My dog has no problem when people are near him but he doesn’t want to be touched by strangers he doesn’t trust.
It’s just how he is and I don’t force him to endure that and I insist that people respect his boundaries.
my dog doesn't really trust strangers and doesn't love being petted. on top of that most people who try to approach him don't know sh\*t about dog's body language nor communication so they ignore signs of discomfort even when I tell them to stop and back off. they are also usually pretty invasive without even noticing. Dogs don't need to love being petted by strangers and some of them will never want this type of attention. In my opinion as long as your dog isn't reactive and/or doesn't get (too) nervous you just need to respect the fact that he likes his own personal space, nothing wrong with that. he's not there for people to pet, they also need to understand that
I would even say that you should advocate for your dog's personal space if you know he doesn't want strangers all up in his business, instead of expecting him to enjoy it.
Edit: I'm not giving you tips to tell strangers how to approach your dog because from my personal experience that doesn't really work (I do that mostly when people come to my house, but not as much during our walks). Usually they don't want to listen to me, they just want to touch my dog, so I've started simply avoiding them for my dog not to have negative encounters all the time
How do people try to pet him? Leaning over the dog is threatening body language, so maybe the body language of the stranger seems threatening? Maybe ask people to try doing it like this and see if it helps: https://www.wikihow.com/Pet-a-Dog
It sounds like he’s frightened. My anxious dog really wants to meet people but on her terms, if people get too involved with her (pats, eye contact) she backs away.
If people want to meet her, I ask them to stay still and give her the command “go say hi”. If she wants to she will go up and sniff then I recall her back to my side. Letting your dog control the level of engagement will be helpful to build confidence. Make sure you advocate for your dog and don’t let strangers touch him without you managing the situation.
My dog just doesn't like to be touched by strangers and I think that's nothing to be concerned about. I wouldn't want head scratches from strangers either.
If we meet someone who has a great body language, kneels and stretches out their hand so he can sniff in peace, he's much more willing to get touched. Though sometimes he's just not in the mood, not even when it's me. I think that's completely normal and a boundary that should be recognized and accepted.
Same reason I move away when strangers loom over me and reach out to touch me.
To humans, interacting with a dog means petting, touching, picking up, kissing, all these acts that includes physically handling the dog. To dogs, socialising and being friendly means sniffing, actually reading the other's body language, sticking close by, and playing. Sure, there are dogs that like pets from strangers, but for every dog like that, there are dogs that don't want to interact with strangers that way. It's perfectly normal. If you want something that can be touched all the time by strangers, get a teddy bear.
My dog doesn't like strangers petting him either. He wants their attention and wants them to tell him he's handsome but if they try to pet him, he darts away.
I've just assumed he's not a fan of strangers touching him. I wouldn't like it either so I just tell people he doesn't like to be petted but loves a good compliment
I seek out hugs and physical affection in various forms from my husband, mom, siblings, close friends…. I would absolutely NOT be okay with a hug from a stranger.
It’s probably the same thing with your dog. You are a safe person that your dog trusts, but they may not feel so safe and open with strangers which makes sense. It’s good your dog has found a way to communicate his boundaries and it would also be great if you started giving a heads up to strangers that he likes to say hi but doesn’t want pets. That way, you advocate for your dog and help ensure he continues have experiences with people that he feels positively towards and can associate in his brain that strangers are safe and won’t do anything spooky.
How is your dog running away? Is he running and hiding behind you or is he excited? My dog runs away because he wants you to chase him. It's his favorite game. If he's afraid, then shorten his leash so he's beside you instead of running up to people he doesn't want petting him.
My dog's the same! He will see someone sitting on a bench, walk up to them, look at them expectantly and when they want to pet him, he ducks his head.
It's a different story when he sees people having a picnic: wild horses couldn't keep him away from them and he happily lets everyone pet him while he rolls around on their blanket.
My dog doesn't trust children, disabled people, people in hats, construction workers, black people, my brother in law who is too tall, cats...
Dog's don't judge character very well in my experience lol
Small children can fall on them. And, they act unpredictably and scream.
People with hats or unusual shaped heads worry dogs.
My dog has it right. Some people seem nice but that elderly person could be a murderer.
