CBS Pet Project: What to do when you encounter a loose dog
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – One of the scariest things, and dog owners know this, is encountering a loose dog. Animal advocate Carol Erickson talked to CBS News Philadelphia about the best ways to practice for real-life situations with your own dog.
Erickson suggests to find an alternative route if you know that there is a loose dog in the area or to ask the owners to keep the dog on a leash.
Here are some of the things you want to do when you navigate this:
avoid the situation
know dog body language
loudly tell the dog to "go home"
use gesture indicating dog to stop
throw treats at dog to distract
block your own dog
startle other dog
Erickson also suggested to carry the following things on your walk to be prepared:
umbrella to pop open and startle loose dog
can of compressed air/citronella spray
treat
Don't use pepper spray as it can trigger aggression.
Learnmore useful things in the video stream above.