The only person’s behavior that picunurse can control is her own, therefore, the only advice we can give her is how to adapt her life to her fear and the inevitable presence of dogs. I’d love for all dog owners to be responsible and considerate. I’d also like a million dollars and a pony.
Oh, heck, no! I hope that’s not what you thought of my post. I was just giving the dog-owner the benefit of the doubt. It might have been unusual for his dogs to behave that way, and he wasn’t sure what was setting them off. But he totally should have gotten them under control because it is not acceptable for them to go apeshit at a person.
Our dog, for whatever reason, is frightened by hats. Particularly big hats. So he will bark loudly (defensive sound), but he’s also scared, so while he’s barking he is backing up slowly. It took us awhile to figure this out (and train him to knock it off). So to us, it seemed pretty random that once in awhile he would bark at some innocent person. We figured it out when he got frightened by a goth kid with huge, elaborate, Medusa hair.
First off, that’s just weird! Your dog is weird! 
It is difficult to figure out how to handle this with dogs. (Or at least it was for me.) If they’re scared, you might want to reassure them, but at the same time, you have to correct their behavior. It can be easy to unintentionally reinforce negative behavior by trying to reassure the dog that they are safe.
Maybe a little more on topic-- my dog usually ignores people, but if they talk to me or otherwise engage me, she will suddenly become protective. So, it may have been saying hello to the owner or waving or grunting that set them off.
It took me a fair amount of training to get my dog to stop freking out when people would give me a hug or shake my hand.
I trained my dog to stay off the bed, but when I would have a lady friend over and we were on the bed, the dog would lay in the floor and look at us like she was afraid her person was being assaulted. Goodbye hugs and kisses had to be given somewhere away from the dog.
Meh. Neighbor’s dog is afraid of wheels. Bike wheels, baby carriage wheels, recycling bin wheels, scooter wheels…
It can be a pain int he ass, that’s for sure. Most people instinctively try to reassure their pet, but that’s almost always the wrong thing to do. Eg/ Your dog growls and barks at the mailman, and to reassure him that the mailman isn’t scary, you pet him and say “It’s okay, he’s not scary. It’s okay… It’s okay.” From the doogy’s perspective, he’s being rewarded with love and attention for barking growling at the mailman! So he thinks that’s a good thing!
We’ve got Mr. Omigod-it-a-HAT! trained better when it comes to his hat phobia when we’re walking him. We just ignore the hat and make sure he is focussed on the journey ahead, so he’s pretty much got it figured out that we don’t give a shit about hats, so he shouldn’t either. These days the only time he goes into “Aaaah! HAT!” mode is if we’re “surprised” by a hat. Eg/ We were in a bike shop, he was lying next to the cash register (they have dog cookies there) and we were busy talking to the bike mechanic. In walks a cowboy with a big hat. :smack:
Thanks, Swallowed My Cellphone. I think you’ve just provided me with a short but vital dog training lesson.
…and his orchestra
It’s a funny thing about being afraid of dogs. They know. And they will get you.
When I was very much afraid of dogs, I got the reaction a lot that people would say, “I don’t know what got into him/her, he’s usually very well-behaved.” This was usually just after their dog had done something uncharacteristic that involved scaring the hell out of me–it could be growling, snapping, lunging.
Then I got a puppy, and having a dog, I became less afraid of them. And when I became less afraid of them, random dogs on the street stopped growling at me.
They know. I don’t know how they know, but they do.
I wish I knew what had changed with regard to my body language, etc., that made dogs realize I was no longer afraid of them and therefore not easy prey. But I have no clue.
I am afraid of some dogs in some situations. I’ve owned dogs on and off throughout my life, so I’m not phobic. I just get a bad vibe sometimes, and they can make me very uncomfortable.
But here’s the thing. I really, REALLY dislike people who won’t lock their dog up when I’m a guest in their home and afraid of their dog. I think it’s sadistic and cruel. I have a friend who has a child relative who is afraid of dogs and he won’t lock his dog up when the kid comes over invited.
If someone is afraid of your dog, please…don’t try to convince them of the kindness and gentleness of your pet. Just lock it up.
I’ve sometimes wondered if it was some kind of scent thing. Like, if you’re scared, you get adrenalized and your heart rate goes up. If you’re aggressive you also get all adrenalized and your heart rate goes up. I wonder if the old school “Dogs smell fear!” has some basis in fact and they find your fear to be threatening because it might be aggression.
The OP was standing in her own driveway, minding her own business. It’s the dog owner who was the jerk.
I have a big scary looking dog who is truly the sweetest thing on four feet. But if she behaved like the dogs in the OP she would be in a down/stay so fast her head would be ringing, while I was apologizing profusely to the woman in the driveway.
