Mary Allen
Dog fans and lovers, including dog owners, are not immune to unpleasant situations with strange dogs.
First of all, you don’t know to what extent the foreign dog is trained and socialized. Even if he appears curious and friendly at the beginning of the encounter.
Even if you’ve known the dog’s owner for a long time, you can’t always assume that their dog likes you just as much.
Avoid the following 3 things on first encounters and when meeting complete strangers!
1. You scare the dog by approaching him too quickly!
Sometimes we are simply swept away by our enthusiasm for a cute, adorable, or fuzzy-looking dog and we almost rush towards it!
Children, in particular, must be discouraged because this happens to them much more often, especially if they would like to have a dog themselves, but this is not possible for various reasons!
This rapid approach, however, can frighten the strange dog. It may also be that the owner is frightened because he knows about his dog’s behavior and this concern is also transferred to the dog.
Instead of lovingly stroking the dog, the dog then reacts aggressively!
Note: Give each dog time to sniff you first!
2. You arouse aggressiveness in the dog with your fierce look!
You may not even be aware of your facial expression. You may be pondering uncomfortable, worry-filled thoughts, and your gaze may appear grim, angry, or dismissive.
It has been proven that dogs can not only feel our emotions with their fine senses, but also learn to interpret our facial expressions.
The strange dog can sense your negative charisma, but of course doesn’t know that this isn’t aimed at him. So he will take a defensive stance and reject your attempt at petting.
Note: Always smile when approaching a strange dog.
3. You make the strange dog jealous of your own companion!
Your own darling is socialized and also enjoys being stroked by strangers if they approach properly.
If you and your dog meet a stranger with their own dog and he starts to pet your fur nose or even play with him, the dog of this stranger can react jealously.
Note: Never leave the strange dog out, but be careful when approaching, because you only know the reactions of your own four-legged friend.