A few weeks ago, I was walking home with my Siberian Husky after a nice neighborhood walk. Suddenly, I hear some heavy barking, and a pit-bull charges out from one of my neighbor’s backyard and starts barking at us crazily.
If he were a truly aggressive pit-bull, we would have been toast.
Instead, I backed away from him slowly and shouted out to my neighbor. Of course, he was doing yard work at the time, and did not hear me over the noise of his lawn mower. He had left his gate open so that he could get easy access to his recycling bin.
Dude! … I mean really?!
Luckily another neighbor heard me, came out, and secured the dog.
Several days later, I was charged by an Akita. She came over, and started bullying my Husky girl. A boy came running after the dog, and then just stood there. He did not know what to do.
I raised my voice and said Stop to the Akita, which surprisingly, she did. Maybe she was just momentarily startled. I asked the boy to please remove his dog, but he just hit his dog on the muzzle. Since the dog did not have a collar on, the boy was unable to effectively remove her.
However, since the Akita was no longer focused on my dog, I was able to move away, and then Akita Inu finally followed the boy home.
Dude! … I mean really?!
And then today, I was charged by a large Labrador. He was being walked off-leash in the neighborhood even though he had 0% recall.
Then one of the owners said, “Don’t worry, he is not aggressive”.
Another one said, “I am doing off-leash training with my dog and I did not see you.”
Dude! … I mean really?!
- Point – Someone who lets an untrained dog run about off-leash in public neighborhood streets has no understanding of dogs. I very much doubt they know whether their dog is aggressive or not.
- Point – Leaving a dog with no recall, off-leash, is dangerous to other people, other dogs, and to the dog himself. There are not too many cars in my neighborhood, but all it takes is just one.
- Point – Perhaps the Labrador is not aggressive, but then my dog could be aggressive. In which case, a fight could have broken out when the Labrador invaded my dog’s space and forced a butt sniff on her.
- Point – One DOES NOT do off-leash training on public neighborhood streets. Find a private enclosed area to start recall training, and once the dog is more advanced, take him to an off-leash hiking park.
What to Do When Charged by Off-Leash Neighborhood Dogs?
I usually just ignore the owners and walk away as soon as they get control of their dog.
I don’t really want to converse with them, because I would likely lose my temper and that would upset the dogs even more.
I am not sure if that is the best thing to do though. I would like to try and convince them not to leave their untrained dogs running around off-leash.
What do you think?
- What do you do when charged by off-leash neighborhood dogs?
- How do we get our neighbors to keep untrained dogs on a leash?
im cool with dogs but im not a dog lover because when I was a kid it seemed like their was always a random stray, or dog that got out that wanted to use me and my friends as a chew toy, so I got a lot of running exercise. the worst part when I was 9 me and my neighborhood friends had enough and knocked on the owners door. The owner proceeded to tell little kids scared to play outside that it was our fault for the two dogs aggression. (really?) This went on for another month, me and my friends finally one more time knocked on the door and informed the owner that if this does not stop the two dogs would be dead in the street next time. we had already planned to remove the threat. but gave a warning first, the owner said nothing and closed the door. never saw the dogs again. I don’t like violence and I like animals but why do I have to live in fear for an animal and bad owner (it sucks)
Just got home from a walk and my Akita 8 months puppy got attacked by a free rooming dog. It is the second time this week. I feel almost like buying a shocker stick and using it next time. I am so tired. she is gentle and making good progresses on training. I dedicate so much time to her, but I literally freaked out tonight. I am so fed up 🙁
Yeah, we got charged by a little yappy dog today. The owner thought it was funny 🙄 They don’t seem to understand that they are putting their own dog in danger and causing grief to everybody else.
One of my neighbors used to let his little dog out all the time because “it was no big deal”. One day, the little dog charged at the wrong bigger dog and got hurt. Then and only then did they change their behavior. DOH!
I am seriously fed up with insensitive women who tell me that their off leash, 90 lb plus dog is okay and friendly. The dog came bounding up to my 15 lb guy who did not like the aggression of the off leash Shepherd, nor did I enjoy being snapped at as we got tangled with my dogs leash. The Shepherd bit my dog and the owner walked off, still not controlling her dog and saying nothing.
Following week, no one around, went to get some dog bags, my guy leashed, Boxer appears from no where, bounds towards and would not take NO! My dog doesn’t like this, aggression is apparent between both dogs, Boxer bites my dog. Woman about 15 yards ahead on a cell phone….”that’s what dogs do.” she yelled at me, still walking and facing ahead, still on cell.
Dog Park. Two massive white dogs came and surrounded my husband, me and my dog and one of them became aggressive and my dog, which I then couldn’t see was somewhere between them squealing. Very unpleasant. The owner seemed to be blaming us. My dog was minding his own business, they came up to us, they acted aggressively, they were off leash. The owner said my dog made hers excited. Get hold of you dog woman!!
