Broken Promise: All Dogs Deserve to Be Safe

We just returned from another pleasant walk around the neighborhood, in a subdivision a couple miles from home. Winnie is more enthusiastic about her walks when we take different routes, and our home neighborhood has only one option. While walking at this time of year, the number of other dog walkers on the street is high. Everyone is walking his or her dogs during the coolest part of the day, 6-8 AM.

For as many dog owners as there are, there are an equal number of opinions about K9 etiquette. We all have our own ways of handling our dogs and different opinions on what is acceptable behavior. Many people like to stop and chat with neighbors while their dogs sniff each other’s booties and noses. Some keep their dogs close and keep a steady pace. Others allow their dogs to charge towards fellow dog walkers in friendly greeting.

Estes Park, Colorado September 2024

My neck is on a continuous swivel as I keep watch. I see a dog walker and make assessments. From afar, I consider the single walker or more than one person and the dog to handler ratio. The size of the dog and the age of the handler also come under scrutiny. We have already crossed the street as they get closer, and from this distance I can absorb the energy of the on comers. I notice what the dogs are focusing on and what the handlers are paying attention to. Based on what I see and feel, I have to make many decisions, not because Winnie is reacting, but to avoid the drama.

Studies show that with proper training, dogs can learn to interact comfortably even with dogs they don’t know. But despite many dogs being okay around new dogs, this isn’t true for every dog. The statistics show that only a small percentage of dogs would choose to interact if given an option. As a trained detection dog, Winnie has a very businesslike attitude and is not inclined to socialize. She looks at the other options.

Winnie has learned to ignore other dogs. When she sees them, she breaks eye contact; she finds something interesting near her to sniff; she checks in with me. She overrides her instinct and does what I have conditioned her to do. She leaves to me to do the job of judging the situation. I want nothing more than to make the best decisions to give her the space she needs to feel safe.

Winnie is into the environment. Sniffing and tracking, she will drag me along, turning this way when she catches a whiff of something interesting. Winnie will drag me across the street and up the block we just walked down to track a critter trail when a delectable smell catches her nose. After some back and forth, some pinpoint sniffing and zeroing in, she locates the spot she wants, and squats down to leave her mark.

She is my “Sweet-pea” in a field of daisies.

For some dogs, Winnie’s behavior is offensive. They see her from afar and interpret her marking as a territorial gesture. Winnie throws down the gauntlet, and in answer, the other dog stares her down. This can all transpire at a distance. The subtle conversation between the dogs can go unnoticed by the humans. If the other dog, through conditioning or just its nature, doesn’t disengage, Winnie gets uncomfortable, and things can escalate. This is when we make a turn up a different street or down a court. Sometimes we escape into an available driveway. Winnie tries very hard to do what I have deemed to be acceptable, and it keeps us out of trouble most of the time. But then sometimes it all goes south.

“My dog is friendly,” they say as I take measures to disengage. “They just want to say ‘hi’,” I am told when I’m picking up Winnie when the other dog continues to get closer. I will recount none of the worst experiences. If you know, you know. There is no need to go into detail. It only brings back the trauma.

I saw a quote on a social media platform that read (and I paraphrase), “My dog has the right to enjoy her walk without the fear of being charged at by your dog, who’s right you think it is to say hello.”

Too many times I have failed at keeping my promise to Winnie that she is not required to socialize. I haven’t kept her safe even when she is doing what’s been asked of her. I have let Winnie down too many times, and still she trusts me.

I don’t expect people to understand, and I am not telling anyone how to train their dog. I just wish others could see it from a different perspective. If you see someone who appears to be trying to get away with their dog, believe them. Without using words, they are asking for space.

There is a reason. Maybe you are not fluent in dog-speak, and you didn’t catch the exchange of communications between the dogs, but you should be able to understand human body language. Be mindful of others’ situations. If you see someone whose dog is having a hard time, the best way to help is to give them space. What you know about dogs and training may be right for your dogs but there is always a side of someone else’s dog’s story you do not know. There is a depth to a situation you might not see.

The right to do what works for your dog is fundamental, but when what you do infringes on the rights of others to do what they need to do, your rights end. We must cultivate respectful consideration of others’ opinions. In training our dogs, we should also train ourselves in non-optional social skills if we are to get along. Does this seem reasonable? Doesn’t this make sense?

For those of us whose dogs love other dogs and play well together, great. Let your dogs run and play. Thank goodness for the abundance of dog parks. Dog parks are for social and physical interaction. But dog park rules do not extend into the streets.

I want to thank all the handlers we encountered this morning who seemed mindful of others. There was peace and harmony on the streets today. I wish for everyone to enjoy their dogs while being thoughtful of other people as well. These two things can happen at the same time. Let’s all stay safe and have a good time.

AI generated image of three calm, happy dogs walking with handler.