How do you react if your dog gets snarled or snapped at.

[Izzywigs]

I have had my 8 year old Terrier for 5 months. She is my first dog. When she arrived she had all sorts of issues and was very timid absolutely scared of everything. Over the months she has changed a great deal. She is very good at home , has grown in confidence and is now mostly a pleasure to walk.

I can never let her off the lead and most of the time she walks quite closely to me. The problem is when off lead dogs approach her in the park, she snarls and snaps.

Part of me feels embarrassed and I used to apologise, but now I just try to get her away. The problem some dogs are so insistent with following her. If you walk your dog off lead how would you feel about the snarling and snapping.

[Pebblespony]

Try to reassure your dog. Don't freak out and pull the lead etc. It'll make it worse. There is nothing you can do about other dogs. Just concentrate on your own. Keep your voice bright and think about communicating "No big deal, everything's fine".

[Pebblespony]

But I am totally with you over loose dogs. Trying to walk past houses where people can't be arsed to keep their dogs in/on a lead is INFURIATING!!!! My DH is sick of me coming home fuming after a 'relaxing walk.

[RadioDorothy]

Funny I was going to post something similar...I wondered how others view me and my on-lead reactive dog, who lunges and snarls and screeches at dogs passing as far as 50 yards away, whether on a lead or not. If they reached her she would definitely go for their face or throat.

I generally avoid areas where there will be dogs off lead, walk at 5am, and just run away or hide when other dogs are approaching. Can't always avoid obvs, I just keep as far away as possible and wait for the noise to stop.

My dog is very nervous and has chronic spinal pain, so in reality I don't give a fuck if someone else thinks she's out of control. When they've spent 11 years with her (and engaged 6 behaviourists) they can judge me.

[SPARKS17]

I have a terrier too and I think generally there is a bit of this behaviour when they are on the lead just to assert who is boss. My terrier was viciously attacked by another dog when she was on the lead and I think this has led to her becoming more snappy and agressive on the lead. Its really awkward she would have two opposite interactions with the same dog based on whether she was on or off the lead. off lead, happy, waggy, sniffy then moves on. On lead snappy, growly, barky.

Its possible as a rescue something traumatic happened when she was on the lead. Maybe get her a yellow band which shows she is a nervous dog, its becoming more recognised and other owners should make their dogs give you a wide berth.

[RadioDorothy]

Sparks my terrier has a bright red lead cover that says "STAY AWAY", but nobody seems to care. The yellow "I Need Space" one, and the jacket, made no difference either sadly.

[Catsrus]

I've got one of each - reactive rescue terrier and friendly young retriever that approaches other dogs. The retriever knows to go into total submissive mode when greeting other dogs - she's trained enough to be called back from dogs that are wearing "keep away" vests. The terrier is always on lead and sometimes I have to pick up a snarling raging bundle of anxiety when other dogs get too close (he's reactive to entire males). He's not my first reactive dog, I've had another rescue I had to muzzle as he was reactive to all other dogs. I think it's my responsibility to deal with my reactive dog, I certainly never get annoyed or upset when other dogs approach in a friendly manner - it's my dog that has the problem, I have to deal with it.