Why you shouldn’t let a stranger pet your dog
It’s easy to think this could be a fun, happy interaction for everyone involved (including your dog), but put yourself in your pup’s shoes.
“Let me ask you this: would you want to be touched by a stranger?” Dr Spano told The Dodo.
Well, just because your dog loves to have his butt scratched, it doesn’t necessarily mean he wants a random person to be the one to scratch it.
And if your pup is pulling towards a stranger, that doesn’t guarantee that he wants to be petted by that person — he might just be trying to find out more about them.
“The dog is simply investigating who that someone is,” Dr. Spano said. “Upon going up to that someone and sniffing them, he will obtain olfactory cues. From there, that information (those cues) is perceived by the brain, helping the dog interpret whether or not he or she really wants to engage with that stranger, ignore that stranger or actively get that stranger out of his environment from fear.”
Basically, just because your dog wants to approach a stranger, it won’t always result in a fun time.
“It is entirely possible that a dog pulls towards a stranger because he is investigative, curious, and perhaps even anxious about that person,” Dr. Spano explained. “Upon sniffing that person, he may actually attempt to run away or even lunge.”
Possible problems with letting strangers pet your dog
“Unfortunately, there are no benefits,” Dr. Spano said.
Now, that doesn’t mean you should never ever introduce your dog to another person — socialization is still such an important part of your dog’s life.
“Some people in this scenario may twist this advice to the extreme and interpret this as recommending the dog just stay in a bubble for the rest of his life, not experiencing any socialization. That is so untrue,” Dr. Spano explained. “Especially as puppies when the world around them is so influential, socializing with people is very important, but it must be done carefully and positively.”
In order to do this carefully, it’s important to understand what your dog’s body language means.
“If your puppy is showing signs [of] actively wanting to solicit attention from a stranger, such as by walking up to the person with a very loose body [and] wagging his tail, go ahead and let your puppy ask the stranger for attention (of course with the consent of the stranger),” Dr. Spano said.
But make sure you’re paying extra close attention, in case that body language shifts to signs of fear or anxiety, like:
If your pup starts showing those signs, never force the interaction to continue, because that might lead to fear-based aggression.
And if your dog struggles with anxiety, or is afraid more often than not, letting a random person pet your dog could just make that worse.
“Allowing a stranger to pet a dog that is fearful will only make the dogs underlying fear and anxiety about strangers more intense over time and is risky in terms of liability,” Dr. Spano explained.
With that said, in the real world, you can’t control every variable, nor do you want to own a dog that can’t tolerate strangers, develops behavior problems, or becomes aggressive toward strangers or at the end of their leash. German Shepherds must be socialized so that they don’t behave in an unacceptable way around strange people and animals or in new places.
Since German Shepherds are naturally watchful and protective, they consider if their job to look after those they love. However, that doesn’t mean they should be aggressive toward strangers or not know how to greet them. In fact, it’s your job to socialize them so they know how to behave in public and safely greet strange people and animals.
Socializing your dog doesn’t mean that every stranger on the street should be allowed to pet your dog. Be comfortable telling strangers “no” and setting boundaries regarding your pet. At the same time, expose your dog to many situations and train them how to behave in situations, such as:
However, since they are naturally aloof and naturally protective, they shouldn’t be expected to desire touching by just anyone who happens to want to pet them. And, since they are also a herding dog, they are naturally mouthy. From puppyhood, they need to be trained that it’s not okay to bite and nip hands (not to be confused with anxiety, aggression, or fear biting), etc. The last thing you need is your shepherd giving someone a little nip to herd them away or protect you.
It’s also equally important to protect people who are uncomfortable with German Shepherds by keeping your dog from their personal space. Owning a German shepherd is a huge responsibility but it’s also an amazing privilege.