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I'm neighbors with a city board member's entitled granddaughter. She is too lazy to walk her dog, so she turns him out unrestrained. Animal control picked the dog up once, but she got him right back. When I walk my dog, her dog follows us growling and barking. My dog finally had enough, so he turned around and snapped at her dog. I know that if my dog bites her dog, it will be my fault, fair or not. I now walk with a camcorder and pepper spray. Obviously, I need an alternative way of handling this situation. How do you make unrestrained dogs go away and if they start fighting, how do you make them stop?
This thread was started back in May, Don6170 (post #3) had a nice link I read too, offering good advice.
Good luck, sounds like after a few citations given out by Animal Control, the dog may be deemed dangerous. Then they'll take him and they won't get him back. How Do You Stop an Aggressive Dog From Killing Another Dog?
I'm neighbors with a city board member's entitled granddaughter. She is too lazy to walk her dog, so she turns him out unrestrained. Animal control picked the dog up once, but she got him right back. When I walk my dog, her dog follows us growling and barking. My dog finally had enough, so he turned around and snapped at her dog. I know that if my dog bites her dog, it will be my fault, fair or not. I now walk with a camcorder and pepper spray. Obviously, I need an alternative way of handling this situation. How do you make unrestrained dogs go away and if they start fighting, how do you make them stop?
If your dog is leashed and hers is loose, how is it your or your dog's fault if your dog snaps at her dog?
Take pictures of her dog out running loose and send them with a certified letter describing the situation and expressing your concern for your and your dogs safety. And then call animal control any time her dog is out loose.
You handle a fight by preventing it in the first place. Don't look at or acknowledge the other dog; eye contact is construed as threatening, as are movements to shoo away- just ignore and go your way. Most dogs are territorial, so walk your dog out of the other dog's range as quickly as possible. Carry extra stinky yummy treats to keep your dog focused on you while you walk out of range, and if need be, if the other dog is behaving aggressively, then you can toss treats in his path to distract him.
Keep your body between your dog and the loose dog, doing leash side changes as needed.
As a last resort, if the dog has hackles up and is in an aggressive frozen posture with lips drawn back, use the pepper spray before a fight starts- once a fight begins things move so fast you won't be able to aim with accuracy. Whatever you do don't grab the other dog's collar, rather grab a hind leg (both is better) and swing the dog away from your dog, and put yourself between the dogs, and exit the area while calling animal control.
BTW- if a fight starts, you need to break it up, not film it. Another dog can do a lot of really expensive life threatening damage to your dog in a matter of seconds (NOT an exaggeration), so prevention is key.
This thread was started back in May, Don6170 (post #3) had a nice link I read too, offering good advice.
Good luck, sounds like after a few citations given out by Animal Control, the dog may be deemed dangerous. Then they'll take him and they won't get him back. How Do You Stop an Aggressive Dog From Killing Another Dog?
Thanks for finding that thread for me. I searched for something similar, but I was using the wrong keywords.
I'm assuming you think your dog will be blamed because its owner is a board member? Because under normal, unbiased circumstances, the law will side with a leashed dog over an unleashed dog. Of course, either way you don't want to see your dog get hurt (or the other dog either, when it's the owner who's at fault, not the dog).
This is how I deal with an aggressive loose dog in my neighborhood: I don't walk my dogs anywhere near where that dog lives. If it means getting in the car and going elsewhere to walk, so be it. It doesn't matter to me that I am morally in the right if my dog ends up severely injured so I stay away.
Loose aggressive dogs should be reported as aggressive, not as running loose. Report that he rushed at you and growled, not that he is unconfined. If you don't get any satisfaction from animal control, start sending letters to the mayor and if that doesn't work, start sending letters to the local newspaper. If that still doesn't work, then send video to the local news station. They aren't interested in loose dogs but they might be interested in a city board member who uses influence to endanger the public.
Make all of your complaints in writing. Every complaint should mention that the dog comes after you, growling.
City politicians don't like to be embarrassed, so if you make enough noise, something will be done about the dog.
Have proof that the dog walks loose, such as pictures.
Buy dog repellant off Amazon. They are like pepper spray but for dog deterrant.
If a dog fight happens and the other dog wont let go of your dog, put your finger in it's butt. You'll see how fast he'll let go.
Lmao...
Keep reporting the loose dog to animal control. The owner will eventually get a citation or lose her dog if she is sick of paying the pound fee. It's a shame for the dog but it is what it is in order to stay safe.
The problem with any sprays is that you have to be sure you're downwind or you may get yourself and your dog sprayed by mistake.
I now use one of these when I take my dog walking in the park. It's long enough that I dontn have to be too close to the dog -- and, often, just the noise is enough to scare off any aggressive dogs:
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IF there is a Leash Law..... 
