# What do you do



## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

What is the best thing to do when faced with danger when walking our little ones?

I'm picturing a worst case scenario - walking H & D on a lead, and a dog without a lead approaches & gets aggressive. (There may be another 'off-lead' scenario on the beach a little later down the track, but right now, I don't have the proper training & confidence to even contemplate that!!)

Dakota is a barker, and would provoke - she barks at everyone & everything! (something I need to work on). Harley walks very well & doesn't make a sound, and doesn't approach other people or dogs.

Do I pick them both up and try to calmly walk away?

Do I leave them on the ground & turn around & calmly walk away? 

What if that's not an option, what if there is a dog loose right upon us?

I know this is a terrifying situation, but it's my worst nightmare, and I really don't know what the best thing to do in this type of situation is.

Its my intention to get more (better) training on this - from a certified trainer this time, but in the mean time, I'm trying to find somewhere to live, pack up my house, keep 2 long coated pups clean & knot free, & work full time - to say I'm a bit time-poor at the moment is a major understatement!!

Common sense tells me to walk H & D separately until I have the proper training & am able to control Dakota. I guess one of the reasons I take them both together is time - there just isn't enough time in the day (and lets face it, my energy level is pretty low right now too!)

Any thoughts, advice, comments?


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Jacqui this is something I dread also. Over here most folks don't have fences so any dogs outside could run at us if they choose to do so. I also am terrified of a large dog attacking the boys but if we are out we keep our eyes open and don't hesitate to pick the boys up and walk on. 
It's much easier with two of us, that makes for one dog a piece but for you it would be much more difficult to react quickly if you had to.
When our neighbours moved in next door I was mortified that they have 3 really large dogs that the kids would play with in the front yard. I wouldn't walk out the door with the boys for fear of what they may do. Of course Scooby just loves to give them lots of cheek through his fence but now they have a yard out back for the dogs and also I have since found they are so friendly and sweet, but I am still very careful because there are 3 of them and they are a pack no matter what and it only takes one to make a move so I never allow the boys on the ground around them.
I am a very protective mum when it comes to the boys and everyone around here knows that


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

Hi Jacqui,

Anytime one of your dogs starts to bark or provoke/return provocation to another dog turn around and go the other way. A trainer will help you teach them to ignore other dogs that are not are not calm so that problems do not occur. 

When in doubt pick them up and walk away calmly. 

Leslie


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

Of course I have no experience with walking two. I do think that for now you should follow YOUR insticts and do what you feel is best until you can get that proper training, as you say. I carry mace and as far as the "what ifs" I am aware that they can happen, but I don't live my life waiting for them to happen but I do have a game plan if they DO happen. But, like any other crisis, you have to have the where-with-all to change the plan on a moment's notice if things change, etc. I know that probably doesn't help a whole lot, lol. I think, bottom line, is that if you have the overall confidence, you won't worry about the "what ifs" because you'll know what to do when the time comes. It's like having skin kids--I can worry about "what if" this or that happens to them--and there are zillions of scary things that could happen to them, but as a confident mom I always have my game on and will know what to do when the time comes. I think part of it is planning & educating, part instinctual, part spur of the moment knowing how to react, part confdence, etc. I'm not tooting my own horn, it's just the way that I know. I use the same "method" when it comes to Ollie. Good luck with moving, etc. Things will all fall into place for you!! :grouphug:


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

Well we live on a farm and so Perri just runs around outside for his exercise. So luckily this isn't a big concern for me. My parents have a mt. house in a subdivision though, and when Perri and I go up there he gets to be a city doggie and go on walks through the neighborhood. He also will bark at dogs wandering around, so when we see a loose one that gets close I just calmly pick him up and keep going, as none have been threats. However I don't want to take the chance of him inciting another dog to attack because of his obnoxiousness! 

I did get this product recently to have on hand when we go there: it's a citronella spray deterrent. Here is the link: Spray I like that it's not pepper spray, mostly bc it's very likely I would spray it in my own face accidently LOL. In fact the info on it said it's just as effective, and better bc it won't hurt the dog and make it even more angry. I used it for the first time the other day when I was driving down a winding gravel road and a dog kept running beside and in front of my car. I could not get enough speed on this road to pass it. So I sprayed it out the window at it's nose, and it immediatley dropped back. So I know it's effective. So my main suggestion is to carry a spray, preferrably citronella if they have it there.


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

Good question. It is hard having 2 though. This happened to me twice :new_shocked: both time right at a corner to turn to another side walk both times 2 different people walking their huge dogs and both times as soon as they saw Sparkey they ran and got released from the leash :shocked: . if the owners didn't say something like Oh Noooooooooo then I wouldn't even notice but as soon as they say that I pull sparkey off the ground by his leash. no time to bend over and pick him up trust me. so he flies in the air and lands in my arm, then the big dog kept jumping on me and I would turn my back to him. I feel really sorry for sparkey after that but what can I do? thank goodness that I always use a harness and it wont hurt him. 

one time there were couple of small dogs running off the leash and approached him and he got really mean and kept growling and I couldn't even touch him. 

Now I always think of worse and look far away. I look around me all the time. you have to be like a body guard and keep looking for possible bad things to happen. I even look up to see if there are any big birds around. I really want to get a Mace or something. I also thought about carrying a treat , do you think a dog will stop to take the treat? I don't know. I don't trust any dogs on a leash, well I guess it is the owner I don't trust. 

