How to deal with off-leash dogs

Dear Cathy: Two off-leash dogs attacked my dog. The small dog came running toward us barking, which seemed to trigger the bigger dog to attack us. Both dogs ignored their owners. One pet owner did not even say anything after pulling the large dog away. Owners of unleashed dogs need to understand the effects their dogs have on leashed dogs.

What I’m wondering is how I should have handled this interaction with my dog both during and afterward? She’s 70 pounds, so I couldn’t scoop her up. She’s a rescue and a bit spooked.

During the attack, she started by defending herself and getting into the fight, then one of the dogs got a grip on her scruff, and she suddenly cowered and submitted. Thankfully, we walked away injury free. But I was yelling and waving and stomping like crazy, trying to stop the strange dogs from attacking. Was my behavior what made her cower and submit? — Anchorage, Alaska

Dear Anchorage: Dog fights happen quickly and it’s important to stay as calm as you can. While highly instinctive to do, shouting at dogs during a fight sometimes escalates tensions. In trying to please you, your dog may have acquiesced to your demands to stop. But she also could have submitted because two dogs were attacking her at once.

When walking your dog, carry an airhorn to startle an approaching dog, citronella spray to disarm an aggressive dog, or an umbrella to separate you both from an approaching dog.

In a dog fight, the instinct is to pull dogs apart. Instead, loosen your lead so your dog has some flexibility to protect herself and you are a safe distance away. Make a loud noise. Never step into a fight to pull dogs apart.

As soon as the dogs break, walk your dog quickly away from the fight. Then check your dog for injuries.