How to Deter Loose Dogs from Approaching You On a Walk

Having a loose dog run towards you and your dog on a walk can be scary and can potentially cause issues with your own dog - even if the approaching dog is friendly.

So many of us live in places where we may encounter loose dogs while on a walk with our own dog(s). Even if the approaching dog is friendly, and your dog is friendly too, it can be a stressful situation that should be avoided.

Running dogs appear threatening to most, and even a friendly dog being bombarded in that manner may become defensive.

Here are 6 things you can do to deter a loose dog that's coming towards you, that also will not cause harm.

1. YELL & STOMP

The idea is to scare them away. Making yourself look bigger by expanding your arms out to your sides while yelling, stomping your feet, and maintaining eye contact will scare most dogs away. Majority of dogs do not really want conflict.

2. SCATTER FOOD

Bring food with you (if you don't already for training purposes). Throw a handful or two of treats or food on the ground and leave as the loose dog scavenges. You can even carry a whole plastic baggie of treats with you, half open it up, and toss that on the ground.

3. AIRHORN

These are great because they work at a distance and also get the attention of other people in the

surrounding area. Someone may also hear the airhorn and recognize that it’s their own dog that perhaps escaped the yard, or, it could get the attention of someone who could come and assist by grabbing the loose dog.

4. UMBRELLA

Carrying a full size or even mini umbrella with you can be helpful to not only scare the dog away when you pop it open but you can then use it as a visual and physical barrier between you and the approaching dog, too.

5. SWINGING AROUND A LEASH

You can carry an extra leash with you for this and I take the additional step of adding a carabiner clip to the leash clip end. This adds extra weight to the clip end, which allows for better momentum with both techniques. You have two options here, the first is to take the leash and smack it against to the ground repeatedly. The metal of the clip and carabiner on the ground, can be scary enough to cause the approaching dog to stop. The second option is to swing the leash around, holing it by the handle and allowing the carabiner on the clip end to swing around in circles. This can be a great visual aversive to deter the loose dog from approaching you.

6. SPRAY SHIELD

Made of citronella and condensed air, it is non toxic but most dogs find citrus to be naturally aversive. You can aim the spray shield towards and directly in front of an approaching dog in an attempt to stop them in their tracks. Most dogs leave after one or two sprays.

I get asked a lot about using pepper sprays on approaching dogs. While obviously at the end of the day we all need to do whatever we need to do in order to stay safe, this is not my ideal choice to begin with as there will be harm to the approaching dog AND if you catch the wind at the wrong angle, you and your dog may get the spray as well. It’s typically better to save this as a last resort.

These other options are generally easy for everyone to do and easy enough to carry around with you on walks if you have a small crossbody bag, backpack, or fanny pack. Our dogs rely on us to keep them safe, so we should ideally always be prepared.