I'm Becoming Afraid To Walk My Dogs

[Steph M]

I have to say though, if my lovely friendly (albeit large) dog ever happened to break off his leash outside a shop, or his collar suffer a failure (highly unlikely but always possible) and approach you or your dog and someone either sprayed him with citronella or kicked him or 'beat the crap out of' him. You would certainly have something to answer to from me.

You have the right to protect your own, sure. But when you're in such a high state of what sounds like (in some of the described cases) somewhat hysterical panic how carefully are you judging body language and intent? Just because a dog is moving at speed toward you, does not a vicious killer make.

I find this attitude of fear really frightening and depressing. If every person were to walk around with a stick or a bloody CATTLE PROD to beat approaching dogs away from them I would be less inclined to walk my dog at all. That concerns me much much more than off lead dogs.

It's very 'vigilante justice'.

[Salukifan]

Depressing? You bet. But there are people out there who don't give a rat's arse for anyone and nothing will change them. And pollies will act only if their are votes or media coverage in it.

And IF they act, it will be to prohibit dogs from MORE areas.

[Salukifan]

I have to say though, if my lovely friendly (albeit large) dog ever happened to break off his leash outside a shop, or his collar suffer a failure (highly unlikely but always possible) and approach you or your dog and someone either sprayed him with citronella or kicked him or 'beat the crap out of' him. You would certainly have something to answer to from me.

You have the right to protect your own, sure. But when you're in such a high state of what sounds like (in some of the described cases) somewhat hysterical panic how carefully are you judging body language and intent? Just because a dog is moving at speed toward you, does not a vicious killer make.

I find this attitude of fear really frightening and depressing. If every person were to walk around with a stick or a bloody CATTLE PROD to beat approaching dogs away from them I would be less inclined to walk my dog at all. That concerns me much much more than off lead dogs.

It's very 'vigilante justice'.

Not everyone is an expert in canine body language. You have seconds to react and for some people their dogs are already reacting.

If you don't want to see someone go to town on your dog, you know what to do. And if everyone DID do the right thing, the 'vigilante justice' you speak of would be utterly unnecessary.

The solution is so simple, WHY won't people simply obey the damn leash laws?

[Steph M]

The point I'm making is shit happens, leashes aren't infallible and things can happen.

FWIW I'm an on-leash person. I'm not disagreeing. I just think arming yourself and being on high alert and panic stations is a really dangerous standpoint.

[trinabean]

The point I'm making is shit happens, leashes aren't infallible and things can happen.

FWIW I'm an on-leash person. I'm not disagreeing. I just think arming yourself and being on high alert and panic stations is a really dangerous standpoint.

I'm not arming myself, not on panic stations either.

Just pissed that I can't find anywhere to walk my dog where people can't manage to consistently:

a). shut a gate/ keep their dogs contained or

b). snap a lead on their dogs' collar

So 'panic stations' -no. But am I going to report menacing loose/ rushing dogs in on-lead only public areas? You betcha.

Edited September 14, 2013 by trinabean

[Salukifan]

The point I'm making is shit happens, leashes aren't infallible and things can happen.

FWIW I'm an on-leash person. I'm not disagreeing. I just think arming yourself and being on high alert and panic stations is a really dangerous standpoint.

The point I'm making is that dealing with totally preventable shit caused by people who think they are above the law is a pain in the arse for the rest of us.

I don't stalk the suburb armed to the teeth and looking for trouble but it irriitates the bejesus out of me that I have to deal with so many "perfect' dogs under "perfect control" who "have never done that before". At least a leashed dog gives me something to grab when its owner can't control it.

A leash might not be infallible but in my experience it's a lot less fallible than voice control, regardless of the dog and the owner.

Risk assessments that don't consider things like a mob of kangaroos 300m from my house (truely) or your dog being frightened or attacked itself aren't worth a damn. A leash can solve a lot of issues before they start.

Edited September 14, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[bozzieUD]

I have to say though, if my lovely friendly (albeit large) dog ever happened to break off his leash outside a shop, or his collar suffer a failure (highly unlikely but always possible) and approach you or your dog and someone either sprayed him with citronella or kicked him or 'beat the crap out of' him. You would certainly have something to answer to from me.

You have the right to protect your own, sure. But when you're in such a high state of what sounds like (in some of the described cases) somewhat hysterical panic how carefully are you judging body language and intent? Just because a dog is moving at speed toward you, does not a vicious killer make.

