Meeting other dogs on lead

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Bangagin

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This might sound a very strange question, but for years we have had a couple of reactive dogs, so it has been a case of keeping a reasonable distance from other on lead dogs. We now have a year old foster, who was thrown out of a travellers site and running loose on an A road before she was taken to the pound. She is a sweet little thing, and very friendly, and I want to make sure she has the chance to interact with other dogs when we're out walking.

But after almost 15 years of avoiding other people/keeping our distance, I really have no idea how people introduce dogs out on a walk! I can easily recognise those owners with reactive dogs who give us a wide berth/swerve away/change direction from being one myself! But because our foster can get very bouncy and excitable when she sees some dogs (not all) and do an excited whiny bark, I realise not everyone is going to want to let her near their dogs.

We have another lurcher who can sometimes get barky/excitable (not aggressive in any way) so the last thing I want is for them to set each other off. At the moment my husband and I are walking one dog each, but there will be a time when I need to start taking them both out myself.
 
We have a reactive dog currently who became that way because of idiots allowing their on-lead dogs to intimidate her when she was on her lead close to home. I have never allowed any of our dogs to approach others while on a lead, I want them to be dog neutral, ideally. I certainly wouldn't encourage yours to approach other on-lead dogs but some dog parks run multi-dog sessions, where dogs can meet and play off-lead if you particularly want that for your dog. We actually hire a sole-use secure field so that ours can all play together off-lead without fear of other dogs getting in the mix.
 
When the current two were very small, they stayed on lead and I’d ask if it was ok to allow them to meet other dogs. I made my two sit and not be mad puppies then eventually, when they were older and off lead and had reliable recall, they were allowed to play with dogs we knew.

We’ve been going to the same park since before covid and when we just had Bear, we got to know most people. Obviously we avoided everyone when we had Zak, who was extremely DA. It took others a while to realise that Bear would ignore their dog, I had to tell them, they were very used to us running away from them.

I’d say go slow if you want her off lead. I’m not really interested in my dogs socialising, I just want dog neutral, they’re their own pack. However, it is quite nice to meet dog owners and be able to chat rather than run away and walks are much more relaxed!
 
Without getting in to training rights or wrongs. Just etiquette wise, as someone with 2 smallish fairly neutral dogs I get this a bit. I hope this is so obvious to not need stating, but apparently not based on experience.
Please, ask before allowing contact
Please accept a polite no
Please if your dog is posturing, stiff necked over the new "friend" divert their attention ASAP.
It terrifies me how often I have to read other people's dogs body language to try and keep my geriatric 10kg dogs safe!
From my point of view, I'd like to see someone doing something with their dog - a sit a heel etc- show me youve done a bit of basics and can get your dogs attention. I often offer when I see people like that
If you're coming at me with a screaming 20kg wired ball of energy on its back legs I'm probably going to say no - people honestly have been surprised about that! But it's always me who manages to get a leg in the way (deliberately) just before the other dogs stuff attention escalated.
 
As the owner of 2 small terriers one who is thick as a plank and everyone's friend and one who could start a fight in an empty room on a bad day I don't encourage interaction with unknown dogs of any size. Reactive dog goes on lead if unknown dogs approach. I verbally repell unknown dogs warning he's not friendly.
Friendly dog isn't allowed to play with larger dogs for safety reasons. I don't allow my dogs to approach any off lead dogs I don't know or any on lead dog even if I know them. They have each other, family dogs, friends dogs and one or two known local dogs to socialise with. That is enough. I don't allow strange interactions. I know some people consider this strange but I'm happy with it.
 
To add when I say ask before contact, I mean either at a suitable distance entirely or not when my dogs are right next to me (looking worried) and yours is at the end of a 3 foot lead and closer to me than you. OP, you sound like you absolutely wouldn't do these things, the fact you're asking about it says everything! However, these are all real interactions I've had too frequently and I'm aware HHO often comes up on Google so it's a bit for the sake of "the public"
Have high value rewards, keep your dogs attention on you and low key and I'm sure you'll be good. I try a lot to offer my dogs (and horses) for socializing dogs and children wherever I can. I'm fortunate enough to have good easy animals and it's nice to be nice
 
Why do you want her to have the chance to interact with other dogs at all. She has the company of another dog at home so has plenty of canine interaction presumably. I want all my dogs to ignore others when they are out and I'm afraid if people ask if their dogs can "say hello" it is always a firm No from me.
 
I know everyone where I walk and our dogs are off lead, they generally just say a quick hello and carry on, there’s no galloping around or play fighting as they see each other regularly. If I see a dog I don’t know or a dog on lead I put mine on lead, mainly because my terriers are very small so I won’t risk them getting hurt
 
splashgirl45 said:
I know everyone where I walk and our dogs are off lead, they generally just say a quick hello and carry on, there’s no galloping around or play fighting as they see each other regularly. If I see a dog I don’t know or a dog on lead I put mine on lead, mainly because my terriers are very small so I won’t risk them getting hurt
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This is our situation 99% of the time . I'm very aware Moti is unreliable so he's not encouraged to say hello and he takes himself into the bushes to avoid other dogs a lot of the time. If he's having a bad day he's on lead regardless..
 
Thanks for all the responses. I am so out of the loop from having reactive types for years! I just thought being a young dog she would perhaps benefit from meeting other dogs, but we will work on passing other dogs calmly for now (some she ignores and others she gets a bit crazy). I'm well versed in that from improving the reactivity in previous dogs. She will not be allowed off lead in an open area due to her prey drive and nearby roads. And current unreliability! We might try some sighthound walks locally as these are always on lead and well organised.

I would always have asked from a distance, and am currently working on getting her to stop whining and pulling and being excitable when she sees another dog. It's very early days - she hasn't been with us a week yet.
 
MurphysMinder said:
Why do you want her to have the chance to interact with other dogs at all. She has the company of another dog at home so has plenty of canine interaction presumably. I want all my dogs to ignore others when they are out and I'm afraid if people ask if their dogs can "say hello" it is always a firm No from me.
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I only say yes if it’s a puppy and they want it to meet calm dogs.
Although most of mine hate puppies 😄
 
My goal for my dogs is always absolutely dog neutrality. I want them to not acknowledge that other dogs exist. We don’t do meet and greets. We don’t do meeting random dogs out walking. We ignore, ignore, ignore.

They have each other to play with at home, and they have a few select friends who come to stay with us or visit with their owners. There is absolutely no need for dogs to ‘socialise’.

Socialising a dog actually means getting them used to the world and ensuring they are calm and neutral in all sorts of situations, not dragging their owners over to every random dog they see.
 
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