Interessante palestra do Dr. Ian Dunbar, especialista em comportamento canino de renome, sobre a educação e treino de cães (e pessoas ;) )
Interesting lecture by Dr. Ian Dunbar, renowned dog behavior specialist, on dog (and not only ;) ) education and training
quarta-feira, 27 de julho de 2011
terça-feira, 5 de julho de 2011
Off-leash walks - Yes… No… Maybe…
(portuguese version below)
Hardly anyone will dispute the fact that dogs need to be let loose. They are social and active animals that need to be able to regularly spend their energy and to be physically and psychologically stimulated. The common hygienic walks, on-leash, quick and in familiar places will hardly be enough to satisfy our companion’s needs. Unlike popular belief, even small sized dogs will not see their exercise needs met by just running around the house; they actually often have proportionally greater needs than larger sized dogs.
When they go smoothly, off-leash walks are an excellent opportunity to reinforce the bond and complicity that exists between the owner and his dog. But there are several opportunities for them to go wrong, and the owner should be aware of them so he may take the necessary precautions.
Common sense… and obedience!
Most risks, unfortunately, come form lack of care… Too often we see off leash dogs, even in confined and/or unknown places, showing clear signs of stress, bumping into objects (namely the ever more present glass doors, which dogs do not immediately apprehend as a barrier as they can see what’s on the other side). A loose dogs has inherently a greater probability to get hurt or cause injury, even if unintentionally. A dog that gets spooked or who is chasing an animal will easily run to the middle of the street, risking getting run over. Or crash into someone, due to being more focused on its prey than on what’s going on around him. An off leash dog should be a trained, obedient dog, with a reliable recall to his owner regardless of the situation, in order to prevent problematic situations. This is necessary not only in open space, but also when the dog is loose on enclosed spaces, like dog parks – they still have other people and dogs that should be minded, so the walk is an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Breed propensity
Some breeds tend to be more attentive to their owner whereas others tend to be more independent. Herding dogs, for example, having been bred to work under the guidance of people, tend to be more responsive to their owner’s desires and to keep near him, while the reverse tends to happen with mountain dogs, more independent and explorer of the surrounding areas. Scent hounds, on the other hand, despite being very attentive to their owner, when they find a scent that attracts them and start following the trail, show a remarkable “selective deafness”. This happens because this activity is for them much more attractive and rewarding than the mere presence of the owner (hard as it may be for some owners to admit it). Of course, there are general trends, and there is ample individual variation within each breed, often even more than among breeds. However, it is a good empirical rule to consider the different breed types and their tendency to behave differently when they are on the loose, for when the owners are implementing strategies to ensure their dog’s obedience in any situation – it is necessary to try to ensure they are their companion’s main focus of interest, more interesting than any other activity.
“He just wants to play!”
You’re on the beach relaxing when, out of the blue, comes a running dog chasing a ball someone threw, skidding right on top of you and giving you a sand bath. As if that wasn’t enough to ruin your good mood, another dog comes out of the sea and vigorously shakes right beside you, literally giving you a cold shower. As much as you like dogs, that will certainly not be one of your favorite moments!
When you’re taking a walk on the park, the situation may become even more complicated. Your dog may actually just want to play, but other people are also entitled to enjoy public space their own way without being bothered. He may even be the nicest coolest dog in the area, but that is no reason to let your 70 kg Saint Bernard run like mad on top of a passer-by asking to be petted, drooling all over him, just because “he only wants to play”. Or to let your Collie run around people trying to get them together in a single group, nibbling at their heels (herding behavior). Special attention must also be paid in places with bikers, skaters, etc., as most dogs tend to associate them with prey to chase.
If your dog is little or not used to children, watch him carefully in places where kids are playing. Children have a shape and behavior different from adults, and dogs that are not used to them may not understand them as people, but rather as animated toys or prey to chase.
Summer holidays are here, along with good weather and long days. With them comes the availability to spend more time in the open air with our family – both 2 and 4 legged. And the temptation to have our canine companion off-leash is naturally great, especially because during the rest of the year, for different reasons, we generally have less time available for him. But should we do it without second thoughts?
