Has it ever happened to you that you have gone to pet a dog in the street and have been about to take a bite ? If the answer is affirmative, you should know that not all dogs like a stranger to put his hand on them (to caress them, of course), that others may have behavioral problems, traumas with humans … and that, keep an eye on the data , we may have approached in a way that, in canine language, is threatening, dominating or invasive of their space. And we unknowingly and doing it with the best of intentions!
The typical situation is to see someone on the street with a very cute dog that we would like to touch and, without asking the owner if we can or not, throw ourselves effusively to caress his head (there, with energy). Did you know that for a dog this way of proceeding can be very invasive and consequently it can react badly? He doesn’t know you at all! Wouldn’t you react badly if that happened to you? Possibly right?
So that unpleasant situations do not occur, we must take into account a series of non-invasive or threatening guidelines for the animal, as well as be attentive to its body language. Let’s review some signs that will tell us if we can move closer or should move away.
Go ahead!
You can approach the dog if you see him in a relaxed posture ; It does not have its tail between its legs or straight up , in fact it moves it while you approach it and you notice that it is looking for contact with people.
You better back off
We do not recommend that you touch a dog that is hiding between the legs or behind its owner or that you notice that it avoids you; Nor if he licks his lips continuously and yawns; if his eyes are narrowed, his back bristles, he growls, or his ears and tail are taut.
Once we have deciphered his body language to know if he is willing to be touched or not, we are going to enter the step by step of how to pet an unknown dog so as not to suffer any setbacks. Don’t miss the gallery below to find out.
