Approaching dogs in public.
March 29, 2020
This topic is something that I’m very passionate about. It really grinds my gears when someone tries to pet a dog I have out in public, especially without even acknowledging me. Why is it such common place to touch another persons pet without permission? Why do a large portion of people think that every dog wants to say hi to them? I wish I knew the answers.
It seems a lot of people assume that only completely friendly dogs go out in public. Not every dog likes being pet by strangers and they should NOT have to deal with it. Just because they don’t like being touched by stranger doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be in public. They can be totally fine and well behaved. They just happen to get uncomfortable being pet. This doesn’t mean they are going to bite if pet, but they are going to show signs that they are not okay with what’s happening. Why put a dog through that just so someone can “show love” to them?
Some dogs that are in public are there for training. They are learning how to be okay in a new environment, to accept that strangers can be in the general area, practice with distractions, to see, hear, and smell all kinds of new things and mostly to learn that the owner or trainer will ensure their safety which in turn earns their trust. The dog is more important than a 10 second interaction that could tremendously set a him back.
Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts on approaching a dog.
Do
Approach slowly
Give dog and owner space
Ask permission to interact or pet
Don’t
Scream “OMG PUPPY” or any thing loudly
Run/move quickly directly towards the dog
Stare at the dog
Continue to approach if the owner says NO
Now that we covered how to approach and ask permission let’s go over how to actually interact with the dog. As a general rule, I recommend crouching or one knee on the ground. Don’t stand and lean over the dog. Pet him along his back, under his chin or his chest. Don’t go straight to petting him on his head. I would just avoid petting him on his head honestly. I’d rather be safe than sorry.
For the love of everything, TEACH YOUR KIDS how to properly approach and interact with a dog. There is nothing more nerve racking than a child running and screeching towards a dog while the parent is laughing and encouraging the behavior. This is not appropriate or responsible.
Remember to always ask permission BEFORE and respect how the owner wants you to interact or if they say no.