05/01/2018
Ive been reading lots of posts on my neighborhood listserv about dogs being attacked by other dogs who are off leash. Below is my response:
Hi Neighbors,
To Marie: I am so sorry this happened to you and your pup! As a certified dog trainer with over 7 years experience in training, and almost 20 years total in the pet care industry, I can say that this type of aggression is very hard to treat and it sounds like the owner is very aware of the problem but doesn't care. It is so critical that you report it to animal control but I know how hard it is in the moment when your adrenaline is going crazy to ask for someones info, especially when they are oblivious or don't seem to care. The biggest problem with this type of aggression is that it will only get worse because the more the dog practices the behavior the quicker they are likely to repeat the same behavior, and it tends to escalate without intervention. Also, just one dog bite or negative interaction can make lots of dogs scared of walks which can cause common behavior issues such as leash reactivity (barking at every dog that walks by) and dog aggression. Dogs develop these behaviors as a way to protect themselves from dogs they see as a threat to their safety.
For right now, I would advise carrying pepper spray like this one found here https://www.amazon.com/SABRE-Dog-Spray-Protector-All-Natural/dp/B008SBO9FU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525197930&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+mase. Be as proactive as possible in order to protect your dog. If you see a dog coming towards you, get the spray ready, get in between the oncoming dog and yours, tell the dog approaching to "stop" or "no" in loud firm voice and see what happens. If the dog continues to approach, spray a warning shot. Dogs have a terrific sense of smell and will get a whiff of that stuff and hopefully run in the other direction. If not, spray the dog in the face. Also, always drop your dogs leash incase there is a fight so your dog can defend himself.
To all Woodmoor neighbors who have aggressive dogs, I can totally come from understanding. I have a fear aggressive, leash reactive dog (constant work in progress) who has the potential to bite another dog if approached. She will not approach another dog to instigate a fight but she will finish it if she has to. For that reason, I make sure that I am her advocate while on walks. I never let her off leash and will do my best to protect her from being in a situation where she needs to defend herself. There are leash laws for a reason. Please keep your dogs leashed even if they are the friendliest dogs in the neighborhood. If your unleashed, "friendly" dog approaches my dog and she feels threatened and reacts, my dog could easily be labeled vicious. To me, that is totally unfair and unacceptable.
I know I might get some backlash with this next comment but I feel like I have to say it and welcome a healthy debate. I think the unofficial Woodmoor "dog park" or play group at Pinecrest is a recipe for disaster. Every last one of my Certified Professional Dog Trainer colleagues (http://www.ccpdt.org/), and almost all of the most well known positive trainers in the industy are against dog parks for the following reasons: They are unmonitored by professionals who truly know dog behavior and body language, most people assume their dogs are friendly because their tail is wagging and they seem "happy" when in reality that most often isn't the case, it is an unpredictable environment where anything can and does happen, "minor" behaviors (pinning, rolling, groups of dogs chasing one dog) can lead to major consequences for your dog that can happen immediately and/or in the future (fights, aggression, leash reactivity, fear of other dogs, etc.). I was strictly talking about fenced in dog parks above. Now add in the element of a completely open space where the "dog park" dogs can run up and approach any dog they want, aggressive or not. IMHO, it is not realistic to assume that your dog will always come when called, especially if the reward (meeting a new dog) is better then the consequence of coming when called (fun goes away). The probability of a dog fight is extremely high with the way things are going now.
Good news is there are alternatives to free for all, off leash play: getting familiar friendly dogs together in someones backyard and slowly introducing new ones, going to an enclosed dog park if you must, taking familiar dogs on hikes together (more controlled and they get more energy out), finding a play group monitored by certified professionals (Humane Rescue Alliance used to offer one when it was still WARL), etc. I always tell my clients that 15 minutes of mental stimulation is like a 30 minute walk for your pup. If you do these off leash play groups just to exercise your pup, instead consider teaching your dog a new trick or doing some obedience training, followed by a walk, run or rollerblade.
With all of that said, just like people, some dogs like socializing with others and some dogs don't. It would probably surprise you how many are not into greeting and tolerate interactions as best they can because they are being forced to or just to please us. Its our job not only protect our dogs on walks and play groups but every other dog as well. First step is by leashing and muzzling if needed. Trust your gut; Just because someone says their dog is friendly doesn't actually mean thats the case. Dogs greeting on leash can be more aggressive than when they are off leash because leashes can put them at a vulnerable disadvantage incase a fight happens and they can't flee. Most importantly, if you KNOW your dog is aggressive, do whats right and don't let your dog off leash under any circumstances, unless you want your dog to eventually be deemed vicious and euthanized. Personally, if an aggressive dog comes for any of mine, I will do anything and everything I need to do to protect them, bottom line. Also, I think it would be helpful if all our neighbors could take pictures of any dog fight that occurs even if its not your dog and you're just on a walk, since its really hard in the moment to get all the info necessary to file a report. Oh, and if you disagree with anything I've said, I would love to discuss it further :)
Best,
Lisa H, CPDT-KA
www.silverspringdogtraining.com
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