Advice needed - meeting strange dog off lead, without owner

[WeaselsKingHenry]

I could do with some advice from wise and experienced dog owners! (I am not and have never been a dog owner - I prefer cats...)

I had an incident a couple of weeks ago that I wasn't sure how to handle. I'm a Beaver Scout Leader (so kids aged 6-8) and we'd all gone on a short hike along some public rights of way. While we were stopping to explore a ruined churchyard, a dog (Staffy type) came running up. No owner in sight at any point. It had a collar and appeared friendly, but was very boisterous. It was running and leaping around the Beavers, almost knocking one over. Lacking a crystal ball, I had not risk assessed for this!

Looking back I realise I had no idea how to properly handle the situation; I don't understand dogs or what makes them tick, what might be a trigger for aggression etc. I just yelled "STAND STILL!" as loudly as I could (which is quite loud) - thank heavens all the Beavers stood stock still while I and another leader chivvied the dog out of the churchyard. It then ran off back down the track. None of the kids was hurt.

But what ifs: what if the dog hadn't been friendly? What if it hadn't left the churchyard but had tried to come back? What if it had kept on following us? What if one of the kids had panicked and started screaming or running away? I can only think that if it had been aggressive I would have had to put myself between it and the children - not an ideal situation.

So - what would you advise should happen in this kind of situation? How should we behave, what's the best way of trying to avoid the worst case scenario?

Thanks in advance.

You did the right thing, I.e. asking the kids to be still and quiet and shooing the dog away. If this happens again chances are it will be another friendly but overexcited dog and you can do the same thing. It is highly unlikely that you will come across a dog that is so aggressive that it will run out of nowhere and start attacking children. If it does happen keep the children still and quiet as before, try to put something like a coat or large bag between you and the dog and avoid eye contact. A bucket of water or pressurized air might work in stopping a dog that has already attacked but they are not the kinds of things people carry around. Luckily the chances of needing them are miniscule.

You did exactly the right thing by asking the kids to be quiet and stand still. This is a great opportunity to do some dog safety training with the kids, and will be good for them to have in other situations where they may be alone or without adult supervision.

There are several websites dedicated to offering advice for kids and dog safety. This one - giving guidance for how to 'be a tree' shows the safest way for kids (or adults to stand/behave when confronted by a boisterous or unknown dog: doggonesafe.blogspot.ie/2013/05/tip-of-day-teach-kids-to-be-tree-so-dog.html

You might also find that a local dog rescue centre has an education programme about dog safety and has someone prepared to come and talk to the kids

Thanks both - bit of a relief to know I didn't do the wrong thing! I'll definitely look into dog safety training, it could be really useful for us all.

YY to standing still. Well done. A lot of people when meeting a jumpy, excitable dog will raise their voices, make eye contact and flap their arms about - it's a natural reaction, and unfortunately unhelpful. Standing like a tree and looking away means the dog will lose interest quickly.
Can the beavers do a badge /award in dog awareness?