My Cocker Spaniel Bella attracted a fair amount of attention when she was a puppy when we were out and about. People's faces used to light up when they saw her. Contrary to what we'd all like to believe, dogs don't always want to say "Hello" to you, or be touched or stroked. It may seem normal, but it can be extremely problematic. They don't know you and they could be scared of you. The problem is to satisfy your desires and not to respect my dog's needs.
Please restrain your desire to fuss a dog and pay attention to a dog's body language. Dog's make it very clear when they are unhappy so understanding the signs, teach your children and treat the owner with respect. A responsible owner of an anxious dog will always have management tools in place. Bella is always out in public in her yellow. If a dog is in yellow then that means they need space.
I promise I'm saying "no" from a place of love, but a place of love for my dog. It gives me no pleasure saying "no". So please, stop looking at me like I am a control freak. When she's on the lead, it's my responsibility to read her body language and not subject her to something she does not like.
Why do adults think it's ok to come straight up and touch my dog without asking? That's not only rude, but it's also dangerous. Please give me a chance to warn you, she is scared of being touched because once it hurt her. She thinks that when you touch her it will cause her pain and discomfort. So she will communicate to you obviously in doggie language which is often not recognised by people. What would you say if she growled at you? This is my dog's way of saying "Go away, I am scared of you." So don't think I'm depriving her of love, she's just not looking for any from strangers.
As you know, people who haven't experienced a reactive, nervous or fearful dog aren't always completely clear on what to do when they see one. With this awareness day it means with a little community effort, we can get the word out and remove the guess work, so that everybody can enjoy their walks.
Sharing your life with a reactive dog can be incredibly hard at times. One of the most frustrating things when walking your dog that is wearing their yellow space awareness harness or lead is people not understanding what it means.
#dogsinyellow is the launch of our Yellow Army joining forces to promote owner education and spread the word.
We wish everybody knew how to make life easier for our dogs in yellow. Not every dog loves attention.