I find this attitude of fear really frightening and depressing. If every person were to walk around with a stick or a bloody CATTLE PROD to beat approaching dogs away from them I would be less inclined to walk my dog at all. That concerns me much much more than off lead dogs.

It's very 'vigilante justice'.

Not everyone is an expert in canine body language. You have seconds to react and for some people their dogs are already reacting.

If you don't want to see someone go to town on your dog, you know what to do. And if everyone DID do the right thing, the 'vigilante justice' you speak of would be utterly unnecessary.

The solution is so simple, WHY won't people simply obey the damn leash laws?

Totally agree. With 25 yrs in the dog world and a good many of them as a trainer let me tell you I would have shot those feral dogs if I had a gun. When your dog and yourself are under attack you don't give a sh$t what the owners will say. You are in SURVIVAL MODE DAMN IT!!! I've been off work for almost a week due to injuries and I'm bloody over it!. Unless you have been in this position you have no idea what its like. I will arm myself with something in the future. I will protect my 6yr old son, dog and self the best I can. Please keep your dog under control, as the next time it happens I promise I will use whatever I can to stop the attack.

[HazyWal]

The point I'm making is shit happens, leashes aren't infallible and things can happen.

FWIW I'm an on-leash person. I'm not disagreeing. I just think arming yourself and being on high alert and panic stations is a really dangerous standpoint.

Steph I don't know if you know much about greyhounds but they have skin like tissue paper. A friendly dog romping up to play can do something like this with a toenail. Add to that the fact they are muzzled if the s**t hits the fan my dogs WILL be badly hurt so yes I will arm myself and am ALWAYS on high alert. I don't enjoy walks anymore thanks to people that can't obey a simple law and it is very simple, like putting your seatbelt on in a car.

[Odin-Genie]

The point I'm making is shit happens, leashes aren't infallible and things can happen.

FWIW I'm an on-leash person. I'm not disagreeing. I just think arming yourself and being on high alert and panic stations is a really dangerous standpoint.

If your friendly dog suddenly managed to break his leash and ran up to my dogs, I wouldn't kick him or hurt him. I understand that leashes can be fallible. I have an issue with people who deliberately walk their dogs off lead in on lead areas.

I have had many instances when offload dogs have run up to my dogs. This is particularly a problem when I take my dogs for a bush walk in lead only areas with narrow trails. Off lead dogs often run up with owners far behind. In general this is not an issue since my dogs aren't aggressive. But it stresses me out.

[Are You Serious Jo]

It's not vigilante justice if you are only defending yourself. If you are a vigilante you go out looking for it, all we want to do is walk our dogs in peace and be left alone. No one here mentioned anything about going out to find aggressive dogs so you are completely wrong when you label us vigilantes. I am pretty confident I can tell the difference between a dog not attacking and attacking because you know, latching on to my dog, so any dog that is fighting with mine will be removed with whatever it takes. It's really simple, if people don't want their dog hurt while we keep ours alive don't let your dog off leash.

[Loving my Oldies]

The point I'm making is shit happens, leashes aren't infallible and things can happen.

That is true (and pretty much what I was saying) and people need to be aware

FWIW I'm an on-leash person. I'm not disagreeing. I just think arming yourself and being on high alert and panic stations is a really dangerous standpoint.

Being on high alert is very different (or should be) from panic stations.

I'm always on high alert as I generally walk 5 small dogs, one of whom is highly reactive and I am always looking out for other dog walkers because I don't want her going off her nut at calm and well behaved dogs.

There have also been a few people who have moved into the neighbourhood who seem to have large and highly excitable dogs and obviously don't know how to handle them , so I never know when they are likely to be out at the same time I am. If I see them and can divert, I do.

[Loving my Oldies]

Depressing? You bet. But there are people out there who don't give a rat's arse for anyone and nothing will change them. And pollies will act only if their are votes or media coverage in it.

And IF they act, it will be to prohibit dogs from MORE areas.

Which is why I added "media coverage".

Media coverage = pollies promising more legislation.

[Alison03]

Last Saturday my young Aussie was attacked at the KCC Park by 2 dogs who BROKE out of the off leash area . These dogs ( owed by Non-members) ran approx 40 metre to carry out the attack while we had our backs turned, walking away from them. Several things contributed to my dog and I surviving the prolonged attack relatively 'injury free'. Firstly I had my dog ON LEAD. If he was walking free these two Am-staffs ( in appearance ) would have run him down and tore him to pieces .( My dog doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body.) Secondly he has a thick coat. The dogs were biting and swinging off his rear end and only had mouthfuls of hair. Thirdly I hung on to my dogs collar and kicked the attacking dogs in the stomach for all I was worth. ( my dog's life depended on my strength ). There are many things I could write about this attack and Ive spent the week at doctors, council, and reporting to Dogs Vic. All I keep thinking is thank God I had my dog on lead and didn't have my 6yr old son with me. And frankly the way I feel at the moment ( I know this will pass) I wish it was legal to carry Pepper Spray. I couldn't care less if it injured the attacking dogs.

