Meeting a dog

Meeting a dog

When you meet a stranger you look him in the eye and speak to him expecting a reply. But what should happen when you meet a new dog?

When you meet a dog for the first time, there is an underlying etiquette regarding how the meeting should take place. When you break that etiquette because you think the dog is cute or are afraid of it, you create a situation in which the dog may not respect you or may, themselves, become afraid.

Here is how to successfully approach a dog for the first time. In nature, followers approach the leader. In this case, you should wait for the dog to approach you. If the dog decides it is afraid of you for some underlying reason you do not understand or is simply grouchy, it will choose not to approach and you should respect that, the same as you would if a fellow human being did not want to shake your hand.

 Do not walk up to a dog and attempt to force the meeting. Dogs need time to get to know you. They need to smell you, explore you, and learn more about you. For this reason, the easiest way to meet a dog is to ignore them, letting them to do their own exploration. Many people don’t do this and can create anxiety and fear in a dog when they are overly eager to meet them.

While the dog is sniffing you, do not talk to it, touch it, or make eye contact. The sniffing process is a very particular meeting process for a dog – don’t interrupt it. Only when the dog is done sniffing will it tell you if it is ready to meet. Some dogs will run away – you should respect this. However, if the dog rubs against you, bows in submission or excitedly rubs against your hand, feel free to show affection in return. If a dog ignores you, ignore it back.

When I do home visits I often first have to ring the bell at the gate and wait for a reaction. Soon a dog or dogs come barking at me. I do not look at them but stand side on, close to the gate to allow them to obtain my scent. When the owners arrive and press the button to open the gate I walk in with the dogs and the surprised owners then want to know, “How do you do it?” because they mostly have to drag the dogs away before visitors can enter.

You never know how a dog will react if you push the issue, so respect their lack of interest. If a dog becomes aggressive or attempts to assert dominance with bumping, stepping on your feet, or raising of the lips, do not get aggressive back. Simply hold your ground, do not show fear, and do not avoid eye contact. Staring down a dog that is aggressive can be seen as a challenge, but being willing to look at them and show them that you are not afraid will often be enough to take control of the situation. If the dog needs to be removed, make sure everyone stays calm and assertive and that you do not succumb to fear or the dog will develop problems with you that could last