If you鈥檝e spent any time on social media chances are you鈥檝e come across the phrase 鈥�pet all the dogs鈥� or 鈥淚 just want to pet all the dogs.鈥� This 鈥渕emeable鈥� slogan has become popular across TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter and can be seen on water bottles, t-shirts, and bumper stickers.
While it鈥檚 a way to express how much an individual loves dogs, unfortunately, it doesn鈥檛 take the dog鈥檚 comfort into account. Even if you love all dogs, just know that not all dogs are going to love you. Even if you want to greet every dog you encounter, you need to make sure it鈥檚 OK to do so.
Always Ask Before Approaching
You should always seek consent from a dog鈥檚 owner before approaching and greeting a dog. If you see a fluffy dog that you鈥檙e absolutely obsessed with, compliment the person on their dog and potentially ask about their breed before engaging. If you want to pet the dog, ask the owner first. Once you get the green light, approach the dog calmly to not overwhelm them and wait for the dog to approach you instead of reaching out, which some dogs find threatening.
Even if a friendly dog jumps and runs up to you on the street, still get the owner鈥檚 permission. They could be working on training their dog to not exhibit these behaviors in public, and petting the dog could accidentally continue to reinforce the dog to jump up on people.
Although some dogs are very social with people, many dogs are not comfortable meeting and interacting with strangers. Just like you don鈥檛 probably enjoy shaking hands or hugging every random person you pass on the street, the same is true for dogs. Dogs aren鈥檛 in petting zoos and may prefer to have some personal space.
Reasons A Dog Owner Might Say No To Petting
You must respect the boundary if someone tells you cannot pet their dog. There are a variety of reasons a dog owner may say no when approached by a stranger.
- The dog is nervous or unpredictable with strangers
- The dog is sick or recovering from surgery or an injury
- The owner is in a hurry and doesn鈥檛 have time to stop
- The dog is training to ignore distractions
Remember that dog owners don鈥檛 owe you an explanation or a justification for not wanting their dog to be pet. If a dog owner says no, respect that answer; don鈥檛 question why or try to pet their dog anyway.
Creating Educational Moments
As a dog owner, chances are you are often approached by excited people who want to say hello to your dog, especially if you have a dog with a unique coat or have a rare breed. If you find yourself getting frustrated by being approached, try to reframe the situation and turn it into an educational moment.
Know that you don鈥檛 have to let anyone pet your dog if you or your dog aren鈥檛 comfortable, and you need to advocate your dog鈥檚 comfort. It can be helpful to provide an educational explanation about what you and your dog are doing if you鈥檙e out training, or if you have a dog who is shy or uncomfortable around people.
Some people get excited and don鈥檛 think before asking to pet a dog, and in these situations, it鈥檚 good to politely remind them that dogs have unique personalities and don鈥檛 always like to be pet. For shy dogs, you could print 鈥渢rading cards鈥� with information on the back about their breed, their sport titles, and social media links, which is something that鈥檚 very popular among dog athletes. You can pass them out to quickly get on with your day.
What About Dog Shows?
Dog shows might seem like the place where your 鈥減et all the dogs鈥� fantasy comes true, but that isn鈥檛 always the case. When at a dog show, it鈥檚 especially important to ask before approaching and petting any dog. At shows people are generally more than happy to talk with you about what is happening at the show and about their breed, so long as it鈥檚 an appropriate time. If the dog is about to go into the ring or just finished grooming, you shouldn鈥檛 attempt to pet it.
There are certain events catered to petting dogs, like breed meetups and AKC Meet The Breeds. AKC Meet the Breeds allows attendees the opportunity to get up close and meet breeds from Affenpinschers to Great Danes. Just be sure to ask before you pet!
Don鈥檛 Distract Service Dogs
Service dogs have an important job to do to help their handlers navigate the world safely and need to focus on their jobs. If you see a service dog, do not ask to pet, distract, or try to engage with the dog. In fact, most will have a patch on their vest that says 鈥淒O NOT PET.鈥�
The same goes for other working dogs, like search and rescue dogs, security dogs, police dogs, and lifeguard dogs. In many cases these working dogs are specially trained to interact with the public, but are nonetheless working.
When you see a dog you desperately want to pet, take a deep breath, contain your excitement, and ask first. Respecting a dog鈥檚 space is a far better way to show how much you love dogs than just trying to pet every dog you see.