how to meet a dog

We’ve all either seen it or heard about it. You, your child, a friend … name it … goes to meet a dog who looks perfectly friendly and when you least expect it – CHOMP! and everything else that goes along with a dog bite, including labeling the dog vicious. The first thing most people think of and want to happen is to put the dog down, it bit someone, it’s mean.

I got a news flash for ya, chances are it’s not vicious and chances are the victim is the one that actually caused the bite to happen. Yes, really! Now don’t go stomping off without reading the rest of this. You might just learn something and when I’m done, you may change your mind just like I did after listening to some “dog sense,” the common sense of Cesar Millan, reading several books and talking with a few dog-people is what changed my thinking. You might also consider being willing to stand up and take responsibility for your own actions.

Dogs are not born vicious, people make them that way. Unless they’ve been abused or otherwise mistreated by people, they are normally quite happy to meet new 2-legged friends.

The biggest majority of dog bites happen to girls aged 10-16 and children under about 5-6 years old. The young teen girls want something to hug and hugging a stuffed animal (or a soft cuddly dog) is one of their favorite things to do. Small children get excited, they want to see the puppy. They’re usually in an excited state of mind, they run toward the dog, perhaps they’re screeching those high pitched screeches only children can do. Some people approach a dog looking at it’s face or directly into the dog’s eyes.

All of these things are meet-a-dog-no-no’s and have the potential for ending in a bite. Notice how everything I’ve mentioned is people-oriented and people-generated?

Did you know that dogs don’t hug? Well, they do, but what dogs consider hugging is something they do when making puppies (if you follow me). Hugging a dog is for the person, not the dog. Think about this, you see an adorable small child say in the shopping mall. Being that you don’t know this child, are you going to run up to this little darling, screeching, giggling and all excited and give them a hug? I think not. Not only in this day and age do you risk a trip to jail, but it’s just not appropriate behavior when meeting someone you don’t know. So, then why would you do it to a dog you don’t know? Some dogs handle it just fine, but you don’t have a clue which dogs will and which won’t and it doesn’t matter what size or breed the dog. A dog you don’t know is a dog you don’t know, and a protective breed dog, is even more a risk to approach inappropriately.

I’m reminded of a day my Granddaughter and I were sitting and waiting for our lunch at a little hot dog stand. We sat on the bench chatting, she had Nissa and I had Riley. Both dogs were sitting quietly enjoying the day. Suddenly for what appeared to be no reason at all, Riley growled and lunged at a young man who was walking nearby headed towards the order window. I didn’t see what happened, but my Granddaughter did. She told me that as he got closer, he looked Riley right in the eyes. To some dogs and particularly protective breed dogs, this is a confrontation and/or a threat and they will rise to the occasion, which is exactly what Riley did.

Ever walk by a school with your dogs when the kids are on recess? They all come rushing to the fence and stick their hands through the holes in the chain links. How would you react if a group of people you don’t know suddenly came running towards you and wanted to put their hands on you? You might think about biting them, too! I have some rules the children must follow if they want to meet my dogs. If they follow these three simple actions, I’m more than happy to let them meet my dogs and my dogs are happy to meet them.

The first three apply to Cesar’s “No Touch, No Talk, No Eye Contact” until the dog smells you, becomes comfortable with you and learns that you mean it and his family no harm. The last one applies at all times!