Approaching strange dogs - Article on Pets.ca

How to Approach Strange Dogs

Many people consider themselves to be dog lovers and just love looking at and petting every single dog they can. Dogs are indeed Man's/Woman's best friend and many domestic dogs are extremely friendly. However, there's a right way and a wrong way to approach a strange dog. This ‘best friend' may only be the best friend of its owner and you want to avoid any situation that intimidates or threatens a dog. Dogs do indeed bite when they feel scared or threatened.

First off, it goes without saying that children in particular must not approach strange dogs without their parent or guardian in hand AND they must have the permission of the dog's owner. Children have much too much energy for many dogs and regularly approach them in the wrong way. They often go right up to the dog in a jagged motion, flailing their arms in excitement. This has the potential to be disastrous, and is the wrong way to approach a dog. Parents must even be careful with their own family dog and their child, as it is common for children to get bitten by the family dog. Even the family dog can feel threatened by a child approaching in the wrong way. Children are very poor readers of a dog's body language and it is for this reason that they should not be left unsupervised with the family dog, let alone a strange dog.

The correct way to approach a strange dog is to first off ask the owner for permission. If the owner is not there, it's safest just to look at the dog and admire it from afar. If the owner is there and says ‘yes' approach the dog from the side and do NOT make direct eye contact. Direct eye contact is often seen by dogs as a threatening gesture. This is a tough one as humans usually look into the eyes of those they communicate with. However just like with bears and tigers, direct eye contact can be interpreted by dogs as a threat. Similarly, approaching from the front can be a very threatening gesture, approach from the side. When talking to a strange dog, speak calmly and softly. When petting a strange dog, pet the dog on the side of its body NOT on the head which is another potentially threatening gesture. Finally do not shove your hand in a strange dog's face for the dog to smell you to know you are "okay". That dog has already smelled you from where you are as its nose is 1,000 times more sensitive than human noses. Putting your hand in front of a dog's face can be seen as a threat.

Knowing a bit about a dog's body language also helps let you know how comfortable the dog is with you. A broad wagging tail usually indicates friendliness. A still tail held vertically is a sign to back off. A dog staring you down, growling, showing its teeth, a dog tilting forward to make itself look larger, a dog with raised hair on its back are all clear signs (from the dog's point of view) that say "back off you are making me feel uncomfortable".

All of this may seem a bit strict and many people have never had a bad encounter with a dog so they may wonder what all the fuss is about. Individual dogs are very different. Sure many strange dogs you meet at a dog park will be well socialized and friendly and would never bite anyone. Many dogs are poorly socialized though, and in the right situation will attack when threatened. At the end of the day dogs are still animals and often react instinctively to strange people. If you are not respecting the dog's body language, and are approaching a strange dog in a threatening way from the DOG'S point of view, you are taking a big risk.