How to stay safe when meeting a strange dog

Deirdre O’Brien of RAWR animal charity in West Cork says that with dog attacks in the news, now is a good time to educate ourselves about how to approach an unknown dog

WHEN you take your dog out walking they will always know whether the dogs and people you meet are part of their family or not.

At first, two dogs that don’t know each other might be unsure when they meet. They use body language to show whether they are friendly or not. A friendly dog will wag his tail and might try to get the other dog to play.

An aggressive dog might growl, raise his hackles (the fur on the back of his neck) and look fierce. If both dogs are relaxed, they will sniff each other. Dogs can tell a lot from sniffing nose to nose and then nose to tail.

They know if the other dog is male or female, whether he/she can breed, how old they are and if they are healthy. Regardless of whether you own a dog or not we all need to follow a few simple steps when we encounter strange dogs.

• Ask first – A strange dog will know you don’t belong to their family. Never stroke him without asking the owner’s permission. Then slowly let him sniff your closed fist, so that he learns who you are.
• Don’t stare – Like us staring at a dog can make them feel uncomfortable and threatened. It is advised not to stare a dog straight in the eyes until he knows you well and trusts you.
• Always approach from the front and to the side where the dog can see you. If you come up behind a strange dog they may feel scared and in defence they may react aggressively to ward you off which unfortunately could lead to you getting bitten.
• Stand still – If a dog raises his hackles he wants to appear big and intimidating. If he stares you in the eyes he may be threatening you. Stand still, do not make any noise, look away and keep your arms down by your sides. Act like a tree!
• Don’t annoy a dog that is tied up or behind a secured fence/wall. They may growl, bark or run up and down inside their space. This is all guarding and their way of warding off what they see as a possible threat. Don’t shout, poke them with an object or throw anything at them. Just walk by and ignore the dog. This allows them to calm down and realise you are not a threat to them.

Remember that dogs have feeling and reactions similar to humans. When we meet someone for the first time we take time to get to know and trust them. If we feel threatened by something or someone we will react and try and defend ourselves and our space.  Dogs do likewise so give them time, act responsibly and you teach your family to do the same.