If you see a dog wearing a muzzle...

[Stefoscope]

Then surely you don't allow your dog to approach it without speaking to the owner? My rescue greyhound isn't friendly with other dogs, always wears a bright yellow muzzle when we're out and about. I've done a lot of work with him over the 4 years I've had him and he's so much less reactive than he used to be. If we see another dog when out walking I stand between myself and the other dog and tell him to 'leave'. We've got to the stage where he just ignores the passing dog most of the time, sometimes he'll have a little whine if we see two dogs in close succession.

Today a family approach us with two dogs on extender leads (stretched out nice and long). I heard them barking before I saw them. Did our usual routine of me stopping, taking my hound to one side and standing in between him and the other dogs, allowing as much space as possible for them to pass and speaking calmly to him. The owners of the other dog are laughing about and imitating their dog's barking and looking at my dog. They let their dog come right up to mine barking in his face and then the other starts jumping on his back. Obviously my dog goes into complete panic and starts jumping and barking and trying to defend himself. The other dog owners make no attempt to pick up their dogs or rein them in. With all the commotion, my dog slips his harness which has never happened before right next to a busy road.

Without thinking, I dive in trying to get hold of my dog to get his harness back on, bearing in mind my dog is muzzled and the other two aren't. Dopey other owners just all stand there. I quickly get a hold of my dog and the other owners are still stood there with their dogs. I had to actually ask them to walk their dogs on. Fortunately neither me nor my dog got injured, but it was still a frightning experience. I keep thinking I did something wrong and would never have forgiven myself if harm had come to my dog. He's also my first dog so it was scary to watch him jumping up and growling at the other two. I've never seen him behave like that before, so I'm assuming he must have felt very threatened.

[facepalm]

They were in the wrong but if you have a highly reactive dog on a lead I would suggest walking in less "doggy" areas. My grumpy dog is off lead and simply ignores all the other dogs but so often he is chased untrained dogs with laughing owners.

You might need to master your best, firmest, ‘Keep your dogs away please, mine is in training.’ I like the training bit because then they can’t start bitching and whining about ‘dangerous dogs’ and what have you.

My personal experience is that it often helps to get the dog to focus on you but to keep moving briskly past, with yourself between the dogs. Gets it all over and done with quickly! But whatever works for you.

I have to ask, what does reactive dog actually mean?
I'm guessing barks/snaps at other dogs? Is it always just towards dogs? Can a dog be reactive to humans? Does reactive mean scared? Bad tempered?
As a none dog owner, I would put that type of behaviour down to no training. But is it actually something more, an attachment disorder (if dogs can have those), a medical condition?

My MILs dog (Also a rescue dog with a bad start in life) is reactive to other smaller dogs more so with me than anyone else (We think she is trying to protect me as she believes she is mine).
We brought a bright red lead with caution written on it and even with it clearly in view across my front we still have people approaching her with their dogs!!
I had one person cross the road towards me and just as I was saying don't come any closer she went for the other dog.
And don't get me started on people on the phone while walking their dog paying no attention to what is happening around them!!

Some breeds are more commonly 'reactive' than others - collies are known for it, also German shepherds. However, any dog can become reactive due to poor early life experiences, not enough socialisation or not enough exposure to a wide range of people, dogs, places etc. The window for socialisation to be successful closes early in a puppy's life, some even say by 8 weeks, so often this vital part of training is down to the breeder, rather than the long-term owner. It's not too late to improve things after this time but the dog is not likely to become completely chilled if it has missed out on this stage.

My dog had his early months on a sheep farm - he evidently met many other dogs because he never seems bothered by any dog he meets. However, he had never seen a road or hardly a car before coming to me, is freaked out by larger numbers of people/busy places, and is nervous of people who don't come with a dog attached! This reactivity is not down to current training but a lack of early socialisation. He is improving all the time though. In his case, reactive means shying away and/or barking at the object of fear.

I see, so it is comparable to a child with an attachment disorder, caused by early experiences and can be overcome to some extent but not necessarily completely.
Thank you for explaining.