What to Do When You Meet Off-Leash Dogs
This week, blogs and Facebook groups have been full of the same topic: what to do when you run into off-leash dogs while walking your own dog. A friend of mine went through this just last week. She was walking her small poodle mix when she came across a young man sitting on the sidewalk with two pit bulls. They had leashes attached, but he was not holding them.
Because she saw leashes, she assumed they were under control and kept walking. As she got closer, the pit bulls saw her dog and started to advance. She tried to scoop her dog up to keep her safe, but the sudden movement sent her little dog into full flight mode. That triggered the pit bulls’ prey drive, and what was a tense moment turned into a chase. Now she had two pit bulls in drive mode and her dog running, which only escalated things. She dove to cover her dog just as the young man reached his dogs, but not before both she and her dog ended up with punctures and scratches. It could have been so much worse.
I have had plenty of encounters myself with off-leash dogs. Almost all of them seem to happen when I am walking all three of my own. The worst was facing four advancing off-leash dogs with my three on leash. That was a serious expletive moment. I will add that not every off-leash dog advances. Many are just wandering or sniffing and do not engage. That does not mean I do nothing, but those situations are far less stressful than when you see a dog moving in fast.
So, let’s look at things you can do with any untrained dog, meaning you haven’t trained or practiced any emergency behaviors.
What you can do even with an untrained dog
- Find barriers fast: If a dog starts to advance, get behind or into something. I once lifted my dogs into the bed of a pickup parked in a driveway. Fences, hedges, even trash bins can buy you time. If you walk a regular route, make note of where you can duck out of sight or create a barrier.
- Carry a deterrent: A pop-open umbrella can create a sudden barrier and the motion may be enough to interrupt an approach. Pet-safe spray or a hose nozzle can also give you a second to retreat.
- Stay out of sight: Watch your surroundings. My “off-leash radar” is high from years of walking reactive dogs. If you see a dog far off, quietly change direction. Do not run. Movement can trigger prey drive.
- Dump all your treats: If the dog is close, throwing a pile of high-value treats can distract long enough to get away. Always carry treats for your own dog, and they can save you in a pinch.
Behaviors you can train for safety.
- “Hide” teaches your dog to position themselves directly behind you with their ribcage pressing against the back of your legs while you stand straight. To train this, begin with your dog on leash standing beside you. Slowly turn your body in small steps, encouraging your dog to follow behind you. Reward your dog with treats after each small movement toward the final position behind your legs. Once your dog consistently moves into this spot, add the verbal cue “hide” as you turn and reward them for staying there.
- “Come front” means your dog moves to stand in front of you facing you. This helps prevent your dog from barking or reacting to an approaching dog, and allows you to keep an eye on the situation while moving backward. To teach this during walks, stop walking and take a few steps backward while calling your dog toward you. When your dog turns and comes to you, reward them with a treat. You can use your dog’s name or a specific cue like “front,” “here,” or even a phrase like “oh crap” if that’s a natural reaction when an off-leash dog approaches.
The last thing to train is you. It’s incredibly difficult to remain calm when confronted with a potentially serious situation, but that calm is what you’ll need. Work on calm without your dog, go to dog parks and stand around the ruckus and just breathe. Walk routes without your dog and look for hiding spots or barriers. Practice handling any deterrent you carry until it is muscle memory. A plan and preparation can make the difference between a scary story and a serious injury.
Looking for help training your dog to enjoy safe, happy walks? Contact us today.