What really stresses me out is when parents just let their kid run up and pet random dogs without asking. Thats so dangerous.

You should write a children's book that teaches kids about petting unknown dogs and how to behave around new dogs.

Having a service dog, the whole petting thing is especially hard. people get offended when I ask not to distract or pet her like "its not a big deal" but yes it is.

PEOPLE need to learn “no” is okay and not be offended/hurt by that - it’s the conditioning/training we humans did not have when we were little so fear/hurt from “rejection” and really hurt us ultimately. Kudos to you for doing this video to remind whoever come across this video and reinforce this concept healthily!

we've become a society too where not only can we not say "no" to other people but we can't take "no" for an answer. you can't do that. people need to learn that no is not personal.

I've never read a book so fast! kzfaq.infoUgkx1_veP7CApJK_GWy_TczaMciuG64PqJeU Learning about his dogs and experiences was just the icing on the cake - bed this book through and through. We're working with our new pup and Brandon's advise was just what I needed. Wish he'd just come and train for me haha but it's good for us and happy to have this new set of tools to use on our pup.

As a dog walker this is such a huge problem!! I usually just say "Oh, they're not friendly" and hustle the dog away 🤷🏽

This is absolutely the most frustrating thing I've dealt with in training my golden retriever. I recently got a bandana that says "Training" on it to help emphasize that we're busy, and that has definitely helped. It's really hard to teach your dog that he can't go up and say hi to everyone he sees when everyone he sees wants to come up and say hi to him! My favorite is when they just start walking up and I politely say "We're training, please don't pet him" and they say something like "Oh but he's so cute!" and then walk up and do it anyway! People are infuriating.

No, he is in training. No, he is not allowed to do meet and greets. No, he is working. No, ( hand up in a stop position).

Thank you for addressing this. The amount of off-leash dogs I’ve had to intercept on walks is ridiculous. The “he’s friendly” callout from the owner really gets me going because my dog REALLY HATES being approached by strange dogs when he’s on leash. People also have just reached out and petted him without asking and I’m so shocked every time lol. Like…at least ask? That being said most people do ask but still

As a service dog handler, I have had to get used to telling people "No". More often than not people mind their business or say a nice compliment in passing. But, there are always those who can't help themselves and those people frustrate me so much. I have had people call me "rude" or "a bitch" for simply replying with a quick, "No, I'm sorry she's working right now." when people ask to pet my service dog. It absolutely boggles my mind how entitled people can be. I have had to literally reach out and grab children's hands before they pet my dog cause they just walk by and reach out without so much as a thought and the parents are nowhere to be seen. Regardless of all of this though, we have respectful people most times, and I'm grateful. I never let strange people or strange dogs greet my dog because it's just safer, it takes one negative encounter to ruin months of training and with a service dog, I can't risk that. So I don't. I wish this was common practice for most dog owners/handlers.

I definitely have this issue. My dog doesn't like people, and can be reactive. So when people ask to pet him, it's really better to just say no, but the social aspect makes it very uncomfortable. The off leash dog thing makes me SO angry. I've had so many dogs approach us off leash - sometimes without the owner even nearby! And this is just walking around the neighborhood, or on hikes, and people almost never have reliable recall for them. The number of the dogs that have approached and then gotten into a light fight with my dog is beyond angering.

As a one-at-a-time dog walker who specializes in reactive clients (both to other dogs and people), THANK YOU for this video! The biggest problem I have is the people who persist after I tell them no, because they believe themselves to be The Beastmaster and that they’re special enough that the dog will love them immediately.

I am guilty of petting every dog I come across. I never gave any of the training technics a thought. But every time I do see a dog with a vest or a collar that announces it’s in training or a service dog I totally restrain myself. But from now on I will be a bit more attentive of the whole situation. Thanks for all the great lessons

Hand up, firm but kind voice: “No sorry, he’s in training right now. Thank you for asking though!” Extra tip: Even if your dog isn’t a bite risk in any way, put a basket muzzle on them. This goes especially for super cute dogs who get WAY too much unwanted attention during your training sessions. People do NOT want to pet or approach a muzzled dog. It’s so helpful for training!! If people judge the muzzle or think your dog looks “mean”, don’t let it bother you. Muzzles are awesome and save lives. Or in this case, they give you peace to train!

