What do you do about off lead dogs approaching your on lead dog?

[Lovetosleep1]

My German Shepherd is almost one. On the whole she's a great dog but can be reactive to other dogs in that she will growl if they run up to her and bark at them if they persist. She is neutral to other dogs if they don't approach and actively friendly to dogs she knows. She has had loads of training and it's on going.

Most owners are sensible and put their dogs on a lead when they see her on a lead but some idiots don't or can't. What do you do in these situations? Should she be muzzled? I don't want to just do road walks to avoid off lead dogs but would also hate her to hurt another dog.

@BoobyDazzler it's about balance. Some you stop and play with, some you just say hello, some you just walk on by. As humans we don't stop and say hello and have a big chat with every other human we pass, the same for dogs.

I was just going to add exactly the same. Two chihuahuas and a chihuahua/chinese crested mixed. We socialised, trained and dog schooled all three. The two chihuahuas were fine until a pair of black labs came from nowhere and pinned them both. Despite 100s spent on behaviourists involvement which got nowhere they both get ultra aggressive whenever they see a dog now.

The mix was going great guns until he was almost done at puppy school and the person running the class decided it would be a good idea to bring in an untrained rescue dog who bounded over all the other dogs and pinned mine growling at him. He was then terrified and the trainer just said ‘he has to grow a pair’. We have improved things a little with him but he still goes bonkers when a dog comes to close to him.

I don’t know. It is nice dogs can have a run around. I don’t think it is too much to ask to only do that though if they have instant recall and to be mindful that not all dogs want to be approached.

@jm9138 I agree with you I've nothing against off lead dogs, the dogs love it and mine goes off her lead when nobody's around. I just wish that people were more considerate of other dogs and had control over them.

I had a horrible incident with my 10YO Cocker Spaniel just 2 days ago. He is always on a lead due to unreliable recall.
We were walking along a tree lined path when I saw a large young Labrador in the next field. It saw my dog and came bounding up. My dog isn’t interested in other dogs or people generally, and ignores both, but he dislikes being ‘bounced’ on, which has happened several times.
The Labrador was bouncing around him and every time I pulled him behind me the dog came back at him. My dog growled and snapped ( a warning, he made no attempt to move towards the other dog). The Labrador growled and snapped close to my dog and was then joined by a second large young Labrador which also growled. I was trying to keep my dog between me and the trees whilst telling the dogs to go away. The owner, who had been yelling wildly then caught up with her dogs and did manage to get one on a lead and the other to move away.
People need to realise that their dogs can easily outpace them. It’s also not the first time we have had difficulty with 2 dogs.
The woman didn’t apologise, in fact she seemed a bit angry.
I came away covered in mud due to all of the dogs rubbing against my legs.
I absolutely refuse to muzzle my already vulnerable (as he’s on a lead and cannot get away) small dog to prevent him defending himself.
I love to see dogs running free, but if people who have dogs which don’t have reliable recall they should keep them on a lead, as I have to do with my dog.

I don't understand the problem for you.
Your dog is on a lead
A dog may come up to your dog and a lead.
You will make it obvious your dog might be a bit of a dick.
At worst it will snarl.
You carry on walking.
Nothing has happened other than your dog is a grumpy twat to annoying dog.

Everyone gets on with their day.

If your dog attacked or snapped get a muzzle.

This could be summarised by old dog snapped at annoying young dog. As has been happening forever. Young dog will hopefully be less of a dick next time. Owner will practice recall.
You probably added to the situation by not letting hold of the lead and by being stressed. Dogs pick up on this a lot

@AndThatWasNY obviously you're a dog owner/walker that lets their mutt run wild because its 'harmless' or 'wouldn't hurt a fly' 🙄🙄

I was bitten as a young girl by a dog that was supposed to be 'friendly' so excuse me for having abit of fear when not one but 3 unknown come rushing towards us!!!

we had our 2 year old walking along the sand when 3 large dogs circled us.. my dog was barking at them. All 3 were sniffing him(fair enough) but my point is.. NO1 knows how their dog will react. Just call the dogs away. Put them on leads.. especially when the place was busy with families and little ones. If the place is empty well.. fill your boots👌🏻

I don't let my dogs run up to anyone. You are projecting. But you must train your dog not to bark at if asked. It is irresponsible.

i always call my dogs away from people and other dogs unless they make it clear they don't mind.

