This type of touch is reserved for family or dogs that really like to be touched by strangers and have initiated it.
Riggs and I were nearing the end of our walk the other day when a little girl coming our way got off her bike and headed towards us. Her Mother told her “ask first,” so she did. My reply was “sorry he’s a bit nervous.” Riggs is nervous of kids when out and about. He finds them very unpredictable and is not a big fan. A lot of dogs are nervous of children and the Mother did the right thing by telling her daughter to ask. As we walked by I thanked her for asking and told her how great that was.
Now if I had been with Elsa, my reply would have been different. She loves kids but I still would have been a helicopter guardian because kids do things that aren’t great. Some will want to hug, which is completely inappropriate. Others shriek, wave their arms around and basically do weird things. I know, I’m a Grandma.
Touching should be preceded by asking ALWAYS. Dogs draw the need to touch from humans often; but, no one should ever touch without asking. People should not even motion to touch before they ask either. The rule of “don’t touch unless a dog initiates” should be followed. Dogs should always want to interact, otherwise there should be no interaction from strangers.
The other day I was in a store when a man grabbed my arm and then said “excuse me” as he walked by. He actually moved me out of the way which was not okay. It wasn’t horrific but it definitely lead me to ponder for a bit. I thought about how I ask people to “excuse me.” But then I thought about dogs and how people always want to touch them. Imagine if people walked up to you and reached their hand out to touch? Ask or not, not okay and pretty funny to think about.
But we walk up to strange dogs and want to touch them. I rarely pet dogs when I’m out, even when I’m not with Riggs or Elsa. I know better, although puppies usually suck me in of course and if they come wriggling up, then yes I will give them a scratch under their chest. But even then I will always wait for them to initiate. “
Petting dogs is lovely, if they want to be pet by a stranger. It is easy to tell if a dog is interested in being touched; but you have to know what you are looking at. Even owners will tell you yes if you ask to pet; even tough the dog is saying “no.”
Don’t touch without asking and even then, don’t touch unless the dog moves towards you to interact. Then always go underneath the chin or chest; never go above their head. This is one of the biggest and most common errors humans make.