How To Meet A New Dog and Immediately Know If They Are Friendly or Aggressive

On Tuesday night I interviewed Dee Green, Canine Behavior Therapist and owner of BalancedDogs.com for the Pet Business Success Circle monthly expert call.

I had invited Dee to come to the call to discuss the safe way for a pet sitter to manage an aggressive dog. I loved that Dee came to call with a pro-active approach. She suggested to us on the call that instead of worrying how to manage an aggressive dog it’s much better to know some techniques to immediately put a dog at ease and reassure them that you are not a threat. I couldn’t agree more!

I don’t usually share the special tips from these calls with you - I usually save them for members only - but this tip is just too important not to share as it can protect the safety of a pet sitter.

Dee recommended that at an initial client interview visit that when you meet the dog or dogs you should follow these three rules:

1) No touch

2) No talk

3) No eye contact

Let the dog come to you and smell your legs and be as calm and quiet as possible. When he is done sniffing you he will then walk away. This greeting will instantly communicate to the dog that you are there to lead them, and that you are not a threat to them. It will put them at ease. This is how dogs greet each other in a non threatening way.

When you follow this plan you will know how the dog feels about your presence. If they are open and friendly, they’ll look up at you, or go get a toy and bring it to you. If they are nervous they will back away, but will be back to sniff you as long as you give them their space. An aggressive dog is more likely to greet you by barking, lunging, or growling. They may also nudge you to see if you respond.

If you meet a dog and greet them with lots of baby talk and excitement you may mask how the dog will behave when they are alone with you. You will put them into an excited state too.

You probably want to explain to the pet owner why you seem to be ignoring their dog and explain the reasoning behind this technique to them. You don’t want them to think you are not interested!

If you do meet a dog that is truly frightened they will avoid contact with you and shy away and hide behind furniture when you approach. The best move is always to wait and let them approach you first, no matter how long this takes. Just keep following the 3 rules and they will eventually come up and sniff you.

Dee had many other great tips including :

How to make walking dogs more manageable

How to avoid trouble when you run into other dogs while walking

How to let the dog know that you are the Pack Leader to make sure they obey your commands

Dee even helped me out with some of my own dog troubles at home.

Owning a pet business does not guarantee you success, but it is generally not difficult to set up your own pet business adn many who own pet businesses love the hard working lifestyle and the closeness to pets. You will have to compete with those who may be better trained, may have lower cost structures and those who “pretend” to have your skills and experience when they do not. (eg not all those who advertise themselves as groomers are actually Groomers).

There are also key skills that all dog industry professionals should possess. Here are some of the most critical skills and abilities for those hoping to work with dogs professionally: Basic Dog Handling and Training Skills, ability to recognize behavioral signals.

Animals can be somewhat unpredictable when they are under stress or in an unfamiliar environment, like when they visit the veterinary office or the grooming salon, so it is important to be attentive and stay aware of the animal you are handling at all times.