Passionate post alert!!! I feel very strongly about this and my husband thinks I’m being a tad preachy but all I ask of you is to bear with me! In light of all the recent dog attacks and breeds being banned, it’s quite opportune.
When you are out and about with your dog, have you had people ask you if they can pat your dog, before they actually touch your dog? Not many? Hardly any? Flip it on its head and have you approached a dog and patted it, without asking the guardian first? Yes? No?
Well, this was a point of discussion during our last pack walk. One of our Adventure Geeks has a label on her dog’s harness stating ‘In Training’ so that it stops people from coming up to her dog and patting him without being asked. The dog in question is not a nasty or an aggressive dog and will accept a pat but on his terms only. He will bare his teeth to tell people to back off. If a person had asked beforehand this would be avoided, wouldn’t it? They would understand and the interaction would end well. This dog is very lucky that he has a guardian that understands him and intercepts any unwanted attention.
On the other hand, my LJ is not bothered about a pat or any fuss from humans she does not know, especially if she is out on a walk. All she wants to do is hunt, sniff and explore. If she wants attention she comes up / demonstrates and asks for it. Since we said goodbye to our Lucy – LJ is a lot more open with her affection and we are honoured she is this way. However, I have in the past, had to explain to people when she shies away from a pat that she is not bothered by the fuss. I feel myself justifying her behaviour to a stranger when there is nothing wrong with her behaviour, it is her right after all to accept a pat or not yes?
How unfair is that?
Why should we and our dogs have to be aware of and prepared for any unwanted attention? Where is the etiquette I ask? Why is it that humans (young and old) think they have the right to wander up to any dog and expect that it is happy to be patted and that its human guardian is happy for it to be patted?
I ask you, would you like a stranger to come up to you and invade your personal space by patting you on the head? I wouldn’t and I’m a very touchy-feely huggy person – I’d find it rude, wouldn’t you?
Now contemplate that the dog in question is anxious and/or the guardian is not supporting their dog’s wellbeing. A human adult or child walks up to this dog and without asking touches the dog, which results in a bite? Who is at fault? Not the dog, not at all but it will generally be the dog that gets punished. Sad but true.
Not all dogs want a pat and if they do then that’s the most wonderful experience in the world. Who does not love receiving unconditional love from a dog?
So today, I ask, no plead, respect the dog and respect the owner and ask. Ask the human and then ask the dog if you can interact with them. They are after all a sentient being, the same as us.
Thanks for reading.
Namaste
Lou xx