Coexisting with Dogs in Society

by Anne-Marie Mayes

One goal in my training career has been to educate people about dogs and how to co-exist with your dog in our society. All it takes is for one oversight or one dog shows reactive behaviour and all dogs are affected. For example if one dog lunges at a person in a dog-friendly store, they stop allowing dogs altogether.

I believe that owners need to understand their dog's behaviour and be held accountable.  I want dogs to become more included in our society, both outdoors and indoors, but if people continue putting their dogs in situations they can't handle, it reflects poorly on all dog owners.

This is why training is so important. A little time invested means many dogs can be well behaved in any environment. We also need to follow basic rules and be considerate of others. Always leash your dog where required. Find off leash areas if you want your dog to run free, or use a long leash to give your dog more room to explore where appropriate.  

Dogs, like people, have different personalities that are influenced by their genetics, upbringing, and environment.  This can impact their reaction to different social situations. Not all dogs enjoy interacting with other dogs or people. To coexist, we must respect the personal space of people and other dogs. Just because your dog is friendly does not mean they can approach others freely.  On-leash areas should be respected so dogs with limited social skills can exercise safely, and off-leash areas are for dogs who can handle social interactions. It is unfair for the anxious dog to be run at by another dog whose owners are yelling that it is friendly.  This behaviour puts both dogs involved and their owners at risk.

During my vacation there were two different situations that I watched unfold while I held my breath. First, I was on a fairly busy beach. A man brought 2 dogs to the beach and let one off-leash to join his family in the water. The dog did not go to the family and instead got the zoomies and started running around and over people. It took several attempts to catch the dog. The person who let the dog off leash did not consider the other people and dogs around. Instead, he could have set the dog up for success by putting him on a long line and having someone in the water come to get the dog.

In the second situation, some people told me that their dog is so focused on fetch that they ignore everything else.  The owner took the dog's leash off to throw the ball into the water. The first time, the dog brought it back but the second time the dog noticed a kite surfer in the water and took off after him. The dog ran back and forth, ignoring the owner's calls, and got a little too close to the surfer, creating safety issues for both the surfer and the dog. Another safety issue was the current and depth of the water as the dog swam further out and began to struggle. Luckily the kite surfer noticed the situation and slows down and comes in closer for the owners to catch the dog; yup, after this the dog was leashed!

I am just asking that we be considerate of others, put in the time to learn our dog's body language, and teach them the skills to be able to coexist happily in society.