COLUMN: Respecting a dog’s space
Local dog trainer Nadine Whittal about you having the right to tell people to allow your dog space while on a lead.
• Nadine Whittal, dog trainer writes:
As a dog owner and trainer, a topic near and dear to my heart is the emotional and physical safety of my own dogs and the dogs around me. I am a firm believer in setting up my dogs for success so that they can become positive members of society instead of a nuisance that create fear and anxiety in people and in other animals.
One of the key parts of setting your dogs up for success is ensuring that we do not place them in any situations that could create negative and problematic behavioural problems. The best way to do this is to ensure that your dog does not socialise with other dogs when attached to a lead.
The best analogy I can provide as to why this is important is standing in the line for the till at Pick n Pay. It is an incredibly uncomfortable experience when some random guy comes up behind you and stands so close that you can feel him breathing on your neck. More often than not, you might start to feel anxious or even a little annoyed and aggressive.
The same concept applies to dogs. When a dog encroaches on another dog’s space, feelings of discomfort and anxiety can ensue. Whereas people could very easily step out of line or start moving back and forth to avoid this situation, dogs attached to a lead have no means of escape. The only way they know how to express their discomfort is by cowering or by snapping. As a result, we now have a dog that has been snapped at and another dog that has defaulted into defensive behaviour. Neither is particularly desirable and if this happens on a continuous basis, the dogs can develop an anxious, aggressive behavioural pattern as a means of self-protection.
So how do we avoid this? Well, as a dog owner, you have the right to tell people that you would prefer it if they kept their dog away from yours whilst you have your dog on a lead. It is neither rude nor antisocial. It is simply having your dog’s back. Likewise, if anybody should ask you to respect their dog’s space, it is then your responsibility to keep your dog away from them.
As a general rule, keep your distance until you have permission from that dog owner to approach. Otherwise, you really are that creepy guy in line at the tills.
