“I don’t let my dog greet strange dogs.”
- Dogfulness
- Jun 9
- 2 min read
“I don’t want off-leash dogs running up to us.”
“Dogs should always be on a leash.”
“Adult dogs don’t play.”
“A dog that runs up to mine is not only rude, but dangerous.”
You know that tone, right?
Words like walls. Harsh comparisons.
Fear. Control. Restrictions.
A leash gripped like a lifeline.
Now picture the other dog—the one approaching, watching carefully, curiously.
Maybe he wants to say something. Maybe challenge. Or maybe just check who’s come to the park.
He’s not stupid. Not dangerous.
He’s a dog.
Trying to exist in a world where his natural behavior is treated like a problem.
Yes, some dogs carry trauma.
For them, contact with other dogs is overwhelming. They need space and aren’t ready to socialize.
But they’re the exception—not the social norm.
We can’t build our entire approach to dog social life around the most fragile cases.
More often, it’s the human who’s afraid.
Afraid their dog will react, afraid of mess, afraid of risk.
Wishing their dog would just ignore others to avoid stress.
But that’s not good for dogs.
Not every meeting ends in a fight.
Not every dog is a threat.
Dogs need other dogs.
They need to read body language, signals, scents.
To feel another dog’s touch.
To build relationships.
To sometimes dislike each other, sometimes fall in love, or simply enjoy each other’s company.
Do all dogs have to greet each other?
No.
But should they have the choice?
Yes.
The dog community isn’t a ticking time bomb—
Or at least, it shouldn’t be.
It’s a subtle network of language.
A language no dog can learn while constantly being pulled away by a stressed-out guardian.
These are social skills that grow only in contact, not in isolation.
You don’t have to throw your dog into a pack of zooming dogs.
But show them not every encounter is a threat.
Don’t lock them into your mistrust.
Don’t deny them the right to be a dog—just because you’re unsure what might happen.
Your dog doesn’t need a life without stress or your 24/7 protection.
They need your willingness to try a different way.
To trust.
To pause.
To see other dogs not as enemies, but as conversation partners—
Maybe even future friends.
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