Different dog park. Enjoying the sun on a bench, dog sitting by husband when a large black dog, with a very hyper nature, came over and completely stood over my sitting husband practically ending in his lap. Owner on cell, totally not able to control her dog.
Local park, early morning. Could see large off leash dog in on leash area. I’d had enough dogs jump on us this week and managed to get behind a gate in a fence. Was told that her dog was okay, I said that everyone says that. She made accusations about my fear. I’m not afraid of dogs at all if it’s just me and the dog, it’s the owners I’m afraid of.
Additionally I discovered that large breeds are being given slops for food and they deposit diarrhea where ever they go and their ownerpretend not to notice. They don’t get their dog to go into the bush area they let them do it right on a public path, a piece of grass where children play etc. They are pigs!
I constantly encounter these situations when I walk (always on a leash) my lab/pointer. She is also a magnet for “aggressive dogs” leashed or unleashed. It’s terrible. I have a son with autism and we have to walk the dog for exercise for both her and us. I wish someone would understand that they put us in a high state of anxiety EVERY walk.
Okay, I knew I wasn’t the only one bothered by this. So, up the road from my house is this rottweiler. Very big and potentially dangerous dog. This thing is kept on a chain leash on top of the hill across the street from the owner’s actual house. It has broken this chain several times, usually chasing after the owner’s truck as he leaves for work. In this scenario, we have a big,powerful, dog just roaming around the houses. Once, it chased after my sister as she was trying to drop off a neighbor friend’s missed school homework. The worst part is that I’m the only one in my neighborhood and household that sees the potential danger! When it chased her, the neighbor, who’s yard it invaded to do so, simply said “Oh, he’s harmless, he’s only playing. If he wanted to catch her, he would have.” That comment alone sickened me, but then a few years later, it breaks off the chain when my extended family is over for a fourth of July picnic. Thank god I got two aunts who are good with animals so no one got hurt, but that only furthered the image of it being “friendly”. This is an animal that is territorial, very large, strong enough to break chain and is probably roaming around outside my house as I type. I don’t feel safe knowing it isn’t secure at all times. Please, someone tell me how to deal with this effectively and permanently, preferably without having to deal with the owner because he’s obviously not going to listen and no one around will back me up.
Interesting read. I just found this after googling ‘unleashed dogs’, because I just had a horrible experience. I was going for my daily walk. Rounding a corner, I see an unleashed dog that came running toward me as soon as he spotted me. He circled me, baring teeth, barking, and growling. The owner came running toward us yelling at me ” it’s ok he won’t bite’ ( really now). The dog could not be recalled; he continued to circle and growl and bark; while I kept repeating ‘this is NOT ok”. Instead of grabbing her dog, the owner started yelling at me” just keep walking’ . I yelled at her “this is not acceptable”; she then very aggressively yelled at me ” he’s not doing anything wrong. Don’t walk on this road then”. Like what???? She was apparently very pissed at me for being afraid. Or what???? Anyone understand this behavior? I love animals. I’m starting to hate dog owners unless I have evidence to dispute my opinion. ” He won’t bite???” Am I asking you? Do I care what the owner’s opinion of their dog is? Should my right not to be attacked by your dog be respected? Does the leash law say: ‘secure your dog only if you want to; if you don’t think you need to, then feel free to ignore the law”.
Mia, I am so much with you in your view of dog owners who tell you that their dog ‘is only being friendly’ or ‘it’s ok it won’t bite’ when it runs at you baring its teeth and snarling. I meet this regularly when I am walking my dog on-leash and meet an off-leash dog. I have met dog-owners who have shouted at me and blamed me when their off-leash dogs have attacked my on-leash dog. What is it about some dog-owners who can’t accept that their dog is not the same with others as it is with them; or that there are people who don’t want to be greeted by a dog one way or the other? Not everybody likes dogs, for one thing, and for another, dogs should never be off-leash, in my view. The reason being that dogs are animals and as such are unpredictable. It is never possible to predict how a dog will react in any situation. I am very fond of my dog but I also know that he must be kept under control and that he will not necessarily behave with others as he does with me. My brain hasn’t turned to mush about him and I hope it never does.
Totally with you in your comments!
I am sorry for you horrible experience. I had an incident where we where coming home and at the front door. My dog pulled on his leash and took off. I ran as fast as I could, but he was faster, he was running towards a man jogging who wore heavy duty earphones. I was screaming to the man, but he couldn’t hear. Poor man, my dog made contact with him and must have scared him wit-less, he look utterly shocked. I felt really bad and apologized profusely, he was still angry and he had a right to be, he got a big scare. He had no idea that my little dog loves people and wants attention from everyone. This hasn’t happened before, now i have to be extra vigilant.
