Greet and Meet - Dogs are not human!!

When meeting a dog to be "dog polite" you have to think the opposite of how us humans say "Hi" to someone we want to greet.

If we see someone we move forward, smiling maybe waving and start talking with our arms often flying about as if driving our excitement - this is fine for humans but not good for dogs! In fact it will either excite them or scare them, neither of which will make for a "dog polite" meeting and may result in a bad moment for both of you!

So to meet a dog first rule is "No touch No Talk No eye Contact"! No touch - as dogs don't use touch to greet each other with a paw shake! No talk - dogs don't use words to convey their emotions - ever heard a dog say "Hi I'm Max great to see you" :-) No eye-contact - this can be read as a challenge by a dog, anyway even a human can read your eyes to see if you are friendly or not! Follow this rule and a dog will give you respect and not anxiety or over-excitement, neither of which is a balanced state for a dog to be in.

To invite a dog to come over to you - lean back a little not forward, this says you are happy for them to come into your personal space. If they are all "so-excited" then ignore these antics they are trying to manipulate you to get your attention! Then allow the "dog greeting" - "Yes" I'm afraid that is the "sniff thing" :-) Once the dog has done this and is calm/submissive then add in a touch (stroke) but don't reach over their head or bend over them as this is a dominant approach and may incur a dominant response - remember it takes at least "two to have a dominance situation"! If you really must be "ever-so-human" then speak away but keep the tone soft and calm.

Even if you regularly meet the same dog don't change your ways as a dog does not change how they understand us, still go for the rule above it will just be much quicker before you can directly interact.

So don't greet a dog in the way you would a friend else you may get more of a response than you bargained for, not necessarily aggressive but probably over-excited with all that jumping up which can put us owner/trainers into a set-back after all our hours of work!

Think Dog...Greet Dog.....Meet Dog...they really don't need your paws all over them and that constant "Chit-Chat" to know you like them they will know from your energy and if they give you calm submissive respect then they like you!

CRYSTAL DOGS - We're Here!!!

We're "Open"!!Hey Peter that's right read that - Pack Leader is all trained up in dog psychology! I have just completed a refresher course in dog psychology, mind you I think though it provided me with a great deal of knowledge about our canine companions and communication, I call it the "science thing", that learning from the Dog Whisperer (Cesar and in particular a group of people who follow his ways) and my own pack has provided the real-life experience I needed to rehabilitate problem behaviour. For the record Peter is doing great with no aggressive displays upon seeing other dogs now, not the best at socializing with them yet but much improved. Rehab is an on-going process and not a cure, so as someone said on our Dog Whisperer Group: "Practice Makes Permanent" - and Scott I couldn't agree more!

My studies continue both formally and informally, of course within my pack too - life for me is about learning from experience and improving, I shall continue studying canine behaviour as there is always more to learn and with my dogs the lessons just keep on coming - and all my dogs have something new to teach me each day :-)

Jog and Dog.......Stop and Go

So when should a jogger stop for a dog…when the dog is giving chase! Keep running and they’re sure to keep chasing - it an adrenalin thing! Most dogs can out-run humans :-)

Stop and turn side away from the dog - make no eye contact and don’t turn your back just ignore and remain calm while hopefully the owner will retrieve their dog. If the dog keeps approaching then hold an arm out with hand signalling stop - like a laid back traffic cop (it can help to imagine you are that calm cool traffic cop) and say a firm “NO”, not a shout or panicky the tone is all important - say it and mean it! Though don’t actually lean back rather lean slightly forward but not exaggerated, and definately follow the "no touch" rule! Most dogs understand the word as meaning stop, the key here is your energy - stay in the moment and in control - calm and confident own your space. It can help to think about how you may react if someone gets to close to you and you think “hey you’re in my personal space” - keep that energy but without any anger, if you like be “aloof” this will get most dog’s respect.

Go and keep going if there’s dogs about but not chasing, slow to a walk as you move into their focus - keep that “owning your space” feeling and just walk on by, then when clear pick up speed again. The best advice I can give is to get in touch with your instincts and trust them…that’s what dogs do they don’t think “oh shall I chase that jogger today” they just react to what is going on around them. That’s why it helps to understand their mindset and language - to communicate in non-human ways!

