I had to kick a dog >out walking my pupper >some guy is

Study dog body language, it can be subtle and complicated. Sometimes when it's not obvious, you'd have to be looking at both dogs' body language to be able to get a good read on if there's gonna be trouble or not.

A good indication though is that if the dog runs right up to your dog in a straight line, that dog has shitty manners at best, poor socialization, and might be trouble. At the very least, behavior like that could scare your dog or make them uncomfortable, even if the approaching dog doesn't actually attack.

Other hints: Approaching dog's tail is held up like a flagpole; dog seems laser-focused with a hard stare; dog's weight is centered more on his front half (like he's leaning forward.)

Paying attention to how your dog is reacting can clue you in as well if you're unsure--if your dog seems to be nervous, stiffens up, etc. it's probably because the approaching dog is behaving in a threatening manner. And seeing your dog go into "hey back off buddy" mode can sometimes cause those overly-forward, intrusive dogs to escalate the situation and aggress at your dog.

Some clues that the approaching dog is friendly/polite: It approaches in a curve instead of a straight line, body language is "loose" and wiggly, soft face.

And never feel bad for having to defend yourself or your dog from loose dogs. The dog's owner is responsible for having their dog under control and should not be letting their dog run up to strange people/dogs. Glad your doggo is ok!

>>2313456
good advice, thanks

i'll try to have a more keen eye next time
im glad hes ok too, hes been attacked 4 times and hes only a year old, luckily he only actually got bitten once on the ear and hes fine. and despite it all hes still so friendly, just pretty timid

>>2313454
Could you tell what gender the scruffy collie mix was? Also what gender is your dog? In the case of my dog (female) gender makes a bit of a difference, she's inclined to be more aggressive towards males. Also did the dog bark before growling and attempting to bite your dog?

Sorry if I'm asking too many questions I'm just trying to gauge the dog's behavior.

Like this guy said, try and be more observant with a dog's body language because there are many tells that indicate if a dog is gonna be trouble.
>>2313456

>>2313489
>hes been attacked 4 times and hes only a year old

Damn OP. Were they all off-leash dogs?

>>2313507
my dog is male and and other dogs name was harley, so i think it could be either. yeah it growled for a moment before actually trying to bite

>>2313508
3 were off leash and 1 was on, pulled the guy almost off of his feet

>>2313456
>tfw my dog has awful manners

>>2313515
You should be more wary where you live, 4 attacks in a single year is insane.

>>2313541
i live in a really shitty area, even for scotland its bad

for a decent walk you have to go up into the woods, bad owners are too lazy to take their dogs out for that long so you have better interactions

>>2313551
Isn't there a law restricting people from just letting their animals run loose. You should try and pursue legal action the next time your dog is attacked.

>>2313456
>A good indication though is that if the dog runs right up to your dog in a straight line, that dog has shitty manners at best, poor socialization, and might be trouble
My dog does this. He has shitty manners.

He was also very sickly (fleas, giardia, coccidia, tapeworms) during the "crucial socialization period" so he didn't really get to socialize with strange dogs until about 6-7 months.

How do I fix it? He's doesn't bite. Never has, even with small, prey-drive-triggering dogs. But at the park he always bounds up to them with a big ol' "WHORRRF" and gets right up in their faces. He wants them to chase him.

He's been punished for it by a few dogs he scared, but it hasn't stuck.

>>2313519
You can try to fix that by socializing him with other dogs who have good doggy manners and a stable and confident temperament. If you can find someone you know with a dog like that, allowing them to interact with your dog often will help teach your dog manners because the other dog will correct your doggo (but not hurt him) when he's being rude.

>>2313604
Sorry, meant to reply to you as well in >>2314002

You just have to keep trying, he might not always be a perfect;y mannered dog, but with a lot of exposure to other well-socialized dogs who will correct him when he's too forward, he should eventually start getting a bit better about it.