Your Dog Doesn't Need to Say Hi! (Leashed Edition)

When your dog is meeting a new dog for the first time, an on-leash greeting is not generally a good way to do this. Like many other species, dogs have a fight-or-flight natural response linked to survival. When leashed during greetings you are essentially taking the ability for flight away from your dog, leaving the fight. Even if your dog doesn’t want to fight, an on-leash greeting can create too much tension for most dogs to handle, which could result in a dangerous altercation.

Along with taking your dog's option to leave or de-escalate an interaction, leash tension plays a huge role in on-leash meetings. Dogs communicate through body language and a tight leash can cause miscommunication that could quickly turn into a dog fight. Not only can these interactions lead to an injured dog and a vet bill, but they can also result in behavioral problems like; reactivity, anxiety, or even aggression.

Some dogs can comfortably greet their friends on-leash, however it’s not for everyone and you should take into account your dog's body language and normal mannerisms to control the interaction as much as possible.

And remember letting your dog drag you to strange dogs to say “Hi” is rude behavior and may not be appreciated by the other dog and handler.