No, My Dog Doesn’t Want to Play With Yours
By: Laura-Jane Clements
Tags: Life Experience, Animals, Education, Pets, Dogs

Animal Advocacy

No, My Dog Doesn’t Want to Play With Yours

Please don’t take it personally

Photo by Manuel Meza on Unsplash

It always amazes me when I see people out for a walk and their dog is off lead, running up to people and other dogs. The owners usually call out ‘it’s OK, he/she is friendly’ which is lovely for them but, you see, my dog isn’t.

Since we adopted our rescue greyhound over two years ago, I have learned a lot about how dogs interact with each other. Our grey (like many others) has a naturally high prey drive and had only really been around other hounds for a large chunk of her life. Can you imagine her confusion when all of a sudden she was faced with any other of the numerous breeds out there and had no idea what they were or how to react to them?

Instagram and Facebook bombards us with images of adorable canines in cute situations but we have to stop perpetuating the myth that all dogs are givers of sloppy kisses and friends to all they meet. Most dogs are affectionate but some just need a bit more space before the cuddles can begin.

Why can’t we be friends?

There can be many reasons why a dog doesn’t want to interact with other dogs. Like humans, they all have their own personalities and feelings that affect how they react in different situations.

It could be that the dog is old and doesn’t like young dogs yapping in its face. We humans tend to get a bit grumpier when we get older so why wouldn’t a dog?

They could be recovering from a procedure or surgery and lash out if they feel threatened in any way by another dog in its personal space.

It could be that the dog has had a bad experience and is now reactive to certain situations. Rescue dogs in particular can have histories that we know nothing about until it manifests itself in something that we would consider ‘bad behaviour’ (i.e lunging or barking)

It could be breed specific. Greyhounds in particular have a natural prey drive and so small fluffy dogs aren’t always easy to be around. I will caveat this by saying that some greyhounds get on just fine around mini floofs, it’s all down to the individual dog.

Photo by Anna Dudkova on Unsplash

How to be a dogs best friend (and their owners too)

So what can you do to be more aware of this if you are out walking your dog? How do you know if the dog coming towards you is OK to be approached? My main tip would be to read the body language. That's the body language of the human AND the dog. Is the human trying to get the dogs attention or maybe placing their body between you and their hound? Is the dog calm or barking? These cues all should tell you whether or not to give them some space.

This means that you have to be present on your walks, look up from your phone and be aware of the world around you. If you see a dog reacting, give the owner space and put your dog on the lead. The other owner won’t be offended if you cross the road to let them pass. A nod and a smile will let them know that you recognise the signs and are happy to give them room.

Don’t worry if your dog doesn’t like other dogs

I remember being quite demoralised when I realised that my daydreams of dog walks with other dog owners would never really become a reality. Having a non-doggy dog can feel quite isolating. But you are not alone, there is a whole online community (search for Reactive Dogs on Facebook) that helps each other through the ups and downs of being a reactive dog owner. They have lots of tips and tricks to help make walks less stressful and your dog more at ease.

I’ve learned a lot since researching dog reactivity. When we first adopted our greyhound she would freeze and not move while on walks, lunge at small dogs and bark at every other dog going past. She was only ever happy in the company of other greyhounds. Now, two years on, our walks are much less stressful. I carry a tub of cooked chicken everywhere I go and practice positive reinforcement (in its most basic terms: see a dog, get a bit of chicken. This reinforces the idea that other dogs equal happiness rather than fear) This technique has changed our hound into a dog that is much easier to walk and I now adore every minute of our outdoor adventures.

Photo by Kuma Kum on Unsplash

As a dog owner, you know what makes your dog happy. For them, it might be being around lots of other dogs to play with all day or it might be being with their human as much as possible. Either way, you are giving them their best life and the simple idea of having more awareness of the dogs around you can make another dog owners life just that bit easier.

Every dog deserves to be happy and we have to recognise that happiness looks different for every dog.