Hardly anyone will dispute the fact that dogs need to be let loose. They are social and active animals that need to be able to regularly spend their energy and to be physically and psychologically stimulated. The common hygienic walks, on-leash, quick and in familiar places will hardly be enough to satisfy our companion’s needs. Unlike popular belief, even small sized dogs will not see their exercise needs met by just running around the house; they actually often have proportionally greater needs than larger sized dogs.
When they go smoothly, off-leash walks are an excellent opportunity to reinforce the bond and complicity that exists between the owner and his dog. But there are several opportunities for them to go wrong, and the owner should be aware of them so he may take the necessary precautions.
Common sense… and obedience!
Most risks, unfortunately, come form lack of care… Too often we see off leash dogs, even in confined and/or unknown places, showing clear signs of stress, bumping into objects (namely the ever more present glass doors, which dogs do not immediately apprehend as a barrier as they can see what’s on the other side). A loose dogs has inherently a greater probability to get hurt or cause injury, even if unintentionally. A dog that gets spooked or who is chasing an animal will easily run to the middle of the street, risking getting run over. Or crash into someone, due to being more focused on its prey than on what’s going on around him. An off leash dog should be a trained, obedient dog, with a reliable recall to his owner regardless of the situation, in order to prevent problematic situations. This is necessary not only in open space, but also when the dog is loose on enclosed spaces, like dog parks – they still have other people and dogs that should be minded, so the walk is an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Breed propensity
Some breeds tend to be more attentive to their owner whereas others tend to be more independent. Herding dogs, for example, having been bred to work under the guidance of people, tend to be more responsive to their owner’s desires and to keep near him, while the reverse tends to happen with mountain dogs, more independent and explorer of the surrounding areas. Scent hounds, on the other hand, despite being very attentive to their owner, when they find a scent that attracts them and start following the trail, show a remarkable “selective deafness”. This happens because this activity is for them much more attractive and rewarding than the mere presence of the owner (hard as it may be for some owners to admit it). Of course, there are general trends, and there is ample individual variation within each breed, often even more than among breeds. However, it is a good empirical rule to consider the different breed types and their tendency to behave differently when they are on the loose, for when the owners are implementing strategies to ensure their dog’s obedience in any situation – it is necessary to try to ensure they are their companion’s main focus of interest, more interesting than any other activity.
“He just wants to play!”
You’re on the beach relaxing when, out of the blue, comes a running dog chasing a ball someone threw, skidding right on top of you and giving you a sand bath. As if that wasn’t enough to ruin your good mood, another dog comes out of the sea and vigorously shakes right beside you, literally giving you a cold shower. As much as you like dogs, that will certainly not be one of your favorite moments!
When you’re taking a walk on the park, the situation may become even more complicated. Your dog may actually just want to play, but other people are also entitled to enjoy public space their own way without being bothered. He may even be the nicest coolest dog in the area, but that is no reason to let your 70 kg Saint Bernard run like mad on top of a passer-by asking to be petted, drooling all over him, just because “he only wants to play”. Or to let your Collie run around people trying to get them together in a single group, nibbling at their heels (herding behavior). Special attention must also be paid in places with bikers, skaters, etc., as most dogs tend to associate them with prey to chase.
If your dog is little or not used to children, watch him carefully in places where kids are playing. Children have a shape and behavior different from adults, and dogs that are not used to them may not understand them as people, but rather as animated toys or prey to chase.
“He won’t bite!”
When a dog is all worked up enjoying his few moments off leash and notices another dog, often his tendency is to run to the other. Almost automatically, often the owner lets him, just saying to the other dog’s owner “it’s ok, my dog won’t bite!” But is it such a simple and innocent situation?
On one hand, the dog may actually not bit in a normal situation, but his owner doesn’t know anything about the other dog, if he is aggressive, scared, etc. Is it wise to expose any of the dogs to a situation of potential risk without proper precautions?
