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Other ways to protect yourself and your dog :
• Citronella spray . My usual go-to . It has the intended effect without the harmful qualities of pepper spray . After the attack , friends recommended I carry pepper or even bear spray . I suggested the same to them
• Walking stick . It can be used as protection ; depending on the shape maybe a break stick .
• Handful of treats . Chucking these at an incoming dog may prove helpful if the dog ’ s intentions are friendly , and you ’ re trying to shield your dog from approaching canines .
have been affected by trauma . Being trauma-informed allows us to help support behavior change as it relates to healing . In fact , on her blog , Patricia McConnell acknowledges she ’ s “ believed for years that many of the dogs [ she ’ s ] worked with had behavioral problems because of some kind of trauma , and [ she ] thinks a lot about what we ’ ve learned working with human trauma victims can be applied to dogs ” ( 2017 ). So , it ’ s prudent to invest time into preventing cer-tain traumas by educating clients on keeping themselves and their dogs secure and remaining vigilant when out walking .
As trainers , we often caution against dog parks for good reasons : they can be poor environments for socialization at best , canine versions of Fight Club at their worst . But at least dog parks are fenced . When dogs are off leash in public it instantly makes any environment a dog park except the other “ attendees ” out walking their dogs don ’ t know it . Some ways to keep our dogs and ourselves safe are to walk on trails or in parks / recreational areas with leash requirements ; stay clear of hidden or tunneled areas where you can ’ t put a safe distance between yourself and other leashed dogs ; don ’ t walk at night . But , as in our case , management isn ’ t always enough .
Full disclosure : I carry both spray and a knife now . Right after it happened , and since I have my CPL ( Concealed Pistol License ), I ’ d seriously considered carrying my gun . The officer who ’ d come to the house so I could file my report said I ’ d have been well within my rights to use it . These dogs had been loose before our attack , and the woman had been warned and cited . This time she was cited again . She ’ d returned to my house later that day and wrote me a check for my vet bill and said her dogs had never behaved this way before . The dogs were not ordered to be euthanized , but my FOIAs ( Freedom of Information Act ) have revealed she ’ s so far complied with the mandates set forth in the Potentially Dangerous Dogs ordinance as required by the police chief . Both dogs are supposed to pass the Canine Good Citizen test ( or equivalent ) by the time this writing is published . I hold no grudges , but I do fear what will happen next time those dogs are loose . I no longer live in that area .
At the End of the Day As trainers we owe it to children , families , dogs and the public to ensure our off-leash training programs include serious consideration of having dogs off leash responsibly and what that means — and why it ’ s so important . Although the violence and ferocity of Apache ’ s attack may be an anomaly , these types of situations are not . Off-leash dogs are every-where and right there with them are people and dogs who wish they weren ’ t off leash . It ’ s not okay to excuse an off-leash dog with “ It ’ s ok he ’ s friendly !” as he bounds up to anyone he pleases without regard for others ’ needs and per-sonal space . It ’ s not okay to ignore leash laws . And it ’ s most definitely not okay to allow dogs off leash anywhere if they do not have the temperament for it .
42 Building Better Trainers Through Education