https://thebark.com/content/social-distancing-dog-walks Social Distancing On Dog Walks Some dogs love it, some dogs hate it, but everybody sees differences between now and the “before times.” By Karen B. London PhD, September 2020 It’s new, this widespread practice of people and their dogs socially distancing from others while on walks. Though not pleasing to everyone, I think a lot of good has come from this particular societal change. I have long believed that random on-leash greetings can be problematic. Some dogs—even those who get along well with others when off-leash—don’t like to be greeted when they’re on-leash and unable to decline the opportunity. Other dogs are pushy, which ruins the experience for those they greet. Plenty of dogs are cautious and would rather just walk on by. Perhaps the biggest issue is that many owners do not recognize the signs of distress, anxiety, nervousness or fear in their dogs during a greeting that isn’t going well. Instead of removing their dogs from a situation that’s upsetting them, they remain in place. As behavioral geneticist Alice Moon-Fanelli, PhD, CAAB, observed in an opinion shared by many canine professionals, “I think it’s fabulous that owners are being obligated to learn to teach their dogs to focus on the owners and social distance. …The casual free-for-all introductions trouble me big time.” Will We Or Won’t We? Uncertainty About Dog-Dog Greetings Leads To Tension In the before times, when walkers and their dogs approached one another, there was often uncertainty about whether there would be a greeting. The “will we or won’t we?” greeting conundrum causes angst and excitement, which motivates dogs to act out in ways based on their personalities. Social dogs try to make contact by pulling, barking and whining, and fearful dogs do their best to avoid contact by pulling, barking and whining. Both types of dogs are letting their owners know what they want. So often, inconsistency about greeting other dogs while . . . #adoptnobuy #refugioanimal #adoptar #adopta #dog #cat #animalsanctuary #animalshelter #donate #adoption #adoptions #puppies #kitties #adoptme #animallivesmatters https://www.instagram.com/p/CFKgHjsHN_U/?igshid=1w8lfwe6x8fcs