So "Happy Jogging and Doging" all. I “power walked” with my Terriers today, at one point I wondered how we would all get on with a jog….two steps into the movement and I tripped over a lead! Back to a fast walk pace I think is best can‘t really have their Pack Leader face down in the sand :-)

Terriers and anything that moves quickly!

For Terriers a jogger can prove too much of a temptation to chase after!

That is a rather sweeping generalization but worth keeping in mind that many Terriers have a strong prey instinct - genetically bred to chase, catch and kill vermin they just love their work but when this instinct is miss-directed it can transfer to anything from bikes to joggers! - Rarely though is this anything more than the thrill of the chase - as this is a diluted instinct to chase moving things, though can prove risky for the dog especially if it‘s a motorbike or similar. Unlike with the real thing say a rat which drives prey instinct via their senses which will end in doom for said rat!

3 of my Terriers Eddie, Mickey and Timmy have very strong prey drives, they are pure bred Jack Russells and from a breeder with the appropriately named “Ruff n Tuff Terriers” and they sure are both! Small furry animals and birds beware - that’s anything from cats to pigeons or if they think they’re up for it then best is the pheasant chase! Though these birds usually fly off leaving the Terriers looking a tad bemused!

So when I happen upon joggers and I have the Terrier Pack with me it’s "leads on" in record time else they’ll be off on the chase! They wouldn’t do anything if they caught up they are all very people friendly dogs - again the reward is in the chasing not the catching here! This is when I prefer a jogger to stop and give me a breathing space to regain control. By this I mean stop running - walking confidently past is fine always ignoring the dogs though.

So I have to be extra vigilant on behalf of anything that moves with speed when out with these Terriers else they would “Terrierize” the beaches and lanes! Don’t be miss-led by size - they maybe small but they are “rough and tough” dogs and more likely to miss-behave than all my others put together!

Interesting though that I did not mention Peter hey?! That is for once he has no problems with chase drive either real or miss-directed - with people even if they are jogging he is not inspired to chase, he is a Fox T mixed breed with less prey instinct, though my cat Socks would probably not agree here!

All Terriers walked for the day so cats, birds, rabbits, cyclists, joggers etc you are all clear to go forth with speed on the beach!

More on "Dog and Jog"

Life is full of coincidences!! Off out on our “large dog walk” today this is a mix of breeds varying from the Extra large GT Dane, Large - Dobey, Medium - English Setters, Medium-small English Setter x, Small - Border Collie x and Jack Russell, V.Small Chihuahua x…What a strange sight we must be!!

Anyway along the beach out in front of us are two joggers…they had that energy of calm (or maybe that was exhaustion) and appeared confident so I only recalled the Dane and Dobey plus one Setter - back to the “why” in a minute. The pass-by was just fine as all dogs ignored the joggers and the joggers ignored the dogs. So it does go to show that jogging by a large pack of loose dogs can be safe - if the dogs are under control and everyone, including the dogs, pointedly ignore each other!

Now with this mix of my dogs who do not have a particularly strong “chase instinct” the chances of them giving a jogger a “run off” is very unlikely. So too they are all well-trained to ignore people when passing by on the beach - else it would be a nightmare to walk them in the summer when it can get a bit busy…it’s not exactly Benidorm even then though :-)

Why did I call the Dane and Dobey back?? - Only because people have a mistaken impression of these guarding breeds and can get scared easily so out of politeness I make visible my contact with their collars! As for the Setter Alfie - well that’s his track record - he is in his own world when running about and can’t hear or see much as he’s so focused on the drive to run free - so what did he do? He sent a jogger flying last summer - not just his fault as the jogger was listening to music and totally unaware of Alfie’s presence zigzagging about - so that resulted in the jogger tripping over him! No one hurt all was well but I don’t want a repeat accident!

More next on “Dog and Jog” as to when to stop and go - and how to pass by! Plus a story about the Terriers and how they would react to a jogger - let’s just say it would not be in the same way as this pack of 8 behave and there’s only 5 of them!!!

Off to take the Terries out now - along a quiet lane with no joggers!!

Joggers be dog aware! Owners be "jog" polite!

Jog and dog…unless this is as a team with the owner jogging with their dog then it is not a good combination. Dogs see jogging as a human running which can inspire a dog to give chase -, they see the jogger as running away which is what a weaker/fearful animal may do so they chase and this activity is self-rewarding. If they were to catch up the outcome could be an attack though as I said before and stress this is not a normal reaction.

