Suggestions for safely walking your dog –
Check List
Aggressive Dogs MAY exhibit one or more of
the following:
1. If you are in a new area, conduct a test walk
FIRST, without your dog, this way you can
spot potential problem areas and avoid them.
2. Carry a walking stick or one of the deterrents
described above.
3. Carry citronella spray or another spray irritant.
4. Bring a pouch of tasty dog treats on your
walks.
5. Cross the street and go in the opposite
direction if you see a dog off leash.
6. Educate yourself to understanding and
evaluating body language in dogs some
common signs are listed below.
7. Consider loosening your leash, or dropping it
when a fight breaks out.
a. Ears – Alerted appearance, forward or back
close to head
b. Eyes – Narrow or staring challengingly (whale
eye – with whites showing)
c. Mouth – Lips open, drawn back to expose
teeth bared in a snarl or mouth closed tightly.
d. Body – Tense, rigid, upright, hackles on neck
up, standing square - facing you or your dog
e. Tail – Straight up and out from body,
generally above the level of the spine, fluffed
up, may flick back and forth resembling a fast
wag.
f. Vocalization – Snarl, Growl, bark, or may be
quiet when in a more predatory mode.
Basic Body Language
Use as a GENERAL reference, remember each
dog is different and may not clearly signal each
listed item
Personal safety
while walking your
dog.
Created by the Coastal Animal Services
Authority at the San Clement-Dana Point
Animal Shelter. Supported by the Pet Project
Foundation at www.petprojectfoundation.org
Friendly dogs MAY exhibit one or more of the
following:
a. Ears – Relaxed appearance, possibly perkedup and forward.
b. Eyes – Wide open. Sparkly-merry looking.
c. Mouth – Relaxed and slightly open, teeth
covered. Panting.
d. Body – Relaxed, body angled away from you
or your dog (NOT standing square faced to
you, this is a sign of aggression)
e. Or front end lowered, rear end up in air.
Excited bouncing and jumping up and down.
Circling around and running forward
and
backwards in play invitations.
f. Tail – Wagging vigorously, generally lowered
below the level of the dogs’ spine.
g. Vocalization – Excited barking. Soft play
growling, talking.
San Clemente-Dana Point
Animal Shelter
221 Avenida Fabricante
San Clemente, CA 92672
949-492-1617
More than any other circumstance, the greatest
hazard presented to you and your dog often
comes while you are legally walking your dog on a
leash, within your own community. The hazard
comes from other dogs that are not secured on
their home properties or are being illegally
walked, off leash, by their caretakers. While it is
generally legal to allow your dog to roam
unrestrained on your own property, it is illegal if
the dog leaves the property without a leash and
caretaker.
While walking your dog you need to be cognizant
of your surroundings. The most common,
unpredictable situations occur when a dog leaves
its home property to confront your leashed dog.
Often, you don’t realize a confrontation is
imminent until it happens. While walking your dog
you need to scan the properties around you (front,
side and behind) and look and listen for dogs. If
you see a dog loose on a property, you need to
calculate the risk of proceeding compared to
walking in another direction. If the dog is
aggressive, it will more than likely leave the
property and direct itself to your dog once in view.
Remember, many times you may not see the dog
that poses a hazard to you and or your dog. Dogs
may be secured in yards or inside homes and
become stimulated to the point they escape in
order to confront you and your animal.
If a dog approaches, and you don’t feel
comfortable about it, try and verbally dissuade the
dog to back off or go another direction by facing
the dog and yelling a loud “NO”. Another option is
to stand between the two animals to try and break
the dog’s eye contact with each other, which can
often precipitate into an attack. If the dog
continues to come towards you, more than likely
you will be left to deal with the aggressive animal
by yourself. If the situation escalates into a fight, it
is very difficult to protect yourself and your dog
from injury without some type of external tool or
device that can be used to distract or dissuade
the aggressor dog. There are items that can be
improvised from home as well as purchased at
local pet supply stores that may act as a deterrent
toward an aggressive animal. Umbrellas, walking
sticks, golf clubs, water bottles, whistles,
flashlights, jackets are but a few of the many
items that may provide a modicum of deterrence
in a dog attack. Commercially made items include
shock sticks, bite sticks, and a variety of non-toxic
irritant sprays (citronella or pepper spray) that
have been shown to be an effective deterrent to
an aggressive dog. Remember, if a dog is intent
on attacking, none of these methods are full proof
and the aggressive dog probably won’t be
stopped easily. Also, consider carrying good
tasting dog treats with you on your walk. If a dog
confronts you, throw the treats towards the dog,
this may distract him long enough for you to get
some distance between you, and change his
focus.
The best protection is for you to be aware of your
surroundings and have some idea of what you are
going to do if an aggressive animal confronts you.
Injuries to humans generally occur when the
victim, reaches down in the midst of a dogfight to
try and break up the fight or pull one or the other
dogs off. Many times, victims are bitten by their
own animal in the heat of battle acting in selfdefense. The best you can hope for is to use
whatever “device” you have brought with you to
dissuade the aggressor and at the appropriate
time pull your animal by the leash if possible,
away from the aggressive animal. Some people
have attempted to pick up their dog to get it out of
the reach of the aggressing animal. Depending on
the size and strength of the aggressor, sometimes
this works. Sometimes the aggressor jumps onto
you to get at your dog resulting in injury to you.
Scan your surroundings and consider placing your
dog in a high position, on top of a car if possible,
while you deploy your deterrent toward the
aggressor.
The second most common scenario is when an
aggressive dog in the company of a caretaker
approaches you. First look to determine if the dog
is leashed or unleashed. Secondly, look closely at
the dog to determine if the sight of your dog
aggressively arouses it. Evaluate the caretaker.
Does this person look like they are physically
capable and willing to control the animal if it
becomes a problem? If the dog is off leash, ask
the caretaker to leash and control the dog before
you proceed. If you get no compliance, consider
taking some type of avoidance action such as
crossing the street or going in another direction.
Always be prepared to deploy your deterrent in
defense of you and your dog.
Dogs will generally telegraph their intentions
through “body language” well before a
confrontation or attack occurs. We present the
following information to help you distinguish
between aggressive and friendly dog “body
language” to assist you in determining when you
should take evasive or “avoidance” action.
Although your dog may be friendly towards other
dogs, NEVER assume the contrary when
approached by another dog. Signs of friendly
behavior, and fight behavior are similar but
subtlety different. The approaching dog may
appear friendly and wagging its tail, but have very
different intentions than play. Depending on the
size difference between your dog and the other
dog, you could encounter a serious, and on rare
occasion, deadly fight. Understand your dog is
likely to be more aggressive towards an
approaching dog because your dog is confined by
a leash, and may be trying to protect YOU. If a
confrontation escalates into a fight loosen your
dog’s leash, or consider dropping it altogether.
Your dog won’t feel so trapped, may have a better
chance at protecting itself, and may be able to
provide the correct body language to stop the
other dog from aggressing further. If the incident
results in a bite to you, and the skin has been
broken, contact animal control immediately and
report the incident.