I'm really sorry to hear of your experience, I absolutely empathise with what happened to you as I had a similar thing happen to me, it was only my strength that allowed me to do battle with the two large dogs that attacked me and my non reactive bomb proof Shihtzu. I think it is very restrained of you to suggest carrying pepper spray. I didn't walk my dog for 12 months, and if I had been forced too nothing less than carrying a 357 magnum would induce me to step out of the door with her on my own. No one knows how it feels to be attacked by large dogs out in the open until it happens to them, it was the single most terrifying experiences of my life. At the time I thanked God I didn't have my 4 year old granddaughter with me.

I hope you recover quicker than I did, to be honest I don't think I'll ever fully recover, the care free days of walking my dog are over for me, now I'm constantly on the alert for those superior dog owners with their off leash dogs. I carry a spray called Spray Shield, its harmless to dogs but does have shock value, not sure it would help with the super aggressive dogs but its better than nothing and its legal, unlike pepper spray or a 357 Magnum. :)

You were quick Trudy.:) I actually edited my original post to say I wish I had a hand gun a few minutes later. I wouldn't have hesitated for a moment to use it. You're right about it being one of the most terrifying situations to be in. Its your strength against the attacking dogs strength -with the life of your dog at risk. Whats really rocked me is that I never walk the footpaths and I wouldn't dream of using an off leash park. I walk at Dogs Vic KCC park almost daily as Im 99% sure I''ll be among responsible dog owners. Problem is I have now learned the gen/public are bringing aggressive dogs there because they cant walk them on the streets!! What hope have we got? My husband works on construction sites and Ive asked him to ask the lads for something I can protect myself with. No it wont be a gun. ( as much as Id love one) but it will be something to bring back my confidence to walk my dog. Good luck to you, Trudy Unfortunately too many idiots out there with their 'sense of entitlement' putting our dogs and ourselves at risk. .

Sorry I took you unawares this morning, I was in a hurry, had to trim my little dog and bath her, so got my messages out of the way first.

I think its hard for someone who hasn't been attacked to really understand how it feels and how that feeling never leaves you, I had flashbacks for months, the whole episode would replay in my mind. One thing its made me aware of is that I will fight, not run or freeze, any damage I do to the attacking dogs their owners can blame themselves for because ultimately they are responsible, even if I'd killed those dogs I wouldn't lose a nights sleep over it, I was fighting for my dogs life, I wasn't going to stand there while they pulled her in half.

I don't live in Vic I'm in NSW but I've noticed people being up in arms about the BSL laws and some dogs being fought for in court. I take it the Vic government are concerned enough about certain types of dogs to try to regulate them. Not sure how well it will work, whether it will make things worse or better, seems to have made it worse for you if the parks are now being used to exercise some of the powerful dogs.

I tend to walk my dog on a main road these days, since we were attacked it appears to be the safest option, there is one park I walk through to get to the main road, where I still have the occasional problem with off leash dogs and their owners. Do take care and try to pick when you walk, i know you shouldn't have too but needs must. I avoid walking on bin day and on weekends (unless my husband is with me), bin day is also leaving the gate open day and weekends is off leash dog day. I walk in the afternoon during the week just before the schools come out, there are more people about then, which makes me feel safer if an off leash dog decides it doesn't like us. My citronella spray has put off a few hyper interested dogs, I spray it on the ground in front of them, they don't like the smell or the hissing noise so they usually take off in another direction. Mostly the owners aren't aware I've done anything.

Good luck to you also. :)

[Alison03]

I have to say though, if my lovely friendly (albeit large) dog ever happened to break off his leash outside a shop, or his collar suffer a failure (highly unlikely but always possible) and approach you or your dog and someone either sprayed him with citronella or kicked him or 'beat the crap out of' him. You would certainly have something to answer to from me.

You have the right to protect your own, sure. But when you're in such a high state of what sounds like (in some of the described cases) somewhat hysterical panic how carefully are you judging body language and intent? Just because a dog is moving at speed toward you, does not a vicious killer make.