Last week at the grocery store, that has a "Service dogs only" sign on the door, an older couple was trying to get my dog to go to them while I was putting my groceries up to be checked out. Low-key anxiety attack while telling them "please don't pet her, she's a service dog.", putting my groceries up with a grocery cart in the middle of all of it... I always try to express how much I appreciate people asking. I find that children are more respectful than adults.

have definitly dealt with people like that. the worst is when theyre like “dont worry, my dog is friendly!” well thats great for you but my dog is reactive and im trying to keep some space. like at this moment i dont care how friendly your dog is, my dog is uncomfortable and thats what im focusing on. ive had adult family members throw temper tantrums over me advocating for my what my dog is comfortable with. its incredible how entitled people feel

I agree with you completely. Some people just don’t think past getting what they want. One of the funniest things I’ve seen on this issue, was when a guy with a dog walked over to someone’s kid and start petting her hair in response to them petting his dog without asking. The lady was so shocked! But I think he got his point across!😂

I completely agree with you Zac. However, I have been told I am "rude", "ridiculous", and "precious" when I asked people not to approach my dog. I decided to use a leash and harness with a 'Do Not Pet' sign. Then a woman verbally abused me for bringing a vicious dog out in public and putting her family in danger. I asked, "What makes you think she's dangerous? The sign is for her, not people". According to the same woman, IF that's true, I'm a selfish person who shouldn't even own a dog. In some cases, you just can't win...

I have a Labrador Retriever who recently passed her public access test as a service dog. I had a doctor’s appointment, so I took her to her first public access as a service dog in public (side note: she hasn’t learned her official tasks yet, just public access). As I sat and waited my turn, most people would come up to me and say, “beautiful dog, can I pet it?” My answer was always, “no, I’m sorry she’s working right now.” She had a leash with “do not Pet” running down both sides. Her vest had patches on both sides with “service dog do not pet” and a patches with “Do not distract” on both sides as well. She was standing by my side when this guy came up to her, no interaction with me at all. He literally took her by her head and started ruffling her head as if he was trying to get her to play. I said, “Sir, please don’t do that, she’s working right now.” I was polite about it up until when he came back with, “oh it’s okay dogs need to have interactions with humans. This isn’t hurting her” as he continued to try to get her to play. My politeness went away at this point. I told him, “I asked you not to pet my service dog and now I am telling you, do not pet my service dog. She is here for me, not for your entertainment” The guy actually told me to lighten up as he was finally walking away. There was a guy sitting two seats away from me who said, “Some people will never learn.” The whole time, Duza was looking at me as if to say, “I’m being good girl, right?”

This is such a big problem that is not talked about enough!!! As a service dog handler (with confidence issues) almost every time I go out people will distract my dog. I have even seen people try to sneak a pet ‘without me noticing’. Thank you for covering this. My service dog in training is still a puppy and petting her could make it very hard for me to get her back in work mode. It’s very frustrating because, like you said, you don’t want to sound like a jerk.

Mine is a "No thank you" with a stop hand out if they are already close, or an arm block in front of my dog if the person is already reaching their hand out. Quick and effective. It might seem rude, but not half as rude as trying to pet my dog without asking 🤷

One of my least favorite things is when random strangers decide they know what’s best for your dog. Lately I’ve used a Gentle Leader on my dog because he’s a super puller. He’s still getting used to it and can get fussy with it while we’re out and about. When he gets fussy and strangers see it they’ll make comments like, “clearly he’s not a fan of that thing.” Thank you, Captain Obvious but I’m going to use what’s working for my dog regardless of your unsolicited opinion. So frustrating!

"We've excepted this etiquette with service Dogs in Pubic." No, they really haven't. My partner has both diabetes and epilepsy and his SD alerts for both. Even when she's fully vested and in a perfect heel people still literally 'run' up to her and scruff her face or grab her ears and coo at her. She has over 17 patches on her vest on every inch saying 'do not distract' or 'working do not pet'. People are entitled and selfish and they don't care. So I'm really sorry to be the bearer of bad news here, but most people in my experience do not even give SD's they respect they deserve. And they almost all get huffy and offended when I tell them to leave us alone. It' also not kids. Every time I can remember it's been a person 45+. They know better, they just don't care.

I’m a dog person. Always have been. And I didn’t know about petting until my dog bit someone! My GSD is nervous. I had no clue my dog would bite. Now, he wears a bandana that says “please don’t pet me”. He’s protective of mom!!! Humans and canines pose a threat to him! I socialize him well at pet stores and such and kids always ask to pet him! I always say “I’m sorry he’s not very friendly. He’s very nervous.” And everyone is very kind to me.

