Everyday Dog Confrontations

basedinberlin · 11-11-2012, 11:22 PM

General question: what do you do when you're out walking and another dog comes up to you?

We're new to all this, but it's come up quite regularly here in Berlin. The problem is: SO many owners let their dogs walk off leash. I don't understand how that's okay in a busy city (if only for cars etc.), but it is how it is.

What do you do, then, when another dog comes up? It's mostly friendly and we do our best to read the situation, but I'm not comfortable with it in a general sense. Our dog's currently on heat which gives particular cause for concern, but I'm not a fan of the idea anyway; ours is fairly reactive, and I don't want her either causing a problem or getting into one. Socialisation is one thing, but I can't ever trust a dog I've never met before.

Calling out and pulling ours to the side has been the solution so far, but some owners (quite a few!) have no control over their animals. When they come close and bark/growl etc. (to date mostly small dogs), what do you do? Given it's Germany, I'm not 100% that a force-based solution is an option... Guns, tasers and even pepper spray are illegal (I took a look at the search function

), and physical force in general seems to be frowned upon.

Any tips for European owners? We're new to this, as I say, and would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!

huntergreen · 11-11-2012, 11:28 PM

portable boat horn or a whistle. now if your dog is "in heat", i would expect lots of dogs to be checking her out and a whistle or any other noise maker isn't going to help.

wolfy dog · 11-12-2012, 01:11 AM

Male dogs wil come to your dog, no matter what, if she is in heat. A friend of mine would carry an extra leash and leash the male dogs that wanted to breed her female dog on walks.
Outside her heat, I would step in front of her, make yourself tall, look and act confident and tell the other dog "GO HOME" (in German right?) This has been pretty successful for me in these situations.

CeCe · 11-12-2012, 01:28 AM

Yell out "She's contagious!" to the loose dog owners. Tell them she's getting over an illness and that she can make their dog sick. That works when the owner is present.

codmaster · 11-12-2012, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CeCe

Yell out "She's contagious!" to the loose dog owners. Tell them she's getting over an illness and that she can make their dog sick. That works when the owner is present.

Sneaky, but a good idea! And very funny!

11-11-2012, 11:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
basedinberlin New Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 15	Everyday Dog Confrontations General question: what do you do when you're out walking and another dog comes up to you? We're new to all this, but it's come up quite regularly here in Berlin. The problem is: SO many owners let their dogs walk off leash. I don't understand how that's okay in a busy city (if only for cars etc.), but it is how it is. What do you do, then, when another dog comes up? It's mostly friendly and we do our best to read the situation, but I'm not comfortable with it in a general sense. Our dog's currently on heat which gives particular cause for concern, but I'm not a fan of the idea anyway; ours is fairly reactive, and I don't want her either causing a problem or getting into one. Socialisation is one thing, but I can't ever trust a dog I've never met before. Calling out and pulling ours to the side has been the solution so far, but some owners (quite a few!) have no control over their animals. When they come close and bark/growl etc. (to date mostly small dogs), what do you do? Given it's Germany, I'm not 100% that a force-based solution is an option... Guns, tasers and even pepper spray are illegal (I took a look at the search function ), and physical force in general seems to be frowned upon. Any tips for European owners? We're new to this, as I say, and would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

11-12-2012, 01:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
wolfy dog Elite Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 1,320	Male dogs wil come to your dog, no matter what, if she is in heat. A friend of mine would carry an extra leash and leash the male dogs that wanted to breed her female dog on walks. Outside her heat, I would step in front of her, make yourself tall, look and act confident and tell the other dog "GO HOME" (in German right?) This has been pretty successful for me in these situations. __________________ To know if you are doing things right, you should be willing to trade places with your dog.

11-11-2012, 11:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
huntergreen Elite Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,199	portable boat horn or a whistle. now if your dog is "in heat", i would expect lots of dogs to be checking her out and a whistle or any other noise maker isn't going to help.

11-12-2012, 01:28 AM	#4 (permalink)
CeCe Master Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 505	Yell out "She's contagious!" to the loose dog owners. Tell them she's getting over an illness and that she can make their dog sick. That works when the owner is present.

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