How to Greet a Dog You Don't Know

As dog lovers, we struggle to resist running over to pet every dog we come across, whether we know them or not. Even so, it's best to hold back that initial impulse, since we could bother the dog.

It's essential we know how to approach dogs we don't know, not only because we could get a scary surprise, but also as a matter of respect for the animal. Below we explain the best way to introduce ourselves to an unfamiliar dog.

Different Dog Personalities

In this article we're going to give some general guidelines for approaching a dog we don't know, whether they're alone or with their owner. Of course, though, every dog, just like every person, has a unique character. That's why, even once we've learned how to introduce ourselves, we always need to stay alert.

First of all, watch the behaviour the dog is showing, or, if they're with someone, their owner's instructions. It's not only an aggressive dog who may react badly to contact. Very shy or fearful dogs won't want our interaction either. Even if they have no intention of attacking us, we still need to respect their personality.

Being able to establish contact with an unfamiliar dog doesn't matter much in our everyday life, but it's very important if, for example, we work with a rescue association and need to approach a stray dog to take them off the street. In these cases, the dog's safety depends on our behaviour being correct.

Canine Communication

Before acting, observe. Dogs can't talk to us, but they do communicate with us in many effective ways, if we pay a little attention. So, with no words, dogs develop visual, auditory or scent-based communication. By watching and listening to them, we can tell whether it's a good idea to approach or not:

• You can approach if: the dog is calm, with a still, hanging tail, sniffing their surroundings or towards us, and showing no intention of fleeing. In other words, our presence doesn't seem to bother them.
• Move away if: they try to escape, start appeasement signals such as narrowing their eyes, yawning, turning their head away or turning their back on you, or, conversely, the signs are alert ones, with a tense, still body, fur standing on end, tail and ears raised, or, of course, they growl, bare their teeth or bark.

Protocol for Safely Approaching an Unfamiliar Dog

These behaviour guidelines can be started if the dog is receptive. Otherwise, never approach. Don't do it either if they're with their owner and the owner tells you not to. The approach always needs to be done slowly, with gentle movements, gauging the dog's reaction at every step.

If at any point they show a sign of rejection, we'll simply step back. Never force contact. We could endanger the dog's safety, for example if they run off, or our own, if we trigger an aggressive reaction. On another note, make sure they can see you.

Approaching them by surprise could likewise trigger a bad reaction. You need to approach from the side. If we talk, our voice needs to sound calm, gentle and at a low volume. Avoid looking them directly in the eyes, since for dogs this is too aggressive, threatening and direct an approach.

Physical Contact With the Dog

To establish direct physical contact, we shouldn't dive in to touch the dog. It's better to propose an approach and let them be the one to take the step of touching us. To do this, we can crouch down, so our size doesn't intimidate them, and offer our hand with the palm facing up, below their head.

A hand turned over and coming from above can seem threatening to them. If you crouch down, don't sit or lean on your free hand, in case you need to pull away quickly if an unexpected reaction happens.

The distance our arm's length gives is the right one, since it respects the dog's personal space, the one that gives them security. It'll be a good sign if they accept our hand and start sniffing us. Remember that if the dog rejects us at that moment, we won't force it, and we'll call off the attempt to establish contact.

Petting Dogs on the Street

If the conditions we've explained so far are met, we could indeed start gently petting the dog, without losing sight of their reactions. Even so, it's not compulsory either — our introduction can end there.

In fact, there are dogs who'll accept our approach but won't be comfortable with overly intimate physical contact. In that case, as always, don't force it. If, on the other hand, we see they're receptive and their owner has no objections, we can run our hand over the neck or head area, in a brief, slow touch.

Don't go any further — that is, don't try to touch other areas, don't stretch out the session, and far less hug them or give them kisses. Remember they're not your dog. If you talk, stick to using a low volume and a calm tone.

Bibliography Morris, Desmond. 1988. Observe a su perro. Barcelona. Plaza & Janés.