I’m a dog walker in the UK. This was a fascinating video with a lot of food for thought. When it’s humans approaching the dog I’m with, the vast majority will ask. I will flag up the tricky ones with “I’d rather you didn’t, as she’s very nervous. But thanks for asking.” Or “she might bark or jump up”. If they push it, I’ll explain “if she overreacts, the law is not on her side. And I know you wouldn’t want to put her in danger”. But I can be quite stern if people aren’t listening. I enjoy saying hi to dogs, but I always ask. If they say “no, sorry” (and this is Britain, they will apologise!), I always say “that’s ok, that’s why I ask”. Gold points to parents who’ve taught their kids to ask before approaching, and how best to pet a dog without startling it. And I do enjoy being available as a teachable moment for owners struggling with dogs who jump on strangers. My first dog was excellent at sitting for people he knew, but 99% of the time he got a cuddle from strangers, so I try to be the helpful stranger who only gives a fuss when all four paws are on the floor. And fellow dog owners have thanked me for it, when they see improvements in their pup’s manners. When it’s other dogs, and mine is on lead, it depends on both my dog’s history and body language and the other dog (whether I know them, what their body language says and what their human is doing - if I can’t see their human, they don’t get to approach unless I’m very familiar with them). As you know, a dog on lead feels vulnerable, both because their options are limited (they can’t run away) and because they are right next to someone they feel protective of. I’m lucky in that I generally go to the same park every day and get to know most of the dogs, their owners, and any issues to be aware of. If my dog is on lead, I stay hyper aware of what both dogs are doing while they interact. I will use both body and voice to block approaches if I’m uncertain, and will ask people to call their dogs away if I’m worried. I tend not to take dogs into the park if I’m concerned about their behaviour. To the credit of most local owners, if they see a dog on lead in the park, most will ask if I’d like them to put their dog on lead too, and I really appreciate that thoughtfulness (although it’s rare that I say yes, unless their dog is particularly insistent). When off lead, even with familiar dogs playing, I stay alert and will offer treats to everyone at regular intervals (particularly if it’s more than two dogs playing) so the mood stays calm and relaxed.

I always ask, and I have only gotten a no once. I was not offended or upset, I think it is good that people say it how it is. People are different, and so are dogs. Walking up to a dog without the owners permission is just crazy. It can even be dangerous.

This message needs to be blared on every channel for 24 hours.

I agree that people who ask nicely are better than those who just do it, and most of the time I let people pet my dog, but I ask them to kneel instead of standing above him, because he gets nervous when that happens. Haven’t seen the whole video, but great points already.

As someone who has always had Irish Wolfhounds (until recently), I can certainly relate. Everybody and their brother wanted to pet the "big dog", feel their hair, and ask how much they eat. And I can understand where that person is coming from. I love dogs, too, so I get it. On the other hand, not every one of my Wolfhounds liked tons of people running up to them and petting them. So I would usually tell people "I'm sorry, she's really tired now and we're just getting ready to leave" and then remove the dog from those overbearing people. On the other hand, we had several Wolfhounds who loved nothing more than meeting people and getting petted and I was usually a little more lax with letting people pet those dogs. So be respectful of others. If you'd like to pet their dog, ask them if you may. If they say no, respect that (and realize it probably isn't personal). If they say "no, she doesn't like strangers and may nip at you" believe them! Don't think "dogs really like me and she won't nip a ME". If you see someone training their dog, don't interrupt and ask to pet the dog. That's just rude. If someone's dog jumps up on you and they're trying to get the dog to sit politely instead, don't say "it's okay, I don't mind". Don't pet the dog until the dog is sitting politely. I know you want to pet the cute dog--like I say, I'm an animal lover and I get that. I want to pet the cute dog, too. But please be respectful of the dog and the dog's person. I have a situation that is a bit awkward now. We have two dogs (smaller ones) and one just simply loves to be petted by anyone and everyone. The other does not appreciate being petted by people she doesn't know--at all. So when people ask if they can pet my dogs, so if I want to give them permission, I tell them they may pet one, but not the other.

When I get the “don’t worry my dogs friendly” comment where dogs are supposed to be on leash I tend to say my is NOT. (He is friendly that has always worked for me).

I appreciate this video, it reinforces my intuition as an owner. Also an important point is that no matter how friendly a dog is, people can be afraid and not comfortable being approached by an off leash dog if it’s not a permitted area.

I really appreciate you addressing this. I feel as though people need to be more considerate overall and advocate for their dogs. I think it’s important to be assertive with strangers or other dogs that want to interact with your dog.

My Bichon, who died last year, had an autoimmune disorder. The medications for that lower your immune system, which meant that I had to make sure he was never close to other dogs, because getting so much as a cold could literally kill him. The number of times that an off-leash dog would come out of nowhere and run up to us was unbelievable. And the owner(s) would eventually stroll up and say "oh, it's okay! he's friendly!". I swear, my blood would start to boil. I would understand if it was someplace like the park, where you tend to let your dog roam a bit, as you work on training, but these were always just out by the street. Do you not care that your dog could get hit by a car??

Even wearing a vest stating “Do not Pet or Distract” people still ask and come up and pet your dog. I have a Service Dog and a new Service Dog in Training. It’s the worst part of training.

This is literally my life on the regular while I’m out with my guide dog. It’s obnoxious, and dangerous, because my dog NEEDS to be focused on her job to keep me safe. I appreciate hearing this discussion coming from someone other than a guide dog handler. Thank you, sir.

I get this all the time ! My dog is really nervous of new people. She's been slowly gaining confidence but initial meetings is s big challenge. And even though she does really well people or children running up to pet her really stresses her out. I have a collar that says do not pet but not many people listen to it 😅

When people come up to me in public, can I pet your dog, my answer is always NO, and that's it, amazing how people get offended by the word no.

