How to Approach People Who Have Dog Phobias with Your Dog
Even if your dog may be your best buddy and is quite sociable, there are some people who might be afraid of it. In fact, cynophobia, or a fear of dogs, is thought to affect 1 in 3 persons with an animal-related phobia1. What should you do if you and your dog come across one of these individuals? Are there any actions you can do to help this individual feel more at ease around your dog?
How Should Your Dog Be Handled Around Individuals Who Have a Dog Phobia?
When deciding how to treat your dog around individuals who are terrified of it, excellent manners in public areas are frequently a smart place to start. When walking their dog in public, dog owners should follow a few polite guidelines.
Retain Your Dog on a Leash. Even if your dog has a perfect recall (they come when called), it's still courteous to keep them leashed and under control when you're out in public. Pick a leash that is robust, long-lasting, and not retractable.
A dog is not well-controlled if it is permitted to run freely toward an unfamiliar person when attached to a retractable leash. Actually, using a retractable leash to properly handle a dog is rather challenging.
This is due to the fact that, unlike what their name might imply, retractable leashes won't automatically retract unless the dog approaches the person holding the leash.
In order to reel the dog in, the handler might find themselves having to pull on the leash.
Be Wary of Assuming Everyone Wants to Meet Your Dog. Even if your dog enjoys meeting new people and gets along well with them, not everyone (and not every dog) might be interested in meeting your dog.
It's best to err on the side of caution whenever possible. Assume that other people and animals desire their privacy, and avoid pressuring anyone to make an introduction. You can let your dog welcome others if they ask if they can pet him or her or if they want to say hello to him.
Use Redirection or specific cues as needed. On a stroll, if you come across someone who has a dog fear, you can utilize cues or obedience instructions that your dog should be familiar with.
Ask your dog to observe you while the person passes you from a distance. You can urge your dog to walk in a different direction if there is an alternate route to your destination or if your dog is reactive or excited and doesn't yet have a trustworthy "sit and watch."
Bring rewards for training. You may train your dog at any time of day, in either a public or private setting, according to a lot of dog trainers. In fact, training your dog in public places is a terrific idea.
The majority of situations when a "sit and watch" or a "leave it" hint will be helpful are open, noisy, crowded areas. If your dog is clicker trained, bring your clicker with you so you may reinforce and praise your dog when they perform properly in public.
Then why wouldn't they want to meet your dog?
It's critical to keep in mind that every person is an individual with a distinct life narrative. There are numerous causes for someone to dread dogs. Someone who had previously been attacked by a dog might have post-traumatic stress disorder.
It's possible that they have a generic phobia of all dogs, regardless of breed, or that they are scared of the specific breed that attacked them. People with sensory differences or autism spectrum disorders may also have a fear of dogs. A person with sensory differences may find some dogs to be too boisterous, especially those that are eager to meet new people.
Nobody is disrespecting you or your dog by being afraid of or uneasy around dogs. While keeping your dog under control and calm in front of them won't necessarily allay their fear, it might help them feel at ease enough to approach your dog or share an area with it.
Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to make sure your dog is treating someone who has a dog phobia with respect.
