Meeting and greeting people and other dogs is very important and should be done calmly and be positive for all.
People meeting – a stranger comes into your space kissing you; wraps their arms around you; you’re sitting, they jump in your lap – appropriate? No.
There’s usually a verbal introduction, personal space, perhaps a handshake. Meeting etiquette. As it should be with dogs.
1. Know your dog, its body language, does it like meeting other dogs, does it need to? Does it dislike some breeds?
2. Have a good strong relationship with your dog
3. Know if your dog is ‘rude’ in its approaches, in which case do you meet and greet, if you do are you are prepared to step in and help it go well. Know what is rude.
4. Ask, there are many reasons that someone may say no.
5. Approach, it is ‘rude’ for a dog to approach another dog nose to nose, ‘polite’ dogs will curve on approach toward the side or to sniff butt. A direct approach nose to nose can cause reactivity
6. Time, a meet and greet should be about three seconds, in this time the dogs shouldn’t decide they hate each other.
7. Disengage, move the dogs away from each other, this is where your relationship is important – do not yank/pull the dog away.
Learn more at Bairnsdale and District Dog Obedience Club Inc.