I cannot stand people that visit their problems on other people, and that is what people walking their dogs off-leash are doing. I have a very large dog that is not friendly with other dogs. i keep him secured on a leash and close to me when i walk him, but that wasn’t enough to prevent him from killing an off-leash dog that approached us during one of our walks. It was a devastating thing to experience. The fact that I had told the owner on several occasions to leash his dog made the whole thing even more of a tragedy, because it could of totally been avoided. Now I have to live with that memory forever.
I live in Indonesia where there are no leash laws or anything like the US. However, I believe regardless of that, people should leash their dogs on walks and NOT let them walk off leash.
Off leash dogs (and those with no superviosion AT ALL) are a commonplace in my neighborhood. There was one time this black off-leash dog attacked my dog and bit him on the neck! Luckily for my Shiba, his “screaming” did the trick and got the dog to back off! Nowadays I carry a stick around so i can smack any dog that tries to come up against me (the black lab doesn’t dare come near me now).
Today, an unleashed pug left the vicinity of his home and almost attacked my dog! Fortunantely I was able to pick up my dog and started swatting the dog away with my stick (mind you I didn’t actually make contact with the dog with my stick). Anyways, the owner came out and started berating about how his dog was “smaller” and therefore “safer” and not much of a threat in comparison to my dog, and that i shoudl have “hit” him even though I didn’t even touch that short faced mutant. I was just so pissed and told him “I don’t care how big your dog is! You should keep him locked in or leashed up! What if my dog was the one that bit your dog because you didn’t lock him up properly!?”. He then proceded to invite me to fight him and told me that my dog should bite his dog, trying to be all “tough” and shit urgh…. I just ignored him by that time because my dog was starting to get pissed off at this guy yelling at me too.
URGH. People can be so ignorant and stupid. I swear this neighbor of mine should be sterilized so his genes won’t be passed down a few generations.
Sorry for the long post. I just feel so frustrated and angry!
What can be done about this the 2 big brown dogs are running loose in the yard and the owner just stands there. I thought they were going to attack me. They just started barking.
I have this same problem in my neighborhood, but where I live as long as it says on the owners property it totally ok… ya right, even if the dog stays on the property barking and being agressive 9 time out of ten there is always that tenth time… its an animal and cannot be trusted 100%. This past time it stayed just barely on the propert but if i had been walking on the same size of the street i dont even want to thi k about it. Last time it did leave the property, so why the heck would i trust it… franking why should i have to…
This time it didn’t. I started hollering at the dog (shouting NO repeadly) when it charged baking loudly and kept walking basically praying that this wouldnt be that one time it made it all the way over (for reference sake the dog was a very large bread prolly 80+ pounds and the owners were no where in sight) then when the owner finally came out (we were thankfully almost past i was still hollering at the dog who was not backing off. She started yelling that it was still on her peoperty.,. Ya cause that makes it totally fine, and Im just going to trust you that this large animal is going to understand human property boudaries… I’ll be honest it wasnt my proudest moment, i actually started hollering back at here with way too mush swearing on my part…
Ahh sorry im not 100% sure this was clear, but I just got back in from the walk so Im still a bit freaked out…
I came across this post after our neighbor’s German Shepard came running at us AGAIN unleashed with no owner in sight. It was nice to come across this article and also read comments with people sharing the same frustrations. I am sure the owner will claim their dog is friendly and is trained etc. but my dogs are not so good with larger dogs and one of them has been bitten by another neighborhood dog who got out of his collar by accident– which makes me even more wary and nervous. I also live in the neighborhood and believe my dogs and I have the right to walk in it! Thank goodness most times I am able to distract my dogs and either cross the street and turn back around. One time I was yelling for the owners to come get their dog and nobody ever came but the front door was wide open as was the garage door. I am planning on researching whether it is illegal in our city to leave your dog unleashed even in your own yard (in surrounding cities it is) and leave an note for this neighbor telling him the dangers of having his dog unleashed and unsupervised. I think I will just take a different route or go to the park from now on. I may be moving soon anyway so I hope I won’t have to deal with them any longer!
I am dealing with this now with my neighbors, who think (for the last 10 yrs) they ever have to leash any dogs they own. Unfortunately they just ran out and attacked a sheep dog puppy just walking down the street – on leash, with its owner. Suffer puncture marks. I have been knocked down by their past dog (large choc lab) and now their 2 overly excitable hunting type dogs come charging at me and my small dog from their back yard. I’m done! My husband says we should say nothing and try and keep the peace but I am at wits end. I’m actually looking up dog deterrents for my yard today to come up with a more subtle idea until we can move away! So frustrated – I feel your pain, all of you! No reason for it, we DO have a leash law in MA. ugh 🙁