Is ‘Don’t worry, he’s friendly’ the truth or a lie?

There is some etiquette when meeting and greeting people that desperately needs to be extended to canine kind. Whether someone has a dog with them or not, it is profoundly impolite to allow your dog to approach them without their prior consent.

Most times when someone allows their dog to rush up to you, in that moment, they have nil control over their dog and even attempting to call it back is likely to highlight this fact. In a designated off-leash area dogs are going to go wherever they want and that’s fine. What we ask is that, if you are anywhere ‘other’ than an off-leash area, you do not allow your dog to approach anyone without his or her approval. Even having a highly social dog, is not an automatic invitation to impose upon anyone else.

Oh look, there’s another person with a dog… Surely they must be a lover of dogs. Do you know if their dog is in training, fearful or grumpy? Don’t force a meeting and then ask questions later. You could be putting both dogs at risk. The same goes for your dog meeting people. Some members of community are fearful of or do not like dogs and that is their right. We have the right to be out in public and not have strangers rush up into our personal space. Let’s give both dogs and people that same right. If we can do this, it’s going to mean more freedoms for us to continue taking our dogs out in public.

‘Don’t worry, he’s friendly’… truth or lie? It is both – and it is dependent on the many contributing factors, which make up a greeting. The person delivering this ‘expression’ may be aware of one.

Leah & Angela O’Meara
Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)