On the other hand, and often because of the social isolation of most urban dogs are subjected to (often by their owner, who will immediately repel any dog trying to approach his own), many dogs don’t know how to politely meet and greet other dogs according to the rules of canine etiquette. In a correct approach, both dogs will come up to each other calmly, with a relaxed demeanor, without staring at each other (they may alternate staring with looking away), will position themselves side by side to smell their anal area (the canine equivalent to the human hand shake) and, if there is no stress, will either continue their way or try to play with each other. When this is approach is not done correctly, there may be problems due to misinterpretation of intentions. For example, it is common, when dogs are excited, that they come running directly towards the other one, stopping right in front of him. As a human equivalent, think about a stranger that sees you at distance and comes running on top of you, stopping only a few centimeters away. Unpleasant, right?
In such a situation, a more confident dog may show signs to try to defuse the situation, like calmly waking away or staying put but smelling the ground (almost certainly the floor is not more interesting than the other dog, but by showing lack of interest the other dog may calm down), lick his lips, etc. If the dog is unsure and/or doesn’t have the possibility of choosing what to do (as when he is on leash), he may eventually show some aggressive sigs (like raising the hackles, showing teeth, growling…), in order to try to prevent the other dog from approaching. The owners may also unintentionally add to the stress of the meeting. For example, by not knowing normal canine behavior, some will try to stop dogs from smelling the anal areas, because they think that behavior is gross. Even more common is the owner getting nervous with the approach of a strange dog and putting pressure on the leash, in an almost reflex behavior of trying to hold their animal better. But the dog will feel that pressure and think that the situation may indeed be a problem, which will lead to an escalation of the real stress. The ideal, in a situation where both dogs are on leash, is to calmly watch the dogs’ body language and keep a loose leash in order to avoid unnecessary tension. When both dogs are off leash the “complicating” human element is removed, and any of the approaching dogs may choose to walk away, but the animals' behavior must still be closely watched. A misinterpretation by one of the dogs or a lack of knowledge of body language (do not forget that many dogs live in a virtually human environment with little to no contact with other dogs since puppyhood) may lead to the occurrence of conflicts. But when one of the dogs if off leash and the other is on leash, there may be the problem of ever-excitement of the loose dog associated with the tension perceived by the owner and the leashed dog, who has no possibility of walking away if he so desired; if the fearful dog does not have the possibility of flight, fight remains… The owner of the off leash dog thus has the increased responsibility to ensure his animal does not derange the other dog.
When a dog is all worked up enjoying his few moments off leash and notices another dog, often his tendency is to run to the other. Almost automatically, often the owner lets him, just saying to the other dog’s owner “it’s ok, my dog won’t bite!” But is it such a simple and innocent situation?
On one hand, the dog may actually not bit in a normal situation, but his owner doesn’t know anything about the other dog, if he is aggressive, scared, etc. Is it wise to expose any of the dogs to a situation of potential risk without proper precautions?
On the other hand, and often because of the social isolation of most urban dogs are subjected to (often by their owner, who will immediately repel any dog trying to approach his own), many dogs don’t know how to politely meet and greet other dogs according to the rules of canine etiquette. In a correct approach, both dogs will come up to each other calmly, with a relaxed demeanor, without staring at each other (they may alternate staring with looking away), will position themselves side by side to smell their anal area (the canine equivalent to the human hand shake) and, if there is no stress, will either continue their way or try to play with each other. When this is approach is not done correctly, there may be problems due to misinterpretation of intentions. For example, it is common, when dogs are excited, that they come running directly towards the other one, stopping right in front of him. As a human equivalent, think about a stranger that sees you at distance and comes running on top of you, stopping only a few centimeters away. Unpleasant, right?
