Sepp got bullied/attacked on our walk - advice needed

[Trevor]

So on our walk today, Sepp got attacked by three small dogs on two different occasions. We were walking him on leash and he was being his happy self minding his own business, when the small dogs (off leash) raced out of a garage (on the first occasion) and out of a driveway (on the second occasion) and just went at him. They did not bite (I think) but charged at him aggressively enough for him to tuck and pee (which never happens)!

We tried to step in between, I shouted "off!", but they still managed to get to him because he was leashed and they weren't. It went so fast. The owners decided to show when it was too late already.

What do we do in this situations? Do I preemptively kick a dog that is about to go at mine?

How do you react to show your doodle that he can trust you as his leader by keeping the other dog away? What is appropriate force used towards another dog in these situations without overreacting? Should I let my dog fend for himself so that he learns to fight back against bullies?

I do not want Sepp to get small dog aggressive (he is so friendly with other dogs and people right now) so incidents like these really worry me.

Thanks

[Trevor]

P.S.: Thankfully, he seemed fine a few minutes afterwards.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I learned the hard way that you really have to get in front of your dog and prevent the oncoming dog(s) from getting to him. JD was attacked by a dog who got out of his yard and he was bitten in two places, one of them very close to his eye.

Do not let him fend for himself when he is leashed, it is setting him up and letting him down, at the same time. 

The instant you see them coming, step between them and your dog and march toward them calmly but with great confidence and purpose, possibly using verbal warnings (No! Get Back!) calmly but very firmly. I shake a finger at them, too, while still moving forward. In most cases, that will be enough to keep them from actually harming your dog until their clueless owners get there. Obviously, we're talking about neighborhood pets here and not a pack of fighting pitbulls. But I would not hesitate to knee a dog who was coming after mine if words or gestures didn't get him to back off. 

The surprising thing about doing what I described was that it totally prevented JD from reacting to the dogs. Where in the past he would have been barking and lunging at them, which just escalates things, when I took charge and and got out there first, he was relaxed and calm. As Jane later explained to me, he saw that "Mom's got this". 

I also firmly believe that it's important to give the owners a piece of your mind about letting their dogs run loose. It may well have been an accident, but they need to understand that they must do whatever it takes to see that this kind of accident never happens again. 

I'm glad Sepp is okay. 

[Trevor]

Thanks for the advice. Many things to think about before the next walk for us.

I marched towards the first dog, shouting "hey hey", "off"...he was unimpressed. It is as if he did not even see me and he was determined to go after my much bigger puppy. I guess I need to be more threatening and calmer as you said. I was pretty unsure what to do and maybe the dog sensed this.

The owners shouted at their dogs (as if that helped...) and apologized (they claimed the dog escaped while they picked up poo) - but they had three dogs with leashes dragging just running around.

My wife ended up picking Sepp up when it got too much.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I would certainly kick a dog attacking my dog if I thought it would help.  I can be a meanie and I care more about my dog.  Once when we were camping one of our dogs was attacked by a boxer ( I have only ever had bad experiences with boxers) my dh could NOT pull the dog off of ours until he grabbed a good sized log from a fire pit and began hitting him!  Geez! The owners were very nice, the dog normally was nice (they said) but it escaped out the screen door on their trailer and just went after out then puppy.

[Trevor]

Yes, when a dog actually attaches himself to my dog all bets are off!

I guess in a situation like this morning, I am hesitant as to what the other dog will do, so I never know when the right time is to hurt the other dog.

Was your dog ok after the attack by the boxer?

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

He required about 10 stitches to his back area near his neck. We had been to Starbucks and I I poured my hot coffee on the dog, which never fazed him. My husband kicked the dog multiple times and only the owner who stopped the car, was able to pull him off, after hitting him with a leather leash.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks for asking.  He was physically, except for YEARS, he was very concerned with what was coming up behind him as that is where the boxer came from.  None of us saw or heard him coming.  If the dogs were little, like I think Trevor posted, kicking could be effective.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I would trust a larger dog 10x over, compared to the all the small dogs that come out charging and yapping at us. If your dog is leashed and is at a distinct disadvantage....so YES, I always kick, intervene , whatever it takes to protect my dog.
Many years ago, a Boxer jumped out of a car and attacked our puppy Golden Retriever. He was never ever dog friendly after that! So I can see your concern! So glad Sepp is ok

[Trevor]

We have had so many incidents with small dogs lunging - just once or twice with a big dog. Thankfully, they have always been on leash until today.

What you experienced with your Golden puppy is exactly what concerns me. We have been lucky that nothing has happened so far so that Sepp is very dog-friendly, and I would like to keep it this way.

I'm now determined to kick and shout next time.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Why is it always the boxers?  Ned hates boxers, specifically and he has never had a bad encounter with one - he just does NOT like them.  Maybe the boxer attack memory was psychically passed to Ned by our old lab mix and your golden? :-}

[Lynda Kamrath]

You can't always tell what started the prejudice, but I think it is rather common.  My Groucho Too was no sissy but he was also prejudiced against huskies and malamutes for some reason.   They have a habit of lowering their head and making eye contact with their blue eyes and that would set him off.  He would attack immediately, at the dog park, on the street, in the vet's office.  If I saw one of those dogs coming, I would immediately get him on leash and under control.  So, it may be something else about boxers that sets him (Ned) off.

[Trevor]

By the way, I am so sorry to hear that all of your dogs got attacked badly. What a nightmare for any dog owner that does everything possible to prevent this and then it happens completely unexpectedly in the blink of an eye.