I have a six year old (smallish breed) who has always tended to be aggressive to other male dogs. He is never let off the lead and I'm careful not to let him get into any situation that could lead to him or another dog getting hurt. I've just returned form the most traumatic walk I've ever had. I was standing on the pavement with two dogs on short leads, talking to a friend, when a man walked past on the other side of the road with a small dog. Suddenly my boy was halfway accross the road after this dog and I was holding a lead attached to nothing. He jumped straight on the other dog, I ran across the road and grabbed him and hauled him off (he let go quite easily once I had hold of him). He hadn't hurt the other dog, it was not marked and it trotted off happily enough. The owner, though understandably angry at first, realised that the lead clip had broken and that his dog wasn't hurt. He was just about to walk off having accepted my profuse apologies when like a fool I volunteered my address in case there was a vet bill.
I am now torturing myself that this will backfire on me and something will happen to my boy and that he could be taken from me. I haven't stopped crying since I got in the door, I was just trying to do the decent thing, and now I am wondering how I could be so stupid. I am always so careful knowing that he isn't great with other dogs and then this happens, I had a firm hold of him and then he was off with an empty lead dangling in my hand.

There is no law or anything else as far as I know for a dog on dog attack, particularly as you had taken every care with your dog and he has not been reported before. You have given the other party your address so you have shown willingness to make recompense and to accept responsibility for any expense incurred by the other party. You have behaved impeccably and nothing awful is going to happen, relax and make sure you get a better collar & lead.

Thanks so much Nova; I am trying to tell myself this but it isn't easy. I've had a good look at the clip (brass, from one of the upper-end sellers that regularly have a stand at the big shows) and it isn't actually broken; I've had a good fiddle with it and what I think has happened is that the button part has got caught under the brass keeper and undone itself. This has happed to me before once, some years ago, while the bitch in question continued to trot along the road beside me quite loose and only the scrape of the clip along the ground alerted me to the fact that she wasn't attached.
That does it; I no longer trust button and slide clips, and I am going to get buckle leads now. They don't swivel but they don't undo themselves either. I was lucky the dog wasn't hurt, and even more lucky that there wasn't a car coming.

Oh Lisa..love!

> I haven't stopped crying since I got in the door

Come and take a seat in the CD kitchen,Kettle's on and we got chocolate! (thorntons!!) :)
What you're going through is the 'backwash' emotionally of all that adrenalin that would have coursed through you, so don't be hard on yourself!
     Totally echo what Noora has said above. x

Thanks HuskyGal, I'll partake of the coffee but couldn't eat anything at the moment; even chocolate! I'm still in shock and afraid of what tomorrow will bring. I know that dog on dog attacks are not regarded in the same way as people attacks and I am glad to have a witness who saw exactly what happened, and who saw the little dog trot off afterwards. He has never attacked a dog before because he isn't given the chance, he was wearing a stout hound collar and a halti with the lead attached to the collar, not to the halti. I've ordered a buckle lead and will have to organise something to take him out in until it arrives. Maybe two leads.

Borbasuk, it was an accident and the other dog wasn't harmed.

A similar thing once happen to me but my dog is a German Shepherd. We were in the park I had my dog on a lead and a lady had a young patterdale terrier off lead. The patterdale kept running round sacha just wanting to play. The owner eventually caught the terrier and walked off but then it escaped again and started running back towards us as it did Sacha pulled towards it and her lead snapped and she ran and pinnned the pup down. The pup yelped and the owner was screaming at me. I was shaking and so upset.

I have used a halti since.   

I dont think anything will come from this...  as you say the other dog was unhurt.

You can only do what you can to ensure yours and others dog s are kept safe, but as you say sometimes accidents happen.

Happened to my OH  a few wks back (we also have a dog aggressive dog)  while walking in the woods.. she on a long flexi lead... she saw another dog, strained at the collar..and the collar snapped!!!!!!!!  the stitching on the leather collar had worn...(this is something I am vigilant with)  I always keep an eye on stitching /buckles and so on...but it just proves, sometimes "things happen"   luckily , she never moved, and my hubby got hold of her..before she realised she was free....

Again it just upped my awareness of "tack" management.

I've ordered a buckle lead and will have to organise something to take him out in until it arrives. Maybe two leads

If this makes you feel safe, it may be a good idea.specially as he wears a head collar.. you can get a double ended lead.. attacking each end to both collar and head collar... giving you a little more security

Thank you all for your kind words, I am mortified that this should have happened; I don't think I will ever feel comfortable usisng a snap lead again.

Hi Borbasuk, I really feel for you. My large gsd  who is rather too boisterous and can be naughty around other dogs not agressive just sound like it. (others may remember my posts)
pulled me into the road a few weeks ago trying to go to another dog accross the street. Although I managed to hold on to him I had fallen over and found myself sitting in the road in front of an on coming car and the coulpe walking their dog !

I too was mortified to think that I could not control my dog despite all my care and training.  Fortunately no harm done except to my nerves and my knees I too went home in tears and it has taken three weeks and alot of support for a friend to get me out walking him again (dont worry he is being walked just not by me ) and not yet on my own
Take Huskygals advice have acuppa dont be so hard on yourself, no real harm done, you have been very responsible.  get yourself a lead you are happy with so you feel confident and get out there again asap
Things will look better tomorrow with a bit of distance between the event. 

How about using a little muzzle? Some dogs calm down naturally when they're wearing one too. That way you wouldn't have to worry. Your dog could still bite another one even on a lead, and that's happened to me before. My dog wanted to greet this little terrier, and his owner kept saying "oh, he's alright, just say hello!" and next thing we know, the little bugger was hanging from my dog's throat! Two little punctures but nothing serious. I know I wouldn't take the risk of embarrassement and upset if my dog was a biter, I'd just use a muzzle. But that's just me.

I have thought about it, especially yesterday! but never seen the need as he is not people aggressive, is always on the lead and kept away from other dogs, and wears a headcollar of the sort that tightens up round his muzzle so he can't open his mouth far enough to get hold of anything; unfortunately that doesn't work when the lead has come off (though it might have helped a bit, even loose). I do have one for the old lady who doesn't care for the vet; I'll think about it some more.