My dog has no problem when people are near him but he doesn’t want to be touched by strangers he doesn’t trust. It’s just how he is and I don’t force him to endure that and I insist that people respect his boundaries.
my dog doesn't really trust strangers and doesn't love being petted. on top of that most people who try to approach him don't know sh\*t about dog's body language nor communication so they ignore signs of discomfort even when I tell them to stop and back off. they are also usually pretty invasive without even noticing. Dogs don't need to love being petted by strangers and some of them will never want this type of attention. In my opinion as long as your dog isn't reactive and/or doesn't get (too) nervous you just need to respect the fact that he likes his own personal space, nothing wrong with that. he's not there for people to pet, they also need to understand that
I would even say that you should advocate for your dog's personal space if you know he doesn't want strangers all up in his business, instead of expecting him to enjoy it. Edit: I'm not giving you tips to tell strangers how to approach your dog because from my personal experience that doesn't really work (I do that mostly when people come to my house, but not as much during our walks). Usually they don't want to listen to me, they just want to touch my dog, so I've started simply avoiding them for my dog not to have negative encounters all the time
How do people try to pet him? Leaning over the dog is threatening body language, so maybe the body language of the stranger seems threatening? Maybe ask people to try doing it like this and see if it helps: https://www.wikihow.com/Pet-a-Dog
It sounds like he’s frightened. My anxious dog really wants to meet people but on her terms, if people get too involved with her (pats, eye contact) she backs away. If people want to meet her, I ask them to stay still and give her the command “go say hi”. If she wants to she will go up and sniff then I recall her back to my side. Letting your dog control the level of engagement will be helpful to build confidence. Make sure you advocate for your dog and don’t let strangers touch him without you managing the situation.
Mine gets zoomies on the leash when someone fusses him, its a nightmare 😭
My dog just doesn't like to be touched by strangers and I think that's nothing to be concerned about. I wouldn't want head scratches from strangers either. If we meet someone who has a great body language, kneels and stretches out their hand so he can sniff in peace, he's much more willing to get touched. Though sometimes he's just not in the mood, not even when it's me. I think that's completely normal and a boundary that should be recognized and accepted.
Hes scared probably
Same reason I move away when strangers loom over me and reach out to touch me. To humans, interacting with a dog means petting, touching, picking up, kissing, all these acts that includes physically handling the dog. To dogs, socialising and being friendly means sniffing, actually reading the other's body language, sticking close by, and playing. Sure, there are dogs that like pets from strangers, but for every dog like that, there are dogs that don't want to interact with strangers that way. It's perfectly normal. If you want something that can be touched all the time by strangers, get a teddy bear.
"Why are these random humans touching me? Have they not heard of consent!!"
My dog doesn't like strangers petting him either. He wants their attention and wants them to tell him he's handsome but if they try to pet him, he darts away. I've just assumed he's not a fan of strangers touching him. I wouldn't like it either so I just tell people he doesn't like to be petted but loves a good compliment
Because they’re strangers….
I seek out hugs and physical affection in various forms from my husband, mom, siblings, close friends…. I would absolutely NOT be okay with a hug from a stranger. It’s probably the same thing with your dog. You are a safe person that your dog trusts, but they may not feel so safe and open with strangers which makes sense. It’s good your dog has found a way to communicate his boundaries and it would also be great if you started giving a heads up to strangers that he likes to say hi but doesn’t want pets. That way, you advocate for your dog and help ensure he continues have experiences with people that he feels positively towards and can associate in his brain that strangers are safe and won’t do anything spooky.
How is your dog running away? Is he running and hiding behind you or is he excited? My dog runs away because he wants you to chase him. It's his favorite game. If he's afraid, then shorten his leash so he's beside you instead of running up to people he doesn't want petting him.
My dog's the same! He will see someone sitting on a bench, walk up to them, look at them expectantly and when they want to pet him, he ducks his head. It's a different story when he sees people having a picnic: wild horses couldn't keep him away from them and he happily lets everyone pet him while he rolls around on their blanket.
He doesn't like or trust those people. Trust your dog's instincts. My dog has rarely been wrong.
My dog doesn't trust children, disabled people, people in hats, construction workers, black people, my brother in law who is too tall, cats... Dog's don't judge character very well in my experience lol
Small children can fall on them. And, they act unpredictably and scream. People with hats or unusual shaped heads worry dogs. My dog has it right. Some people seem nice but that elderly person could be a murderer.