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  1. #1
    House Broken
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    Zach attacked 2ce yesterday on our walks -- any suggestions?

    We live (Lawrence, KS) in an apartment complex that permits dogs (any size) that borders a residential area. I walk Zach on-leash a mile morning & evenings and half that at noon. The start of our walk is on a sidewalk bordering the apt. complex and suburban residential housing.

    Whenever we meet other dogs (usually they're on-leash with owners, very occasionally running free) Zach is eager to meet them and pulls me along, him barking with tail wagging, me trying to slow him. I always ask the other owners, "Is your dog friendly?" and if it's positive, let them meet. They always check out each other's first name (sniff crotch) and last name (sniff butt) -- at least I presume that's the order and purpose. Of course, when an owner says their dog isn't friendly, I steer Zach away.

    Yesterday we met a miniature dachshund on leash that the owner said was friendly but as it neared Zach, it began barking and then tried attacking Zach's throat. Its owner pulled him back. On our return we met a full size (80 lb.?) chocolate Lab-looking female which was beside her owner but not on leash. She also went after Zach, attempting to bite his throat before her owner grabbed her collar and shouted at her.

    Some other dog walkers must also face this sort of problem.

    Do any of you carry a "cattle prod" or "bear spray" to protect your dog?

    Any suggestions, recommendations?

  2. #2
    Senior Dog
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    I carry a stun stick. Thank goodness I've never had to use it but we have a loose pit bull on our street that has just started growling and barking at neighbors...no one knows what it'll do if another dog is on leash outside at the same time. (efforts to get the dog restrained or, better yet, evict the family, have been futile...the landlord has been no help...animal control is requiring actions that no neighbors are willing to do because of probable retribution by this large family) Stupid people.

    I'd bought a can of bear spray but figured I might not want to use it if there was any breeze whatsoever. I gave it to the neighbors to keep in their stroller for when they wanted to walk to the park with their two youngsters.

    This is the baton I have: Bad Ass Stun Baton Night Stick

    It sounds like Zach is OK....glad he wasn't hurt.

  3. #3
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    There are folks on here who carry various defensive equipment when walking their dogs. I don't carry anything, I live in an area where carrying a stun stick is illegal and in 30+ years of walking dogs haven't had to use any type of spray. I have had dogs run toward us off leash, acting aggressive. Our bullmastiffs were large enough to deter any dog from tangling with them. I generally get between my dog(s) and the oncoming dog to try to avoid contact and yell at the dog to GO Away! After some posturing they generally trot off. I've seen Chase get ready to defend himself but we've not had actual contact. If I carried spray, I'm afraid by the time I got it out and aimed, I'd be spraying both dogs and wouldn't want my own dog getting it.

    My labs both act like barking idiots on walks when they see another dog, so I admit mine are not the most well mannered sort. I generally do not suggest or agree to a meeting face to face with an unknown dog. If I have just one of my dogs, we might do a face to butt meeting and they generally work out just fine. With both dogs, there's too much leash to tangle and untangle. I also evaluate their dog's attitude before agreeing to anything, though. I've had more than one person tell me their dog was friendly and "smiling" because they want to meet my dog when anyone who knew dogs would know that lip curl was anything but a smile.

    I think Sundance and I live in adjacent counties but those stun sticks are illegal where I am.

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  5. #4
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    I do not allow my dogs to meet other dogs on walks. One, because then they feel like they need to be excited and drag me toward other dogs. I have two big dogs and this is not safe nor is it enjoyable. If another dog is coming, I cross the street. Second, people will say their dogs are friendly, but sometimes they are not or sometimes they are, but with the way Labs sometimes greet other dogs, especially as they are being held back, dragging the owner toward the other dog and barking, it can quickly overwhelm the other dog and cause a defensive reaction in that dog and then all hell breaks loose.

    I will carry mace on my walks and if I see an unleashed dog I will yell to the owner to please leash their dogs as my dogs are aggressive (they really aren't, but it typically causes people to grab their dogs). Or, I will turn around and walk the other way. A dog that is feeling insecure or reactive is less likely to feel threatened or challenged if the dogs are not face to face.

