hopefully shake the owners into taking positive action to control their dogs.

I'm a very easy going, calm person but if ever a dog goes for mine and the owner doesn't show any concern all politeness and reserve goes out the window and I go a bit mental at them in the hope that a ranting mad woman will shock them into taking their dog's aggressive behaviour seriously and I tell them that if I see their dog off the lead again I'll report them. So far I've never had to do that. My dog is a completely passive cavi who wouldn't stand a chance against another dog intent on doing him real harm so I see it as my duty to protect him. I've heard too many horror stories to take any chances.

Poor you & poor Rollo (sad)

I worry about this happening & I'm sure ive seen Victoria Stillwell use a spray of air for a dog who was attacking people. Would something like this work ? What about one of those very loud, shrill hand alarms ?

In the meantime, I would photo the dog, photo the man & report him.

Thanks everyone. That's v helpful advice. No sign of the man and his dog today, thank heavens! I can't change the times of my dog walks because I've recently made a massive and complicated change with my working hours to accomodate Rollo's walks just before and just after working. This is working v well, as Rollo is now well exercised and settled whilst I work (from home but back-to-back meetings in an office).

I do tell virtually every dog walker I meet about the 2 attacks and tell them to watch out. No other dog at all has ever attacked Rollo and most love to meet and greet and play with him.

I don't know if there's a connection between the recent attack yesterday and Rollo's behaviour today but I had a nightmare time today on both walks because Rollo ran off across 2 fields to chase rabbits and pheasants etc and disappeared for 20 minutes. Nothing at all I did made him come back to me and I was frantic! He got into some private land, where I've been told there are rabbit traps and poison and no amount of me calling him, whistling and throwing his favourite toys for him made him return.

Could this be because he's put off walking/playing/running near me along the path, in case he sees another dog coming? How on earth can I let him off lead now, given both the aggressive dog and the fact that his recall has all but disappeared?

Could it be that he's having a surge of doggy male hormones at aged 1yr and that this 'smell' of testosterone has ignited aggression in the other dog and also made him start to roam far and wide?

If anyone has advice, please let me know. Not sure if the aggressive dog - or Rollo running away is the worst thing anymore! What will I do tomorrow to get him enough exercise, if I can't walk him off lead? What would the equivalent on-lead walking be in terms of time/ distance, compared with 2 off lead full out play/run/dash, trot walks of around an hr each?

This is straying inot a different topic now, perhaps but I'm not sure if the attack and his running off behaviour might be connected?

I wouldn't waste your time contacting the police, a mention to the dog warden may be an idea but as you have no name etc may not get very far. Although Rolo was mobbed (and this is appalling behaviour) an aggressive dog would have done much more than just pulled his fur so do not be too concerned if you see them again.

97 out of 100 dogs will stop approaching you or your dog if you stand between them with your hand up and say stop or down, in a very forceful manner. If you pussy about though and ask politely it will not work

Another command I have taught all my dogs and may help you is "call your dog". When I say "call your dog" and put my hand up my dogs will all run back to me and behind me. It is a dual command so that if an owner is approaching with a dog towards me that I do not like I ask them to "call their dogs" (hopefully they will!) and my dogs will retreat from the other dog towards me. I can also use call my dogs as a general lets get out of here command and turn away from the approaching dog.

You will always meet idiots while out walking dogs, and the ones that say "they have never done that before" are always lying! Generally you have already seen the dog behaving like it before.

Work on protecting Rolo by avoiding trouble, turn away, change your route etc prevention is always better than cure. If a dog does approach be forceful and strong with owner and dog!

The running off with have absolutely nothing to do with the earlier incident - just Rolo having some chill out time! I doubt it is testosterone just the joy of chasing those rabbits. Another training option is to have him on a long line, see rabbits, get really excited and give him some liver cake or yummy treat. Then do it every time you see rabbits and then start saying rabbits at home and give him yummy treats, most goldies will hear the word rabbits, or see rabbits and turn to you for treats. No more chasing. Chasing does need to be worked on to prevent it becoming a major issue which again can be trained but the more ingrained the behaviour the harder you will have to work to get the behaviour changed.

My guess is that they aren't connected at all. He's just off having a rare old time. Very stressful for you, and hard work. He's a teenager now and is more confident about exploring the wide world and leaving you behind -- so bound to be a difficult phase that demands lots of training.

I bet that the MN dog threads have loads of good recall-training advice. Do make sure you always reward him for coming to you, even when it's an hour late, unlike the very negative treatment that owner in your OP metes out to his dog when it returns to him.

sorry, minimuu, x-post. I'm sure you've said much more helpful stuff than I could.

Many thanks for more good advice. So I need to do more training. I really do need to get on top of his recall, otherwise it'll be a nightmare every time we walk. I really love the thought of him being as responsive as your dogs, Minimuu! I must admit, his trainign has lapsed since he got recurrently ill last spring.

He's not allowed yummy treats, unfortunately, as he's got a long history of tummy trouble and the vet has said only ever give his special dry dog food and nothing else. So training is harder without a high value treat - but not impossible.

I think I'll have to tie his lead to my waist and jog, for the rest of this week! No time to explore new walks but will see what we can discover at the w/e. There's a fenced in field about another 15 mins further away, but not yet tried to find it and if I drive there, it'll reduce his walking time to around 40mins, rather than an hr - but it does sound necessary.

It's very helpful to hear from everyone. Many thanks.

don't feel guilty about going to a secure area to do some training! It really is a relief to be able to work in an area where the dog can't run away too far. Does Rollo like toys? There are so many different types that I'm sure you could find something he loves! Some trainers use a lot of touch as treats. I think most animals have spot which makes them feel fuzzy. I'm sure you'll get there.

Police are not interested in dog on dog attacks- they are non reportable, my lurcher got a chunk taken out of him by a rottie off the lead just before christmas, however the dog warden said she would send the owner a letter.

I tried minimuu's top tip of putting a hand up and telling a dog to stop yesterday, and it worked!!! V grateful. I am training a collie with nervous aggression, so a face full of shouty terrier would have caused a problem. The terrier backed off and I was able to walk my dog past without him having a melt down.

An APDT registered trainer once told me to carry a shaker bottle, and throw this on the ground in front of the other dog (not at the dog!). Not tried it though.

I think I'd be walking out with my shotgun slip over my shoulder. Not that I'd ever contemplate using it on a dog but those toffy-nosed twats will probably know what it is. They might consider using a lead then.