I find this attitude of fear really frightening and depressing. If every person were to walk around with a stick or a bloody CATTLE PROD to beat approaching dogs away from them I would be less inclined to walk my dog at all. That concerns me much much more than off lead dogs.

It's very 'vigilante justice'.

I have experienced a large dog snapping its collar, more than once, on the first occasion the dog came straight at me and my dog, its owner ended up tackling her dog and rolling in the dirt with it, it was hell bent on getting to my dog, when the owner had regained some kind of control, she said to me "My dog doesn't like small dogs, can you run off now" I'm a 56 year old woman with a bad knee,. I generally don't run anywhere, and in order to go anywhere I had to walk passed her and her gyrating snarling off its head dog as climbing the steep embankment behind me to get out of the park is not an option for me. I have to say I was gobsmacked by the performance that woman put herself through (and me), why in Gods name would anyone walk a dog who obviously had murder on its mind in a park full of small dogs. When I found my voice and realised I was actually still in a small suburban park and not a three ring circus, I told her to climb the embankment as there were 3 little dogs coming up behind her and unless she wanted to repeat her rolling on the ground performance, she should "run off now".

I'd like to reiterate for your benefit Steph, that any dog that comes at me and mine at speed for whatever reason, must accept whatever I feel like doling out, a kick, citronella spray, a clout from my handbag, I will never ever in my life again put myself in the position of having to extricate my little dog from a massive dogs mouth if I can prevent that dog getting to us first. I would relish any conversation the owner of the loose dog would like to have with me, you would find that I am more than a match for most people. You can call it panic, hysteria whatever the hell you like. My advice is keep your dog well leashed if it is large enough to snap its collar, because if it escapes( accident or not) your control you will be at fault.

You are correct this whole issue is frightening and depressing, the fact that I can't walk my dog without my head doing a 360 every minute to make sure some huge hound isn't about to jump us, is not only frightening and depressing, its unacceptable. If someone feels the need to own a big powerful dog but is incapable of keeping it on a leash and under control or locked up in its yard, then that dog should be taken off them to keep the rest of us safe. If the off leash walkers are encouraged to keep on menacing the rest of us and making excuses for accidental escapes this situation is going to get worse and you will find that the only place you'll be able to see your large dogs is behind bars at a zoo. That time could come quicker than you think if these dog attacks keep occurring.

[Alison03]

The point I'm making is shit happens, leashes aren't infallible and things can happen.

That is true (and pretty much what I was saying) and people need to be aware

FWIW I'm an on-leash person. I'm not disagreeing. I just think arming yourself and being on high alert and panic stations is a really dangerous standpoint.

Being on high alert is very different (or should be) from panic stations.

I'm always on high alert as I generally walk 5 small dogs, one of whom is highly reactive and I am always looking out for other dog walkers because I don't want her going off her nut at calm and well behaved dogs.

There have also been a few people who have moved into the neighbourhood who seem to have large and highly excitable dogs and obviously don't know how to handle them , so I never know when they are likely to be out at the same time I am. If I see them and can divert, I do.

I've also become something of an expert in crossing busy roads to avoid off leash dogs or gyrating "let me eat your little dog" large dogs on leashes because to be perfectly frank when I see a small woman with a large dog on a leash and that dog starts to act up because its seen my dog, I don't trust the woman to be strong enough to hang on to the leash, so I exit stage left, I shouldn't have to do that. Not long ago I walked passed an older lady who when she saw me coming, wrapped the leash of her cattle dog around a sign post and shouted "Just walk passed really quick" she was hanging on to the leash for dear life while her dog carried on like it had rabies. Honest to God if it wasn't so scary it would be comical. Why oh why would anyone make themselves look so ridiculous, they are just walking a dog and it looks like hell.

[Alison03]

It's not vigilante justice if you are only defending yourself. If you are a vigilante you go out looking for it, all we want to do is walk our dogs in peace and be left alone. No one here mentioned anything about going out to find aggressive dogs so you are completely wrong when you label us vigilantes. I am pretty confident I can tell the difference between a dog not attacking and attacking because you know, latching on to my dog, so any dog that is fighting with mine will be removed with whatever it takes. It's really simple, if people don't want their dog hurt while we keep ours alive don't let your dog off leash.

Spot on Reverend

[RazorBlade]

The uncontrollable hysteria in this thread is amazing. You need to take a deep breath, possibly a Prozac and a lay down. It's not world war three out there. This is not like walking across the Serengeti with a sirloin strapped to your back. Serious case of over reaction with a little bit of superiority complex thrown in and some double standards to finish things off.

