How to Approach your Community Dogs

Approaching your community dogs is something that no one has ever really told us how to do. Looking at the cute little creatures makes almost everyone want to pet them. Even if you crave to just love them and shower them with attention for a few minutes but don’t know how to go about it, worry not! In this article we will share some tips on how to approach your community dog. 

1. Read their body language: As much as its tempting to just go to a community dog and start petting them, that is not the way to go about it. Reading their body language is key to ensure that both of you have a safe and enjoyable time together. If their body is tensed, it means that they are not ready to welcome you to share their space with you. However if they have a relaxed demeanour, then it means that they are okay with you gaining their attention and interacting with you.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Slowly gain their attention: Once you get a read on their body language, try to get their attention next. Call to them in a soothing voice or pat the place in front of you to gain their attention. Try not to spook them or give off a dominating aura. The key here is to remember that you are asking them for their attention, not ordering them.
   
   
   
    
   
3. Let them come to you: After gaining their attention, try taking a step back and crouching down. As told in the last step, the objective is to make them feel comfortable with you and not to ascertain your dominance over them. Also crouching down, makes you almost eye-level with them, making you seem less intimidating as compared to when you are standing up. Allow them to take their time and approach you. Even if they seem wary or uncertain, just stay calm and patient.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Allow them to sniff you: As most of you might know, dogs use their sense of smell as a form of determining a person’s first impression. A sniff can tell them if a person is male or female, healthy or ill, happy or sad, friendly or aggressive,etc. So let them take a nice long sniff of you as they might be in the process of identifying a new friend in their neighbourhood.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Pet them if they let you: Now that they have become acquainted with you and your scent comes the fun part. PETS!!! Again it is crucial to read their body language as some community dogs don’t like to get too physical with new strangers. Please keep their feelings in mind and only proceed to pet them if you receive all positive signs.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Offer them treats: You can offer them treats as a way of marking the end of your interaction. Make sure the you offer your community dogs  treats that are safe for them. If you are not sure of the right treat to present them, then check out our website: www.forthefurkids.com and check out the wide range of treats available. On a side note, you can always give them treats at any point of the whole interaction. 
   
   
   

We hope that this article helps you the next time you spot your community dog and makes them seem a little more approachable than before. If you have any more tips, feel free to share them with us!

Till then, lots of woofs and wags to you!