Greetings, Interactions, and Social Etiquette

 

Greetings, Interactions, and Social Etiquette

A greeting is a collection of individual behaviors displaying that you have good intentions and mean no threat. Let me start off by being very clear on my rule for social interactions…

Interacting mutually with another living being is a PRIVILEGE, not a RIGHT.

No one should be rushed or approached without basic levels of respect.

What Can Respect Look Like?

First. Everyone should have their right to privacy. If they do not wish to interact with anyone, that should be respected.

From a safety perspective, unexpected or sudden greetings are more likely to have a negative outcome than one that is structured.

Some dogs simply don’t like other dogs (or people). They may have had a serious aversive event in the past or may have emotional/physiological struggles.

Finally, consider some people are in training while you’re out!

How Can We Optimize Greetings and Interactions?

Management is always a key factor while working with dogs. First of all, consider the environment. Are you in a good environment for your dog to meet/interact with a dog/person? If they’ve had issues with tight spaces or head-on approaches, then maybe a narrow nature trail is not ideal. Ensure everyone has space. This will allow you to increase your distance from each other. This is useful not only for undesirable behaviors but also for excitable ones!

Before you go out in public, ensure your dog is safely secured. This means adjusting their collar or harness to prevent it from being too loose. Your lead should be of good quality with strong material/stitching/buckling. Consider other aids if you struggle to control your dog. Front clip harnesses or quick-release belt systems could be useful. But if you are struggling a substantial amount, then you should consider working in easier environments. (This is where I could help!)

Some Tips on the Humans Greeting/Interacting With Dogs:

After receiving permission, we can start by positioning our bodies in ways to avoid appearing threatening. My number one rule when interacting with ANY dog is the NEED to respect the dog’s personal space. Like ourselves, someone too close can make us feel uncomfortable. Respecting their space provides them with additional feelings of comfort and safety.

We should keep our bodies open and outward. This means we do not lean over dogs. We are “outward” in the way that we are not directly facing the dog. Face-to-face interaction with humans is normal, for dogs, it's not! It’s not a race. Take your time. Use a soft and calm approach.

Avoid petting dogs over their head! This is a super common human behavior. Not only does this directly invade their personal space, but you’re also decreasing their ability to see, which can lead to increased feelings of anxiety or fear. In general, dogs enjoy being pet on the chest, under the chin, or on their front shoulders. Ask the pawrent what they enjoy most!

Sidenotes For Human-Dog Interactions:

Especially in puppies/young dogs, greetings/interactions are where they are forming their associations. This will directly influence their subsequent social development. While it’s obvious to avoid giving them negative experiences, consider what habits you are creating on the “positive” side.

For example... Your friend has a puppy and you're going to visit! You open the door with a super over-the-top greeting, and you're both jumping around, grabbing at each other, etc. While it's no doubt enjoyable (I'm guilty too), this won’t be an enjoyable greeting behavior for visitors when the puppy is fully grown!

Dogs and Children

There are around 4.5 MILLION dog bites a year (in JUST the United States)! The MAJORITY of dog bites is toward children.

Dogs, generally, do not enjoy being hugged. It’s another human thing! Hugging restricts movement, which can increase anxiety/fearful behavior. Teaching children to respect the dog’s space and allowing the dog to leave are crucial skills. Dogs are also not playgrounds. It’s not cute. Give them the same respect as you would anyone else you care for. Children should be supervised at all times around dogs! Especially when there's a lack of history/predictability!

Some Tips on Dogs Greeting Each Other:

There is no rush for dogs to meet. In fact, it’s better to establish a rule that you don’t get to interact immediately upon seeing another dog/person! Remember the management principles mentioned above. When dogs display positive greeting behaviors, recall them away and reinforce them. Keeping the interactions short will minimize the chances of anxious, fearful, or excitatory behaviors from developing.

Watch each dog's body language. Is their body stiff or loose? Tail stiffly wagging or free-flowing? Are their ears pinned back, neutral, or straightforward? A play bow is a good behavior if all other body language signals match! Continue to learn more about dog body language and you’ll continue to understand more of what they are telling you!

A dog smelling another dog’s genitals is NORMAL behavior. They gain a LOT of information through the act of smelling each other. Puppies or insecure dogs may also drop a small amount of urine, this is to prevent any conflict with the other dog. If a dog doesn't appreciate the smelling behavior, they’ll typically communicate that to the other dog. If the dogs naturally separate, great! If they don’t, then help them by increasing their distance for a while.

Dogs also show “pacifying” behavior. Pacifying behavior aims to reduce the chances of conflict or injury. You can read more about this here:

Ah! Look they are kissing!” No, no they are not. Sorry to burst your bubble.:

https://blog.trainwithben.ca/2024/09/ah-look-they-are-kissing.html

Both humans and dogs have their individual emotions, memories, experiences, and their own ability to choose. Improving our level of respect for each other benefits everyone.

“Be a friend. Not an owner."