In such a situation, a more confident dog may show signs to try to defuse the situation, like calmly waking away or staying put but smelling the ground (almost certainly the floor is not more interesting than the other dog, but by showing lack of interest the other dog may calm down), lick his lips, etc. If the dog is unsure and/or doesn’t have the possibility of choosing what to do (as when he is on leash), he may eventually show some aggressive sigs (like raising the hackles, showing teeth, growling…), in order to try to prevent the other dog from approaching. The owners may also unintentionally add to the stress of the meeting. For example, by not knowing normal canine behavior, some will try to stop dogs from smelling the anal areas, because they think that behavior is gross. Even more common is the owner getting nervous with the approach of a strange dog and putting pressure on the leash, in an almost reflex behavior of trying to hold their animal better. But the dog will feel that pressure and think that the situation may indeed be a problem, which will lead to an escalation of the real stress. The ideal, in a situation where both dogs are on leash, is to calmly watch the dogs’ body language and keep a loose leash in order to avoid unnecessary tension. When both dogs are off leash the “complicating” human element is removed, and any of the approaching dogs may choose to walk away, but the animals' behavior must still be closely watched. A misinterpretation by one of the dogs or a lack of knowledge of body language (do not forget that many dogs live in a virtually human environment with little to no contact with other dogs since puppyhood) may lead to the occurrence of conflicts. But when one of the dogs if off leash and the other is on leash, there may be the problem of ever-excitement of the loose dog associated with the tension perceived by the owner and the leashed dog, who has no possibility of walking away if he so desired; if the fearful dog does not have the possibility of flight, fight remains… The owner of the off leash dog thus has the increased responsibility to ensure his animal does not derange the other dog.
Ask first… and watch
A simple way to do it is to keep your dog close to you and ask first to the owner of the other dog if they can greet each other. Should the owner refuse (he may have a fearful dog, an aggressive dog, a frail one, a dog undergoing some kind of treatment, etc.), respect his wishes and carry on with your walk. If he accepts, watch the dogs’ interaction. Watch the way they approach and if your dog starts getting too worked up, call him back, allow only calm approaches, in order to avoid misinterpretations and risks. After the first introduction, should both dogs want to play for a bit, don’t lower your guard. Although when playing dogs normally use several signs showing that what they are doing should not be taken seriously, in order to keep their companion relaxed, different dogs may have different play styles – some like rough games, others prefer calmer playing… Special attention should be given when dogs of different sizes are playing, as the bigger dog may accidentally injure the smaller one. That is actually the main reason for the recommendation for two separate enclosures in dog parks, so animals of different sizes may interact safely with dogs their own size.
Respect to be respected
As much as you may want to always have your well behaved dog off leash (and regardless of the legality or not of the situation), bear in mind that some people are afraid of dogs or, even if they do not fear them, do not particularly enjoy having dogs around. Many people don’t know who to correctly interpret dog body language and may feel threatened by the approach of a strange dog. Remember that in most public spaces dogs should be kept on leash and they are refused access to a number of them. Despite our traditional tolerance to certain of these freedoms, it is necessary to respect others! Learn to interpret canine body language, keep your dog on leash or near you when you’re around other people, do not let him approach other people or dogs without proper permission and never forget to pick up after your dog, even if he is off leash. If we all respect the basic rules of common sense, respect and healthy sociability, we may gradually start to change people’s mentalities and gain legal access of dogs to increasingly more public areas.
A simple way to do it is to keep your dog close to you and ask first to the owner of the other dog if they can greet each other. Should the owner refuse (he may have a fearful dog, an aggressive dog, a frail one, a dog undergoing some kind of treatment, etc.), respect his wishes and carry on with your walk. If he accepts, watch the dogs’ interaction. Watch the way they approach and if your dog starts getting too worked up, call him back, allow only calm approaches, in order to avoid misinterpretations and risks. After the first introduction, should both dogs want to play for a bit, don’t lower your guard. Although when playing dogs normally use several signs showing that what they are doing should not be taken seriously, in order to keep their companion relaxed, different dogs may have different play styles – some like rough games, others prefer calmer playing… Special attention should be given when dogs of different sizes are playing, as the bigger dog may accidentally injure the smaller one. That is actually the main reason for the recommendation for two separate enclosures in dog parks, so animals of different sizes may interact safely with dogs their own size.
Respect to be respected
As much as you may want to always have your well behaved dog off leash (and regardless of the legality or not of the situation), bear in mind that some people are afraid of dogs or, even if they do not fear them, do not particularly enjoy having dogs around. Many people don’t know who to correctly interpret dog body language and may feel threatened by the approach of a strange dog. Remember that in most public spaces dogs should be kept on leash and they are refused access to a number of them. Despite our traditional tolerance to certain of these freedoms, it is necessary to respect others! Learn to interpret canine body language, keep your dog on leash or near you when you’re around other people, do not let him approach other people or dogs without proper permission and never forget to pick up after your dog, even if he is off leash. If we all respect the basic rules of common sense, respect and healthy sociability, we may gradually start to change people’s mentalities and gain legal access of dogs to increasingly more public areas.
