Imagine this: You're at the Mall, looking in shop windows and thinking about heading for the food court. Out of nowhere, somebody you've never met veers across the walkway and stands right next to you. They start asking you questions, looking in your bags, sniffing your hair and not letting you move forward. Second scenario: Same place, same unknown person. They stop you with an "Excuse me", and ask where the nearest Orange Julius stand is. You give your answer, they thank you and move on. Which person do you want to meet?
Believe it or not, your dog most wants to meet that second type as well. Not only that, you want your dog to be that second type.
I walk dogs in all sorts of social situations, from crowded city streets to open parkland, and the best way for our pooches to interact is by invitation. You'd be amazed at how quickly a "friendly" looking dog can suddenly become a snapping, snarling menace when you drop your guard, under the impression that all dogs want to run right up and meet each other. I have a couple of leash-aggressive pups that I walk regularly and it's not uncommon for another dog owner, their charge straining at the leash, to allow their dog to
basically confront my dog. They get very miffed when I say "Excuse me, this is not a friendly dog." "Well, why are you walking him in public?"Huh?
Here's the best bit of advice for any dog to dog situation: Ask first. As you approach another dog, get to a comfortable distance, say 15 feet or so, and ask: "Can my dog meet your dog?" If the answer is "Yes", both owners should stand on the outside, opposite each other so that the leashes don't cross. This allows either one to break contact for any reason without getting tangled up.
Dogs usually greet each other by a quick face to face and then go right for the butt. There are anal scent glands there that are the dog's "signature". If you notice that the other dog is pricking up its ears, getting stiff-legged, growling (of course), tail sticking straight up, or not allowing your dog to sniff his butt, simply say "OK, Fido, let's go" pleasantly and walk on. When it comes right down to it, your number one priority is having fun and keeping your dog safe. The snide remarks of uneducated dog owners should slide right off in the face of those considerations.
Dog Parks
Such a cauldron of doggie hormones and human anxiety! I frequently take my client dogs to the Hap Magee Ranch Dog Park in Danville for exercise and sociability training. There are a lot of experienced dog owners there who know the Rules. Number One being: Let Dogs Be Dogs! These guys love to run, bark, tumble, growl (playfully) and even hump each other. If a particular dog is acting out too aggressively, as in pinning another dog or starting a true fight, most of the folks there know to give that pooch a time out.
If it's your first time at a dog park, do all you can not to transfer your anxieties to the dog. Holding the leash, being overprotective or shouting at other dogs will make you persona non grata among the "regulars". Check the link I provided above for more dog park tips.
We can all get along just fine if we remember that the rules of socialization among our furry friends are not all that different than between ourselves.
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