Dr. Sheryl L. Walker reviews a recent paper on the prevalence, comorbidity and breed differences in canine anxiety

c a n i n e Dog Guardian Etiquette

Anna Bradley examines ways in which dog guardians can be more aware of their own actions, as well as those of their dogs, to ensure dog walking is a less stressful time for all

As I write, we in the United Kingdom, like many countries in the world, are in the midst of a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Here in the UK, one of the requirements of lockdown is the provision of just one opportunity to get outside and exercise per day. This, of course, means just one dog walk per day. In addition, social gatherings are banned, as are all nonessential journeys as determined by the government.

From what I have noticed, these new requirements have highlighted an already present issue – dog guardian etiquette. In other words, how should we behave when we walk our dogs and there are others in close vicinity? I believe the issue of dog guardian etiquette correlates directly with the preference demonstrated by some guardians to seek more remote places to walk. Under current conditions, however, we have more of a coming together of dogs and people in places closer to home, like woods with narrow pathways, blind spots etc. and these may exacerbate behavior issues both dogs and guardians may already struggle with.

My aim with this article is to highlight some of these etiquette issues to help create a greater awareness about some of the simple things we can do to make our dog walks more pleasurable and less stressful, not only for ourselves but for others and their dogs too.

© Can Stock Photo/ woodygraphs Not all dogs and not all dog guardians enjoy being approached by an off leash dog and some may find it intimidating or even frightening

#1. Exuberant Dogs I’ll start with a classic example. Let’s say you have a dog who loves to charge about but is also a complete softie (I do!). He’s in an area where it’s safe and permitted to be off leash and you see a dog in the distance. You shout, “It’s okay, he’s friendly!” But you have absolutely no idea how the other dog will respond to your dog or how that dog’s guardian feels about the advance. Many, many times I have worked with clients with nervous dogs who are on the receiving end of advances such as this and they are absolutely petrified, never mind their dogs. I would always advocate teaching your dog calm greetings from day one and, if you see another dog on the leash, understand that there is a reason and put yours on a leash too.

Think too about overzealous play. For social dogs, off leash play in the park can be great fun. They can learn so much about interactional skills this way, but here is the caveat: no one likes their dog to be bulldozed. And even a confident dog who enjoys interacting with other dogs isn’t likely to enjoy it either, much less the dog who is fearful of or not well socialized with other dogs. Play should be balanced with each dog taking his turn, mirroring, pausing, etc. Take time to brush up on canine body language. If play is completely onesided and begins to be overly rough, for instance, with one party body slamming and the other continually attempting to run away, please calmly and safely step in and stop it. Dogs need to learn appropriate play behavior and can otherwise quickly learn to bully. In preparation, you can teach a cue to stop, pause, redirect to you and go back to play being contingent on that calm pause. For instance, ask your dog for a timeout – stop, sit, wait/look for five seconds, and resume only when calm. The same goes at the very initiation of play. If you always let your dog off leash at the first sight of another dog, then you may end up with one of those dogs who goes crazy at the sight of another furry friend! Teach impulse control. Cue calm engagement with you, then reward with, "go play."

#2. Missing Guardians Have you ever seen those dogs with, apparently, no guardians? Me too. While there is always the possibility that your dog goes AWOL for some reason (after all, dogs are dogs!), do your best to keep an eye on where your dog is at all times. The Dangerous Dog Act (2014) states that dogs must be kept under control in public (and in a private domain). This refers to all dog breeds and the dog simply has to look as if (subjective though that may be) he may injure someone, to be in trouble.

#3. Dealing with Distractions We school our kids and, hopefully, they listen and pay attention to what they are being taught. It’s the same with our dogs. Try to instill basics, such as a solid recall. Dogs love to run, explore and sniff, but if they won’t come back in the park when you call them and, instead, interrupt people enjoying a picnic or steal a family football, you won’t be very popular! Similarly, make sure you start the concept of remaining calm around people from an early age. Puppies often get excited by new en

Let’s say you have a dog who loves to charge about but is also a complete softie (I do!). He’s in an area where it’s safe and permitted to be off leash and you see a dog in the distance. You shout, “It’s okay, he’s friendly!” But you have absolutely no idea how the other dog will respond to your dog or how that dog’s guardian feels about the advance.

vironments and everyone in them, that’s normal. But they do need to learn to settle and not leap or jump at the nearest bystander. A dog who lunges or jumps up, especially one with muddy paws, is seldom terribly popular, so start the process of teaching your dog to engage with you, no matter what the distraction, early on.

Start your training in puppyhood or as soon as you adopt your new dog. Reintroduce distractions gradually. Try not to set your dog up to fail. Take the example of recall if you know there’s a high chance your dog won’t come back, don’t try. Practice where there are fewer distractions, say a quieter corner of the park. Maybe use a long line, increase the value of your reward, and repeat another day. You can also begin lots of focus training and games which help your dog to understand that simple listening is super rewarding – a great precursor to recall.

#4. Greater Awareness Remember also that not everyone likes dogs! Some people are scared of dogs. So it really is important that calm and polite behavior is trained from the start. We wouldn’t expect our children to be unruly and impolite with strangers and it’s the same for our dogs as family members. If you see a guardian with their dog on a leash, always put your dog on a leash too. If you’re in doubt, ask the guardian if your dog can say hello, or play. People may be very happy to let their dogs greet or play with other dogs, but it’s always best to check first. Pay attention to the dog too. If he is showing signs of fear, stress or anxiety, or that he is trying to avoid meeting you and/or your dog, or the guardian is obviously trying to prevent this, then give them some space to move on.

As dog guardians, we all share that common love, but it’s sad when friction and ill feelings occur. All we really need to do is be sure to have some awareness of other people, their circumstances, what their predicament may be with their dog and understand that not everyone may have it the same as we do. Maybe they are working on modifying their dog’s behavior or a specific aspect of training. Or maybe they are dealing with some personal battles and there’s no reason for us to make things more difficult for them. A little foresight and empathy go a long way and make life so much easier, whatever activity we are enjoying. n

Resource

legislation.gov.uk. (2014). UK Public General Acts 2014 c. 12PART 7:

Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Available at: bit.ly/3bQxXvM

Anna Francesca BradleyMSc BSc (Hons) is a United Kingdomebased provisional clinical, certified IAABC animal behavior consultant and ABTC accredited behavior consultant. She owns Perfect Pawz! Training and Behavior Practice (perfectpawz.co.uk) in Hexham, Northumberland, where the aim is always to create and restore happy relationships between dog and owner in a relaxed way, using methods based on sound scientific principles, which are both force-free and fun.