It’s Monday and we are back from a three day staycation. We spent a couple of days in San Diego, CA on the water; where there was a lot of dog watching to be had. Each and everytime I have the chance to “dog/people watch” I get a ton of blog topics. So today I want to discuss the whole idea around dog/dog socializing while out and about in public.
I could quite literally, spend hours watching people and their dogs as they take their morning, afternoon and evening strolls in public. For me it is all about body language, both the dogs and the humans. Both species offer a plethora of information as they enjoy their outing. It is extremely interesting with so much to be rendered from the information that unfolds in front of you.
We were in a very dog friendly area so there were lots of folks out with their dogs; enjoying the sights, sun and fresh air (aside from the smoke.) What I took away from my “watching” was that in high traffic areas like where we were; is that there are two types of dog people. Those who are very dog savvy and have there walks worked out to a T. And those who just haven’t got it yet; they haven’t figured out the do’s and don’ts of walking their dog in public.
I saw lots of people who were clearly very experienced in crowded public areas. Both the human and the dog kept to themselves. If they needed more space, they took it, calmly. I watched a woman with her Doberman, calmly step off the sidewalk to obtain a bit more space from a yappy little dog that was coming their way. They looked like pros.
Walking along the ocean front; there was every type of dog you can imagine from the tiniest of Chihuahuas; to a huge black Great Dane that dwarfed his guardian. Many guardians were very much in control of their dog; and looked like regulars. While others struggled to get a handle on bringing their dogs out into crowded public areas and be able to maintain some sort of normalcy.
The biggest take away for me was that those who kept their dog to themselves did a much better job at handling being out in the crowds. This is something I talk about a lot and when you get to see it in action; it is validating. These guardians and their dogs kept to themselves and enjoyed their walk out in public.
The guardians who took the time to teach their dogs to keep their attention on them; enjoyed their walks. The ones who just hoped for the best and headed out hoping to meet some dogs to interact with, did not do so well. It is wonderful if your dog has friends but they don’t make friends while walking out in public. When you head out the door for your walk; you are heading out the door to enjoy your dog’s company and they yours.
I watched a man walking his dog while he has his whole attention on his phone. He wasn’t watching what his dog was doing, where he was or who was coming to say hi to him. There were a few times when the man was yanked off balance because he wasn’t paying attention. Attention is important.
There was another man walking a huge guardian type breed who was very reactive along a crowded and dog populated path. He did not have his dog under control an the dog lunged out at several large dogs; within inches of their face. Keep your dog to yourself and if you have a reactive dog; work on that reaction at a distance. Walking within inches of other dogs who can’t control their reactions is setting them up for failure.
If you promote or allow your dog to say “hi” to all the dogs that pass by; you will be setting yourself up for a barking, lunging dog down the road. They will want to say “hi” to every single dog that walks by which is not conducive to a nice quiet, calm walk. They may also be the recipient of a dog who does not in the mood to have someone in their face. Instead, teach them to pay attention to you and the sniffs around them. And, when and if there will be a greeting, it will be when you say so.
This will mean that you have asked the other k9 guardian if your dog can say hi. You have watched the other dog’s body language to see if they agree and then slowly and calmly do a loose leash greeting. Other than that, you teach your dog that you just walk by other dogs and mind your own business. These lessons will offer you a solid history of enjoyable outings. And bring you a future of gratifying strolls with your k9.