07/18/2026
Myth busted: “When meeting a dog, put your hand out for them to smell!”
The scene: an idyllic suburban street
The players: an older gentleman and a young woman walking a labradoodle
The man approached the woman in a calm manner, and asked if he could say hi to the dog. The dog was already slightly apprehensive in his body language; he was leaning back, his tail was low, and he looked concerned. The man then approached the dog and reached his hand out to the dog for the dog to sniff.
The dog backed up, and when he hit the end of the leash he started to bark and growl. The man looked taken aback but continued to try to convince the dog that he was friendly by moving closer with his hand.
This scene plays out every day all because someone once said “when meeting a dog make sure you stick your hand out for them to smell” and now everyone thinks this is the best way to greet a dog.
Your dog has over 100 million scent receptors in their nose, compared to our measly 6 million. Dogs can smell you from down the block, they do not need you to stick your hand in their face. In fact, if a dog is at all worried about you, sticking your hand in their face is just about the worst thing you can do.
So what TO do ? First, read the dog! If the people in the story above had paid attention to the dog’s body language they both would have said “hey you know what, I’m not sure he’s ready yet”.
If the dog looks relaxed and ready to say hi, let the dog approach you, and if they seem eager for petting or contact try petting them with one hand in a neutral area, then remove your hand to see if they would like more petting.
If the dog doesn’t seem eager for you to interact with them directly, just ignore them and give them space and time. Often times we want to convince the dog that they can trust us in ways that most fearful dogs find very scary; instead, just ignore them and chat with their owner. Respect that the dog may not be ready yet for more direct interaction with you.
