Most dog owners have encountered this: a meet and greet with a strange dog.
Whether you are just out for a walk or you are at a event for dogs, there are some basic things you should be aware of to manage that initial meeting.
Kayla DeLorenzo, handler for Roxy, our Wags 4 Warriors pup, always initiates the three-second rule.
“Both dogs are on a tight leash. You want them to have their noses together and tell them to go say, 'hi.' Just have them do this for about three seconds, and then back them up,” she explained.
Keep it to three seconds, or a “one-potato, two-potato, three-potato” count. Move the dogs away from one another and give them a few moments to focus their attention elsewhere. Then try again, using the same amount of time, and same exit strategy. Kayla will repeat this as many as 10 times, until she sees the excitement between the two dogs die down.
Some dogs just aren’t going to get along. When doing these greetings, don’t be distracted by a cell phone or a conversation. In other words, don’t take your eyes off the dogs.
Kayla is particularly careful because of what can happen to a service dog if it’s attacked. The dog may become uncomfortable around other dogs in the future and may be unable to perform its tasks.
“Every single dog Roxy meets for the first time, we do the three-second rule, whether it’s a service dog or a normal dog. If they are meeting, they are doing the three-second rule,” Kayla said.