I’m a-okay with being “rude”. In reality I’m not the rude one, the person disrespecting my dogs’ or my boundaries is the rude person. If someone comes up and gets bit, there is a chance that dog could lose it’s life because one person’s selfish act. Just because an animal exists in our presence doesn’t mean we are entitled to touch it. Hypothetically, in these situations, swap out your dog for your child. If someone asked to touch my child and I say no, but they throw a fit. Any sane person would view the stranger as the rude/bad person. Whether it’s your dog or your child, you’re protecting the safety of another life.

I really appreciate when owners can recognize and respect when play styles do not match up. I have a Belgian Malinois who loves to play with other dogs and is great at tailoring her “roughness” for each dog she plays with. However she is also not afraid to correct the other dog if they get too wound up or take things too far. This is great in most situations so long as the other owner is aware that she is prone to do this and understand that she’s not “attacking” their dog. One thing I was vaguely cognizant of but hadn’t dealt with personally was how much a “third party dog”, for a lack of a better phrase, could impact her corrections. For example, we were at our usual park and she was playing great with a beautiful German Shepherd. They were very evenly matched in their styles and both dogs were very relaxed in both their wresting/rolling around and their intermittent games of chase. Enter Skyler, a young Aussie Shepherd that LOVES everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. She’s like the energizer bunny on crack. So Skyler goes to join in the chase and wrestling, which probably wouldn’t have been a problem except she is one of those dogs that likes to stand on the edge of play and bark at the other dogs. I, unfortunately, was too late in realizing that her barks were creating tension between my dog and the German Shepherd. Eventually, about 20 seconds later, either my dog or the shepherd decided it was time for a correction but corrected the wrong dog, whether because of proximity or just misunderstanding, and they ended up getting into a fight (Skyler dipped as soon as the tension reached it’s boiling point). I got them separated and neither dog was injured. We took both dogs away from the rest of the group, let them cool down and then reintroduced them so they could move past their differences and they moved on as if nothing happened. Long story long, it’s not just about whether or not your dog and the other dog play well together. It’s also about the environment around them and whether or not the other dogs or people around might cause a problem and it is our responsibility as owners to know what behaviors trigger your dog, communicate that to the other owner and assess the environment to make sure it’s optimal for your dog.

I had the same problem when my dog was a pup. I used to feel uncomfortable telling people not to pet my dog. But over time I kind of learned both the body language and the short concise phrases that make people move on. While not being flat out rude, that tends to not be the friendliest interaction, but that is not my primary concern. In just 6 months time these same people who want to pet that cute puppy will be annoyed when a large dog comes running into them. So in a way I am doing what is best for everyone involved even if it might make me seem like a douchebag. Another even worse scenario is when people think it is a good idea to "force" your dog to greet their dog on leash.

Thank you thank you. . . . .I'm not the only person in the world that feels this way?!?!? So many things have happened over the years and people call me over protective. NO!! My border collie took a hit from a golden retriever (totally unexpected!!) and she will never be the same. Call me over protective, I don't care. I will protect my dog at all costs ( and no, I don't do dog parks because I don't know these dogs) Also..... people who want to feed your dog because "they look hungry" or "they need a snack". . . .NO!!!

5:19 As a Service Dog Handler, I can test that people actually don't really know this or just don't care. The amount of times I need to tell people to not pet or stop distracting my dog Zor-El is just astounding. Since she's a service dog, her training standards are considerably higher than those of pets since she needs to do things and go places where pets cannot. Since she is still in training, a big part of her training is distraction training, impulse control, and public access. She has to ignore people, loud noises, objects falling, and people HITTING and THROWING things at her. She's a Rottweiler and really loves people so it's been extremely hard for her to ignore people and I have a system where when she is in her vest and/ or we are in a building, she is working, and when her vest is off, she's "off duty". It's been a process to get her to understand that but we got it in the end and during that (and even now) people just going up to her and petting her was very difficult for her to understand. So If there was a parent asking if their small child could pet her and I thought she could use some more experience with little kids, I would take off her vest and put her in either a sit or down stay. Those were acceptable times she could be pet and she knew since her vest was off it was ok to be pet and take a break and stuff. But when people just start to pet her I don't have the opportunity to tell them "no" or take off her vest and put her in a sit, it really confused her. I've always been a people pleaser and didn't like telling others no, so let's just say that "no" has become my most used word. Also on a side note, It's extremely dangerous for people especially children to pet dogs without asking their owners as the dog could be aggressive or not like being touched on their paws or ears and bite the person. It not only puts the child in danger but opens the dog owner to a lawsuit because they didn't get the chance to tell that person that their dog would/ could bite. Basically, if its not your dog, ask.

"No, sorry, Jake is spicy." 9 times out of 10 this works.

