It can be really exciting to meet a new dog when you are walking in the street or at the park. It doesn’t matter if they are big or small, some dogs can only transfer joy and cuteness wherever they go, to the point that sometimes we can’t resist the temptation to approach and pet them. However, if we do it the wrong way, we may scare them and instead of having fun, we will end up with a bad experience. This can happen even with dogs that are usually friendly.
That’s why we want to share with you a couple of tips from veterinarians to make this process go smoothly. That way, both the dog and you will be happy and safe.
Sometimes, we are walking down the street or around the park, and suddenly we come across a stranger walking his dog. It seems we can’t control the urge to walk and cuddle the dog. Well, animal behaviorist Sophia Yen says doing so suddenly can be frightening to dogs (and possibly humans too). The best you can do is approach it slowly and in a relaxed manner. In this way, the dog will have a chance to feel safe and will know that you will not harm him or his master.
2- Ask the owner for permission
Another common mistake we all make when we meet a new dog is to go straight to cuddle that little fur. We got it, we’re excited to meet the dog, but we shouldn’t forget to ask the owner if we can get close to him. This, in addition to being an act of compliment, can also help us in case the dog is aggressive or in case we need to approach him in a certain way. Dr. Yin suggests that we should ask the owner’s permission, so that the dog may also feel more confident around us.
3-Avoid establishing direct eye contact
Even for humans, looking into a stranger’s eyes can be a bit awkward and even scary at times. It makes most of us feel uncomfortable. The same thing can happen with dogs. The doctor also recommends that once we have the owner’s permission, we should not look directly into the dog’s eyes. This is just to make sure they feel comfortable in our company. Then, when we are ready to approach them for the first time, we must do it from the side, and never from the front, so as not to seem frightening to them.
4-Let their sense of smell lead them
Unlike humans, dogs have a more developed sense of smell and this is their way of approaching and understanding the world around them. For them, their nose is almost like having two other eyes. For this reason, another piece of advice from Dr. Yin is to let them approach us, instead of us approaching them. The goal is to make sure they can smell our legs and hands, so they can choose whether or not they want to be pet by a stranger.
5-Don’t stroke their head or raise your hand above their head
It is very common that when people pet a dog, they put their hands on the dog’s head. This is probably because so few people take this into account, while some dogs don’t seem to mind, others do, and they do mind very much. In fact, vet Uri Burstyn says this act may seem to them an act of aggression which is why it is not uncommon for it to lead to a violent negative reaction. So he suggests instead that after we get close to the dog, we lower our hands a bit just to let them get to know us.
6-Protect your hands but also allow them to get to understand you
Now that you’ve lowered your hand, your new friend can sniff you a little and get to know you. However, Borstein recommends, for the safety of both children and adults, to gently close your hand, turning it to show its back to the dog. This way our fingers are protected in case the dog is aggressive for any reason. After all, you can still do something that annoys them while you’re weird, so they might react to that.
7-Respect their space
Personal space is hugely important to dogs, and if we have to bend down to pet a dog that has already given us their trust, it is best to respect it. Therefore, Dr. Yin recommends keeping a certain distance to give them freedom of movement while they know you and while you know them as well.
8-Stroke their chin
As soon as we gain the animal’s trust, we can pet it it. But rather than doing it on their back or on their head, Dr. Burstin suggests we start with their chin, just below their muzzle. This is because their chin may be a safe place for us, while at the same time it feels gentle and non-threatening to them. This way we will make sure that we don’t do anything that might upset them in any way.
9-Pet them rather than hugging them
Human expressions of friendship might not mean precisely the same thing for dogs, and that’s something that we should always take under consideration also . Things like hugging or kissing can cause high levels of stress in dogs, albeit that’s hard to believe for us. Now, imagine you’re handling an unfamiliar dog, and you’re actually stressing him out. you’ll get yourself into a reasonably dangerous situation there, including if we’re talking about children approaching the dog. Dr. Yin recommends always petting rather than cuddling or anything .
10- Avoid petting them if they’re nervous
Observing the dog’s behavior can assist you tell if they need to be petted or not. It can happen that they’re just not curious about meeting you or that they’re nervous. After all, nobody really knows the way to meet strangers within the right way all the time. So, if you see that the dog isn’t up for socializing with you, it’s better to not force them to try anything they don’t want. One of Dr. Yin’s recommendations is that we approach as long as we see that they’re relaxed and happy — if they’re not, it’s better to only look at them.