I've been bitten by dogs (an alsatian got me on the ankle so have a big ole scar on my ankle and a snappy Dalmatian got me finger as a child.) But that has meant I've learnt not to react as both of those were because I reacted to a situation.

@AndThatWasNY are we reading the same post?
It doesn't sound like @Newjob24 was the irresponsible one in this situation.

@AndThatWasNY my dog barks at other dogs because he's excited to see them. Ofcourse I tell him to stop. Hes a tiny shitzu and gets happy to see other dogs so I'm not really sure how I'm being irresponsible🤔 the irresponsible people are the ones walking their dogs off their lead when there were loads of families about and not calling them back. Majority of the dogs on the beach were on leads.. except for a few.

If you walk your dogs off the lead and theres a family walking along with a toddler.. have the decency to call them away. The ones I am talking about just walked on like they didnt own the dogs. You would have known looking at me, I was stressed having to tell my dog to stop barking whilst Husband had to lift DC quickly out of the way. Our nice walk had to be cut short because of these dogs not leaving us alone. Ok they just sniffed around my dog and were jumping around us but we don't know the dogs if I shoo'd them away anymore one or 3 could easily turn.

I understand the whole not making a scene and letting the dog smell fear from you but thats easier said than done sometimes.

@Lovetosleep1 thank you.. not sure how I was irresponsible either😬 my dog wasn't doing any harm.. apart from barking but he would stop and start again the closer the dogs were getting. The only irresponsible ones to me were the dog owners letting them constantly bounce around us (whether they were 'just playing' or not🤷🏼)

I would carry a (walking) stick and always have that or myself between my dog and the unleashed one.

You have to deal with the limitations of having a reactive dog I'm afraid.. you know the situations where she is ok - so you have to stick to them.

You have no control over other people and how they train, or don't train, their dogs. You only have control over the situations that you put your own dog into.

I have a reactive rescue dog - and I have had to change my dog walking habits to accommodate that fact. For 20yrs I walked in the most gorgeous woodland. I haven't been there in 7 yrs because I can't do that with this dog - too many off lead dogs, narrow tracks, blind corners, bushes, so I can't see who's coming. I only walk in places where I have a very good line of sight and can see who is coming, no interesting new places, just the same predictable walk, round the same park, at the same time, meeting the same dogs. I know which ones he will go for so I know when to go in the other direction.

I am responsible for my dog, you are responsible for yours. Accept the dog you've got, accept the limitations that come with having a reactive, there's absolutely no point getting wound up about people who have nice friendly dogs who like to socialise - they haven't a clue, unless they've had a reactive themselves - and then they WOULD be trying to get theirs on a lead!

Apart from anything else it's just not fair to the dog to keep putting them in situations that cause huge stress - it reinforces the problem.

I had a 8 year old, 48kg, intact male GSD, who can be reactive to dogs (especially when I have my dd with me) but he largely ignores dogs unless they come face to face with him. When I see other dogs coming he goes straight on the lead and largely I can distract him and just use my body language to exude confidence, which usually keeps him calm, and focused on just walking with me, I don't stop as the other dog approaches or look at the other dog I just keep going.
If the other dogs are reactive which often they are to my boy, without sounding like a dick, I just accept that I've taken all the precautions and if he causes some damage it's not on me or him. And hopefully that dog owner will learn. This hasn't ever happened because actually he seems to just warn them away with a loud bark or growl and most dogs don't try much longer.
I think other dog owners are the worst part of having a dog. It's frustrating that they don't understand that their dog going up to another dogs isn't "friendly" it's bad manners, they're the same people who say "I don't know what's got it to them, they've never reacted like that before" when their dogs going ape shit at mine 🙄

Largely its not the dogs who are the problem it is the owners.

