When a dog’s eyes are on you, make the most of it
Create familiarity with unfamiliar dogs
When I walked in the door, the Pomeranian mix immediately started growling and barking. It won’t be the first time nor will it be the last time, especially considering I’ve walked 84 different dogs in the past two years. Some run up to me like I’m the homie. Others want nothing to do with me. And even more are invested in the walk and releasing themselves, and really don’t seem to care who is walking them. Their focus is getting outside.
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For the more hesitant dog, finding a familiar item usually works. The problem was I couldn’t find the leash nor the collar. The directions said that the collar and leash would be on the counter. Nope, not there. I looked for a crate. Nope. I looked on all of the tables, the desk and even the couch. Nothing. I always keep an extra leash in my dog-walking bag, so I pulled mine out. The dog continued to bark and growl, and then took off running in the opposite direction. I tried crouching down and looking past her instead of making direct eye contact. It didn’t work. I was supposed to feed this dog, too, but the food was nowhere in my immediate sight. After about five minutes, I gave up and texted the owner. I was ready to cancel the walk.
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Like an Australian Shepherd that absolutely refused to let me walk him, I was not surprised when the Pomeranian still took a treat from my hands but darted off. Familiarity is key to any dog, but snacks are a bonus. I’m rarely surprised when a dog will take food and still not f — k with me. However, I’ve never been one to just try to force a dog to like me. I still remember the look of fear and trembling from a Chihuahua who was just flat-out terrified of me from the minute I walked in the door. I don’t know what about me made that dog so scared, but it was one of only a handful of times in two years that I lost the socialization battle.
Recommended Read: “When your fearful dog has an elephant memory ~ Five tips to help your dog get over a scary experience”
If you’ve been around enough dogs, you can figure out fairly quickly whether your chances are hopeless or if you have a shot. The Pomeranian barked and growled when I got closer, but she seemed genuinely curious about my game plan. In a CNN report about guide dogs as puppies, it says, “Puppies will look at and return a person’s social gaze and successfully use information given by that person in a social context from a very young age.” Dogs are naturally people pleasers. They just need to be able to figure out whether you’re a person worth pleasing.