“Don’t worry, he’s friendly”. The words that put ice in the stomach of every dog trainer or reactive dog owner.
As a trainer who often works with aggression and an owner of some very serious dogs, these words are the bane of my existence. They are more often then not accompanied by a very happy and energetic dog barreling towards you off leash, recall not even a thought in their owners mind.
Why is this such a problem? Well, their dog is friendly. This does not mean that the dog they are running to will receive them that way. I have witnessed otherwise extremely social dogs who take extreme offense to being bomb-rushed by a strange dog. Think of it as the human equivalent of a complete stranger running up and giving you a giant, unsolicited hug.
While the uneducated owner is thinking that Fido just wants to make some new friends, they could be unknowingly starting a fight, erasing weeks of work in reactivity training, causing fear reactions in previously non reactive dogs, creating over stimulation in another friendly dog (leading to, you guessed it, reactivity), or so many other negative things. This is such a harmful and entitled mindset for owners to be in. The “my dog is friendly, so why can’t they do what they want” attitude.
Now, what’s the best way to approach this?
Always keep an eye out- the more time you have to react the better.
Create SPACE. If you can get avoid the situation, absolutely do it!
Advocate for your dog, as soon as you see a potential “friendly dog” that looks out of control, communicate with their owner. “My dog bites” (even if not true) generally gets them to get control if they are capable and can save your dog from a potentially traumatic or harmful experience.
If the dog gets to you, do whatever you can to protect your dog. I always put myself in between and try to grab the other dog if it is something my dog can handle. If that is above what is comfortable for them, I’ll wave the dog away and keep them at bay however necessary.
As the owner of a social dog, what should you do? Train your dog! A solid heel command and a reliable recall go a long way. If you know your social butterfly can’t pass up the chance to greet a buddy, leash them up and use it as engagement practice with a distraction. Remember to keep an eye out too! Even though your dog is friendly, you have a responsibility to keep direct control of your dog at all times in public. Always be understanding that not all dogs are the same as yours, and have safe off leash fun with your buddy when they have enough proofed training to do so!