To Greet or not to Greet

4/28/2026

This is a subject I hesitate to write about because I think people may have some strong feelings about it, but I think it is something that we should think about.

Should your puppy or dog greet other dogs they meet when they are out and about on their leash with you?

How dogs say hello

If you've watched off leash dogs greet each other, you may have noticed that after the initial approach, they usually briefly sniff noses, then sniff each other's bums (sometimes moving in a circle) and then one of 3 things happens:
* they disengage and each go their separate ways
* they begin to play
* one of them expresses displeasure and either the other leaves or things may escalate

When we have our dogs on leash, this changes things.
* the dogs tend to approach in a more direct manner, sometimes straining forward changing their posture from what you would see from a relaxed dog which can make them look more intimidating to the other dog.
* the dog being approached knows they have less ability to move away because they are on a leash, and this may cause them some concern.
* If the dogs circle at all while sniffing, it is difficult to avoid having their leashes tangle.
* tangled leashes result in shorter leashes and even less ability to move away
* If dogs are less able to move away, they may be more likely to try and make the other dog move away using distance increasing signals such as standing stiff and tall, barking, lunging, growling, snapping or biting.

The trouble with "is he friendly"

Given the above, you may decide to only allow your dog to greet other dogs on leash whose owners say that they are friendly. While I think it is important to always ask people if it is okay for your dog to say hello, unfortunately an affirmative answer to this question isn't a fail safe.
* Every interaction is different, because all dogs are individuals, just like people. And just like us, they have their own preferences, likes and dislikes. Someone may be unaware that their dog wouldn't react well to your particular dog/puppy because they haven't reacted that way to another dog/puppy before.
* Of particular note, many adult dogs are not fond of puppies or overly exuberant adolescents. Some adult dogs will be quite tolerant of a variety of other adult dogs but tell a little puppy with razor sharp teeth to take a hike, especially if they can't just move away from the puppy.
* Societal pressure on the owner. No one wants to say their dog isn't friendly. So they may hope it will go well this time. "Fluffy be nice" always makes me concerned about what has happened before.

What about your dog?

Leashes about to tangle

Because dogs are individuals, they come with their own personality. Some dogs are very extroverted, easy going, resilient dogs. They are happy to meet a wide variety of dogs, rarely get upset even if the other dog does and if things don't go their way they brush it off and carry on. If this sounds like your dog, then on leash greetings would be less risky.

If your dog is a puppy, tends to be a bit cautious, or is apt to worry, then the impact of an on leash greeting that turns sour would be much bigger.

I can't tell you the number of times I've heard people tell me that their dog was calm out walking until (insert incident with another dog) and now they bark and lunge at all the dogs they see.

For that reason, I avoid on leash greetings with dogs that my dogs don't already know and get along with. Not only does this reduce the likelihood of having to deal with a negative interaction and the fallout from it, but it also helps my dogs not worry about other dogs that they see out walking because they aren't anticipating interacting with them. Having a dog so excited the moment they spot another dog because they assume they are going to get to interact can also make a walk challenging. Calmly accepting that other dogs go on walks and exist in the world without big feelings either way makes for the calmest walks.

How to say hi

But what if you want your dog to greet another dog on leash, or you get surprised and can't avoid it?

I highly recommend teaching and practicing a strong response to cues such as your dog's name and/or touch that would bring your dog back to you. That way, you can let your dog say hello for 2 seconds, then call them back to you. Repeat if needed. This tends to interrupt the process before dogs get tangled or annoyed, and if both dogs are happy and relaxed they can say hi again.