Passear com o cão à solta - Sim… Não… Talvez…
(versão inglesa acima)
As férias de Verão chegaram, com o bom tempo e os dias longos. Com elas vem a disponibilidade para passar mais tempo ao ar livre com a família – tanto a de 2 como a de 4 patas. E a tentação de andar com o nosso companheiro canino à solta é naturalmente grande, tanto mais que no resto do ano, por razões diversas, normalmente temos menos tempo disponível para ele. Mas será que o devemos fazer de qualquer maneira?
Dificilmente alguém irá contestar o facto que os cães precisam de andar à solta. São animais sociais e activos, que precisam de poder desgastar regularmente as suas energias e de ser estimulados física e psicologicamente. Os simples passeios higiénicos diários, à trela, rápidos e em sítios conhecidos, dificilmente serão suficientes para satisfazer as necessidades dos nossos companheiros. Ao contrário do que popularmente se pensa, mesmo os de pequeno porte não satisfazem as suas necessidades de exercício com o andar em casa; muitas vezes, têm mesmo necessidades proporcionalmente maiores que as de cães de porte superior.
Quando correm bem, os passeios à solta são uma excelente oportunidade para reforçar os laços e cumplicidade existentes entre o dono e o seu cão. Mas existem numerosas oportunidades para que corram mal, e o dono deve estar ciente delas para se poder precaver.
Bom senso… e obediência!
A maioria dos riscos, infelizmente, advém muito da falta de cuidado… Vezes demasiadas se vêm cães sem trela, mesmo em espaços confinados e/ou desconhecidos, a manifestar evidentes sinais de stress, a embater contra objectos (nomeadamente as cada vez mais presentes portas de vidro, que os cães não apreendem de imediato que constituem uma barreira, por verem o que está do outro lado). Um cão à solta tem, por inerência, maior probabilidade de se magoar ou de causar danos, mesmo que não intencionalmente. Um cão que se assuste ou que persiga algum animal, facilmente corre para o meio da estrada, arriscando-se seriamente a ser atropelado. Ou a embater em alguém, por estar mais focado no que está a perseguir do que no que se passa em seu redor. Um cão à solta deve ser um cão treinado, obediente, que responda à chamada do seu dono qualquer que seja a situação, de forma a precaver situações problemáticas. Isto é necessário não só em espaços abertos, mas mesmo também quando se tem o animal à solta em espaços vedados, como parques para cães – não deixa de haver pessoas e outros cães a quem é necessário prestar atenção, para que o passeio seja uma experiência agradável para todos os envolvidos.
Propensão racial
Algumas raças têm tendência a serem mais atentas ao dono, enquanto outras tendem a ser mais independentes. Os cães de pastoreio, por exemplo, tendo sido selecionados para trabalhar sob a supervisão de pessoas, tendem a ser mais responsivos aos desejos do dono e a permanecer mais nas suas imediações, e o inverso tende a ocorrer com os cães de montanha, mais independentes e exploradores da área em que se encontram. Já os sabujos, por exemplo, apesar de serem bastante atentos ao dono, quando encontram um cheiro que lhes interesse e começam a seguir o rasto, manifestam uma notável “surdez selectiva”. Isto porque essa actividade é para eles bastante mais atractiva e recompensadora que a mera presença do dono (por muito que custe a alguns donos assumir isto). Naturalmente, isto são as tendências gerais, e existe muita variação individual dentro de cada raça, frequentemente até mais que entre raças. No entanto, é uma boa regra empírica considerar os diferentes tipos raciais e a sua tendência para se comportar de forma diferente quando estão à solta, para os donos implementarem estratégias para assegurar a obediência do seu cão em qualquer situação – há que procurar garantir que constituem o principal foco de interesse do seu companheiro, mais interessante que qualquer outra actividade.
