On leash greetings
On leash greetings between dogs is the most difficult way to greet each other. It does not matter if both dogs are friendly or even know each other. The tension on the leashes creates tension.
There are two ways they can go:
1) After a quick sniff and greet, the dogs play. Jackpot! Next time your dog sees a strange dog, he/she will want to pull forward again to sniff, greet and play. Each time your dog will pull harder to greet strange dogs, be very distracted around other dogs and become frustrated if he/she can’t say hi. And each time, he/she has a good chance to meet a dog who does not want to say hi. He/she then learns not to trust other dogs and not to trust him/herself when meeting other dogs.
2) After a quick sniff and greet, the dogs fight. Nightmare! Your dog now will either start to fear other dogs or will begin to pull towards them to fight.
How do we best deal with on leash greetings
We avoid them and teach our dogs to stay ‘neutral’ in the presence of other dogs. Teaching your dog to be aware of other dogs (and people, bikes, trams, kids etc.) but staying calm and neutral is TRUE socialisation. That happens with acclimatising and instilling calmness when around other dogs or new environments. Neutral is a great aim.
Remaining neutral around others can encourage healthy play with others....maybe they will interact, maybe not. They learn to trust their own judgement and YOURS when neutrality is the goal.
Key skills to teach your dog instead
1) Watch the world go by: Find a safe spot in the park or just stay in your front yard and let your dog watch. Stay at a comfortable distance so your dog is calm and relaxed when he/she takes in our interesting world. Your dog will learn that he/she can see other dogs without saying hi, strange people are nothing to worry about, that humans will create more space should something scare your dog, humans all look different: some are tall, some are thin, some have uniforms on, some are small etc. Here is a video to demonstrate it: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&v=408608827327895
The goal is for your dog to be relaxed and calm outside.
2) 123 pattern game: The pattern game by Leslie McDevitt is a super simple game that gives your dog predictability in new or challenging situations and a strong focus on you if you need to move your dog away from other dogs or people: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&v=1193660244642199
3) Loose leash walking: This great tutorial provides step by step instructions for your dog to walk on a loose leash and focus on you on his/her walks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fUVXntWPOM
Key skills for humans to learn
We focus so heavily on teaching our dogs to live in our human centric world but often neglect that we also need to learn a few things. Body language is a key skill for us to learn. It gives us important information about what our dogs are experiencing so we can intervene if necessary. Learning about body language can prevent bites because we pick up subtle stress signals of our dogs before he/she has to escalate to a growling or biting.
Dog Language 101 by Fear Free Happy Homes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siy0eog48ys
Dog Body Language from The Family Dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bstvG_SUzMo&t=130s
Any questions, please send us an email to hello@amazinggreys.com.au