What would you do if an off lead dog approached?

[DriveVerySlowlyPastNumber23IWantThemToSeeMyHat]

If you're on a dog walk and an off lead dog approaches with no owner in sight, what would you do?

I'm terrified of off lead dogs which is why my husband walks our dog. However, I'm trying to get my steps in and dog walks would be perfect. The idea of an off lead coming over though is 😫

(I know I need to get a grip 🙈)

I would pick up my 5 pound ball of fluff and focus on calming her down. She doesn’t yet understand that not everyone is a potential playmate.

Then I would hope it is a situation I can diffuse and the dog is indeed friendly. If not, I have no qualms about self defense, mostly kicking since my arms will be holding my dog.

My dog would hate this so I would be focussed on distracting him.

Same here. He hates being approached when he's on his lead.

That’s outrageous. What happened next? I hope you told them they are in breach of the dangerous dogs acts which says your dogs
need to be under control.

I had a neighbours dog jump up and scratch me in the mailroom area of my apartment building. I was so taken aback and it happened so fast that I just kind of wandered of scared despite the fact the stupid twit didn’t apologise. I

was very angry with myself for not speaking up but the next day the same neighbour and her dog approached me. This time I was ready. I shouted at her to get her dog on a leash since she’s not able to control it otherwise. She refused.

So I reported her to building management and she was told she had to.

In a way I was lucky that happened somewhere where the person can be identified, but I don’t know what I’d do it if happened in a park which is partly why I never go to my local parks! It’s sad that I need to avoid the park though.

The dog eventually stopped barking at me, but they did nothing about it, just told me off a shouting at them.And made no attempt to control their dog or recall him or her.

I was paralysed with fear and didn't know what to do.I didn't want to continue walking or retreat.In case it ran at me.

When it stopped barking at me and went back to its owners of its own.Accord I just carried on walking, but my heart felt it like it was going to come through my chest and it took me a very long time to calm down and did rather spoil the walk.

Just can't believe some dog owners allow this. Their pet to do it likes make no attempt to control it and then tell off the person who is being intimidated by their massive animal.

The reason dog crazy, dog friendly, dogs fucking everywhere trend has me terrified, because there are more and more owners like this.

I'm so sorry to hear of your experiences 😣

I think mine stemmed from when my daughter was a baby, I took her out in the pram with the dog. This terrier came bounding over, no owner in sight.

My dog was getting all worked up, especially when the other dog went near the pram. Thankfully, another dog owner came over, distracted the dog so I could walk. The owner then saunters into the distance cheerfully shouting 'he's friendly!" 😐

Oh that gives me the absolute rage - when a dog owners says he's friendly.

I don't care that he or she is friendly -get it away from me. It might be their beloved pet, but I don't want it near me.

Must have been a very scary experience for you when you had your baby with you.

This. I just keep walking a my brisk pace. Sometimes my dog wants to say hello but most times not. The dogs are interested in your dog, not you. I used to be fearful but rarely am now.

I would assess the dog. If it were a spaniel, lab or poodle, I would probably assume it’s okay, and carry on my walk. Other breeds I may be cautious, and would turn away or retrace my steps. If the dog came up to me, I’d block the dog from interacting with my dog.

I don't give a shiny shit what its nature is supposedly like. There are too many situations where a dog that won't hurt anyone.... hurts someone.... so I walk away and am on high alert to react to any approach that seems aggressive

That’s so frightening and it’s not as if there’s many dog wardens or park wardens about nowadays. Sounds like you did the right thing by just getting away safely.

Yes it’s a real problem and I find myself avoiding so many places because of it which isn’t right. But even then you can’t really avoid them.

I mean I got jumped at in my own apartment building while collecting my mail from downstairs.

And that’s the thing - a lot of people insist on owning dogs in unsuitable accommodation. The flats in my building aren’t really big enough for some of these dogs. I feel with the dogs cooped up with no garden they become even more “reactive” or unhinged when they are let out in parks etc . I don’t blame them of course but their owners.

I have a lab too. He is young and I’m still trying to train some neutrality in to him where other dogs are concerned so I would (and have) tried to keep his focus and attention on me and get as far away from the other dog as I can. I probably won’t worry about it so much when I feel he’s trained fully (if such a thing exists!) unless of course the other dog is aggressive.

This does happen quite a lot to me though. It does make me wonder why I’m bothering to train him sometimes when it seems most other people don’t bother 😂