#182 Your Dog's Freedom Ends Where Another's Personal Space Begins

A viral Target confrontation between a woman and a man with his dog highlights a crucial lesson for all dog owners: your pet should never greet strangers without express permission. Proper leash control in public spaces is both a matter of respect and safety, preventing potential negative encounters that could harm your dog or lead to fewer dog-friendly establishments.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Target Dog Incident
• 0:51 Dogs Shouldn't Greet Without Permission
• 1:04 Hotel Hallway Encounters
• 1:44 Why Respecting Space Matters
• 2:42 Practicing Proper Leash Control

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

So you might have seen that video going around on social media. A woman is shopping in Target. A man comes in with his dog even though dogs aren't allowed in Target, but that's a separate issue and he lets the dog get close enough to sniff the lady and she freaks out. And then they end up in this shouting match in the middle of Target. Eventually she gets so frustrated she throws an empty box at the dog. It's a whole thing. Now the dog shouldn't have been there in the first place, but that's a whole separate podcast, and I'm not crazy about her throwing a box at the dog, but also the man kept his dog right there in the danger zone instead of just walking away once he figured out that she was upset.

Speaker 1: 0:51

But let's focus on something bigger. Even in spaces that are dog-friendly, your dog should not be greeting strangers without permission. And let me give you a real-life example. I recently stayed at a dog-friendly hotel. I love dogs, I train them for a living. But several times when I was heading to or from the parking lot, other guests were in the hallway with their dogs and instead of keeping those dogs close, they gave them enough leash so they could wander over to my side of the hallway and sniff up my leg. No leash control. All they did was a smile and a shrug like, oops, you know what can I do? I'll tell you what you can do. Shorten the leash and keep your dog out of people's space. And here's why it matters.

Speaker 1: 1:48

Not everyone likes dogs. Some people are afraid of dogs, allergic, or they just don't want a surprise sniff in the knee. And even people who do like dogs hello me don't always want strange dogs up in their personal space. And when you let your dog invade someone else's personal space, you're putting your dog at risk. What if that person reacts poorly? What if they panic and kick your dog? What if they are so afraid of dogs that they yell? Your dog might then panic, thinking people are bad because of dogs that they yell. Your dog might then panic, thinking people are bad because they yell when they get near, or people around you might start to think that your dog bit the person.

Speaker 1: 2:38

Just remember, when you are in a public space, it is your job to control your dog and keep him out of other people's space. In public indoor spaces or tight outdoor areas like trails or sidewalks, keep your leash at about two to three foot. That gives your dog freedom to walk and sniff the air, but not enough leash to wander into someone else's bubble. Leash to wander into someone else's bubble. Navigate around people, not beside them. Maybe have your dog sit-stay on the side of the trail or the shopping aisle until people pass. If someone wants to say hi to your dog, they'll ask you, but until then assume they don't want to meet your dog. They don't want to get near your dog and you need to advocate for your dog by keeping them close and out of other people's space. Remember, just because your dog is allowed somewhere doesn't mean they're allowed everywhere, including in someone else's personal space. Respect the leash, respect other people and don't be the reason that businesses start to second guess allowing us to bring dogs to begin with.