That has long been my contention. Fear signals are often misread as, or presage aggressive response. When you fear something, you get tense and still, you shift your weight to be ready for action, your pupils dilate, eyes widen, respiration speeds up, heart starts pumping, adrenaline starts pumping (and adrenaline stinks), and so on. These are also very, very close to the same signals exhibited by a person or animal preparing for attack. If you’re a dog and another dog starts exhibiting those signals, one of two things is likely about to happen–the other dog is going to display definite signs of submission, or is going to attack preemptively. A human exhibiting those signals typically doesn’t offer the appropriate appeasement signals and may appear to the dog to be preparing to attack, either them or their owners. If the phobic person was a mugger we would be praising our dog for their intuitive response. Unfortunately, dogs are not people, and as we can see can and do misread intention and body language. A dog who is unclear about their status in the pack, or who isn’t inclined to look toward their handler for guidance about how to react and takes matters into their own paws may react as a dog would: first alert, then warning signals, then reaction. Sometimes it’s a sign of dominance and aggression, sometimes it’s a sign of insecurity, but it’s nearly always a sign that a reminder is needed that you, the human, are in control of the situation.
Your dog should always look to you to find out how to react to any novel situation. That’s precisely why Swallowed My Cellphone’s description about how to handle a situation where your dog is fearful is precisely spot-on… also why:
If we’re critiquing the actions of the jerk with the snarling dogs, my WAG backseat dog handling goes like this: the guy should have seen a block away that his dogs were alerting to something, and were either fearful and suspicious of it or shifting into prey/civil aggression mode. Either way, signals like shifting of eyes, tensing of facial, neck, and shoulder muscles, and change of ear, head and tail position should have shown him that his dogs were alerting to something and were considering unsanctioned action.
Right at that moment is when he should have reminded his dogs that they were working for him, and that only the handler is allowed to make decisions about what is a potential threat (or what is okay to chase and bite). He should have called them into heel position and started doing whatever basic obedience the dogs know: sits, downs, basic heeling patterns. Do an about-face and cross the street if necessary, then continue to work your dogs as you move past whatever the distraction was–whether it’s panicking lady at the mailbox or scary guy in a giant sombrero. Your dog learns that he has no need to fear any distraction, because his pack leader is making all the decisions, and his pack leader is not afraid of the hat or the adrenaline-pumping lady. Also that he has no right to decide what is a threat. 100% of his world right at that moment consists of correct heel position, automatic sit, about face, auto sit, heel on, etc.
Once your dog has moved past the point of alerting and has started to bark and growl, either exhibiting fear or dominance, forcing them into a submissive position like an extended down right in front of the Scary Thing is a very bad idea. They won’t understand that they’re being corrected for the way they feel, they’ll only understand that they’re being punished for whatever physical activity was happening right at the moment of correction. If they see the panicking mailbox lady as a looming threat, you are forcing them into a very insecure position, as well as telling them that you, too, are too afraid to continue past the potential threat.
Also, by correcting for growling or barking, what you are doing is punishing them for exhibiting outward signs of distress, so that each subsequent time it happens the signs are more and more subtle though his internal fear or frustration may continue to build. This is the kind of thing that leads to the dog lashing out with his teeth and the owner saying “we were so surprised when he bit, he didn’t even growl or anything!”
What a growl should tell you is that you as a handler need to take a few minutes to remind your dog that “it’s cool, I got it” and that you are always The Decider[sup]TM[/sup]. The OP’s jerk should have attended to his dogs long before they got to the “snarling, tooth-clicking” stage, then gone on to do some corrective socialization work at a later time.
I wasn’t going to start a thread about this, but an uncontrolled dog chased my son on Halloween. It was just getting dark and I was on the sidewalk as he went up the walk to ring the bell on the house to ask for candy. There were candle-lit jack o-lanterns on the porch, halloween music playing from inside the house, and a porch light on, so I knew they were expecting Trick or Treaters. The screen door was open about 4 inches wide with a magazine wedged in above the door hinge; I didn’t know why.
As soon as my son rang the bell, a Rottie-type dog ran out from some back rooms barking and chased him off the porch and across the lawn until he was behind me on the sidewalk. The owner saunters out out with a bowl of candy a minute or two later and says,
“he’s friendly, Take some candy.”
The rottie was (as he had been for the past three minutes) less than a foot away from me and growling like Cujo, lips curled back and dripping saliva out of both sides of its mouth like a spigot. Me? I’m just trying to keep between him and my kid.
“Look, sorry we rang,” I said. “just control your dog and we’ll leave.”
“Look, I Said he’s Friendly…” the owner menaced, as if I was daring to impune the repution of the dog that I was just barely managing to keep at bay.
