Animal Welfare Professionals

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  • 1.  Protecting your on-leash dog from dogs on the loose

    Posted 05-05-2019 04:00 AM

    Hi I live in an area where many people ignore leash laws or just don’t care if their dogs escape their home and are on the loose, and don’t even seem to care or are aware that their dogs are roaming free. This is not just a danger for their own dog but for humans, dogs, and other critters. I don’t know how many times I was walking my dog when a dog off-leash charged toward us. In some cases, my dog was attacked. In other cases, I had to lift my dog off the ground to protect him or used a stick, kick, or yell like a monster to scare off or block the loose dog from approaching. 

    Just yesterday, my 79 year old mother was walking our dog, as she has done before when I was out, and a neighbor’s dog came running toward our dog. Afraid the strange dog would attack, she attempted to protect our dog and was in the process badly bruised, possibly fractured her hand, and was so shaken up we were also worried about her heart.

    Of course we took my mother into a walk-in clinic for care and our dog seemed also to avoided injury, but the carelessness of neighboring dog owners infuriates me because now my mother can no longer feel safe walking the dog down the block as she used to for many years, or even stepping out.

    Has anyone experienced this and what have you done?

    Meanwhile, even if your dog acts calmly toward approaching dogs, what do you do if the dog in the loose is aggressive regardless? 


    #PetBehaviorandTraining
    #escapees
    #offleashdogs


  • 2.  RE: Protecting your on-leash dog from dogs on the loose

    Posted 05-05-2019 08:39 AM

    I know the feelings you are having....our neighbor let's his 3 dogs out loose and one is aggressive.

    Someone called the Animal Control officer on him and for a while he kept them in.  Now it's back to the same thing.  We can't even walk down our road without being scared his dogs will be out. 

    Tempted to call the Animal Control Dept but don't like being on bad terms with our neighbor!


    #PetBehaviorandTraining


  • 3.  RE: Protecting your on-leash dog from dogs on the loose

    Posted 05-05-2019 10:38 AM

    I remember hearing from one neighbor how his dog was so good around kids. This is a dog who twice came to attack my (now deceased) dog. My dog survived the incident but we both were traumatized.


    #PetBehaviorandTraining


  • 4.  RE: Protecting your on-leash dog from dogs on the loose

    Posted 05-06-2019 05:49 AM

    It's hard at times. I turn and walk the other way and if needed, actually pick my dog up. Not really a solution for dealing with irresponsible dog owners. Just trying to protect my dog.


    #PetBehaviorandTraining


  • 5.  RE: Protecting your on-leash dog from dogs on the loose

    Posted 05-07-2019 10:02 PM

    I have had to do this as well. Luckily, he is of a weight I can carry, but only a short distance. 


    #PetBehaviorandTraining


  • 6.  RE: Protecting your on-leash dog from dogs on the loose

    Posted 05-07-2019 10:26 AM

    A good way to protect your pet and you from the harm of dogs off-leash dogs is to carry an adverse deterrent when you walk such a can of Pet Corrector (loud compressed air) to frighten the loose dog away or Spray Shield which is citronella and has a shooting stream of about 2 feet. Both work from a distance and give you enough time to get help or scare the dog away completely. 

    You can buy both of these products on Amazon. 


    #PetBehaviorandTraining


  • 7.  RE: Protecting your on-leash dog from dogs on the loose

    Posted 05-07-2019 10:04 PM

    I never heard of a Pet Corrector, but thanks for the tip.

    I did just buy a small water gun that shoots around 3 feet. I can fit it in my pocket although it did leak some water in the process. 

     


    #PetBehaviorandTraining