“No, My Dog Does Not Want to Say Hello.” 👋🏻

“No, my dog does not want to say hello.”👋🏻

How many of you have said this & heard:

• “Is she a rescue?”

• “Was she abused?”

• “That’s unusual for [insert breed].”

• “Hello, [dog’s name]!”

No, It doesn’t matter that they’ve owned dogs their whole life, my dog still needs space, and I shouldn’t need to give anyone an explanation.

My dog Nelly has been properly socialised, with dogs, people and places.

She’s the kind of dog that can go anywhere: pubs, shops, cafes, and behave perfectly.

my biggest challenge isn’t her behaviour, it’s the way people act around her.

When we’re out and about, people often comment on how calm Nelly is, which is great. However, Even though she’s wearing a “Do Not Touch” lead, people still reach out, try to pet her, or approach us without asking. I’ll kindly explain that Nelly doesn’t appreciate strangers in her space, and I’ll take a step back to create some. Instead of respecting her boundaries, many people continue to ask more questions or push to interact.

She is not a challenge.

I’m confident in advocating for her and protecting her space, but it’s disheartening that I even have to.

What happened to respecting an animal’s space?

Not every dog wants to interact with strangers, and that’s okay!

Some are introverts , some are extroverts.

Just as I wouldn’t want random people coming to my table while I’m enjoying my coffee, why would should my dog be expected to greet every stranger?

If you’re going through the same thing, remember: not every dog has to love every person, and they shouldn’t have to suffer because of it.

Stroking a dog isn’t an entitlement, it’s a privilege.

Let’s normalise respecting dogs. 🫶