Move before the dogs meet
Early movement gives you more choices. Walk away in a wide curve and keep your dog on the side farthest from the loose dog. A practiced turn cue can help, but a calm change of direction works even without a formal cue.
Use whatever real barrier is available. A closed gate, parked vehicle, hedge or trash enclosure can block the approach and break eye contact. Don't step into moving traffic or a place where you can become trapped.
If your dog can eat, drop several treats near your feet while you move. Food may help your dog stay with you, though it shouldn't be thrown between unfamiliar dogs where competition could start.
Speak to the person, not the approaching dog
Call out early: "Please call your dog. We need space." A short instruction is easier to understand than an explanation about training or temperament.
The other person may answer that the dog is friendly. Repeat the request. Friendly intent doesn't tell you whether either dog will be comfortable with a fast, direct approach.
If no handler is visible, use a firm ordinary voice toward the loose dog while you keep moving away. Some dogs pause when told "stop" or "go home," but don't depend on an unfamiliar dog knowing a cue.
Keep your own leash usable
Hold the leash with both hands when needed and leave enough slack for your dog to turn. A line wrapped around a wrist or fingers can cause an injury if either dog surges. Avoid lifting a small dog automatically because the movement can draw jumping and leaves you unable to use both hands. Lifting may be the safest choice in a specific emergency, but it isn't a universal answer.
Don't place your hands between dog faces or grab an unfamiliar dog by the collar. A frightened or highly aroused dog can redirect a bite toward the nearest hand.
People sometimes carry umbrellas, walking sticks or commercial deterrents. Local laws and the risk of escalation vary, so Buddylio can't recommend one device for every encounter. A barrier and an exit route should remain the first plan.
If contact seems unavoidable
Keep moving in a curve if there is room. A rigid face to face hold can increase pressure. Watch for sudden stillness, hard staring, raised posture, growling, snapping or one dog trying to escape.
Don't punish your dog for barking during the approach. The noise is information that the distance has become too small. Focus on leaving.
If a fight begins, don't reach between the dogs or pull at collars beside the mouths. Call for help and follow emergency guidance from local animal control or a veterinary professional. There is no online break up method that's safe for every size, grip and setting.
Check both dogs after any contact
Move to a secure place before examining your dog. Look through the coat for punctures, blood, swelling, tenderness or an uneven gait. Small punctures can close over and remain easy to miss.
Call your vet after a bite or hard collision, even when the skin damage looks minor. Seek urgent care for heavy bleeding, trouble breathing, collapse, pale gums, severe pain, an eye injury or wounds to the chest or abdomen.
Write down the location, time, description of the dog and handler, and any contact information you received. Local reporting duties differ, so ask animal control or your vet what applies where the incident occurred.
Returning to walks after a frightening encounter
Your dog may scan, stop or react at a greater distance after the event. Start with quiet, short outings and avoid the incident location for a while. Give the dog room to watch at a distance where food and ordinary movement are still possible.
Persistent fear, panic, lunging or redirected biting deserves qualified help. Begin with your vet when pain or injury may be involved. A reward based trainer or veterinary behaviorist can then plan a gradual return without forcing close exposure.
For established reactions toward dogs on walks, continue with the dog directed leash reactivity guide.
Recovery may take more than one quiet outing
After an attack or frightening rush, begin with routes where another dog can be seen from far away and several exits remain available. Let normal sniffing, eating, and recovery determine the length. Do not recreate the encounter to prove the dog is fine, and arrange veterinary care for pain, wounds, altered movement, appetite changes, or a sudden behavior shift.
If fear spreads to the doorway, car, or whole neighborhood, a veterinarian and qualified reward based behavior professional can plan a gradual return. The immediate encounter and its recovery belong to this one canonical rather than separate pages for each post incident question.
Prepare before the next encounter
Practice turning away in a quiet place, keep treats where you can reach them and notice barriers as you walk. Those small habits give you something familiar to do when a loose dog appears.