07/24/2025
Well said. I cannot agree more with the writer. Training your dog does amazing things for your bond/relationship, as well as making exploring the world together, much more enjoyable.
Letâs Talk Entitlement: Your Dog Is Not the Centre of the Universe (And Neither Are You)
Right, letâs get a few things straight from the off:
Your dog is not a human. It doesnât think like a human, speak like a human, or interpret the world in the way we do. And guess what? Thatâs not a fault, itâs a fact.
Thereâs a growing trend among some dog owners to treat their dogs like entitled little toddlers, fuelled by this fluffy notion that âthey just want to say hiâ or âtheyâre friendlyâ. Thatâs lovely⌠until your âfriendlyâ off-lead dog barrels up to a dog thatâs nervous, reactive, working, injured, or just plain wants to be left alone.
Your Dog Is Not Entitled to Say Hello to Everyone
Letâs put it bluntly: your dog doesnât need to greet every person or dog it sees. You donât wave and say hello to every stranger in Tesco, do you? (And if you do, people probably cross the aisle to avoid you.)
Dogs are the same. Some are social butterflies, others are more reserved, and some are just trying to keep their heads down and cope with the world. When you let your dog run up to another without permission, youâre not being nice, youâre being selfish. And youâre setting your dog up to get told off, either by the other dog, the handler, or both.
Puppy Classes and the Myth of Mass Socialisation
Doing puppy classes in group settings where every pup is allowed to run around and say hello to everything that moves? Youâre laying the groundwork for a dog that thinks every encounter is a party. Thatâs not socialisation. Thatâs overstimulation. Youâre teaching them that the presence of another dog or person means âexcitementâ rather than neutrality or calmness.
Later down the line, when your adolescent dog loses its rag every time it sees another dog, youâll wonder why. Spoiler: itâs because you taught them to.
Letâs Talk Leads and Recall
If you donât have a reliable recall on your dog, donât let them off the lead. Simple. Thereâs no grey area here. A dog without recall is a loose cannon. If you canât call them away from a squirrel, jogger, cyclist, or another dog, then keep them on a lead or long line until youâve put the work in. Freedom is earned, not assumed.
Having a dog is a responsibility. Itâs not a right to do whatever you fancy and assume everyone else will tolerate it. The world doesnât revolve around you or your dog.
Respect Others. Control Your Dog.
Youâve no idea what that other dog is going through. It might be reactive, fearful, recovering from surgery, or in training. The person handling that dog might be managing trauma, anxiety, or just trying to enjoy a quiet walk. Your dog doesnât get to invade that space just because you think theyâre âfriendlyâ.
If your dog lunges at others, pulls you down the street, barks at every passer-by, or flattens small children with glee, itâs not âcuteâ. Itâs a lack of training. Own it, fix it, and stop making excuses.
The Bottom Line
Your dog is a dog. Not a fur baby. Not a social ambassador. Not a therapy dog in training because you read a Facebook post that said it has a âhealing energyâ.
Train it. Lead it. Be its advocate. And above all else, be respectful of the space and comfort of others.
Because your dog may be part of your world, but itâs not the centre of everyone elseâs.
www.k9manhuntscotland.co.uk
