Top Dog Advisor
  • Home
  • Dog Food

    4Health Dog Food Vs. Diamond Naturals

    Science Diet and Taste of the Wild: Which Dog Food Is Best?

    11 Best Dog Foods for Australian Shepherd in 2022

    11 Best Miniature Schnauzer Dog Foods 2022

    Grain-free foods may be harmful to your dog’s health…

    These Foods Are Not Recommended for Dogs

    4 Diabetic Dog Friendly Treats You Can Make at Home

  • Dog Health

    Find out the signs and solutions.

    Can dogs eat apple?

    How to tell if your dog has eaten weed.

    Are the zoomies normal and why does my dog get them?

    Brushes, tools and other items for shedding dogs

    5 Treatments for Dogs with an Upset Stomach

    Top Reasons to Insure Your Pet with Pet Insurance

  • Dog Training
  • Videos
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Dog Food

    4Health Dog Food Vs. Diamond Naturals

    Science Diet and Taste of the Wild: Which Dog Food Is Best?

    11 Best Dog Foods for Australian Shepherd in 2022

    11 Best Miniature Schnauzer Dog Foods 2022

    Grain-free foods may be harmful to your dog’s health…

    These Foods Are Not Recommended for Dogs

    4 Diabetic Dog Friendly Treats You Can Make at Home

  • Dog Health

    Find out the signs and solutions.

    Can dogs eat apple?

    How to tell if your dog has eaten weed.

    Are the zoomies normal and why does my dog get them?

    Brushes, tools and other items for shedding dogs

    5 Treatments for Dogs with an Upset Stomach

    Top Reasons to Insure Your Pet with Pet Insurance

  • Dog Training
  • Videos
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Top Dog Advisor
No Result
View All Result
Home Dog Training

The Problem With “May I Pet Your Dog?”

Jerry Adams by Jerry Adams
June 12, 2022
in Dog Training
0
1
SHARES
2
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

In the past, people would just reach out to your dog to pet it. Today’s world is more informed and allows for a quick “May I pet your dogs?” request. Unfortunately, once permission has been granted, the stranger quickly moves in close to the dog, looming over it, and swiftly thrusting a hand one inch away from its nose. If the owner pushes the dog forward, the owner might see how eagerly the dog wants it. The dog may then find a two-handed, enthusiastic ear jostle next.

Some dogs, such as the stereotypical Golden Retriever may be the right choice. This is what they have been waiting for. This extra attention could be their highlight of the walk. It is hard to imagine a family with more extroverted dogs than this.

Yet, comprehend we must. It’s true, very few dogs love being tied to a leash or touched by strangers. It’s not easy to understand that a quiet dog who is being petted might hate the time that the human is having. It’s important to realize that you are the stranger in the situation. However, it is crucial when you are the one pulling the leash.

DO NOT THINK DOGS WANT TO BE PETTED

man petting dog

Before you do the two-handed ear jostle, make sure to get consent! Photo Credits: Antoniodiaz / Dreamstime.com

Many wonderful dogs will not say hi to strangers. You might find them uninterested in strangers, wary, or scared. Sometimes, they are specially bred by humans to feel the emotions they have.

We humans love to pet dogs so much that we sometimes ignore this simple truth. Our belief system holds that all dogs are good and should be able to accept any kind of petting at any time. Dogs can choose to say no for many reasons.

Perhaps they’ve been bred to guard, so this forced interaction with strangers is deeply conflicting.Perhaps they’re simply more introverted and don’t enjoy this kind of socialization.Perhaps something in their background has made them less trusting of people.Perhaps normally they’d be all in, but today their ear hurts, or they are very distracted by the big German Shepherd staring at them from across the street.

There are many reasons that a dog may prefer not to interact with humans.

DON’T GIVE CONSENT ON BEHALF YOUR DOG

Recognizing how deeply dogs don’t want to be touched randomly is the first step in realizing that dogs should be asked, and not their handlers, if they would like to be petted. To safely pet a dog, we need their consent, not ours.

Perhaps the idea of giving dogs the right to consent to strangers feels strange to some. It feels creepy for me to deny my dog the right of consenting to be touched by strangers. It is wrong that I can say, “Sure, absolutely. You go ahead and touch this dog’s skin.” Isn’t she beautiful? She’s so beautiful, we all love to touch her.”

Dogs can’t answer the question “May I pet your dog?” verbally, but they do respond with their body language. Dogs are often subjected to routinely uncomfortable handling because they don’t know how to interpret subtle signals. Even worse, it often happens when they are being restrained with a leash and their owner allows it.

Dogs can become less fond of strangers and, worst of all, less trusting of their owners.

TIPS TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR DOG

When it comes to touching my dogs and when, I allow them agency. When someone asks me “May I pet your dog?” I smile at them and tell them that I would love to. Then, I show them:

You can offer your hand for a sniff. Instead of putting your fist in front of the dog (which society believes is polite), move your hand towards the dog to give her the option of moving closer or not. As she sniffs, she should look around to see if she is doing so in privacy.

This approach often gets us to a “yes” in less than 30 seconds even from shy dogs!

HOW TO DETECT IF YOUR DOG GIVES CONSENT

If the dog pulls towards the stranger with a relaxed, loose, or wiggly body it is saying yes. Great! Next, you can begin to pet the dog on the spot she is offering, likely her chest or rump. Many dogs consider a top-of the-head pat to be one of their “Top 10 Things That I Hate about Humans.”

If my dog doesn’t give me a quick or easy yes, I might back up and make conversation. Many dogs are more comfortable when they have had a chance to get to know a stranger. My dog might be offered treats, and I may feed him treats. It’s great if she relaxes and then leans in to the experience.

We can just move on if it doesn’t work out. This is also great, and this is crucial! No harm, no foul. There is no need to apologize for our dogs saying “No thanks.” We just have to keep moving.

The Problem with “May I Pet Your Dog?”

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.topdogadvisor.com/how-to-pick-up-a-puppy/

Tags: didititusedthestranger
Previous Post

What is Rotational Feeding for Dogs: What’s Pup?

Next Post

We Are Talking Colors at American BullyXL

Next Post

We Are Talking Colors at American BullyXL

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • A Q&A from Aquatic Paws owner Lisa Castaneda
  • Aquatic Paws offers an adventure at Aquatic Paws by testing the water …..
  • Find out the signs and solutions.
  • Can dogs eat apple?
  • 4Health Dog Food Vs. Diamond Naturals

Pages

  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 All rights reserved by topdogadvisor.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Dog Food
  • Dog Health
  • Dog Training
  • Videos
  • Contact Us

© 2022 All rights reserved by topdogadvisor.com