This past weekend Iggy and I got to
interact with a group of people who are frightened of dogs. They come from a
culture where dogs aren’t part of the daily social interaction. Nonetheless,
they were curious and drew near. I took it upon myself to provide these
“could-be dog lovers” a positive experience with my dog.
About 10 children approached
us. I could hear one say that he was scared of dogs. I stopped and asked
Iggy to sit. The kids surrounded us, keeping a safe 5-foot distance, and leaned
in to look at Iggy. Because Iggy responded favourably to my commands, the kids
soon felt at ease and wanted to know more about the dog. They came out of their
shells and asked some great questions like “what’s his name” and “what kind of
dog is he”.
Later on, a lady and her daughter
approached. They asked if they could pet the dog but seemed very
hesitant. I turned Iggy around, held his head, and suggested they pet his
bum. Petting the hindquarters works well with people who really want to pet the
dog but are too scared to do so. Of course, I would only do this with a dog who
was very comfortable being touched by strangers and having his bum touched.
Keys to being a dog
ambassador
- Be sure
that your dog has mastered the “stop” and “sit” commands.
- Absolutely
no touching unless your dog is comfortable being touched.
Winning them over a
little at a time
I am thrilled that Iggy and I got
the opportunity to introduce people who were very uncomfortable with dogs to a
great experience with a dog. Hopefully, with a number of good experiences these
kids will grow up to at the very least be comfortable around dogs.