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  7. #5
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by smartrock View Post
    I think Sundance and I live in adjacent counties but those stun sticks are illegal where I am.
    According to one of the policemen who've come out when the pit bull is loose and Animal Control is closed, they're illegal where I am, too. I didn't know this. All websites I'd gone to when first purchasing any kind of stun product just listed Baltimore City for the State of Maryland. He also said, though, that using one if being attacked would most likely be overlooked...either way, I'm willing to take a chance with breaking the law if it'll save my dogs from harm.

    I've used it to stun the air to chase off foxes that don't seem to be afraid of me (and maybe sick) and I used it to stun the air with one of this family's previous pit bulls that they eventually relinquished when it actually chased down some neighbors. I hope that just stunning the air will always be the only thing I need to do.

    I do the same thing that Labradorks does when I see an unleashed dog....because my two tend to start barking sometimes. Sunnie actually likes other dogs and most of her barking is excitement (unless Dan has already opened his big mouth and they they're THE PACK). Dan just doesn't want dogs in his face....I can put him on a sit/stay and go two feet over to pet another dog or let Sunnie socialize. As long as he's been told what to do, he knows he's safe from the dog approaching him.

  8. #6
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    I am the same with Labradorks.

    Dogs do not need to meet. Do you need to meet every single person you walk by? Neither do your dogs. Your also setting them up, they are going to assume they can just go meet everyone and every dog is going to be friendly. If they ever get loose or off leash you could set yourself up for lot of issues. Also being on leash brings out other behaviors they wouldn't get off leash. Some dogs are fine and friendly off leash but then on leash they are protective of their owners. Then also as Labradorks says, allowing them to pull or act crazy on leash teaches them they can pull and act crazy at any time.

    My advice would be to simply not let them meet and walk right on by. If someone asks to meet, say no and keep on walking. I do this all the time. Sure some people look at you like your rude but trust me the dogs do not need to meet. They do not need to sniff. You dog can pass withing 10 feet of another dog and tell you exactly what he had for breakfast and last time he peed and pooped. Pack walks are fun, I do pack walks with people. This is where they walk their dog you walk yours and the dogs are not all over each other. They do their own thing. The whole stopping meeting and greeting is a human perceiving they need to.

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  10. #7
    Senior Dog MontananDakota's Avatar
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    Same here-I don't do meet n greets on walks at all. Its not necessary.

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  12. #8
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    If you approached the other dogs that were beside their owners and / or on leash, it's not okay, IMO, to use anything on them other than pouring a bottle of water over them to stop the fight. If it were an off-leash dog not controlled by its owner than it's okay to protect your dog. Personally, I use my knees and legs if I need to, but usually owners are sensible enough and the dogs have a solid recall.

    I don't know how old is Zach and whether he is neutered but if he is intact then you should really avoid meeting other male dogs. They may be friendly with neutered dogs but intact dogs are another story. As for the female that attacked him, maybe she wasn't really attacking him but was overwhelmed by him. Zach sounds like a typical young lab with no meeting-other-dogs-manners and many dogs don't react well to a barking jumping overexcited dog.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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  14. #9
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by Berna View Post
    If you approached the other dogs that were beside their owners and / or on leash, it's not okay, IMO, to use anything on them other than pouring a bottle of water over them to stop the fight. If it were an off-leash dog not controlled by its owner than it's okay to protect your dog. Personally, I use my knees and legs if I need to, but usually owners are sensible enough and the dogs have a solid recall.

    I don't know how old is Zach and whether he is neutered but if he is intact then you should really avoid meeting other male dogs. They may be friendly with neutered dogs but intact dogs are another story. As for the female that attacked him, maybe she wasn't really attacking him but was overwhelmed by him. Zach sounds like a typical young lab with no meeting-other-dogs-manners and many dogs don't react well to a barking jumping overexcited dog.
    I agree ... my dogs are not allowed to approach other dogs on walks, and I actively try to avoid being approached. Cookie is pretty tolerant in general but neither Chloe nor Sassy appreciate being lunged at by overexcited dogs and will snark at them if it happens, so I try to prevent those situations by preventing the dog from reaching them in the first place.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  16. #10
    Senior Dog Abulafia's Avatar
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    Yeah; Hoku does not meet other dogs on walks. If someone asks "can my dog say hi?" we just say "No, thanks!"
    Hidden Content Hokule'a ("Hoku") / b. 06.08.15

 



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