Dog Encounters
(what to expect when working around other dogs, and how to respond when other dogs become a problem for you)

Every service dog has some degree of interest in other dogs. Of course, your service dog may also attract the attention of pet dogs, both loose and on leash. Dog encounters are a normal part of working. 

Avoiding Negative Dog Issues When Possible
You may be able to anticipate the appearance of a disruptive or aggressive dog in an area where you work. Whenever possible, you should attempt to avoid working close to this type of dog. You may have the option of working your dog on the other side of the street, or better still, on a parallel block. Persistent problems with loose dogs or out of control pet dogs on leash should be reported to Animal Control. 

Praise and Support
Dog harassment is stressful to both your dog and to you. When your dog is working responsibly in the vicinity of annoying dogs, calm praise and support from you is important in maintaining your dog’s confidence. 

Motivating your dog before he becomes distracted is good handling practice. If you realize that a pet dog is ahead of you and notice that your dog has not reacted to it, offer support, praise and food reward for remaining focused. This reinforcement can carry your dog on past the situation. Do not wait for your dog to become distracted; praising your dog whenever they act appropriately around other dogs is preventative medicine.

Confined Dogs 
Active, barking, growling dogs behind fences, tethered to objects or confined in parked vehicles are either trying to solicit attention or protect their territory. Your main objective is to spend as little time as possible near those dogs.
  
If your dog shows interest, which is only normal, encourage your dog to refocus on work with a confident tone. If your dog is not responding, immediately have your dog sit and focus on regaining communication and response with your dog. When your dog responds, you may choose to offer a quick food reward or immediately give a “forward” command and move the team away from the area. 

If your dog is worried about the dog and reluctant to pass, encourage your dog forward with positive input and directional leash gestures. If your dog doesn’t respond to that motivation, you can offer a higher level of physical praise, verbal praise, and food reward to distract your dog from its worry. There may be times when the environment is so overwhelming for you and/or your dog, that you may need to change the environment. In other words, leave to a different location than where you are now. Once your dog feels more comfortable with the situation, you can cue to work and resume.

Unconfined, Troublesome Dogs
The majority of dog encounters are the result of a loose social dog. The loose dog may want to play or just do some detailed sniffing to see ‘who’ this dog is. Some dogs may also try to solicit attention, assert dominance or protect territory. The approaching dog may bark, growl, or move quickly. We encourage you to be assertive in this situation. If the dog’s owner is nearby, address them directly, “Please call your dog right now! Your dog needs to move away!” If this does not resolve the situation, get away from the area as soon as possible by either pushing an aggressive dog away and working forward or turning around and working back the way you came to use an alternate route. If the dog is not attentive and is reluctant to work, it is either due to distraction or worry. Though this is obviously an unsettling situation, our advice is similar to dealing with confined dogs.

If your dog is distracted and reluctant to continue, you can stop and have your dog sit with an appropriate level of collar action. This would only be in situations where you feel there is no threat from the loose dog. Once your dog is under control, you immediately move from the area. 

Take caution when using food reward techniques with loose dogs close by. Loose dogs noticing the food could become more interested in the team than they were before. You may be able to use food to your advantage however. If you have food, it can be effective to toss some on the ground towards the dog to preoccupy the loose dog while you immediately work away. 

If your dog is trying to avoid conflict with a harassing dog and is reluctant to move, encourage your dog forward with positive input and leash gestures (not leash corrections). If your dog doesn’t respond to that motivation, have your dog sit as you give physical and verbal praise for obeying in the face of such harassment. Once your dog feels more comfortable with the situation, you can again encourage your dog to work forward.
In the field these situations are frequently referred to as “nuisance dog encounters”. *For these types of situations, contact NLWD for assistance and tools. 

Dog Attacks
Actual dog attacks come without much warning. A dog that is set on attacking is not likely to go through the behaviors of posturing and growling. The assault is generally so swift that it comes as a complete shock to both the dog and its handler. Planning what to do during a dog attack is extremely difficult. Even an experienced handler feels intense confusion, fear and powerlessness when involved in or witnessing a dog attack.  

