05/07/2026
⚠️ THINGS PEOPLE DO ON WALKS THAT MAY BE ACCIDENTALLY PUTTING THEIR DOG IN DANGER
Most weeks I encounter at least one person who appears unaware that the situation they are allowing their dog to get in may be putting them in danger of getting into a conflict with another dog.
Here's the what and why....
🚗 Allowing their dog to go up to an unfamiliar dog who’s unloading or loading into their vehicle.
A dog full of energy at the start of their walk or tired and ready to go home at the end of their walk may be less tolerant of an unfamiliar dog in their space, let alone by what is effectively an extension of their territory.
🚪 Coming up behind or towards a dog who’s navigating their way through a gate or doorway.
Enclosed spaces are not the places for dogs to meet for the first time. Consider how many exit points a dog has in a gateway - if you're approaching head on or from behind, the other dog is likely to feel more trapped and may respond defensively.
💦 Taking their dog up into the space of another dog who is drinking from a communal water bowl (such as at an outdoor cafe).
Only yesterday I had to ask someone to wait a second with their dog while my three dogs finished drinking.
Bowls are often associated with high value resources and water is a resource- especially if a dog is very thirsty! Dogs often tend to want to be able to drink in peace, unless it's alongside a well establish dog friend. They need to drop their guard while drinking and may be more sensitive to having an unfamiliar dog suddenly approaching.
🥷 Coming up behind a dog who doesn't know they are there.
This happened to us yesterday, despite me looking up a path as I moved onto it. I briefly got lost in my own thoughts looking into the deer park and then heard my mostly deaf and semi blind geriatric dog growl. I turned around and there was an entire, young male labrador metres away (with his owner close by).
The dog wasn't being rude- but I was startled, and so were all my dogs. When startled- dogs have no time to assess the situation and will choose 'fight' or flight. A group of dogs are more likely to work together (safety and strength in numbers) and move at speed towards a perceived threat to repel them. Fortunately, I have conditioned myself to rapidly deploy my emergency whistle in these situations- so the boys were quickly called away.
After this encounter, my heart rate was elevated. I'm not even a very flighty person, but I was just so startled by the person and dog suddenly being there when I was under the distinct impression it was just me and my dogs present.
🏃♂️ Running with their dog directly towards or up from behind another dog, especially on narrow paths.
For similar reasons above, the less time dogs have to assess a threat- the more likely they'll make a swift assumption the individuals running into their space are on the offensive!
Even without a dog, this is how many runners get bitten- running too quickly and closely past a dog (startling them if approaching from behind).
The best thing people can do is alert people of their presence in good time when approaching from behind (as a runner, I do this), slow down to pass or curve when space allows.
🥎 Allowing their dog to run up to a dog engaging in training and/or playing with toys.
Quite simply, resources! But also arousal spikes from higher intensity training can lower thresholds for tolerance and lead to rapid decision making (friend or foe) that generally sways towards foe.
🥎 Chucking a ball for their dog to chase towards another dog!
Similar to reasons given for the previously mentioned points. Resources, high speed and unfamiliar dogs are not a winning combination.
🐕 💨 Allowing their dog to rush over at speed towards another dog from afar.
Imagine you were walking along minding your own business and someone started making a high speed beeline for you. What might you think and would you perceive this as an intrusion to your personal space?
🌳 A dog tearing around and/or springing out of bushes right in front of another dog/s or whizzing past another on a narrow path.
Again, think about the concept of threat assessment. The less time there is (distance, speed of approach) to assess a threat- the more likely flight or fight (repulsion behaviours) will take place.
In some instances, dogs just freeze or appear bemused and confused. Other times a dog whizzes out and past so quickly they're gone before there's time to respond, but if a dog is fast and of a breed and/or personality with a fast chase>grab drive, your dog may be in trouble.
I know I can recall my dogs off this - and did so when two dogs appeared metres away from them out of bushes and charged 100+ metres across the meadow back to their owner- but not everyone can.
We could argue their recall needs to be better, but we could also argue that you need to help your dog be more mindful of adjusting their behaviour within a social context.
💩 Letting their dog go up to another dog having a poo!
Many dogs want privacy and space when defecating as they are vulnerable whilst doing so.
🐕🦺Allowing their on lead dog to pull intensely up to another.
Intense pulling elevates the heart rate, respiration and alters the body language of a dog to that more associated with tension.
This could promote a defensive response from the other dog and even if that were proportionate (such as tensing up, growling) a dog pulling intensely on lead is at a greater risk of disproportionate emotional and behavioural responses, due to the physical stress and frustration caused by pulling!
I could go on!
The mindset that 'my dog is fine so what's the problem?' needs adjusting to one of understanding dogs for what they are.
They're animals.
What they aren't is being completely immune to feeling threatened and neither are we!
As mentioned multiple times across this post, SPEED/TIME & SPACE all influence a dog's threshold and recognising this can help us see the world through their eyes.
The less time and space a dog has to assess a situation, the greater the risk of proactive assumption of a threat and escalation.
Even the most resilient dog has off days. I was uncharacteristically stressed by being startled yesterday! Maybe it was the heat, perhaps it was my hormones or was it just because my mind was so focused on something else ....
Pain, health, sensory loss (such as with my old dog), tiredness, heat, stress, individual social histories and traits and SPEED, TIME AND SPACE all influence how dog-dog interactions go.
Just because your dog is consistently tolerant that doesn't mean other dogs are going to be exactly of the same level of tolerance across the board.
The ‘effort’ needed to reduce risk is normally briefly slowing down, pausing or waiting for a matter of seconds or saying something to alert others of your presence (to avoid startle).
In some instances it’s that people need to improve their dog’s recall and/or help them adjust their behaviour depending on the context - rather than expecting everyone else to adjust to what you and what your dog wants to do right there and then.
We don't expect that of people, so we shouldn't expect it of dogs.
This post is not AI and has been written by myself from scratch. If you wish to share, you are welcome to. But please do the courteous thing and share using the button below so to make it clear as to who spent the time and energy writing the post 😀
