Walking your dog to a park can be fun until you see an off-leash dog walking towards you.
Rather than creating scenarios of common possibilities, it is always better to be prepared.
Remember that if the off-leash dog approaches you, it’s not always with the intention to fight with your pooch. Nor will it always be annoying for your pooch.
As much as you want to protect your dog, you also should trust your training, and be prepared for all that comes your way.
So to help you with that here’s what you can do if an off-leash dog approaches you while you are walking a dog.
Key Takeaways
- What to do if an off-leash dog approaches while you are walking your dog?
- Observe your dog’s reaction and body language. If your dog appears scared or aggressive, try to distract him.
- Walk away from the approaching dog. If the dog follows you, he may just want to greet your dog and there is no need to worry.
- However, if your dog starts barking at the other dog, you can try giving him treats to distract him.
- If a fight breaks out between the two dogs, you can try throwing treats to distract the other dog.
What Do You Do If an Off-leash Dog Approaches Your Dog?
As Stated By rspcaqld “If an off-lead dogs runs at you and that dog or your dog attacks, it is important to remember to that you are not at fault.” Looking at a loose dog approaching your dog first demands some calmness and poise. You neither want to scare your dog nor you want to make him more aggressive.
Acting the right way can save you both from unnecessary trouble. So here’s how you need to handle the situation.
Observe Your Dog – Not just the Dog Approaching You
Yes, you need to pay close attention to your dog’s body language, and his reaction.
If you see your dog nervous, scared, suspicious, or even aggressive it’s time you distract him. Dogs see the other dogs approaching them before you do.
If you see that your dog is happy, playful, excited, relaxed, and calm it’s okay to not worry and keep walking.
But you still don’t know what the off-leash dog is up for and so don’t completely ignore it, especially when you can’t see his owner around him.
Walk Your Way
In most situations not giving attention to off-leash dogs is the best way to keep yourself and your dog safe.
You don’t need to walk towards the approaching dog even if he seems happy.
If the dog is following you calmy, he might just wants to greet your pooch and that is okay.
But that does not mean you should stop. Keep walking to avoid any kind of trouble.
This way the other dog might lose his interest and will walk away too. This is the best way to protect your dog from other dogs.
Distract with Words
Distracting your dog by talking, when he is scared of the dog approaching will calm him down. Communicate with your dog and slowly change your way.
Your dog should know that you are there and the other dog won’t be able to hurt him in any possible way.
Don’t Pick Them Up
Picking your dog up immediately after you see an unleashed dog approaching you might make your dog angry.
Even if he is small compared to the dog approaching you, it is still advisable to do it slowly and not all of a sudden.
Distract your dog and slowly pick him up and keep moving slowly. If you start walking fast or run you might trigger the loose dog’s prey instincts.
So do it slowly and do not immediately turn your back to the approaching dog.
If the Dog You’re Walking Is Barking At Another Dog, What Should You Do?
Your dog won’t always be scared, or even happy looking at the un-leashed dog. He can also be aggressive and even start barking.
And this is the moment you should always be prepared for before you end up hurting yourself or your dog. Here’s how!
Let Him Know You are Angry
If you have good control over your dog, it will be easier. You need to talk with him in a louder and firm voice.
You can say No, Stop, or other basic words firmly before he gets out of your control.
But that does not mean you need to yell at him or show aggression, this would scare your dog.
Also, do not pull your dog away as this might make him angrier. This tip will only work on dogs that are under your control.
Carry dog Treats
Dogs can easily be distracted by dog treats. So while walking dog to a park or anywhere make sure to carry dog treats.
An aggressive dog is likely to calm down and focus his attention on food and stop barking.
It is okay to throw multiple treats to simply distract him. Try giving him treats while walking in the other direction so your dog forgets about the approaching dog.
But this will not always end as you imagined and your dog can get into fight. Here’s what you should do if your dog gets in fight with the other dog.
What to Do if a Dog Attacks your Dog While Walking?
.This is likely to result in a dog fight, and we know it’s the last thing you want while walking a dog. So it is always better to keep yourself ready to handle the situation in a way that neither you nor your dog gets hurt or hurt the approaching dog as well.
