For Coeur Voice

“Don’t worry, he’s friendly.” If you’re walking an aggressive or reactive dog and an off-leash dog rushes up to you, these are probably the most terrifying words to hear. I’d love to analyze this scenario from all viewpoints to help all involved understand the dynamic.

Let’s start with the owner of the off-leash dog. He/she has a great dog that is friendly and energetic. He/she has a great relationship with the dog, and the dog listens pretty well for the most part.

Now let’s look at the off-leash dog. The dog has been crated all day while the owner worked, and this off-leash time is where he gets to cut loose, run, play, and explore anything and everything. All of the things around him are up for grabs.

The owner of the aggressive or reactive dog doesn’t see it that way. The reactive dog owner sees the happy off-leash dog as a huge threat because the last two off-leash dogs he/she met attacked her dog in a matter of seconds. He/she has tremendous anxiety that it will happen again.

The dog on leash spotted the off-leash dog faster than anyone. He was attacked before and now is in the same position again. He is trapped by the restraint of a leash (he can’t run even if he wants to), so he prepares himself for battle. He puffs up, tries to look ferocious, and lunges at the approaching dog.

The reactive dog owner does his/her best to restrain the dog, but the off-leash dog keeps approaching regardless of the reactive dog’s warnings.

The off-leash dog sees another playmate, another thing to explore, another adventure.

The off-leash dog owner is proud that his/her dog is so welcoming, but doesn’t want the reactive dog owner to stress about his dog. “Don’t worry, he’s friendly.”

The reactive dog owner hears the words and panics because the off-leash owner has made it clear he/she doesn’t intend to stop his dog.

The off-leash dog rushes into the reactive dog’s face to greet it, and the reactive dog bites the intruder out of fear.

Both dog owners rush to the scene to break the dogs apart and minimize damage.

The reactive dog realizes that biting stops the threats and makes a mental note to try that again next time a dog gets close to him.

The happy dog whimpers and nurses his wounds, completely confused as to why it happened, and now is starting to develop nervousness around new dogs.

The reactive dog owner is heart-broken because he/she feels the dog is dangerous and doesn’t know if the dog needs to be put down.

The off-leash owner is confused because he/she didn’t expect it. His/her dog is so friendly. Why would another dog attack him?

After tears, apologies, stress, vet bills, and potentially even a lawsuit, the parties go their separate ways, carrying the various repercussions of the event.

The moral of the story is this: We don’t always know the stories of the people or dogs around us. We don’t always know if the dog is social or not, even if the owner says they are. We don’t always know the owner’s intentions or attentiveness. We don’t always know the past experiences.

It is always best to be considerate of our fellow dog owners, and give everyone space until we know more about the situation. They will be forever grateful! Every dog and owner deserves an opportunity to tell their story.

- • •

Stephanie Vichinsky is

the owner/head trainer

of Method K9 in Post Falls

(208) 964-4806.