When to Let Your Dog Say Hello to Another Dog Is a Bad Idea
You are walking with your dog. Someone else is walking the dog. Your puppy is so excited to meet a new friend and is tempted to come up and smell. But this is not always in the best interest of your dog or another dog.
Trainer David Tirpack writes that leash greetings “induce reactivity, excitement, and place dogs in an extremely uncomfortable position.” This does not apply to socializing with dogs in a place like a dog park, where any puppy can get away if he doesn’t love his new friend.
So why is greetings a problem? Every dog is different, but here are some of the problems:
- If the greeting tires your dog , he will often find out that barking, growling, or lunging can make the other person walk away. So you have a dog that responds to a leash .
- If your dog is not stressed , but just happy to meet a new friend, you still involuntarily teach him to pull, lunges and bark an asshole on a leash. “By letting your dog say hello to every dog or person they see on a walk, we’re essentially telling them, ‘Be happy every time you see a dog,’ says Tirpak.
There is another big safety issue: even if your dog has impeccable manners, the other dog may be a snarling and biting jerk. (Regardless of whether their owner speaks, they are friendly.) I have one of these other dogs myself – she’s not a big greedy person, she just gets really nervous in this situation – and trust me, it’s not a fun conversation to:
Me: Please call your dog back. Mine doesn’t want to say hello.
They: Oh, he doesn’t bite!
Me: My power. You are welcome-
Oni: [starts lecturing me about how dogs need to socialize]
My dog: Grrrrrr
Their dog: YELP
They: Oh shit.
My dog only growls and has never bitten anyone, but I cannot promise that you will be lucky with every stranger’s dog. Be kind to your dog and to other people’s dogs by not running up to greet them. There’s plenty of time in the dog park to sniff your butt.