Quote Originally Posted by palmer View Post
There is no fence in the front yard and the dog seems to stay in the yard if we are in front of it before he sees us. He'll bark and growl and lunge at us, but rarely puts a paw in the road. Just after we pass he'll be in the center of the road in a defensive stance. Often see him before we get to the house in the road in this same posture.
I'm surprised no one has commented on this part yet. It should be pretty obvious what is happening. The dog makes a big racket, and you leave, so it gets positive reinforcement. Of course it keeps happening. That cycle needs to be broken for something to change.

Also, this sounds like a dog that is more motivated by fear than aggression, because of the way it retreats to the safety of its yard when you get closer, then only goes back out to the road once you have moved on. That doesn't necessarily mean it can't be dangerous... frightened animals can be very unpredictable and bites motivated by fear are still bites. However, it does change how I'd handle the situation.

My first step would still be to approach the owner, and plenty of people have had good advice there. Once you have the owner's permission and cooperation (if you can get it, if not your choices are pretty much live with the situation or contact the authorities), I'd arrange a time when you can go over without your kids or your own dog, bring some dog biscuits, and try to make friends with the dog.

WARNING! What I am about to suggest has the potential to be dangerous if not done correctly. Make sure you understand, and also read the additional warnings I added at the end.

Approach the dog directly, with confidence but without aggression. If you've ever watched Cesar Milan, keep his "calm assertive" mental image in mind. Most likely the dog will make a stand, but when you get close it will back off, just like it does if it is in the road when you approach its house. Just continue towards it.

I've done this with a few different dogs, and they have usually attempted about 3 times to buff and scare me off, then they realize I'm not fooled and they retreat for real, stop the racket they had been making, and go lie down in a place they feel safe. This is when you need to stop also. Stay close to them, but do not chase them once they stop bluffing. In my experience, it has not taken long before they come check me out, and then I can pet them and/or offer the biscuit.

During the entire time, you'll have to pay close attention to the dog's behavior. At times, if it seems to be getting more excited, you may want to stop and stand still, but do not back down or move away from it. If it corners itself, do not chase it into the corner, make sure it always has an escape route. If, at any point, you have any doubts about the dog's frame of mind, it is much safer to take a bit of a time out (again don't back down, just stop pressuring the dog by moving forward). It will take longer, and perhaps more repetitions, but you'll still get the same results as long as you stop reinforcing the behavior by allowing the dog to believe it has run you off.

For a while, you will need to approach the dog every time you see it, especially if it starts into its "I'm going to scare you off" routine. Otherwise, you are just teaching it that it can scare you off, and reinforcing the behavior.

WARNING! There is potential for this to go very wrong and the dog could end up attacking you. This should not be attempted by someone who is not familiar with dogs, but since you say you are a dog person that has had dogs your whole life and researched them, you can probably pull it off without an issue. Do not do this if the owner is not "on board" with it, because the dog will react to the owner's cues (including ones they are giving off subconsciously). Do not do this if you are not confident of your ability to stay calm, neither fearful nor aggressive. Do not do this if you, having seen the dog in person, think I am wrong about it being fearful and bluffing and think it is truly aggressive. Do not do this if you believe the dog is fearful enough to be mentally unstable.

Also, although I have emphasized how important it is not to back down, if you get in the middle of this and decide you are in over your head, you might need to stop because if the dog detects your lack of confidence, that will make the situation more dangerous. For example, if the dog does not follow the pattern of making a stand to try to bluff you, then retreating when you get close, I would abort because that might mean the assumptions about why it acts the way it does are incorrect, and then who knows what you are dealing with.