Many of you know that I am working on my next book. It’s coming a long and every single time I go for a walk I come home with more content. Will it ever be done? Hopefully. I have to talk about today’s event. Let me just say that these “events” are small, but they all come down to etiquette.
Elsa, Riggs and I decided to hit one of our favorite parks today for a sniff walk. There are so many smells along the way and the scenery is really nice. So it’s a win, win when we walk at this particular park. I also like this park because the pathways are wide, which give everyone ample room to pass by each other. Of course, not everyone moves over as they should; some people decide that they are walking down the middle and they don’t care what anyone thinks about it. Some even decide to walk on my side, which they hear about.
I give off crystal clear body language when someone is coming in the opposite direction. Elsa and Riggs are very good at being on the right side of me and moving over calmly. It should be very clear to the other k9 guardians that I have taken the time to move my dogs over to the right and have them under control. Elsa does not like to interact with dogs that she does not know, hey I don’t blame her. Do you want someone coming up to you and touching you on your morning walk? Not me.
I could see them from a far, there was no missing a woman with two gigantic Great Danes along with another woman and her very large Shepherd mix coming our way. There was no room for us to pass, they were quite literally taking up the entire path, which like I said is very wide. I calmly moved Riggs to the right side, Elsa had already put herself there, she likes space. There was no space in what I saw coming. So I had to up my body language as they come closer, I slow my pace and make sure they see me slowing. This is usually where the humans “get it,” and they did.
She reined in her monstrous dogs who looked very friendly (but that is not the point) and stepped behind the woman with the shepherd mix. This made room for us to pass on the pathway. Everyone needs space, some more than others. Elsa had already started to snort when they were taking up the whole pathway. She did not see a space for her to feel safe; but once the woman made space she stopped snorting. Snorting is a sign of stress; not all dogs do it but both Elsa and Riggs do. Of course this scenario made me think about how people walk with their dogs. Many walk by us and never budge, never move over or consider others which is very rude human behavior.
Elsa takes her own space as does Riggs. If either are feeling uncomfortable about the proximity of walking by a particular dog then they will move to my right side to start with. If they need more they will take it. Elsa snorts more than Riggs does and if she snorts, she is uncomfortable and I don’t want that. It takes more for Riggs to snort but he does it.
The whole thing is not about how friendly your dog or the other dogs are. It is about giving space and keeping your dogs to yourself unless specifically invited. But people who walk down the path or sidewalk with their dog lunging out at every dog that passes by are just an accident waiting to happen.
Etiquette - conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.