If my leashed dog attacks an unleashed dog on a park trail am I at fault?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dog is a rescue and is fairly even tempered around other dogs except when it is leashed and the other dog is not. This is how it usually plays out when I walk on park trails:

1. Unleashed dog will approach my dog ahead of the owner.
2. Owner will state “my dog is friendly” in place of trying to control their dog.
3. My leashed dog ( clearly irritated) will growl at the other dog and act aggressive.
4. I try to get away as quickly as possible-sometimes even picking up my dog to mitigate the situation.

Aside from not walking my dog along the Rock Creek Park trails (which our dog clearly enjoys), what can I do to protect my dog and my liability in situations when I am unable to get my aggressive acting dog away from an unleashed dogs and their owners on the park trails?

1. Stop walking your leashed dog along the Rock Creek Park trails or other places with unleashed dogs.
2. Put a muzzle on your dog.
3. Bring a video camera and record/document every interaction for evidence in case of a lawsuit against you if your dog attacks.
4. Shout at approaching dog owners that your dog isn't friendly.

This is one of those "life isn't fair" lessons for you, OP. You don't want dogs unleashed on your dog walking trails. Take up the fight. Call animal control. Turn people in. Isn't that what happened to that woman in Central Park when a man notified her that her dog wasn't supposed to be off leash? He video recorded her. There was an incident with her wrongfully calling the police on him. She was fired from her job.

I suggest you read the entire thread. I've already rejected options 1 and 2. Option 3 is interesting, but I believe that would mainly escalate a situation (it actually happened to a jerk in my neighborhood recently).

I picked option 4: "call your dog!" I've also asked my partner to walk with me in the park with a bag of treats to act as an additional barrier.

The Amy Cooper angle is interesting. Now THAT is a life lesson! I wonder if she still feels entitled to take her dog off leash in the park...?

- OP