How to approach a dog – Transcript

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Hi, my name's Louise and I'm a Canine Behaviour and Training Advisor here at Battersea 

Today we're at our Brands Hatch centre and we're going to show you how to safely approach a dog 

We all know it's tempting to pet every dog we see, but some dogs can be worried of meeting new people 

So we're going to give you some tips on how to approach a dog safely 

Always ask the owner's permission before touching a dog  

If you happen to see a dog tied up for example, outside a shop then best to leave it be 

Never stare, shout at or loom over a dog 

Just like with people, it can be really quite scary and can cause them some distress 

Approach the dog side on, in a calm and gentle manner 

If a dog turns its head away or moves as you approach, this is a dog's way of saying he doesn't want to say hello so best to leave the dog be 

With a small dog, you can crouch down so you're on their level 

Keep your hands by your side and keep one knee up, so you can stand up quickly should you need to 

If the dogs starts jumping up at you and becoming over excited, stay nice and calm and stand up 

If they continue to jump up, fold your arms and this will make the dog lose interest in you 

Allow the dog to approach and sniff your hand 

If they're comfortable being in your space you can gently stroke them on the chest 

The best way to touch a dog is using the back of your hand on their chest 

If they stay with you or they nudge in for a bit more, like Ripley's just done, then they're quite happy with the contact, but that gives them a chance to move away if they're not very happy 

Never approach a dog with your hand over it's head, as this can be very threatening to them 

As tempting as it is, we don't recommend hugging dogs either 

This can be quite restrictive for them and they can't move away if they want to 

After you've stroked the dog for a couple of seconds, move your hand away 

This gives the dog an opportunity to move away if they're uncomfortable 

If they like what you're doing, they'll nudge your hand or stay there for a bit more attention 

 That was 'how to approach a dog safely' 

If you'd like to find out more about training your dog the Battersea way, check out our website or follow our channels