What to Do If An Off-Leash Dog Approaches You and Your Dog

 What to Do If An Off-Leash Dog Approaches You and Your Dog

what to do if off leash dog approaches you

Being faced with a loose dog, especially when your own dog is on leash, can be one of the scariest situations to encounter as a pet owner. It's also an issue we encounter regularly in our dog training practice. So if you're wondering what to do if an off-leash dog approaches you and your dog, check out these expert tips designed to help you and your pup stay safe

You might go a hundred walks without needing any of these emergency items, but in the rare event you do need them, they could possibly save your life or your dog's.

Spray Shield: if nothing else, every walker should carry this product. It's a low-cost, safe dog bite deterrent that releases a burst of unpleasant (but not dangerous) citronella. It's intended to be sprayed into the mouth and/or eyes of an attacking dog to both deter the dog and give you and your dog time to retreat

A lightweight sliplead like this that could be used both as a leash to quickly capture an off-leash dog, or even used as a muzzle.

A treat pouch you can use to carry the above items, along with some tr and all eats

Assess the Environment and Body Language

Your first course of action when determining what to do if an off-leash dog approaches you and your dog is to scan the environment. Is there anything you can use to deter the dog, like a large stick? Look for your fastest and safest exit and try to move in the direction of other people if possible

.You'll next want to determine the body language of the approaching dog. You don't have to be a dog body language expert to be able to make some general assumptions about the dog's intentions:

Is the dog's body language stiff and staring? A tense tail, stiff body, rigid ears, and tense mouth are all indicators of a dog that could be a threat.

Is the dog's tail wagging in a low and loose manner, or is it stiff and high? A tail wag doesn't necessarily indicate friendliness.

If the dog has a relaxed and open mouth, a loose and wagging tail and body positioning, they're more likely to be minimally threate

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Loose, relaxed eyes and body language are generally indicative of a less threatening dog.

For an off-leash dog showing friendly body language, the easiest solutions are to use your sliplead to catch the dog until their owner arrives, toss treats away from you to keep the dog from approaching your dog until help arrives, and/or shoo the dog away with a stern voice and body language.

Position Yourself

One of the reasons these encounters can be so frightening is that we don't have control over the off-leash dog. But what do we have control over? Our own body language and body position.

Let's use those things to our advantage.

Since we've discussed how to handle a friendly off-leash dog, let's discuss a game plan in the event the off-leash dog is not friendly or if you feel unsure as to whether or not the situation will esca terms of your own body language, under no circumstances should you scream or run away. This might seem counterintuitive in the moment as your "fight or flight" response kicks in, but in doing so you could easily trigger a predatory response that could result in a much worse outcome.

Instead, position yourself in between your own dog and the off-leash dog, keeping your body facing the approaching dog directly. Keep your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width to ensure you stay stable and balanced on your feet. Ideally you should have your leash in one hand, and your Spray Shield in your dominant hand pointed towards the off-leash dog. You can try taking a step or two towards the dog and firmly tell the dog to go away. Should the dog back down, you can slowly walk backwards towards the safest exit or barrier

Should the dog truly move to attack you or your dog, release your Spray Shield into the dog's eyes and mouth. If you don't have your Spray Shield on hand, try to send out an emergency call on your phone or watch and then use any item nearby (a stick, your treat pouch, etc) to "feed the dog" with anything other than your skin. Should the dog make contact with you, your most important goal is to avoid falling down. Hold onto a tree or a bench if possible to prevent getting dragged to the ground, as the worst injuries to people typically happen when they're on the ground.Managing Your Dog

As mentioned, you'll want to position your own dog behind you so that you're in between the two dogs. This helps minimize the risk of a fight between the dogsIf you have a dog with a tendency to react towards other dogs by barking and lunging, this can escalate a situation with an off-leash dog quickly. Check out our leash reactivity guide as a starting point for working on this issue, but in an emergency situation, try rapidly delivering treats to your dog or scattering them on the ground to try to avoid a big reaction.

In putting all of these pieces together, you should feel safer and more empowered on your walks with your dog, and can help reduce the risk of injury in the event of an off-leash dog approaching you...

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