Another dog attacked mine on a walk. What now?

This is frightening. The first minutes are about safety. The next days are about getting your dog checked and rebuilding confidence.

In the moment

PDSA says to stay calm. Do not try to pull the dogs apart yourself, because many people are bitten that way and you can injure your dog further. If you can, distract the other dog from a distance with a loud noise like a clap. Do not shout at it or stare, which can make things worse. Call your dog away if you can, and ask the other owner to do the same. If another dog is showing aggression, walk away calmly but quickly, and put a barrier such as a gate, fence, or car between the dogs. For more on this, see Another Dog Appears on Your Walk.

Afterward

Get the other owner's contact details and a photo of their dog if you can, and photograph any injuries. Take your dog to the vet right away, even if the injuries look small. PDSA warns that many bite injuries are worse than they look because of damage under the skin and bacteria in dogs' mouths. Ask your local animal control office how to report an attack where you live.

The next walks

Your dog may be wary of other dogs for a while. Choose quiet routes and times, keep a wide distance, and leave early if your dog looks tense. Reward calm looks at a distance. Do not force greetings. Keep sessions short and easy so your dog's confidence can recover.

Get the right help

If your dog now lunges, freezes, or tries to hide when other dogs appear, ask your vet for a check, and a qualified, reward-based behavior professional to help.

This article is general education, not veterinary advice. If your dog seems unwell, is in pain, or something changed suddenly, call your vet. If it could be an emergency, do not wait.

Sources

• PDSA: Dog attacks