How Do I Know if it Is Safe for My Dog to Greet Another Dog?

 Posted on May 19, 2020 in Dog Bite Injuries

If you are a dog owner, you have probably experienced a variety of dog-to-dog socialization moments while out on a walk. When another dog owner asks if their dog can say hello (or vice versa) it is perfectly acceptable and even encouraged, since dogs must be socialized to prevent them from reacting poorly to other dogs. There are effective strategies that you can use in these situations to prevent your dog from getting bit or from getting injured yourself.

Letting Dogs Greet and Play With Each Other

If you are familiar with the body language that dogs use when a person approaches them, that information applies in animal interactions as well. One detail to pay attention to is whether or not both dogs are spayed or neutered. It will be difficult to tell at a glance whether a female dog has been "fixed," but this is often easily noticeable for male dogs. This can have a significant impact on the interactions between dogs, since non-neutered males are likely to exhibit dominant behavior towards other males, and females that have not been spayed are likely to show dominant behavior towards other females. If you cannot assess this, there are a variety of other behaviors to watch for to keep your dog safe.

Almost every time two dogs interact for the first time, they will want to familiarize themselves with the other’s scent to establish trust. If the other dog is very tense, has their tail between their legs, and will not let your dog sniff them, that is already a sign that you should slow things down. If you let your dog get too excited at this point, you risk eliciting a fearful bite in response. 

A dog that stands upright and almost leans forward with its ears and tail very erect could pose an opposite issue — they are already sending dominant signals. If the hair on their back, known as hackles, is down, this likely means that the interaction will go well. In many circumstances, as long as your dog is not the same gender or does not try to compete with the other dog’s dominance, you can gradually let them greet each other. However, if the other dog has raised hackles and is quick to bare their teeth, this is the telltale sign to keep your dog away from the other animal. No matter the situation, you should proceed with caution, look for these signals, and keep both dogs on a leash when socializing. Once tails start wagging, and dogs become playful, you will likely not have much to worry about.

Contact a Naperville Dog Bite Attorney

Unfortunately, many animal interactions can quickly become violent, even if a dog is seemingly good-natured. If you, your dog, or a loved one have suffered a dog bite injury, you will want to understand your options for pursuing a liability claim with the help of a trusted Naperville dog bite attorney. At Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices, we will help you establish what your claim should entail and assist you in getting the compensation that you deserve. Contact us at 630-552-6860 to schedule your free consultation.

Sources:

https://petcube.com/blog/dog-aggression/

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/aggression