Ok, so your dog probably doesn't spend a lot of time waiting at a bus stop. Dogs are not people, and people are not dogs, but sometimes it is handy to use analogies to help understand behaviour. This is where ‘Bus Stop Manners’ comes in.

What are ‘Bus Stop Manners’?

Imagine you are sitting at a bus stop, or at a park bench or sitting at the food court in a mall… you get my drift. A person sits down beside you, staring intently at you, not breaking their gaze, not blinking, just staring.

You likely will feel uncomfortable. Maybe you:

• crack a joke (Fool Around Response),
• move and sit somewhere else (Flight Response),
• start a fight (Fight Response), or
• pull out your phone and pretend to be busy (Fidget Response).

In another scenario, a person runs up to you at the bus stop, jumps in your lap, wraps their arms around you, and declares you to be their new BFF! You start hearing about all of the intimate details of their life.

Likely you feel uncomfortable and might have some of the same responses as to the person the first scenario.

In yet another scenario, a person sits down next to you, glances your way and then goes about their business, or perhaps they start a polite conversation “Nice weather today” or “Do you have the time?” They look at you with a soft look to their gaze, being careful not to intrude upon your personal space, and reading your cues about whether you’d like to engage in small talk or be left alone.

Finally you’ve met a polite person who understands appropriate social interactions when meeting strangers.

Not all dogs have good social skills

Dogs have similar rules when it comes interacting with strange dogs. Due to learning history or genetics, some dogs (even 'friendly' ones) lack social skills.

It is important to ensure our dogs have good ‘Bus Stop Manners’. Help your dog have good manners – don’t let them be the weirdo at the bus stop.

Ok... But How??

Staring at strangers is rude =) Someone may have told you this at some point, but we might not connect that with dog behaviour. If your dog is softly watching a person or dog, praise them or simply let them be a good dog.

If your dog fixates, stares, or freezes while watching a strange dog or person, we interrupt that and help them watch while being less intense and more polite. The important piece is to do this while creating more relaxation, never using pain, fear, threats, or anything that can create a negative emotional reaction.

But How?? Stay tuned, the next post will have those details!

FREE WEBINAR! In case you missed the announcement and are wondering what this is all about, I am so excited to offer this FREE Webinar on Leash Reactivity. So many of you struggle to walk your dogs and I find myself sharing the same information over and over again with each new student. We will address the commonly missed key parts of fixing leash reactivity and getting you back enjoying walks. It makes us so much more confident when we know how to help our dogs and how to give them the skills so they can enjoy their walks too! Save Your Seat! P.S. Right after the webinar, I'll be opening the doors to LEASH REACTIVITY DEEP-DIVE, my group mentorship program in which I spend 8 weeks with a small group of people struggling with leash reactivity. Because this is a custom experience and I get to know each of you and your dogs intimately, space is limited! We will sell out. Be sure to read all the details ahead of time so you're ready with any questions you might have! I hope to see you soon! Christina

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