I have very beautiful lab, she was the cutest puppy I have ever seen. She got SO MUCH attention from strangers when she was little, I am talking about people stopping their cars to pet my dog. Now she is older and very strong, an she keeps demanding attention from strangers and sometimes it is unwanted. I didn't want to stop people from petting my dog because I didn't want to come across as rude, but now, I regret it. Do not be afraid to say NO

This is so helpful. As an early childhood educator who taught kids ranging in ages from birth to 11 years, all of my students learned never to interact with a dog without permission from the adult they were with and the dog’s owner. If 3-year-olds can understand this concept, adults can too. This video gave me something to think about as well. I never interact with working dogs and I never interact with any dogs without permission. But I have been the first type of person you mentioned: the one to ask for permission to interact without knowing if a dog is in training or nervous, etc and after seeing this video I will definitely keep the things you mentioned in mind. Off leash dogs are such a challenge and when I’ve spoken to their owners about it, I have almost always been met with an icy attitude. I’ve had some particularly difficult times with small dogs because their owners seemed to believe that they were harmless because they were small in size. My dog is absolutely never off leash/off lead outside, except during daycare. Lots of great info and things to ponder in this video! Thanks, Zak! I hope Inertia is recovering/has recovered from surgery nicely. Heading over to check out your latest IG/TikTok now! I’m loving the new and exciting content! 💜

I definitely feel your pain with the off leash thing. I recently took my dog to a park and had a very successful, multi-hour stay only to have it all come crashing down when a woman was sitting in a car with the door open and her dog leaped out and ran up to mine, who is VERY reactive to interactions like that. There's also a puppy at my apartment complex who "can't wear his collar and leash because he doesn't move with it on"... Of course I'm not one to give unsolicited advice, so I had to bite my tongue instead of telling them that not all dogs are naturally comfortable on leash and some puppies need to be gradually introduced to one, but it's SUPER necessary. Alas, not all pet owners do enough research before getting a dog or when they come to a challenge such as that.

It’s hard to muster up the courage to be firm and not be afraid of sounding rude.. I’m starting to get better but it’s difficult every time

YES! my 14yo senior dog has become more leash reactive as she gets older and harder of hearing/sight. But she doesn’t look her age.. people let their dogs run up to her off leash and get so offended when she begins to bark and snap. And our county and city BOTH have leash laws so I always kindly but firmly say “You need to leash your dog.” I’ve never gotten a good response but I don’t care! People need to know where I stand!

30 seconds in and im already here for it! I'm so happy people like you with a larger platform are able to inform people of this. I just recently adopted a dog from the shelter and I am training him on leash but its much more difficult when strangers purposely take his attention away from me when im trying to tell him something. He has "DO NOT PET" tags on him but you'd be surprised how many people still come up and pet him.

Thank you for being the one to make this video. It has needed to be said for so long, and you always articulate everything in a clear, gentle, but concise way for everyone to understand without sounded like a jerk. Thank you!

Everyday I have to feel I’m being rude because people pay unwanted attention to my young service dog. It’s frustrating, unfortunately I don’t always have a good day and I do get triggered, say something rude and end up apologising to them, this will literally ruin my day as I then spend the day raging with myself. People will always say he’s beautiful, cute, well behaved etc and that’s ok but I’d really prefer they didn’t say anything.

In the UK we have the yellow dog UK scheme, which is an international campaign created to raise awareness that some dogs shouldn’t be approached. I have a bright yellow coat that says “I need space” in bold letters on it that my dog wears on walks, plus he’s on lead. You can get a yellow scarf that goes around their neck or a yellow tube that goes on your lead. Most dog owners, here in my area of the UK, know that it is not a good idea to approach, but not always! Don’t know if it has reached the USA yet?

I've had to literally scream in 2 peoples faces because they kept approaching my reactive shepherd after being told several times not to.

Bro! Wow you’re awesome. I’m happy you expressed the way you feel bc there are others (such as myself) out here who feel the same way!

I really agree with the whole asking permission, because my dog is still being socialized with people, and if she gets overwhelmed, I am not 100 percent confident she wouldn't let them know with a nip. Thank you so much for addressing this problem, Zak. Hopefully tons of people will see this video and realize the error of their ways. As always, great video, have a great week both of yall and the dogs!! 😁

Thank you for this video. I got a leash and harness that says "training" and "do not pet" and sometimes that doesn't even keep people away. I've had people ask "service dog?" And I'm like"no I just don't want people up touch him".

I try really hard to always ask people if I can pet their dog before approaching, but even I mess up sometimes out of my own excitement. This was such a good, informative video and a very helpful reminder! Dogs need their personal space too. It’s like how I wouldn’t want some stranger to come up and hug me without warning - dogs don’t enjoy that either! Thanks Zak for always teaching me something and continuing to grow my understanding of these beloved creatures :) I love your videos!