Pretty sure the police would be more concerned about the lady walking around with a cattle prod than they would the person who's dog isn't on a lead. As has been said above, if someone hit my dog with a cattle prod they would most likely find themselves on the receiving end of a very nasty shock.

[Alison03]

I have to say though, if my lovely friendly (albeit large) dog ever happened to break off his leash outside a shop, or his collar suffer a failure (highly unlikely but always possible) and approach you or your dog and someone either sprayed him with citronella or kicked him or 'beat the crap out of' him. You would certainly have something to answer to from me.

You have the right to protect your own, sure. But when you're in such a high state of what sounds like (in some of the described cases) somewhat hysterical panic how carefully are you judging body language and intent? Just because a dog is moving at speed toward you, does not a vicious killer make.

I find this attitude of fear really frightening and depressing. If every person were to walk around with a stick or a bloody CATTLE PROD to beat approaching dogs away from them I would be less inclined to walk my dog at all. That concerns me much much more than off lead dogs.

It's very 'vigilante justice'.

Not everyone is an expert in canine body language. You have seconds to react and for some people their dogs are already reacting.

If you don't want to see someone go to town on your dog, you know what to do. And if everyone DID do the right thing, the 'vigilante justice' you speak of would be utterly unnecessary.

The solution is so simple, WHY won't people simply obey the damn leash laws?

Totally agree. With 25 yrs in the dog world and a good many of them as a trainer let me tell you I would have shot those feral dogs if I had a gun. When your dog and yourself are under attack you don't give a sh$t what the owners will say. You are in SURVIVAL MODE DAMN IT!!! I've been off work for almost a week due to injuries and I'm bloody over it!. Unless you have been in this position you have no idea what its like. I will arm myself with something in the future. I will protect my 6yr old son, dog and self the best I can. Please keep your dog under control, as the next time it happens I promise I will use whatever I can to stop the attack.

I have only owned and been walking a dog for five years, I trained her myself by using common sense, she understands what I want and she stays on a leash, because she's just a dog, I love her but she's still a dog. She does not carry on like a pork chop when she sees another dog because I nipped that in the bud when she was young, she walks at heel, no lunging, jumping or barking is attempted, it doesn't seem to occur to her, in those five years I've been rushed many times, once by a large bull dog type, my husband kicked it repeatedly (he would have liked to do something similar to the owner) as its focus was to get our dog, it was very determined, the fact she was covered in its saliva was proof of that. My husband is a big guy and I thank God he had the strength to kick that dog like he did. Eventually it took off back to whatever hell it came from.

On another occasion we came upon a family group in the park, we were just walking along the path and a 10ish year old boy from the group who was staring at our dog let go of the leash of his border collie type, the dog shot like a missile at us, I believe the boy did it deliberately, as did his mother who screamed at him "Why did you let go of his leash" he went very red and said "I don't know", Well I do know it was to see what would happen. Kids should not be put in charge of large dogs. Anyway my construction worker husband grabbed the dog by the hair on its back and virtually carried/dragged it back to the woman, she was very apologetic and we were very angry.

All of this is so unnecessary, its a privilege to own a dog, they bring us such joy, its a shame that these irresponsible dog owners are going to ruin it for the rest of us, sooner or later the laws will tighten and many types of dogs will be banned, not to mention all the parks that will be "No dogs allowed" just like the national parks. There will be no point in bleating "It was an accident, I left the gate open" or "He's never attacked anyone before, he's a sweet dog". The dog will be confiscated and the owner will get a ban from owning a dog again. If we all do the right thing now those kind of laws can be avoided.

[Diva]

The uncontrollable hysteria in this thread is amazing. You need to take a deep breath, possibly a Prozac and a lay down. It's not world war three out there. This is not like walking across the Serengeti with a sirloin strapped to your back. Serious case of over reaction with a little bit of superiority complex thrown in and some double standards to finish things off.

You are right, but that is the impact a serious attack has on people. It can't just be dismissed because there are too many who now feel that way.

I hate how it is now about big dogs specificaly, as if they are all wolves waiting to attack. I have big dogs, and they have been through it too. Now that they are mature adults I am a bit more relaxed, as anything that seriously takes them on is likely to get more than it bargained for. But they are gentle creatures and I resent them having to fight when it really isn't their nature, and I don't want to end up on the ground in the middle of a fight either. Although last time my best in show winning 'powerful hound' came home bleeding from the hocks because of a pair of aggressive small dogs she was too polite to pick up and toss, I resolved that anything that came at us aggressively would get the same treatment, big or small.

