Modesto pet columnist: Here’s what to do when approaching other dogs on walks

Like many dog owners, I walk my dogs every day. Around the neighborhood, sometimes on trails in the hills and various parks. I always encounter others with their dogs, usually on leash thankfully, and while I can easily negotiate my way around them, I spend a lot of time watching others, and the not-so-desirable encounters people often have when passing by other dogs.

I frequently observe the excited, friendly dog straining at the leash and pulling her owner over to another dog who may or may not appreciate the intrusion. I watch people approaching one another from different directions on the sidewalk, each with a dog, playing some sort of perverse game of chicken as they walk directly toward one another and then struggle at the last second to pull their dog past the other. I regularly encounter strangers who will change course to move directly to my dog, hand outstretched, to “touch that beautiful creature.”

Very often, these encounters don’t go so well …one or more dogs lunge, growl or bark, and I watch dog owners truly struggle to regain control. As a dog trainer, I’m often asked to “fix” dogs like these, and while training can always be of value, I can tell you in one word what will remedy most of these issues: distance.

Dogs not wanting to interact with every dog they encounter is not a character flaw; it’s normal. Maintaining distance between your dogs and others is not only courteous, but it also prevents the majority of possible conflicts.

So when sharing the sidewalk with oncoming dog walkers, yield space by walking in the street in a large arch, or go up a driveway and wait until the other dog and owner pass. When on a narrow trail, move off and gain as much distance as you can, or if you must pass one another closely, place your dog on the side of you that is the furthest away from the oncoming dog.

And finally, for adults and children alike, it’s much more respectful – and safe – to admire dogs you don’t know from a distance. Dogs walking out in public are not mobile petting zoos, and at the very least, one should ask – both the owner and the dog – if physical contact is desired. If given permission by the owner (and this is where we need to all advocate for our dogs – it’s okay to politely decline), the way you ask the dog is by simply standing quietly at an angle and waiting for the dog to approach you for an introductory sniff. Dogs that wish contact will move and remain in your space; dogs that back away from you are politely declining contact, and their wishes should be respected without judgment.

Lisa Moore’s pet-behavior column appears once a month on the Pet Page. Write to her in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, 2401 E. Orangeburg Ave., Suite 675-309, Modesto, CA 95355.