I have a papillon. When we got her at 12 weeks she weighed just over a pound. I actually had someone give me grief because I picked her up when his 20 or 30 pound mutt came charging up to her. I don't mind introducing her to larger dogs....once I know they aren't going to eat her. This is not my first dog, and I am very aware of the need to socialize. But jeepers, toy dogs are just so vulnerable. I love her so much, I don't want her to get hurt...but if you can't understand that, can you at least understand I paid 2500 bucks for her?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently. My dog is just so DANG CUTE, people always want to pet him. But he’s very suspicious of strangers and will growl/bark if someone tries to approach. He’s totally friendly with house guests, it’s just when we’re out and about, he’s just not interested in meeting anyone. And I’m okay with that, bc I’m kind of an introvert and don’t really wanna talk to anyone either lol. But I’ll quickly say he’s not friendly and most of the time, they’ll understand. But if they’re too quick, my dog will let them know before they touch him that he’s not friendly 😂

Ugh. Yeeesssss! Preach! Thank you for this! It's extremely difficult for me to be confrontational and when people approach my dog it does feel like a confrontational situation. Thank you for reminding me I need to consider being my dogs advocate first.

Happens all... the... time! Glad even pros like you deal with it. Thanks for discussing this tough situation!

This video really makes me feel so validated! I have a very leash reactive pom and he always gets so stressed when other dogs come up to him and sometimes I can’t keep them away if they sneak up on us which results in a lot of anxiety for him. Owners often act shocked or feel I’m being rude when I pick him up and move him away but I don’t want to put him in that situation or in a potentially dangerous position to get hurt/hurt another dog.

Thanks for posting this, I had a really upsetting experience the other day. My dog is extremely leash reactive to other dogs, has a very strong dislike for large dogs, and is very protective of me, so I never ever let him meet other dogs while on leash. I saw a little boy walking a Rottweiler and they were too close by to get away without my dog noticing, so I sat my dog at my feet and had him stay (while still on leash of course) Well, the other dog wanted to play, so he happily ran full speed towards us, which pulled the leash out of the little boys hand. My dog did not like that at all and they ended up getting in a brawl, I was trying to walk away but since the other owner had dropped their leash, their dog was simply following us so the fight continued. Luckily, this dog truly just wanted to play and didn't choose to fight back too aggressively towards my dog, I almost think he thought my dog growling and nipping at him was part of a game, so no one was hurt, but it's very frustrating when you are doing all that you can to protect your dog (and those around you) and someone else fails to do the same. I think it's great that you posted this, as people need a reminder that just because your dog wants to play, doesn't mean someone else's does.

Thank you so much for addressing this uncomfortable situation, you are so on point on this and it is so hard to tell people even nicely because not all of them are happy about or respecful about it. specially children it is so hard to tell them no, they would tell your dog so cute and they are so happy to see a dog in the public. often times when owners are so confident they don't put their on lease and they claim their dogs are friendly, but they don't think what if your dog is not friendly and they come up yours. I am not a trainer but i love watching videos like this i learned a lot. 1. This is a good awareness video for people who have dogs and without dogs. 2. A better undeerstanding when seeing a trainer or a dog owner walking in public places. 3. Owners will be really responsible to put their dog on lease at all time in public places. 4. I think we should make the vest saying "PLEASE DON'T PLET ME I AM ON TRAINING" might help us while walking our dogs. 5. This probably the most stressful for owners to walk with their then other dogs without lease come to your dog. Like you said it can goes many ways.

My personal fav tip is put on a gentle leader when training in public, first because it looks scary for people, they think the dog is aggressive so they are less likely to randomly pet, second it give me so much more control, then I transition to harness at later stage

I've found it sometimes helpful to tell people what my pup DOES like. It helps them control their behavior ;) , or shift to something that works for me. "My dog likes, waves hello", "to be greeted from afar", "people who hold still and let him sniff them" or whatever, depending on who it is (if I know them or if he does). I especially use, "he LOVES people who play hard to get!" to non strangers as it keeps them from trying to interact and they want to prove that a dog will love them. 😁🤣. Mwahaha

I was walking and saw a woman with golden pup and she said hi and "training" and i got it but someone else might have still stopped. Now that i have my lab pup, I am going to try to do the same.

Having a service dog myself, you’d be surprised how many people just reach out and try to pet a working dog without permission or when told, no please don’t.

it always annoys me when people try and pet my dog on the top of her, and then say oh she is such a nerves dog when they are making her nervous by trying to touch her head. So thank you so much for spreading more awareness around aproching dogs.

I like this topic! I think it’s such a big part of our dog’s education and of our daily life as dog owners, that it cannot be talked about too much.

