Top 7 Tips on How to Approach and Greet a New Dog for the 1st Time (Video)

Written by Senior Editor Peter Gehr

Here are 7 tips on how to approach and greet a new dog for the 1st time, and these pointers should be taught to people who are not familiar with dogs, and especially to children. A lot of people makes basic mistakes in interpreting a dog’s body language, and often approach the dog in a fashion that is threatening to the dog.

Top 7 Tips on How to Approach and Greet a New Dog for the 1st Time

Top 7 Tips on How to Approach and Greet a New Dog for the 1st Time

It’s important to be aware of these simple rules to make meeting a dog a pleasant experience.

The following video runs through the fundamentals that are easy to learn, and give you and your friends or children an opportunity to be aware of what to expect, and how to make this 1st approach with confidence.

It’s all about making smooth and confident moves and reading the situation with common sense and a few guidelines from the experts.

Top 7 Tips on How to Approach and Greet a New Dog for the 1st Time (Video)

httpv://youtu.be/2XG9Yen_cKg

  1. Ask the owner of the dog “Is your dog friendly?”
  2. Don’t reach over the top of the dog with your hand and body. A dog interprets this as dominating and threatening. Reach below the dogs head to the shoulder or chest area and gently pat.
  3. Don’t put your fist or hand in the dog’s face. Due to an incredible sense of smell, the dog has already summed you up from your scent from a distance.
  4. Look at the dog’s body language. If the tail is wagging, and body posture is relaxed, this indicates that the dog is happy and not feeling threatened or uncomfortable with you.
  5. At that point, you can get down on his level and let him approach you.
  6. Don’t walk at the dog making eye contact and quick movements. This can be intimidating and overbearing for the dog.
  7. If you feel uncomfortable, or the owner isn’t quite sure how the dog is going to react, it’s best to keep your distance. Fear can result in a negative response from the dog, and will be unsettling for all involved.

The 7 tips on how to approach and greet a new dog for the 1st time video is an overview to help educate and take the mystery and misconceptions out of meeting a new dog. The whole idea is to be relaxed, calm and assertive, but not threatening or intimidating. Again, the best advice is to remember “when in doubt, don’t.” In other words, if you’re uncertain, just be patient and wait with distance between you and the dog, or even simply ignore the dog, and he too will appreciate the non-confrontational experience.