[fostermom]

I used to live in the country (Potomac "horse" country) and would walk frequently my goldens down many country roads or along trails at the parks....NEVER had an encounter with a stray dog. I now live in a small "city"...rarely see a dog off leash, yet have had several encounters with dogs going after my rotti's. One slipped it's collar while the owner was walking it, twice the same two pits came at my dogs when the owners had them off leash in a park, and once when a neighbor's rotti ran through underground fencing and across a road to my rott. It has certainly made me nervous about walking in town, especially since I'm usually trying to walk two dogs at once so have no free hands. But as upsetting as it was, I have never had it escalate to where there was an actual attack. In all instances, the owners were near-by and were able to grab their dogs fairly quickly. I did try with the rotti to yell "no" and "stay"...more because I was worried about him getting hit by a car when he ran across the street...it did absolutley NO good...the dog was totally focused on me and my dog. With the pits, I was yelling at the owners to "get your dogs"...I just stood still with my two, an elderly lab and my "alpha" male rott...actually the lab defended herself, growling and snapping at the other dogs as they were making "passes" at my two...my male just stood next to me and didn't react (I'm assuming he was able to read the other dogs and knew there was no need to react). The rotti that blew through the electric fence was only interested in a meet and greet with my female, although the following week he ended up biting an owner who was walking a muzzled male rott down the street so I guess I was lucky I had my female that day. Thus far, just standing still and keeping my dogs at my side has kept things from escalating, but again, maybe I've just been "lucky".