Why I don't allow my dogs to "visit" with dogs I don't know...

Society has really pushed the idea of "You have to socialize your dog every chance you get." As a result, some dog owners feel the need to have their dog meet and greet every person and dog they encounter while out in public and I think this is a mistake.

Let me first say I understand the importance of socializing dogs with other dogs. I think dogs having some dog friends in their life is important. However, allowing one's dog to "visit" or "greet" unknown random dogs while out and about on leash walks in public I think is a terrible mistake because I feel the risks greatly outweigh the rewards. My own personal pet dogs have a plethora of dog friends (mainly due to my board and train programs, overnight dog camps and pack events with other trained dogs that we know); however, when it comes to walking past strange dogs in public, I never allow my personal dogs (or dogs I am training) to visit and here is why:

1.) "Barrier Frustration:" Things like leashes, fences, windows, etc. can add frustration and arousal for some dogs in some situations and added frustration and arousal are not good things to have if trying to introduce 2 dogs that have never met before. When dogs are tethered to a leash during a visit/greeting, their movement and ability to create space is extremely limited... leading to more frustration, anxiety and potential arousal. Not good.

2.) I simply don't know the other dog(s). I want to know who my dogs' friends are just like a parent wants to know who their kids' friends are. I do not want my dogs to visit in close proximity (close enough to be bitten) with a dog that I know nothing about. The ramifications of a bad greeting are real and I want my dogs to be safe.

3.) The average dog owner simply cannot control their dog, especially during a stimulating situation like a dog-to-dog greeting: My personal dogs appreciate strange dogs coming into their space and/or jumping all over them as much as I appreciate strange humans coming into my space and/or jumping all over me. I just don't trust that the other owner is going to be able to control their dog and that sets up a recipe for stressful energy and stressful energy brings the potential of bad things happening.

4.) Unfair and unrealistic expectations: I feel it is a bit naive and unfair to expect a dog, even a very friendly dog, to get along with every dog it ever meets and this unrealistic expectation could potentially set a dog up for a bad scenario. People do not like and/or get along with every person they meet, so why should we expect our dogs to?

5.) Aggressive Dogs & Dog Fights: As a dog trainer that constantly gets phone calls for help, I can assure you, unfortunately, that there are dog owners out there with dogs that are "sometimes friendly and sometimes not" and/or not friendly at all, but the owners REALLY want their dog to like other dogs and REALLY want their dog to make some friends and their method of trying to get their dog used to other dogs/desensitized to other dogs is by allowing them to "visit/greet" other dogs while out and about on leash in public (or bring them into dog parks, still a horrible idea even if they are off the leash). HORRIBLE IDEA and so unfair to the other owner and dog that have no idea the risky situation they are about to be in. And... of course, with several attempts... most of the interactions go horribly wrong. However... once in a while the owners with the "sometimes friendly/ sometimes not friendly" dog DO get a good/calm interaction so the owner now has HOPE and they get excited about their dog's "success." So guess what? The owners keep trying and it is a vicious cycle... most of the interactions go horribly wrong with 1 good interaction here or there. And I know this because I absolutely 100% get these emails and phone calls. So their heart is in the right place for their dog but they are going about in the wrong way and subjecting unknowing and innocent dogs and owners to a bad encounter. NOTE: Not all aggressive dogs are lunging and barking and pulling when they get near a dog. Some are VERY quiet and VERY, VERY still before they bite. Many times tails are wagging when dogs bite (tail wagging is NOT necessarily a sign of "happiness"- it is a sign of increased arousal- all depends on the way the tail is wagging).

6.) The potential of creating too much of a "social butterfly" dog. Generally speaking, I do not want to create a "social butterfly" dog that becomes "Unglued" with excitement every time it sees a person or dog. Owners that allow their dogs to visit with person after person and dog after dog while in public are most likely going to create a social butterfly dog. I personally want my dogs to be able to ignore environmental stimuli when we are out in public. I like it when my dogs will sit, lay down or walk quietly and calmly while in the presence of people and dogs; not get all jazzed up and pull like hell every time they see people or dogs because they think its social hour.

If you have a dog that you know doesn't always do well when meeting other dogs (even off leash)... then PLEASE... seek out professional help. Obviously I am not going to give general advice in a BLOG on how to get a non-friendly dog to improve with it's socialization- there are way too many nuances, variables, etc to understand and every dog and situation is unique. There are several degrees of "not friendly." That is a much deeper education, skill set and requires professional guidance with the proper safety tools and procedures being used.

For now, here are some much safer ways to have your FRIENDLY dog interact with other FRIENDLY dogs:

• Professional dog training/group: For example, my clients dogs during Board and Train get 100% supervised and structured play sessions with my personal and dogs and the other friendly dogs on property 3x-5x per day. I also host monthly pack events and many times we allow the dogs to be off leash and play as a group (again- ONLY the dogs that have a good history of being reliably friendly with other dogs and people). I host overnight (1 night/2 days) dog camps for Allegiant K9s Graduate Dogs only and the dogs get hours of structured and supervised safe play during camp and also participate in small group off leash pack hikes.

• Quality and Reputable Dog Daycare (MUCH safer than dog parks in most cases): Quality Dog Daycares should be temperament testing every dog before the said dog is allowed to participate in group play and the should be checking all vaccination records to ensure all dogs are properly vaccinated and they should be providing SMALL groups (ideally) of 100% supervised play sessions. And IMO, dog daycares should be providing daily "nap time" for the dogs too- so they can decompress, not get overstimulated, etc. Think about it- we all love our family but at times we need a little break. LOL.

• Other friendly dogs of friends and family that one knows well and all owners have reasonable control over their dogs.

  
  

Dave Meyer

Allegiant K9s