I tell people ‘she’s not friendly’, even though she really is. I’d rather people think she’s going to bite them, then think there’s no way she’ll bite them. It also is a wake up call for people who approach without asking, especially kids who maybe have only met super friendly dogs in their life. Same thing when a dog approaches her, except she actually will fight them. I tend to pick her up and put her on my shoulder if I have time, even though she’s 55 pounds. My dog doesn’t care if yours is friendly, she’ll try to beat them up anyway. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Thanks so much for this video. Off leash dogs are such a problem in my area. It makes me so angry when people let there dogs run up to my dog. He is an Amstaff who is super cuddly, sweet and caring BUT he does not like all other dogs, especially when he is on a leash, next to me, and a dog runs up to us. I struggle to walk him each day as we see off leash and not under control dogs every week. He has been attacked twice this year already as occasionally I can’t stop a dog running up to him. I carry water bombs and treats to throw at dogs who approach us, I yell no at them, grawl and stomp my feet but every now and then a dog keeps coming. By this time my dog has gone into protection mode and I am well aware that my dog only has to mess up ONE time and I will likely have to destroy him, as he will easily hurt another dog. One of the attacks he went through this year was a small dog who was trying to protect the young children in his family group. My dog had not reacted but one girl screamed to her mum that a big dog was coming which triggered her dog to react. There was nothing I do. I tried all my tricks to get this dog away from mine but it was obvious to me this dog would give his life for his children. Eventually I grabbed my dog around the neck and held him down, while the little dog attacked his rear legs (he is way to big for me to pick up). My dog was obviously upset by this and thrashed around, so the woman with the small dog was reluctant to jump in and grab her dog. It felt like the attack lasted at least 5 mins and when she eventually grabbed her dog she said nothing to me. Both my dog and I were shredded and it breaks my heart to do this too him but I felt like I had no choice. Do you have any advice for me? Or can you help? I live in Australia, so I don’t mean physically but I don’t know what to do. I love my dog more than anything and he should not have to put up with this. Thanks

What stresses me out is that I have a service dog, that has do not pet or distract all over her jacket, and people say "oh its ok, im a dog person". Definitely the biggest take away for most people is to please be considerate enough to ask permission. Great video as always.

Thank you for making this video. The worst experiences my dog has had, is when I have him on leash with off leash dogs just running right up. He doesn't want other dogs to get in his face.

Can relate. Yesterday, I had a man approach my dog who had a very attentive and happy “heel” going on, with his hand covered with his own sleeve and inching towards her to try to pet her, because he wasn’t sure she wasn’t going to bite him. She wasn’t at all, but she did get completely distracted, forgot about her “heel”, and was suddenly nervous because of his nervous vibes! Dude, back off!

I taught my GSD the "Safe Command," it's her going in-between my legs and sitting. Most people won't try to touch your dog when their in that position.... But the times I didn't have her in that position, I have no problem saying back off to anyone that approaches her, or saying, "you NEVER touch a dog you don't know!!"

So glad you addressed this subject!!! I have three dogs and only one is interested in meeting other dogs and people. I have learned to be their voice and advocate to keep them all safe. I have no problem with telling people no and will say something like "im training" or "my dog is an introvert". Occasionally if i feel the situation is appropriate i will ask if they would like to see some tricks, this lets them admire the pup and lets my pup focus on a task at a safe distance.

This video was so helpful! I just got back from a walk with my newly adopted dog. He has shown that he is very uncertain of other dogs and barks at them, not aggressively, but out of fear. A dog in our neighborhood was off leash and chased and barked at us. I ended up panicking and yelling, “No!” to the other dog because I’ve been working so hard with our dog, I didn’t want his progress to get set back. It was very, very scary and the owner of the other dog said, “he won’t hurt you.” I felt so frustrated because I knew I came across rude, but also needed to protect myself and my dog. Your videos have been a life saver in our training with our new dog.

Appreciate you talking about this.

It's crazy how relevant this is my current situation! I got a corgi recently and she is 4 months old. It's an understatement to say she has a firecracker personality! I've been following your puppy series with her training and she has been doing great, but with her being recently fully vaccinated we have been experiencing EXACTLY what you are talking about since she has upgraded to walks at our local park. She acts very much like your Inertia footage at 4 months when strangers approach, and I've been working getting her to look at me and focus rather than jump at people. It's crazy how strangers don't take the hint and keep approaching to pet her! I have to tell them we are training/she is a puppy and not fully vaccinated (I know, it's a lie but I just want space!) or saying something like "oh, she is not socialized yet, please give us space!". No matter how nice or explanatory I try to be, the owners insist on interaction. We had this happen today where the owner replied "Oh my dog is so sweet, don't worry, and he's up to vaccines!". We had also moved off the path but he still followed. It's hard to not sound like a jerk, and I totally agree with you that the general public needs better education about this!!! Thank you for putting this out there and of course for all your training videos - they are helping us so much!

Thank you so much for talking about this zak! People need to know how to deal with off leash dogs!!!

This happened to me today!!! I recently adopted a second dog, it has not been a week yet. Lucho is a poodle mix. He is recovering from abandonement so he is not neutered yet, and he is nervous and a little dominant. So, at the park today there was a man with two small dogs off leash, we met the female it went well we kept going, we met the little male and they smelled each other and perked up so I kept going and everything was ok, I was releaved and stopped for a little while at the end of the park. And then I see this little dog running towards us, so I yelled at him and scared him away. I'm glad it worked!

2:52 I've had people get upset when I am firm with them as well. If I'm training my dogs, focus is essential and I'm not worried about offending someone. The training is far more important than a moment of someone else not being able to understand.

