there's a video of this dog, agusta, from a store in brazil "waving" at customers as they exit while waiting for her owner. on the one hand, they say she's learned to do this bc she gets attention/treats, but on the other, her leash is wrapped around something as she waits and it doesn't look she has much room. I'm concerned abt how long she has to wait, how she learned to "wave," if her body language indicates she wants to be let off her leash, etc. i get why it might be cute but I have a bad feeling abt it
Here's an article showing Agusta waving
This one is a little tough. I do believe the owner is right--the dog is doing something she learned to be given attention--but there's more at play here. She's clearly a little nervous, with her lip licking and squinting, but she's also in a relaxed posture, and would have learned by this point that repeating this action gets her attention. If she didn't want attention, she wouldn't be doing it.
As a rescue who was in a poor state when found, it's not a stretch to say that people still make her nervous, but she enjoys attention enough to go for it anyway. I've met dogs who are nervous while being pet but seek it out; hell, I own one. He actively nudges his face into my hand, then acts awkward during the whole interaction. But if I stop, he immediately tries to get me to keep going.
So, as far as the dog's behavior goes: I'd say it's cute! She is actively seeking attention. While raising a paw can be a sign of fear or stress, I genuinely believe she wouldn't be doing it if she wasn't seeking pets and praise.
...However, you are right about the leash being too short, and an additional worry would be leaving her outside in the elements, with what appears to be no food or water. Without knowing exactly how often she's left outside in this state, I can't definitively say how bad it is, but it definitely warrants taking the "Cute" down to a "Maybe Cute" at the very least. If she's being left outside in the summer, always without food and water, with no room to walk, for hours at a time, then it's not cute at all. But we can't say for certain.
I will say this: not providing water at all times for any animal is a bad move. Animals need drinking water! So my final rating is: behavior is cute, condition is not.