“Ele só quer brincar!”
Está você na praia a relaxar quando, vindo do nada, aparece um cão a correr atrás de uma bola atirada por alguém, fazendo uma curva apertada mesmo em cima da sua toalha e dando-lhe um banho de areia. Como se isso não fosse suficiente para destruir a sua boa disposição, um outro sai do mar e sacode-se vigorosamente ao seu lado, dando-lhe desta vez literalmente um banho de água fria. Por muito que goste de cães, este não será certamente um dos seus momentos favoritos!
Quando passeia no parque, a situação poderá tornar-se ainda mais complicada. O seu cão até poderá só querer brincar, mas as outras pessoas têm também direito a poder disfrutar o espaço público da sua forma, sem serem importunadas. Ele até pode ser o cão mais simpático e bonacheirão da zona, mas isso não é razão para deixar o seu S. Bernardo de 70 kg ir a correr desenfreadamente para cima de um transeunte a pedir-lhe festas, enchendo-o de baba, só porque “ele só quer brincar”. Ou para deixar o seu Collie andar a correr à volta das pessoas tentando juntá-las num único grupo, mordiscando os seus calcanhares (comportamento de pastoreio). Deve ainda ser prestada atenção especial a locais ondem andem pessoas de bicicleta, patins, trotinetes, etc., já que a maioria dos cães tende a associá-los a presas a perseguir.
Se o seu cão não estiver habituado com crianças, ou pouco, vigie-o cuidadosamente em zonas onde haja garotos a brincar. As crianças têm uma forma e um comportamento diferente do dos adultos, e cães que a elas não estejam habituados poderão não as apreender como pessoas, mas sim como brinquedos animados ou presas a perseguir.
“Ele não morde!”
Quando um cão está excitado a aproveitar os seus poucos momentos à solta e se apercebe de outro cão, muitas vezes a tendência é ir a correr ter com o outro. Quase automaticamente, o dono frequentemente deixa-o ir, limitando-se a comentar para o dono do outro “Não faz mal, o meu cão não morde!” Mas será uma situação assim tão simples e inocente?
Por um lado, o seu cão poderá efectivamente não morder numa situação normal, mas o dono nada sabe sobre o outro, se é agressivo, se está assustado, etc. Será sensato expor qualquer dos cães a uma situação de potencial risco sem tomar as medidas adequadas?
Por outro lado, e frequentemente em virtude do isolamento social a que a maioria dos cães urbanos estão sujeitos (muitas vezes imposta pelos donos, que de imediato afastam qualquer cão que se tenta aproximar do seu), muitos não sabem aproximar-se educadamente de outros cães cumprindo as regras de etiqueta canina. Numa abordagem correcta, os dois cães aproximam-se calmamente, com uma postura relaxada, sem fixarem o olhar um no outro (poderão alternar o olhar para o outro com o desviarem o olhar), posicionam-se lado a lado, para cheirarem a região peri-anal do outro (o equivalente canino ao aperto de mãos humano) e, não havendo tensão, poderão prosseguir o seu caminho ou tentarem brincar um com o outro. Quando esta abordagem não é adequadamente efectuada, poderão surgir problemas por má interpretação das intenções. Por exemplo, é comum, quando os cães estão muito excitados, virem a correr directamente para o outro, parando mesmo em frente dele. Num equivalente humano, pense num desconhecido que o vê à distância e vem a correr para cima de si, parando a poucos centímetros. Desagradável, não?
