By Kay Bradnum
We all have stories of this, varying in degrees from ritualised aggression (‘handbags at dawn’), to needing veterinary aid. At the time, it’s scary and very upsetting, and we all act on instinct. If you think back afterwards and wish you’d handled it differently, don’t beat yourself up. In the noise and panic, we can all only do our best, and then learn from it afterwards.
Unknown Dogs Approaching
In an ideal world, no dog would be allowed to approach the other without both handlers making sure that all dogs involved are of good temperament and likely to be compatible. That world isn’t coming any time soon, so the safest thing to do is to shield your dog from all strange dogs until you know the score. Hopefully, you will have taught your dog to ignore other dogs until they’ve checked in with you that it’s okay, but that can’t always be the case.
Teach your dog at home, as a game, ‘Middle’ or ‘Behind’ (see pic) to get between your legs or behind you. My personal preference is Behind, as then you have less chance of tripping over them. Either way will get your dog safe and close to you so you can body-block. You can throw a few treats at the approaching dogs to stop them in their tracks while you get away. You can raise a hand and in a firm voice say “STOP” to try to stop them in their tracks. You can certainly shout to their owners to get their dogs under control. If necessary, invent a nasty disease your dog has to get the owners to hurry up. Some people suggest a pop-up umbrella to use as a block. If you’ve accustomed your dog to this it can help, but I find it an inconvenience to carry when you should almost never need it.
Too late – the strange dog is with you!
Try to keep your lead loose, and your body language casual. If your dog seems relaxed, allow a three-second sniff, then tell him ‘let’s go’ and move off swiftly. If the strange dog follows and/or your dog is getting distressed, see if you can put a lead on the other dog and then tie to a railing or something for the owner to collect. Move out of range and when the owner arrives, ask them to just unclip their dog and leave the lead for you. Again, tell them your dog is contagious if you need to.
It didn’t work, and now we have a fight!
There are lots of ways to try and break up a fight, but nothing is fool proof or guaranteed. Throwing water over both dogs can often be effective, but you can’t really do that if you’re at the park. Think about what methods you think could work for you and your dog, before you ever need to do it for real. You can pick up the attacking dog’s back legs in a ‘wheelbarrow’ which will make some dogs let go. Whatever you do, don’t try to pull the dogs apart; it will just make things worse. You may be able to straddle the attacker and grab the collar, but be aware you could get yourself bitten doing this and it won’t necessarily help.
In most situations, dogs will naturally let go either for a better grip or because they’ve made their point (in their eyes). By then, hopefully you will have help, so that one person can grab a dog each.
Check your dog over for injuries, and exchange contact details (if the offending dog’s owner will do this), so you can make insurance claims.
Decide if you need to take your dog to the vet. If it was just ritualised aggression – lots of noise, etc, but no real damage – you may not need to, but be aware not all injuries are obvious. If there is a big difference in size, then the larger dog could cause a crush injury on a small dog. If you have any misgivings at all, or yours is just a puppy, go straight to the vet.
If you decide you don’t need the vet, head for home as you are both likely to be quite shaken and need time to de-stress. Do something relaxing and calming together; sit in the garden if the weather is good, give your dog a gentle massage if they enjoy that, or perhaps a likki mat or similar if they are relaxed enough to eat.
The Aftermath
Have a few days at home to ensure all the stress hormones have dropped. Exercising your Dog’s Mind in Guide 7 has some ideas on how to keep your dog exercised at home.
Then you can stand at the door, or at the gate, or in the street, etc, with a relaxed lead and a few treats and see how your dog is. The majority of dogs will shake off such an incident and you’ll find you can carry on as normal, but for others just one attack can have a much longer-lasting effect. There is no one-size-fits-all, and you will need to judge what’s right for your pooch. Perhaps walk with a friend who has a dog you know and that your dog likes. If yours is only a pup and small, you could carry them outside at first and watch their reaction. Don’t be in a rush to get back out there and show there’s nothing to worry about. Take it steady and let them see for themselves that they don’t need to worry.
If your dog is still anxious after the above, take a look in Guide 5 for advice on fears, and be prepared for it to take considerably longer for them to recover.