The weather is warmer, the sun is shining, people are outside. You know what that means… dogs will be coming up to you either on a long retractable or without a leash at all. Once a week my clients are having unfavorable interactions like these and it’s extra frustrating when you’re spending time and money on training your dog! Here are the tips I recommend if you encounter an off-leash or long-line dog.
- Get between you and your dog. If you can guide your dog behind you, great. If not, hold the leash in one hand and step between you and the strange dog.
- Put your hand out and make yourself seem as big as possible. It might seem counter intuitive but dogs are intimidated by loud, tall people and that’s the persona you want to take on. Most of the time, this does the trick. A dog might bark at you and act all tough but the chances they get right into your space when you’re behaving like this are slim!
- Use your voice. I default to shouting at the dog first while I am using my body, but I am also shouting for the owner to come get their dog (or reel their dog in if it’s on a long line).
It’s up to the owner to be vigilant. If you’re walking your dog in a populated area, I try to minimize multi-tasking so I can be aware of loose dogs that might approach. Remember, there is a whole population of people out there who believe random dog meetings on leash are great and you might hurt their feelings when you tell them to back up. That’s okay! They need to learn that different dogs have different boundaries. It’s always in your best interest to continue your walk without your dog meeting random dogs.