During the assault:
* Get the attention of anyone you can, drawing people out of their home or office by shouting for help and assistance. Stomp the ground and shout at the offending dog to get away.
* Give your dog freedom of movement. Your dog has instincts of preservation; let her use those instincts by not restraining her or pulling on the leash or harness.    
* Keep your hands away from the dogs and do not attempt to reach in. The dog could bite you accidentally. 

When the attack subsides:
* Don’t assume the attacking dog is no longer a threat. If you are still alone, try to move out of the area before checking your dog.
* If you have received help, inform observers that the dog may attack again and ask them to keep the attacking dog away.
* Get assistance, if necessary, to visually verify location (address) of threatening dog and get a description of the dog (breed, color, size, gender, etc.).
* Check yourself and your dog for any wounds and immediately seek doctor/vet attention if there are any injuries.
* Expect the possibility that your dog may display altered behavior around dogs. Contact NLWD for guidance in helping to ease your dog back into routine work if possible. 

Be proactive and obtain a copy of your state service dog protection law (if applicable), as well as any useful city or county municipal codes. NLWD can help you locate that information. Unfortunately, if your dog is attacked by a loose dog, there is a strong chance that responding law enforcement officers will not be aware of your state’s laws or county or city ordinances that protect your rights. An officer can only protect your rights if they have knowledge of the laws.  

As of May 2006, 33 US states have passed laws that protect service dog handlers and their dogs from attack and harassment by errant dogs and people. More states are passing protection laws every year. The irresponsible dog owner can be held financially liable for the actions of their unsupervised pets, and may be accountable for replacement costs of thousands of dollars for the working dog. Under certain circumstances, the pet owner can also be incarcerated for up to a year. State Service Animal Protection laws are not the only tools that law enforcement agents may use to protect a service dog team. Officers can utilize any local city or county municipal code including Vicious Dog Ordinances or Leash Laws. 

You have the right to travel with your service dog. You may need to make emergency calls to law enforcement if that right is violated.

“Calling for help from Law Enforcement Agencies can be challenging and frustrating. This issue can be particularly challenging if the victim is visually impaired and the request for assistance involves a working guide dog.”  

 The very first thing the caller must realize is that 911 dispatchers (call takers) may receive as many as 100 or more panicked calls from the public per day, depending on the shift worked. This is a highly stressful and chaotic job. It is critical to understand that what constitutes an emergency on the caller’s part may not be considered an emergency to the 911 Dispatchers. Calls made to 911 dispatch involving incidents with ‘dogs’ or ‘animals’ are routinely referred to the city or county Animal Control agency. This is due to budget constraints and a misconception that all calls involving animals are not serious or dangerous. Most 911 dispatchers and law enforcement officers do not have a great deal of interaction with people with disabilities and may not be educated about the Federal and State laws that protect the rights of disabled people who use assistance dogs. For this reason, assistance dog handlers should be very familiar with the laws pertaining to service animals in their city, county and state and carry a copy of the applicable laws with them at all times.  

When making an emergency call to 911, keep in mind, that how you say something is equally important as what you say. The most effective way to get a dispatcher’s immediate attention is to say calmly and clearly: "I AM DISABLED AND I NEED HELP!” Then immediately explain the problem. For example, if you and your dog experience a dog attack, you may call 911 dispatch and state the following: “I am disabled and I need help!  My working assistance dog and I were attacked by an aggressive dog, please send someone immediately”. The goal of this exchange is to get the dispatcher’s attention and clearly inform them that you and your service dog need immediate assistance. When the officer responds, be prepared to demand that the officer write up a police report that documents the incident. 

You can be sure that you and your dog will encounter dogs in the years ahead. It is also a fact that you cannot assert total control over those situations. What you do have influence over, however, is how you handle potentially stressful circumstances. Your behavior and attitude at these times will affect how your dog perceives and reacts to the experience. Do your best to be a confident and positive handler. Reinforce your dog for staying focused on working when other dogs are about. Taking that approach is the best strategy for dealing with unfamiliar dogs in your travel environment.

Please don’t hesitate to call NLWD, at (904) 402-1646 to get more information and resources, or if you have any questions. 
Good luck and stay safe out there!