Treats Again
You probably now need to distract the other dog more than your own and the best way is with treats. Throw dog treats far away from you so he gets distracted and tries to run towards it. But you also need to make sure that your dog won’t run after him.
Don’t Get Yourself in The Fight
No, we don’t mean you will start fighting with the dogs. Jokes apart, if you see your dog getting into a fight the first thing you will want to do is to separate them.
But avoid picking up your dog or getting anywhere near, because even your dog is aggressive. Dogs will bite you and you will end up hurting yourself.
What you can do to separate them is to pull your dog away or either show some aggression and apply force to separate them.
Call an Emergency
This is the only way to separate fighting dogs without hurting them. So make sure you carry your mobile and don’t hesitate to ask for help if you feel they might hurt each other or a human.
These are the few ways how you can deal with off-leash dogs approaching while walking your dog. But it is always a good idea to pay proper attention to what dog owners should do and what not while walking dogs. So here are the few things you should know as dog owners.
What Should You Know While You Take Your Dog on a Walk?
As Per the Help Guide“Dogs love going for walks, to the point that many owners take to spelling out w-a-l-k when talking about the activity to keep their pooches from getting overly excited.” It is much easier to avoid such situations if you are a bit more careful while walking your dog. There are certain leash laws made by the government to keep you as well as your dogs safe.
If your dog isn’t comfortable with leashes take him to off-leash areas for a walk. But if your dog is more aggressive and, easily provoked towards other dogs when off-leashed avoid going to such areas.
Secondly, when you see a dog approaching your dog do not tighten the leash all of a sudden. Dog’s understand our body language as well and doing so can stress your pooch. This also shows your dog that you are uncomfortable and hence he can become aggressive towards other dogs.
Also, you should know that the approaching dog will not always harm your dog. Some would just come near your dog to greet each other and won’t likely result in a fight. So as a dog parent even you should not always stop your dog from socializing with other dogs while on a walk.
FAQs
How to walk your dog without a leash?
Walking your dog without a leash will demand a lot of training, or you will end up in trouble if he runs away.
But for that, you will have to begin with on leash training and then slowly loosen your grip and so on.
Before you step out without a leash make sure your dog is habituated to walk by your side off-leash.
Why do some dogs bark when they see other dogs?
Dogs that bark at other dogs are often more scared of other dogs. They don’t want other dogs to come near them. This is usually because you didn’t socialize them well, or they might just be scared of other dog breeds.
Why do stray dogs follow your dog?
There can be different reasons for this. They might find your dog kind, friendly, and not scary. Even dogs have affection for each other and so if stray dogs approach your dog on a walk it won’t always result in a fight.
What should you do when you see a stray dog approaching your dog on a walk?
Instead of pulling your dog or picking your dog up, look at your dog’s body language, keep walking your way and if your dog looks scary or nervous try to distract him with words. This is how you can save yourself and your dog from a fight.
How to train your dog to behave on walks?
To train your dogs to behave well on walks practice short leash walks initially and then go on a long walk. Distract your dog for some time and pause just the way you have taught him. Also, carry dog treats while on a walk, and keep talking with your dog so that he knows you are attentive, and he needs to behave.
Conclusion
Yes, that’s all you need to do if you ever find an off-leash dog approaching your pet friend. You just need to be a bit more attentive towards your dog’s behaviors when you see a dog approaching.
You can avoid getting into any bad situation quite easily if you have better control over your pooch. And even if you still get into trouble make sure to carry dog treats with you for distracting your dog as well as the approaching dog if he is aggressive.
Contents
REFERENCE:
1.Situ, J. (2023, March 3). What Do You Do If an Off-leash Dog Approaches You While You Are Walking a Dog? DogLikesBest. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.doglikesbest.com/what-to-do-when-an-off-leash-dog-approaches
When it comes to dogs, Julia ignores nothing. Being an animal behaviorist, dog trainer and a dog parent she knows exactly how even a tiny change in a dog’s surroundings and diet can leave dogs disturbed for a longer duration. Hence, she always makes sure to review for us only the best products for dogs out there.