Numa situação destas, um cão mais confiante poderá exibir sinais tentando acalmar a situação, como o afastar-se calmamente, manter-se no mesmo local mas pôr-se a cheirar o solo (quase de certeza que o chão não é mais interessante que o outro cão, mas mostrando desinteresse, pode ser que o outro cão acalme), lamber os lábios, etc. Caso o cão seja inseguro e/ou não tenha possibilidade de escolher o que fazer (como acontece quando o cão está à trela), poderá eventualmente exibir sinais de agressividade (eriçar do pelo, arreganhar os lábios, rosnar…), de forma a tentar desencorajar o outro cão de se aproximar. Também os donos podem, inadvertidamente, contribuir para aumentar a tensão nos encontros. Por exemplo, ao desconhecerem as normas de conduta canina, há quem impeça os cães de cheirarem a região anal, por acharem esse comportamento repugnante. Mais frequente ainda é os donos ficarem nervosos com a aproximação de um cão desconhecido e fazerem tensão na trela, num comportamento quase reflexo de procurar segurar melhor o seu animal. Ora, o cão vai sentir essa tensão e ficará a pensar que efectivamente a situação poderá ser problemática, o que poderá levar a um aumentar da real tensão. O ideal, numa situação em que ambos os cães estejam à trela, é vigiar calmamente a linguagem corporal dos cães envolvidos, mantendo a trela lassa para não criar tensões desnecessárias. Quando ambos os cães estão à solta, não há o elemento humano a “complicar” a aproximação entre os cães, e qualquer um pode optar por se afastar, mas nem por isso se deve descurar a atenção ao comportamento dos animais. Uma má interpretação do comportamento por parte de um deles, ou desconhecimento do significado das posturas corporais (há que não esquecer que muitos cães vivem num ambiente virtualmente humano, desde cachorros com pouco ou nenhum contacto com outros cães) poderá levar ao surgimento de conflitos. Mas quando um dos cães está à solta e o outro está à trela, poderá haver o problema da sobre-excitação do cão à solta aliado à tensão apercebida pelo dono e o cão preso, que não tem a possibilidade de se afastar se o desejar; à falta da hipótese de fuga, ao cão receoso resta a do ataque... O dono do cão à solta tem então a responsabilidade acrescida de procurar assegurar que o seu cão não perturba o outro cão.
Peça autorização primeiro… e vigie
Uma forma simples é manter o seu cão perto de si e perguntar primeiro ao dono do outro se se podem acercar. Caso o dono recuse (pode ter um cão receoso, agressivo, frágil, em tratamento, etc.), respeite e prossiga com o seu passeio. Caso aceite, vigie a interacção entre os cães. Observe como se aproximam, e se o seu cão começar a ficar demasiado excitado, chame-o de volta, apenas permita abordagens calmas, de forma a evitar mal-entendidos e riscos. Após as apresentações, caso ambos os cães queiram brincar um pouco, não baixe a guarda. Apesar de na brincadeira os cães usarem normalmente numerosos sinais indicadores que o que estão a fazer não é para ser levado a sério, de forma a tranquilizar o seu companheiro, diferentes cães podem ter diferentes formas de brincar – uns gostam de ser mais físicos na brincadeira, outros preferem jogos mais calmos… Deve ser prestado especial atenção às brincadeiras entre cães de porte muito diferente, pois há risco de o cão maior sem querer magoar o mais pequeno. Aliás, essa é a principal razão para a recomendação de haver dois recintos separados nos parques para cães, para que animais de diferente porte possam interagir em segurança com cães do seu tamanho.
Respeite para ser respeitado
Por muita vontade que tenha de andar sempre com o seu cão bem educado à solta (independentemente da legalidade ou não da situação), tenha em mente que há pessoas que têm medo de cães ou que, mesmo não os receando, não apreciam particularmente tê-los perto de si. Muitas pessoas não sabem interpretar correctamente a expressão corporal dos cães, e podem sentir-se ameaçadas pela abordagem de um cão desconhecido. Não se esqueça que na maioria dos espaços públicos os cães devem circular à trela, e é-lhes inclusive interdito o acesso a vários locais. Apesar de tradicionalmente haver uma certa tolerância quanto a estas liberdades, há que respeitar os outros! Aprenda a interpretar a linguagem corporal dos cães, mantenha o seu cão à trela ou junto a si quando está perto de outras pessoas, não o deixe aproximar-se de pessoas ou cães sem autorização e nunca se esqueça de recolher os dejectos que o seu cão faz, mesmo quando este anda à solta. Se todos respeitarmos as regras elementares de bom senso, respeito e sã convivência, pode ser que gradualmente se comece a mudar as mentalidades e a conseguir o acesso legal dos cães a cada vez mais espaços públicos.