Still no move by him toward Hell-Spawn’s collar, still no evidence of a leash
We try to back away, but that seems to inflame Cerberus more. Parents of other kids are ushering them across the street and away from this guy and his dog now while watching. I pulled out my cell phone and start to dial. He sees the ‘9’ and the first ‘1’ glowing on the over-sized display and magically his attitude shifts.
“Just take some candy…as much as you want…”
“Sure. Just as soon as you take your dog, Mister.”
Finally, he took hold of its collar. And as soon as he did, I took my kid to a different block to Trick or Treat.
I’m sorry but if I witnessed someone with 2 snarling dogs do anything but apologize to you I would have unloaded a verbal barrage on him that would embarrass a sailor. What a jerk. I can imagine the terror that a large snarling animal can evoke.
It’s just common sense to be wary of large dogs and doubly so when confronted with 2 of them. It’s not an irrational fear but it is something that increases the likelihood of being attacked. Dogs are hierarchical animals and will respond to authority. They will also respond to instinct and fleeing from them can trigger an attack.
I weigh close to 200 lbs and could take on a 90 lb dog if I had to but I still carry a knife or stick when I’m out on my own. Having had a dog chase me down on a bike made me realize that a little planning could go a long way in a bad situation.
I hope you can work through your fears to a point that you do not react in a manner that will trigger an attack.
Sorry… I disagree here.
This is my dogs’ HOME. My guests are perfectly aware that I have dogs. If they don’t like it, quite frankly, they can stay away. My dogs are well trained, and won’t jump all over you unless you invite them to. (well, the puppy might, but she’s small and a brat. 
She’s not finished ‘cooking’ yet) They might bring you a toy to throw or curl up next to you on the couch, but they are all friendly. I do not lock them up.
I have had a little sign I bought at a dog show hanging on my refrigerator for about 25 years. It says:
This house is maintained for the comfort and security of my dogs.
If you do not understand this, then you do not understand me.
So GO AWAY.
And that’s how I feel about it.
Now, with the original post, I agree, if it happened the way described, the dog owner should have CORRECTED his dogs and apologized. The poster likely egged the situation on inadvertantly by standing still and watching (perceived by the dogs as staring, a threat) but that is no excuse for the owner. If any of my dogs ever behaved like that, the dicipline would be swift and severe.
Exactly what you could have said before encountering the guy with the dogs. Unless you are totally housebound, or dying of some illness, you* will* encounter another dog. And, right now, you are telling us that you are scared of them, beyond a reasonable level.
Avoiding what frightens you is the worst thing you can do. The only way to treat a fear is to face it. It’s hard as all get out, but it’s worth it not to be afraid.
Honestly, it was irrational for you to have been worried the dogs were going to break their leash in the first place. It’s a classical anxiety reaction to take something that has a low likelihood of happening, and to convince yourself that it is definitely going to happen.
And don’t think this is all academic for me. I started out afraid of social situations. Then I got afraid of going places where I would encounter a lot of people. Then I got afraid of leaving my house. I don’t want something like that happening to anyone else.
Wow. These stories are terrifying. I’m sorry some of you have had to deal with these out-of- control dogs. I’m going to be even more careful than I have in the past when I’m out with my dogs. I don’t want to make anybody feel uncomfortable and I will be more sensitive to others who may be afraid.
On a similar note - please teach your children to never approach a strange dog, even if he’s on a leash. My dogs are not used to children (neither am I, really) and I don’t want to take any chances so I never let children approach them when we’re out. This seems to offend some people while other people appreciate it. Sorry, People, I’m just trying to be careful!
I agree with the post above. A dog out on its leash is only a danger if a person comes within its radius. If you are afraid of dogs and can’t overcome your fears, steer clear. It isn’t rocket science.
What would that action be, PapSett? I’ve heard disciplining them after the fact is pointless, but I’m not entirely convinced so I’m open to suggestions.
I’ve been walking a friend’s rotty and she often gets boisterous when we pass other dogs, have large vehicles go past, or sees someone she takes a disliking to. I know she is only trying to be protective, but what is the best way of distracting a dog before it is about to do these things?
But if you invite someone into your home and they’re afraid of your dogs, don’t you owe it to them to make them comfortable? Surely you have a comfortable, secure place in the house for everyone.
This is very true. Even if the owner couldn’t figure out why his dogs were upset, he sure as hell should have seen it coming.
When our dog’s tail goes up signifying that something has got his attention, we find out what it is ASAP. It could be anything from a harmless “Hey, squirrel! I wanna get it!” to a much more noxious “Hey, a skunk! I wanna get it!” to “Hey, a hat! I wanna get ready to defend my human from its unholy terror!”
And really, the dog owner should totally have apologized if his dogs were barking at a person. I’ll give him some benefit of the doubt that he was surprised by unexpected behavior, but not apologizing is a bit douchey.