"My dog is friendly!" - shouted across a beach, a hotel garden, a river bank - is usually accompanied by a dog rushing toward yours at full speed, off-leash, head-on. Not because the approaching dog is necessarily a problem. But because the owner has confused their dog's general social orientation with a guarantee about how any specific encounter will go.

What "Friendly" Actually Means

A friendly dog is a dog that, in appropriate circumstances, with appropriate introductions, in an appropriate state, engages positively with other dogs. Appropriate introductions: parallel walking before face-to-face, side approach rather than head-on, both dogs allowed to choose the pace of the interaction.

The Head-On Approach: Why It Causes Problems

A dog rushing toward another dog head-on with high energy is, in dog communication, rude. Extremely rude. The appropriate greeting in dog social language is a curved approach, not a direct one. A head-on charge, regardless of the rushing dog's intention, is experienced by the receiving dog as a potential threat or challenge. The receiving dog has three options: engage (sometimes resulting in conflict), flee, or warn (growl, snap, bark).

Leash Reactivity: Why the On-Leash Dog Is Not "The Problem"

Captain is leash-reactive to certain dogs approaching off-leash while he is on leash. When a dog is on leash, they cannot perform the natural conflict-avoidance behaviour of retreating to a comfortable distance. When another dog approaches head-on, off-leash, the on-leash dog is trapped. The reactivity is a direct response to the trapped feeling combined with the threat of an inappropriately approaching dog.

At Pet-Friendly Stays: The Specific Guidance

Always ask before approaching.
If the other owner says "she's a bit selective" - take that as a no.
Never let your dog rush another dog.
Parallel walking is always the best introduction.

At Rivers Specifically

At the Kosi River during our Jim Corbett trip, we kept all three dogs leashed until we had assessed the other dogs present and found a section of riverbank with adequate space. Off-leash play happened only once we understood who else was there.

Related: Adopting a street dog India | Apartment dogs India | Dog travel misconceptions

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Why "My Dog Is Friendly" Is Not a Complete Sentence