I often carry a walking stick, and will use it, but my first line of defense these days is actually a handful of treats tossed on the ground, confuses the hell out of most rushing dogs and gives me time to move on. I doubt it would make an difference to the truly serious about it, but it feels better on my end to at least try to descalate. Some days, maybe most days, we just go out of the suburb to exercise, just because I am too much of a wimp to run the gaunlet yet again, and I want to keep my dogs as friendly as possible,

Edited September 14, 2013 by Diva

[tdierikx]

I'm more of the opinion that the more nicely behaved off lead dogs the average Joe sees/meets, the better...

Seriously though, if you have a highly reactive dog, is it fair on them (or you for that matter) to be taking them to areas that may be crowded with people or other dogs? Wouldn't that be more likely to heighten their tension rather than being an enjoyable stroll for you both?

Also - if YOU are on edge whenever you see an offlead dog - don't you think that your own dog will be picking up on that tension and thusly be transmitting their own? Surely the number of offlead and aggressive dogs out and about isn't the epidemic that some would have us believe?

I've been living in this area since 1999 - and have only been rushed at by unfriendly loose dogs twice when out walking my own. Plenty of smaller territorial dogs making noise from their front yards, but nothing that has been seriously "menacing" or of any concern to me or my dogs. I live in an area where we have a very high number of people living on government assistance, and have all manner of the staffy or mastiff crosses as pets - but the unfriendly ones have definitely been a very small minority from my experience.

T.

I'm more of the opinion that if everyone obeyed the law and kept their dogs leashed as they are supposed too, then none of this would be an issue

Don't you think being rushed by unfriendly dogs only twice as you said, is twice too many times, what if your dog had been attacked and killed on one of those occasions, would that have been ok because it only happened twice. I know what would happen your posts on this forum would be very close to looking like mine for a start.

If you think the amount of dog attacks isn't that bad then you haven't been paying attention at all, only a few weeks ago two elderly ladies were attacked in separate incidents, one is still in hospital, then their was the lady who was attacked while pushing her child in a pram, they may be isolated incidents but they feel pretty bloody disastrous if they happen to you or someone you love.

If you still feel its ok and in fact beneficial for everyone to have the experience of meeting off leash dogs, you should have realised from reading the other posts on here today that you are in the minority. Seeing as the rest of us aren't as enlightened and downright superior as you and Razor, please go and live on Razors desert island (I suggested he bought one for himself) and have a blast off leash there, i do hope Toby likes your dog or you could have a problem.

Defensive much?

Please point out where I said I was walking MY dogs offlead?

As for my experiences with 2 unfriendly dogs - one was a very large Rottweiler, and the other was a small fluffy... guess which one actually frightened my dogs the most? Do you hear me ranting on about either breed type and calling them "wolves" or the like? They were 2 ISOLATED incidents - either of which could have ended badly if I had over-reacted to the threat...

I'm not claiming to be any more enlightened or superior to anyone else here - but maybe, just maybe, my being calm and rational and standing my ground when under threat might be why neither incident escalated to a full blown attack by those dogs.

In the case of the small fluffy bailing up my Dane cross and scaring her witless - that little dog was nasty - it went for me when I stood between it and my terrified "horse-puppy" - but I calmly asked it's owner to please come and secure it while we went past... up until that point the owner of the off lead fluffy thought it was extremely funny that their little dog was attacking my dog and myself. Maybe it was the tone in my voice, but they quickly secured their dog and let us pass without further incident - but I could hear them passing snide comments and laughing at me and my huge "scaredy-cat dog" as I walked off... *sigh*

As for the Rottweiler - let's just say that at the time I was walking my own 2 Rotties - both of whom hid behind me when the strange one tried to bail us up. Rotties don't frighten me (funnily enough), so I just raised my voice and put some growl in it, and firmly let the approaching dog (and it's owner some distance away) that I meant business. The owner then called their dog away before I did something to it they weren't going to like.

I will also admit that I have been trained in handling dangerous dogs - so maybe my reaction to perceived threats by dogs is a bit different to some here... which doesn't mean that I'm poo-pooing your reactions, just that I think they may be a bit more over the top than my own. That said, I've long held a fear of small yappy/bitey dogs - Pembroke Corgis in particular frighten me stupid - go figure?

T.