5 Rules To Follow To Give Some Respect To Reactive Dogs

A reactive dog may not look like they could be aggressive, but they may react negatively to you and your dog’s approach anyway. Here are 5 rules for giving these dogs some respect.

Take Note Of The Dog

Keep an eye on the dog in question and see if their body language indicates awkwardness or discomfort. Even when an owner tells you it’s fine, you should listen to the dog’s body language.

Keep Your Dog On A Leash

If an area doesn’t state it’s for dogs to roam off-leash, then don’t let your dog be off-leash. Your dog may run up to a reactive dog, leading to a number of complications and cause a lot of trouble for the other owner and their dog.

Abide By The Owner

If the owner says not to approach their dog, or states that their dog does not like social interaction, believe them. They know much better than you how their dog reacts in various situations.

Be Nice

Don’t tell another dog owner that their dog is terrible, that they are a bad dog owner, or that they should send their dog for training. You don’t know if the dog is already learning or making progress, and this will just cause a scene and a lot of embarrassment for everyone involved.

Let Them Pass

Even if a reactive dog is getting training, you need to be cooperative with the other dog owner’s requests if you want to be around their dog. Be polite. Let the other dog pass and give them space, keeping your own dogs calm as they pass.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay