Since I was a little girl, I can remember being around
dogs. My Grandma went through a series
of dogs that included a Poodle, Pomeranian and Shih Tzu. From owning Spots, a Border Collie, I was
also used to handling large dogs.
After attending several dog centered events with my husband,
we quickly discovered that many parents (both fur and human) and children do
not exercise the proper etiquette when around dogs. So, I would like to share our top etiquette
rules that we enforce when out with our pack.
1. Not all
dogs are friendly. I know that
everything most people have learned about dogs comes from television and
movies. With superhero dogs like Lassie
and lovable cartoon characters such as Disney’s Bolt, it is easy to see where
people are taught this misconception.
Children especially need to be taught that not every dog will want to be
petted by a complete stranger. Some dogs
can become quite territorial around their owner as they feel the need to
protect him/her. This does not mean that
the dog is vicious. It simply means that
the dog takes his/her role as his owner’s guardian very seriously.
2. Dogs are not toys. Being the owners of three Chihuahuas, we know
all too well the idea that this breed is nothing more than a living toy. Again, movies like “Legally Blonde” and
“Beverly Hills Chihuahua” portray these pooches as being nothing more than an
accessory that is carried around in his/her owner’s purse while she shops, hits
the spa, etc. Children appear to be
drawn to Chihuahuas because of their small size. I believe that they do not feel intimidated
when approaching such dogs. However,
since this breed is known for being tiny in stature and weighing very little,
many children like to simply grab at the dog, attempting to pick him/her up
without the owner’s permission. We have
also seen cases where children pull on the dog’s ears and tail and poke at its’
nose and eyes. Please, teach your
children that dogs are no different than people. They deserve respect and should never be
manhandled.
3. Never pet a dog without the owner’s permission. While this seems like a no brainer to most of
us, you would be surprised at how many children come running up to our pack at
events like Bark in the Park and the Canine Carnival and just stick their hand
in the dog’s face. One year, we even had
an unattended child unzip the flap to our pet stroller while my husband and I
were eating lunch! We have since
purchased a set of locks for both the top and bottom flap so that this does not
happen again. As parents, we know our
fur babies very well. We know their
quirks and their history. People
typically cannot tell an abused dog when they see one unless it has been burned
or beaten. Theo, our eldest dog, was
abused by children and wants nothing to do with them. He will snarl and bare his teeth (which is
why he no longer attends such events).
Domino is very particular about strangers coming into our home, but
loves to be petted while on territory that is not his. While he, too, was abused, he seems to be
fine when meeting people outside of the house.
Cole becomes spooked if you approach him from behind. Again, these are things that you don’t know
until you ask. To avoid a potentially
dangerous situation, please, encourage your children to always ask the dog’s owner before attempting to pet him/her.
4. Do not bring retractable leashes to pet events. I cannot tell you how many events we have
attended where this etiquette rule was actually listed on the event
poster. But, despite the rule, some pet
owners still insist on bringing this type of leash. There is a reason why most venues are banning
the retractable leash: people can easily
become tangled and fall. While attending
the Celebrate Spot event, one woman had nothing but trouble with her large
dog. He was hooked to a retractable
leash and pulled his owner the entire time.
Plus, she did not think to lock the leash so as to limit the dog’s mobility. Instead, he would race out to the end of the
leash and entangle himself in the runners that were passing by. The woman kept apologizing, but everyone
seemed very annoyed. Not only could this
cause injury to other event participants, it could end up choking your
dog. Please, respect the rules of the
pet event that you are attending and leave the retractable leash at home.
5. Proper petting techniques should be enforced at all
times. Remember the
reference to children simply sticking their hand in a dog’s face? Unfortunately, this is how many children have
approached our dogs. Matt is always so
patient in showing them how to properly pet a dog that you are meeting for the
first time. His rules are:
a. Ask the
dog’s owner if it is okay to pet his/her dog.
b. Crouch down
to the dog’s level so that he/she does not feel that you are trying to dominate
or intimidate.
c. Slowly,
place you hand in front of the dog’s nose (your palm should be facing you).
d. Remain calm
and allow the dog to sniff your hand.
He/she is learning a great deal about you from this initial sniffing.
e. Read the dog’s
reaction. Is he/she wagging her
tail? If so, you may proceed with
petting the dog. If he/she is pulling
away or cowering, you should probably not try to pet him/her.
6. Never feed someone else’s dog. Matt and I have witnessed many a dog being
fed chips, hot dogs and even hamburgers!
We choose to listen to our vet and not give our dog’s “people
food.” Some may say, “What’s the
harm?” Our dog, Theo, found the answer
to that question. He began to urinate
all over the apartment we were living in.
The truly frightening moment was when he urinated inside a Petsmart and
we saw blood. It turns out that he had
developed bladder stones. Our ex-vet
said that there are a variety of things that can cause this. One of them, eating certain kinds of
food. For years, my mom allowed Theo to
do a “pre-wash” of the dinner plates.
His little tummy was exposed to cheese, bread, meatloaf bits and
everything in between. She thought that she
was treating him, but in the end, it did more harm than good. Theo needed surgery to remove the stones and
now has to be on a special (and expensive) form of dog food for the rest of his
life. Other dogs have skin conditions
that require a special diet as well. And
certain breeds, like Dachshunds, need to be particularly careful about packing
on the pounds. So, even though you are
trying to be friendly, do not “treat” someone else’s dog.
I hope that these etiquette tips have been helpful as well as
informative. By following these few
simple guidelines, we can all continue to share our love of dogs with each
other and the world.
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