[NAGDU] Off leash dogs! What can I do?

Sun Oct 21 15:34:45 UTC 2018

I've heard the advice of using a loud noise of varying types to hopefully interupt a loose dog. I actually know someone who used an air horn to startle loose dogs and apparently it was pretty helpful. A sudden loud noise is likely something that a properly socialized dog with good genetic soundness, which service dogs generally should be, would likely ignore or only briefly startle at while a less temperamentally sound dog would probably find it scary and may not want to approach. This is why these strategies work for some dogs and not others. It also depends though how determined the dog is to get to your dog.
I occasionally encounter off leash dogs from time to time and it is annoying but generally manageable. I remember one summer I literally encountered fifteen or twenty loose dogs within a few months for some reason I don't understand; this hasn't happened anywhere near as offten before or since. There are also lots of dogs around here that are on tie outs or behind invisible fences. This is perfectly legal but it took so much effort to convince my dog not every dog that looked loose was going to come running at him with no warning. 

Danielle and Thai    

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 21, 2018, at 11:02 AM, Julie Johnson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> For sure.  I've heard all sorts of other advice, take a video with your phone, use a pop up umbrella like a shield, pepper spray and so on.  Sounds great on the surface, but honestly when there's a menacing loose dog, I don't think, I just react.  My instinct is to get myself between my dog and the loose dog and hope I'm wearing boots, because I'm not afraid to use my size 9.
> 
> There are a lot of barky dogs around here.  Most are behind fences, but some are bouncing at the end of a too long leash.  I've been fortunate though.  I haven't run into an actually aggressive dog off leash for a couple of years now. Still, I think we all exist in a vague state of waiting for it to happen because odds are real good that it will sooner or later.
> 
> Julie
> On The Go with Guide-and-Service-Dogs.com
> http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
> also find my products in the Blind Mice Mega Mall
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> -----Original Message----- From: Tracy Carcione via NAGDU
> Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2018 9:47 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Cc: Tracy Carcione
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Off leash dogs! What can I do?
> 
> Julie, I wonder if that is like something a trainer tried with me once.  She
> had a small gadget that made a loud noise.  It was supposed to deter Krokus
> from scavenging, by making the noise when he went for something he
> shouldn't.  We set him up with some chips on the ground, and she pointed the
> gadget right at him when he went to grab a chip.  It made the noise, but
> Krokus didn't care at all.  She said it worked with some dogs, but clearly
> not everyone.  I wouldn't want to bet my dog's safety on such a thing.
> Tracy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie Johnson via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2018 6:50 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Julie Johnson
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Off leash dogs! What can I do?
> 
> I've heard of these hand held units that emit a very loud sound, but that
> can only be heard by dogs.   You point the unit in the general direction of
> the approaching dog, press the button and the sound is supposed to startle
> or deter the other dog.  They claim to be made so the sound is mostly
> directed in one direction and it won't bother a dog it isn't directly
> pointed at.  It also says that not all dogs are affected.  I'm skeptical,
> but if it works...hmmm
> 
> Has anyone used one of these? What do you think?
> Julie
> On The Go with Guide-and-Service-Dogs.com
> http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
> also find my products in the Blind Mice Mega Mall
> <https://www.blindmicemegamall.com/bmm/shop/Directory_Departments?storeid=19
> 16046>
> 
> 
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