The Master of Subtleties

Your dog hears and smells hundreds of times better than you do. His sight is not great, but he is observant and an expert at communicating based on body language. He is truly a master of subtleties.

People, on the other hand, are strong verbal communicators. Sure, we have body language, but most of us have very little awareness of it. If you don't believe me, go to a shopping mall, stand in the walkway, and count the number of people who obliviously bump into you. You will either laugh or be incredibly annoyed.

Apply this same oblivious nature to approaching a dog. A person who is not aware of their body language, or more importantly, not aware of how dogs perceive it, will approach the dog head on and reach for the dog's face to pet it. Then they will tower over the animal, loudly speak some foreign language, and stare into it's eyes. All of these actions can be interpreted as very aggressive behaviors to a dog. If some stranger walked up to me and reached for my face while barking, I wouldn't react very well either.

Luckily, many dogs have a better understanding of our body language than we do and they can see past our lack of consideration. Most will either let us pat and coo away while they enjoy the attention, while others will respectfully back away from our hands until they are able to get a better read on us.

Then there is the other type of dog that has very little patience for our rudeness. They can be cautious by nature or easily intimidated. Sometimes they have been neglected and mistreated; or simply unaccustomed to the quick movements of a child. Maybe they are just old. Much like humans, a dog's tolerance for another's short-comings tends to diminish with age.

Whatever the case, it is not smart to gamble on the type of dog you are dealing with. Instead you should approach with calm caution and respect to introduce yourself properly. You are the more intelligent life form, so act this way. Protect yourself first. Do not crouch or make your face available, as this is a poor position to be in if the dog decides you are foe instead of friend. Dogs only attack your butt when they can't reach anything else. An aggressive dog will go for your face and jugular if you make it available.

Stay standing, and give the dog the first opportunity to approach you and check you out. Avoid eye contact as to not challenge the dog, and move gently and slow enough so that the dog can assess you first. Speak soft, and when the dog is relaxed, pet him with the back of your hand to the side of his body. If he is enjoying it, then move to the chest area to solidify the friendship. There isn't much sweeter to a dog than a nice chest rub.

The safest place to introduce yourself to a new dog is on neutral ground like a park. Dogs are territorial and will instinctually become less friendly if you are an intruder in their home. When entering someone's home who has a dog, the people should take a moment to introduce the dog to you properly, informing the dog that you are welcome. The people should take a moment to shake your hand (or a nice hug will do), pat their dog, and then take your hand gently to the dog to offer a sniff. Their pooch will appreciate the gesture.