So - what to do if you are the jogger? In my experience if you are a calm assertive person who pointedly ignores dogs and carries-on-confidently by not focusing on the dog at all, then keep on jogging. This though would rely upon you giving plenty of space to the dog so avoiding any inadvertent interaction, the dog not being aggressive towards people and the owner having total control over their dog….not always something a jogger can be assure of though hey?! The energy of the jogger is key here, anything such as nervous energy will encourage a dog to give chase - and you can’t fake it they can read energy even from a distance! Of course this said there is still a risk that a dog will give chase!

If in doubt then to stop is the best course of action, but don’t turn this into a challenge - do not focus on the dog, turn away, leave space, claim your own space by standing still and tall - I have found that folding your arms can help a human to feel assertive and “own” their space. Do not run up behind a dog, or pass close-by running - dog walkers don’t always see/hear you coming and surprise can provoke an unwanted reaction from a dog and us owners don’t have eyes in the back of our heads! Give the owner a chance to get their dog on a lead and under control, which in my opinion is what all owners should do when joggers are close - that is polite dog ownership! Sometimes it is necessary to say to the owner that you are waiting to pass - do this calmly and do not make any contact with the dog.

What should dog owners do? Get your dog back to you - remember they shouldn’t be off lead unless you have a good recall anyway. Put them on their lead and let the jogger pass on by. Make sure they are not in your dog’s sights - the dog is not focusing on the jogger before you let them off again.

I always lead-up when joggers are about - but they don’t always give me a chance before shooting on past which is a bit inconsiderate and dare I say a risk - as this is a large pack of up to 8 loose dogs on the beach and they don‘t know that I have total control! Just a thought - joggers and dogs…maybe that is where the expression “run the risk” comes from - over to you on that one Dad :-)

So why do dogs chase joggers this is the psychology bit: mis-directed prey instinct - human runs - dog gives prey chase - adrenalin surge in dog is a reward - they don't need to catch up with you and many won't bother! Or territorial chase off: they think human is running away from them - that is what the dog wants to happen - there is the reward the dog has chased off the intruder on their perceived turf!! Or - as in the case of some herding breeds such as Collies they could be herding you even though you are not a sheep :-)

Bottom line - it is up to the owner to control their dog - no human can control the environment e.g. other dogs, joggers etc. Unfortunately some owners don’t or can’t, keep yourself safe jogging at all times and do not run from a dog they can out-run us - change direction or stop! If the dog is on a lead then pass-by but slowly and by giving space. Remember the “chase thing” is instinct in dogs and we can’t fight nature only work with it.

Judge each situation as you come upon it - every instance of “jog and dog” is different - get in tune with your instincts and go with them.

See the next posts on how to meet a dog and how to stop a dog approaching you!

Jogging and doging! Meeting a dog!

Hi all and Welcome Holyhead!! Holyhead in North Wales hosted a "dog fun day" recently and with my Mum and Dad Pack Leading the event it was a great success - they have been well-trained by me :-)

Thank-you for your comment - I have been asked a question about humans out jogging and dogs - which is a coincidence as I am about to write a post on that very subject as it came up recently in email discussions with fellow dog whisperer followers in the USA. This was prompted by a very unfortunate incident where a jogger was attacked by a large pack of loose dogs, so joggers and dog owners recommended to read my post to all stay safe when out and about. Worth mentioning that such incidents are very rare but again one is too many - so check back in soon for the real story on the mix of joggers and dogs from my view, and that of my dogs too!! Tips and advice on what to do if out jogging or out walking your dogs with joggers passing by.

Let's make how to "jog and dog" or if you prefer "dog and jog" common knowledge!!

Then we can look at how to meet or not to meet a strange dog, or even one you already know! Guess what - this is so not the way us humans do as this can actually cause an unwanted response from a dog! For a quick example - if you lean forward towards a dog this can make a dog stop or not approach...if you lean back then that is inviting them into your space so encouraging an approach, so you see what I mean it is the opposite of how us humans would naturally react when meeting each other by moving forwards.... so we can confuse a dog and ourselves!!

ps. We're not on Facebook ....yet!!!