This also needs to be reinforced with vet staff. I can't even count the number of times I've walked into a vet office and had the receptionists and vets (and sometimes the vets themselves) talk to my dogs in loud /exited voices , walk around to pet them and get them all hyped up and I have to interrupt them and ask them not to do it. You would think that people who deal with pets all day would be more respectful and cautious. One of our dogs is very friendly but also easily excitable and so it makes him wired going into an appt where he needs to be chill and calm. Our other dog is very nervous so the interactions just leave her more stressed out heading into an appt. It's incredibly frustrating.

My first dog did not want strangers approaching her. I quickly learned that I could not 'educate' people who tried to approach her, so I focused on blocking their approach by saying "no" with a stay away hand signal, keeping myself between them and my dog, and teaching my dog to walk on past. I'm old enough not to care if anyone thought I was rude for protecting them and my dog. My current dog loves to approach people, so now I have the opposite but easier problem of determining if the people want to be approached.

This video is so helpful to me! The dog training revolution is what helped me along the way with my border collie that I got unexpectedly from neighbors that couldnt care for her. She's my first dog and I thought it would be hard to own a border collie as my first dog but by watching zak work with inertia; I got a lot of help and tips! Thanks zak George!!! 😃😃😃

When someone ask me to pet my dog I say ask her. She doesn’t like to be petted by strangers and will move away from them. The reaction from strangers is funny.

Make it part of the training routine. Say to the stranger "Sure, we're training introductions today. First, shake my hand so the dog knows you've been invited..." and pretty much go from there. If the dog gets anxious/excited you can say "OK take this treat and when she calms down I will let you know when to reward her." If the dog sits patiently, then reward away. It's a win/win/win. You get to be nice and educate the public on proper dog handling. The dog gets the valuable training. And the person walks away happy and more knowledgeable. It's challenging to train for these spontaneous events, as Zack called them. And while the spontaneous events are unavoidable, the basic principal of controlling the environment still applies, but now it applies to controlling another person without seeming like a jerk. It's a fine line to walk.

Great video. You aren't the only one who feels this way. I work so hard with my dog and I don't want others interacting with her unless I approve.

Thank you! I needed to hear that. Now I will do better, both with my own, and other dogs.

My dog got “attacked” I call it. he was mainly just chased around my yard by a bigger dog that broke through the fence. luckily I was able to end the situation fairly quickly. Long story short and rightfully so, he does not like other dogs now and I never realized people really want their dogs to be friends with other dogs and I have to start warning people to stay away pretty far away. So unfortunately there has to be this long story in order to say no politely .. I agree it is annoying.

Thank you for this! My pittie is pretty reactive to dogs (she was doing really well until a dog tried to mount her when she was about 10 months old and she just has never been the same). I'm always terrified one day an off the leash pup will come up, a fight will break out, and my dog will end up being put down for aggressiveness. We just moved across the street from a nice walking trail, so I'm hoping I can help both of us overcome these challenges!

Thank you for addressing this issue. My husband and I deal with this frequently when we’re taking our dog (a small lab mix) out for a walk or for a training session. Our dog loves people and is so friendly that it often totally distracts him from what we’re working on. Huge pet peeve of mine.

You spoke from my hearth. This video should be everywhere on the internet. As a leash reactive rescue dog owner, I'm dealing with these problems on a daily basis. I always feel guilty to be the "bad owner" who has a dog barking at off-leash dogs, cyclists, children running with sticks...etc.

OMG!!!!! This is soooo timely!!! I’ve only had my puppy for less than two weeks and soo many people in my apartment complex catch us off guard and before you know it they’re right there with their hands in his face. 😩😤 Then they give me very passive aggressive advice about his care and health. Like…stfu! 😡 There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s healthy, loved, and happy. 🐶 Some people think they have a RIGHT to touch him just because he’s cute and he’s there and I can’t stand it. Moving forward I’m going to have some golden comebacks for these people and I don’t care if I come off as mean or not. My pup pup is my friend and my responsibility. I love him and I’m the one caring for him 24/7. Don’t just walk up on us with your cruddy hands. We are still in a pandemic. 😷🤧🥴

I completely agree, it's extremely difficult training out and about with a puppy trying to stop them jumping up people only for random strangers to come and encourage my dog to do that. I've had to feel rude in saying sorry I'm training so I don't want her getting too excited and jump up people but so many people even dog owners have no idea or interest in this level of training so it often undoes lots of your own hard work.

I met a child who didn’t pet my small and cute puppy and in his eyes I saw how badly he wanted to but probably his parents taught him not to. He was about 7 years old. Amazing :)

Service dog handler here, also a dog trainer it’s extremely frustrating to be stopped every five minutes by someone. It’s also annoying when mine and my dogs personal space is compromised without permission. It’s so so frustrating

my dog actually loves both people and other dogs, much like inertia and it still sometimes feels soooo uncomfortable when either or both approach without permission. In fact at first I was hesitant to say no but after a while I realised it is detrimental to the dog's training as he started picking up the habit of wanting to greet everybody and since then I started applying something like your proposed strategy.