If you fear dogs and don't understand dogs then it's probably best not to walk your dogs in areas where you know other dogs will be off lead. There are plenty of places where dogs won't be off lead.

Most dogs aren't aggressive and should be allowed to be off lead to sniff and explore and to run. Most dogs who are trained learn which dogs to approach and which to walk by because they learn the signals. Sometimes young dogs won't have learned them yet and will be learning.

Too many owners are overly anxious, think off lead walking should be banned altogether or pick their little dog up every time another dog comes nearby. Dogs can see fear as over excitement or if they sense your fear they bark or snarl to protect you. This becomes a vicious circle.

Many people fear my dogs (no idea why because there's a golden retriever and small cairn neither of which either jumps up or is in any way aggressive). My dogs like people so will say hi if they can but they have learnt not to approach people who give off these signals and just walk on by.

My dogs like people so will say hi if they can but they have learnt not to approach people who give off these signals and just walk on by.

They shouldn't be approaching anyone regardless of what "signals" they give out, though.

I haven't got a reactive dog, I've got a dog who has been injured many times. I'm not scared of dogs, I'm just sick of being covered in mud and having scratches on my legs form dogs that I do not own and did not invite to jump on me.

Mine is tiny but she thinks she’s the size of a Doberman so I pick her up if she’s approached to avoid drama. It’s the wrong thing to do but she was almost bitten by a shar pei once and that would’ve been the end of her so it’s made me very anxious

In the area I walk in we see the same dogs and owners regularly.

Of course they go and greet the dogs and owners they know and walk / run and sniff around with.

They learn which ones like their dogs to interact with other dogs. Many dog owners do love their dogs to socialise, contrary to what people post on Mumsnet.

They ignore the ones who give off frightened signals or yappy dogs.

There's nothing wrong with picking a small dog up if they're in danger of being hurt.

I walk a tiny Yorkie mix who was attacked by a collie - if I hadn't got him up and out of her way, she could have killed him.

As it is he got away with some bites on his legs.

Approaching people they know is very different to approaching random strangers, which is what your post implied.

I love socialising with people and with my dog, but unfortunately after lots of negative interactions I have to be much more selective as my dog has been scared and injured too many times.

But also if a strangers dog approaches my dog and the dogs are all friendly and don't give off anxious or aggressive signals often the owner will also say hi and we might say hi to the dogs.

All totally normal where I walk my dogs.

Very unusual to see either aggressive or fearful dogs/ owners but my dogs avoid them if we do because they've learned not to approach.

I let my dog off in this scenario. He is very well behaved, socialised and has great recall. He is at a disadvantage if he's rounded on by an off lead dog that becomes aggressive and he's on lead. You shouldn't have to do this but for us it works.

Yes there are times when this is the best thing to do.

Some dogs are reactive on the lead but less so off the lead as well. I've had a dog like that before so I would drop the lead if approached by another reactive dog to reduce the tension.

I've had a reactive dog in the past, and what helped him more than anything was the chance for some slow, controlled interactions with a group of friendly dogs. I explained the situation, how he was nervous but would bark a bit and quickly settle, and every time I saw that group out and about they were happy to have him come and socialise with their dogs. It did improve his dog manners and made him easier to walk.

Oddly, the other thing that helped was him getting into a fight with a huge dog that launched itself at him when he was minding his own business. He was a big lad himself and saw the aggressor off despite being bitten, and I think he suddenly became aware of his own strength and it made him more confident. Not at all what I would have chosen to happen but....

One of my dogs will discipline rude young dogs that charge up to her and get in her face. She's off-lead, they charge up, she does the full 'you can just fuck off and learn some manners' bark and moves forward a few paces. Usually the dog backs off and comes back very subservient and apologetic and she is then perfectly civil. Most owners understand that she's just teaching their little git how to behave. Dogs learn best from other dogs and if people don't like their mannerless young yobs being barked it, that's not my problem.