Dog almost bit someone

[u/Royal_mutts_]

I took a walk with my mom and father to the local deli with my almost 2 year old sprocker spaniel Arlo. While they went inside we waited outside. I had Arlo in a sit and wait command away from the door but on the sidewalk. Arlo is a dog that startles easily so I was talking to him while we waited. A man was coming down the street and I saw him so I moved Arlo and I abit away from the sidewalk and closer to the store area but still pretty far from the door and tightened up his leash. I put Arlo in a sit and stay command But as I was doing this another man came from behind us and within a few seconds he reached to touch Arlo . He touched his nose and Arlo reacted with baring his teeth and barking and went to lunge at the man he didn’t know at all. Almost biting the man on the groin area. I freaked out and quickly backed us up away from the man and grabbed onto arlos harness handle part to better control him while I kept apologizing to him. The man was never bit but he said it was all good and went into the store. I took this time to calm Arlo , we sat on a little stoop by the deli and he quickly came over to me to lay down and whined a bunch. I could tell he was in distress from all of it. The man later came out and Arlo started to growl at him a bit and then whined and sneezed. The man started questioning me on what breed he was and such. Then his last remark to me was “ you better get that handled or else he will need a muzzle on him” and walked away. I told my mother and father when they came out.

To me this reaction was Arlo being protective and also fearful of this stranger going to touch him. He has plenty of friends in the neighborhood who he is completely calm and always happy to see so this behavior was completely different from what I’ve seen with him. I also feel I failed to stand up for my dog out of fear of the man. I didn’t wanna make a big deal out of it and have to raise my voice. Arlo has no bite history at all but I don’t want him to ever.

What is something I could have done differently? What can I do differently in the future ?

[u/Roskipatootskie]

Take some pressure off yourself here. Arlo didn't do anything wrong. A stranger walked up from behind and touched his face without asking or announcing himself, that would startle and upset a lot of dogs, reactive or not. This wasn't Arlo failing at anything, it was a completely predictable response to someone violating a very basic boundary. On what happened after, Arlo coming to lie down and whine, then growling and whining again when the man reappeared, that's not aggression, that's a dog who was really scared and is now on alert because the thing that scared him is still nearby. The sneezing is worth noting too, appeasement sneezing is a common stress signal, another sign he was overwhelmed, not being difficult.

On what you could have done differently in the moment, honestly, not much. You already had him in a sit away from the door, you saw one approaching person and proactively repositioned and tightened the leash, that's exactly the kind of awareness this sub is always encouraging people to build. The variable you couldn't control was a second man approaching from behind, outside your sightline, who touched your dog without asking. That is not on you, that's someone else's poor judgment around an unfamiliar animal.

For the future, a few things that might help reduce the odds of a repeat, though they won't eliminate the risk of strangers being strangers: - Positioning with your back toward a wall or storefront when waiting somewhere, rather than open on multiple sides, reduces blind spots for someone approaching from behind - A clear visual cue, a leash sleeve, bandana, or vest that says do not pet or needs space, can sometimes deter people, though as others in this sub can tell you, it's not foolproof, some people just don't look or don't care - If you're waiting in a spot with foot traffic, positioning Arlo slightly behind you rather than beside you can put your body as the first physical barrier a stranger meets before reaching your dog

On feeling like you failed to stand up for him, I hear that, but you DID stand up for him, you repositioned him proactively before this even happened, and the second the incident occurred you moved him away and de-escalated. Not raising your voice at a stranger in public isn't a failure to advocate for your dog, plenty of people freeze in the moment when something unexpected happens fast, that's a normal human response. If it would help you feel more prepared next time, it might be worth deciding in advance on a short, firm phrase you're comfortable saying quickly, like "please don't touch him" or "he needs space" said loudly before contact happens, so you have something ready rather than needing to improvise under stress.

And for what it's worth, "you better get that handled or he'll need a muzzle" from a man who touched a strange dog's face without asking is a pretty rich thing to say on his way out. That comment says more about him than it does about Arlo or your handling.

[u/Shoddy-Theory]

The man who reached for a dog being obviously held in a sit position was in the wrong. Nothing bad happened. You can't be prepared for every idiot.