Introduction etiquette
When interacting with dogs, it’s always the human’s job to look for and respect the dog’s feelings and experience. For shy or nervous dogs, it’s important to refrain from applying pressure.
“No thank you” signals
Shy, worried or scared dogs may:
Avoid eye contact
Show side eye (sometimes called whale-eye)
Tuck their tail or lower their head
Have a stiff body
Turn away or “not hear” when their name is called
Pressure
Humans greet each other differently than dogs. Without realizing it, humans may put unintended pressure on the dogs.
Here are some things to avoid:
Approaching them head on
Making eye contact
Leaning or reaching to “let them sniff”
Hovering over their heads
Baby talk or addressing the dog too early
Instead, try:
stopping short, sit or stand still, with your side to the dog
averting eyes away and down
keeping hands still at side or in lap
keeping upper body upright
silence or talking to their person instead
Dogs interpret the world through their noses, so let them sniff! The best thing to do around a new dog is ignore them, stay still, and let them investigate. This is not an invitation to reach out and pet them.
Invitation signals
When is it time to engage? A dog inviting interaction may have:
A loose body and tail
A relaxed face (open mouth)
Initiating eye contact
They may even nudge or lean in for pets
Accepting the invitation
Once the dog has had an opportunity to investigate, here is how to greet them:
Without reaching, summon with a leg pat, cluck, or kiss sound
If the dog approaches, offer an open palm and little chin scratch to start
When petting a new dog, it’s always important to take breaks, reassess their body language and let them say when they want more. A dog might walk away after a few pets and humans must respect that choice.