This photo might not look like much, but this dog - the #shikoku TK - is very suspicious of new people and hand-shy to the point that @crispbean manages him like a human-aggressive dog. Having him choose to not only let me pet him, but to solicit it and lean on me for the duration really is an indicator of the trust that's developed from our previous interactions. I've earned his trust by completely respecting his boundaries at all times (to the point of sitting on my hands or tucking them under my arms at first) and allowed him to set the pace for when and how he wanted my attention. From staring at me constantly to sniffing warily to using me as a "time out" zone when the puppy was a jerk to brushing by me "accidentially" to carefully presenting a flank intermittently for scratches, he's been in control of the entire process. It didn't happen quickly. We had to meet multiple times over the course of a year, and it was only this last time he decided I might not be so bad. If he chooses in five minutes I'm not trustworthy and keeps his distance, that's his choice. With all dogs - but especially reactive dogs or those with trust issues - it's important our relationship continue to be entirely up to him. I'm just happy he's decided he likes me even this much, if just only for a few moments. And even so, I'm never going to try to pet near his head or offer him a hand to sniff when he does drive-bys, because he's not cool with that - butt skritches are where his comfort level will likely remain. #dogsofinstagram #pdxdogs #nihonken #shilokuken #nobaddogs (at Portland, Oregon)
