How to respond to aggressive dogs in the park?

[StandingUpForWhatsRight]

Hi,

I wondered if I could ask advice from experience dog owners? I've never had a dog.

My son is out of school with anxiety at the moment and we are going for lots of walks, because the sunshine and exercise helps.

DS is very nervous of dogs, because just after the first lockdown a neighbour's dog squared up to him and barked and growled savagely and looked as though it might attack him.

Now we are out and about he is getting less nervous of them, and that is great. However, today in the park I saw two normal looking labradors run up to a man sitting on a bench and start barking savagely at him and really looking incredibly agressive, right up close to him. The owner called their names casually, but otherwise did nothin,g and just wandered slowly over to where they were. If it had been my DS he would have been having an absolute fit and I wouldn't have known what to do. After the man got the dogs away, they starting fighting each other and he couldn't separate them.

I wondered if you think I should carry tennis balls to throw for dogs if they get crazy with us like that, or a stick to give them a gentle tap on the nose or something? Sorry if that is not the right thing to suggest. I really don't know a lot about dogs. I would be really grateful to know what I should do if we get in a position like that.

Thanks so much for thinking about it.

Really sorry to hear about your DS, OP. I've noticed an increase in badly trained dogs off lead with ineffective owners. Maybe effects of Covid and people wfh. My grandad always had dogs and used to say they're working animals and that means the toy breeds, where people treat dogs like human babies is just toxic. You can't rid dogs of a prey drive or even pack leader mentality - so all wet wipe owners do is show the dog they (owner) are bottom of the pack.

People should be made to take a dog training course before they get one, because so many are clueless. Agree with a pp that no one should need to learn so much about dog behaviour for just a walk in a town park. It's like being in the US with all the warnings and guidance on bears - except I'd trust a wild animal more than a dog with a rubbish owner. Because they don't have a completely wild animal instinct to avoid humans and are also socialised to them. Bears socialised to humans are killed because that's when they get dangerous. Obv dogs are intended to be social hence why training is important.

What works for me (I go running so have frequent run-ins with off lead dogs) is a firm NO said in a commanding voice. Don't scream or go high pitch or run as that triggers prey mentality. Don't stare or make too much eye contact as that can feel aggressive. And if the dogs are big, reroute away from them. Shout for the owner and if it's the same dogs/owners I would report it to a patrol car if you see them. My DP is a police officer and has had a word with errant owners if there's multiple complaints about a dog. So complaining can help if everyone did it.

Hi,

Thanks for asking for this clarification. My DS is an ASD child who has severe anxiety disorder and PTSD from medical interventions in his early years. He's just dropped out of school and is very isolated. I'm trying to help him feel safe outside the house and navigate the world independently.

He's so anxious just now that any bad interaction sets him back really badly, so I really need to learn myself how to avoid difficult dog interventions happening. Also because of the ASD he doesn't respond quite normally to dogs or their owners, and I think that puts dogs on edge unfortunately.

This is why I am having to learn in so much detail, because I have explain to everything to him in minute detail. He doesn't do any of the normal stuff on instinct.

He's a very smart boy and likely heading towards a degree in computer science and a good sensible adult life, but worldly skills have to be taught, rather than coming instinctively. That's why I'm in this loop.

Very grateful to all the kind posters who are giving me degree level training in reading dog body language. It's fantastically helpful.

This is great! Thank you very much. I will practice a calm deep loud voice.

@MaloneMeadow I forgot to say but the other factor in this is that DS really likes rollerblading and for some reason absolutely all dogs react really dramatically to seeing us on rollerblades. Most dogs just stare really intentely and pull on their leads towards us, as if totally transfixed and determined to follow. Only one dog has become aggressive and growled and snarled, but it was a tiny one, so that was okay.

We're learning a lot really fast about dogs.

Indeed. Never seen it and I have always had dogs.

The dog runs very fast to fetch the stick, not usually stopping to pick it up carefully. More often than not an excited dog will skid and do a handbrake turn when collecting it.

If it grabs the stick at the wrong angle (like the end), or the stick breaks then it can lodge in the dogs throat, causing huge damage to its throat and mouth. Or, when running with the stick in its mouth the dog catches the end of it on something. The stick then breaks/splinters and injures the dog. It can even be forced into the dog's throat that way too. The injuries can be catastrophic.

Don't throw sticks for dogs. Owners should use a suitable dog toy instead. Sure, plenty of dogs will pick sticks up, but responsible dog owners should discourage it.

Hope that explains it.

My dog was fascinated by, stopped, stared at and would not be moved, a wheelie suitcase.
It looked like a square dog on wheels being dragged along by its lead.

Yes this is exactly the thing that we're seeing and it's literally every dog.

Things only get really exciting when we accidentally rollerblade through an area where dogs are off-lead.

We are not going to do that again. :-)

Its happened to us several times in different parks, in different parts of the country. Countless stories on forums and even in the news.