I also don't trust anyone I see walking. they could very easily cut the leash and take the dog. so I get real close to him when I see someone walking by.


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## giselle79 (Aug 8, 2007)

The "right" thing to do: stand and face the other dog, and at the same time pull the leash of yours to control them.
The real thing I'd do: pick up like crazy and put the 2 over my head. A few stitches on my leg won't hurt that much, and 50ml of blood for a human are nothing, for a malt it might represent a difference between live and death.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I worry about that as I always am walking three dogs at a time....uggg, not easy!!! :smstarz: 
But they do wear harnesses so I would probably instintively yank them all straight up....
All three total maybe 17 lbs, I could probably do it, but what then? I haven't thought that far.

My neighbor's dog did get bit last summer. A dog ran out of a residence occupied by seasonal people - he ran right up to Bailey and bit her, my neighbor grabed Bailey and picked her up, but then the dog bit Kathy!!! That was very scary. The people never even appoligized...and both Bailey and my neighbor were badly scrapped up, poor Bailey needed stiches on her ear. Luckily for us, the summer residents are usually only here a few months out of the year. I guess they're on vacation and are a little more relaxed than they would be if they were home. And Baily has been bitten more than once, I always say she's wearing a sign saying "bite me"....poor little girl is just a very small cocker spaniel not more than 12 lbs.


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## Baby Gizmo (Apr 18, 2005)

Don't ever trust a big dog around your baby even if they are friendly. 
Back last summer Baby Gizmo was outside with us grilling out and our neighbors mutt came strolling down the hill to go to the creek minding his own business and Baby Gizmo just went right after him like he was going to eat him up. My son just about killed himself jumping off the bank into the road and into a thicket of over grown brush to get him. When he got to him the big dog was trying to befriend him by laying down on the ground and letting Baby Gizmo do whatever he wanted. The poor mutt didn't know what to do and was terrified of Baby Gizmo. I think the only thing that saved Baby Gizmo is that the mutt has been raised with a little mean Chihua (can't spell right). After that he is on a running leash within reaching distance of us when he is outside. Let me tell you this broke me from trusting him or any other dog.
We never let him outside unless he is on a leash or we are right with him.


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## Kara (Apr 29, 2007)

Well I have no idea what to do either, both mine are like Dakota, more so Murphy which surprised me. Milly doesnt so much bark at people and dogs while out walking, but if people are close and look at her and talk to her, then she will bark. Whereas Murphy will bark at anyone he sees and goes off his nuts if he sees another dog. He doesnt want to play he just yaps, Milly is always keen to play with other dogs though.

But at home they are the opposite if people and dogs go past then Milly goes bonkers whereas Murphy is not as bad. Weird. I dont know of any trainers in our area but I would love to be able to stop them barking at people and animals and just ignore them.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> Don't ever trust a big dog around your baby even if they are friendly.[/B]


I agree with that. I'm sure there are exceptions, but even a friendly big dog just doesn't know their own strength with a little malt. My neighbor who has a shepherd mix wants to "play" with Ollie--well, his idea of playing is batting Ollie around like a cat with a ball of yarn which, of course, I don't allow. I have to remind her that Ollie is smaller than her cats and I don't want to pay vet bills for broken bones because of her dog "playing"...


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## Max & Rocky (May 20, 2004)

> What do you do, in the face of danger?[/B]


Pee my pants...???  


Then pick everyone up... and with ours, that takes some effort...


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## lynda (Oct 11, 2005)

> QUOTE





> What do you do, in the face of danger?[/B]


Pee my pants...???  


Then pick everyone up... and with ours, that takes some effort...
[/B][/QUOTE]

:smrofl: :smrofl: :smrofl:


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## Boobookit (Dec 3, 2005)

*Well, I am not quite sure that it would be pee in my pants, but anyway.....I am not sure exactly either but I don't take the boys out together anymore because of that and because that man that tried to take them.

I believe that I would pull either Ralphie of Pacino up by the harness and stand there as if I wasn't afraid. My biggest concern would definitely be the boys.

I do know that one day I was outside with Pacino and a neighbors beagle (who is on the bigger side) was loose and came running, growling and barking (he is very nasty) and I quickly picked up Pacino by the leash and the harness and carried him. My neighbors came running (not the owners) and stood there with me and we just stood our ground and the dog turned away and went back home!!

But then my neighbors told me (the one's who stood to protect me), after the fact, that he had gone after another neighbor of mine and she jumped into her SUV!!

So it is a scary thing!
Marie & the Boys*


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## bek74 (Jun 26, 2006)

Babe, I would worry about the same thing. I always walked Max and Sammy Maree in a harness and I had them on a double leash so that way I didn't have to worry about dropping one, them getting tangled etc etc. Once we were walking the boys to school and a dog off leash out of his yard ( no owner in sight) came running towards us, I just pulled up on the lead and had them both in mid air when I caught them ( didn't hurt them cause they were in a harness) and I just growled at the other dog and shoed him away. The dog wasn't mean or anything and I think he just wanted to say to them, he looked very excited, but I wouldn't take the chance.
You could always get a stroller ( fluppies.com.au sell them now) and have one in the stoller while the other walks and then swap them around.
Oh and Max is a barker at other dogs, he doesn't shut up, but it is a happy bark, like he is saying Hello, lol
Harness and double lead works for me.

xoxoxo


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