How to Approach an Unfamiliar Dog

Series Summary

Dogs can bring an infinite amount of joy and companionship into our lives, and dog training or obedience school gives dogs the discipline they need to stay happy as well. Coming home to a wagging tail and an eager smile creates a feeling of love and happiness, and can make anyone feel needed as part of a family. In fact, studies have shown that having a pet can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and relieve depression. Whether dog training in the backyard with a puppy or taking a long walk in the park with an old German shepherd, it's important to show dogs as much love as they show their owners. In this free video series on training and caring for a dog, professional trainer Zephyr Clarke-Dolberg teaches tips for handling, training, and owning dogs. Clarke-Dolberg begins with lessons on approaching an unfamiliar dog, cleaning up dog poop, choosing a dog for the family and other issues related to housing and living with a dog. Clarke-Dolberg also offers demonstrations of training a dog to obey voice commands and hand signals. He shows owners how to train dogs to keep off furniture, avoid fighting other dogs, not pull on a leash, not scratch or jump up on people, and more. He even gives training tips for more simple commands.

Video Transcript

"Hello, my name is Zephyr Clarke-Dolberg, from Miami Dog Training. In this clip we're going to talk about, how to approach an unfamiliar dog. First thing you want to know about approaching an unfamiliar dog, is that if you're going to reach your hands towards the dog, you want to do it from underneath, so your hand is not given to the dog in a threatening manner, which can be interpreted as being hit. So if you do approach them, let them smell you first. And it's important when you're letting them smell you, not to flinch, or move too fast, because you can spook the dog, and be bit. If you do approach the dog from underneath, you're going to be showing a much more softer side of you, instead of a threatening way of moving your hands, and then reading your body language. So let them come to you first, smell you, and in that time that they're smelling you, try not to jerk, or flinch, or move too fast. This is Zephyr Clark-Dolberg, and this has been, how to approach and unfamiliar dog."