Improving public image with an XL monster dog

[Ari_RR]

Knowing your dog's "safe distance" does wonders for public image, especially if it's an XL size mean-looking dog like Ari (110 lbs, 5 y.o. male Ridgeback), with generally bad manners.

I am quite good at it now.
Not necessarily predicting yards or meters, but sensing from him when it's getting too close without crossing the line.
Perhaps as he gets older, he becomes more tolerant, and his "safe distance" for other on-leash males is quite short now. It used to be measured in miles when he was going through adolescence! Not any more...

And (perhaps feeling very adult and serious) he is pretty good at ignoring other dogs no matter what they do, as long as they are not in his face.

I noticed lately that his "safe distance" is quite a bit shorter than for many other large young males we encounter on our walks.

Which leads to this - the other large male snarling and lunging with the owner holding on with both hands, while Ari trots by on the other side of me, seemingly not paying any attention. When we pass each other - the other human looks back at us and clearly sees that Ari is.... INTACT!!

Very cool!

So, know or feel your dog's "safe distance", stay within, and you will get a good deal of envious looks and comments

A long way from Your dog should be banned from this park!!! we were routinely getting during long nightmare of adolescence

I guess ideal would be sensing the safe distance of the other dog too...

[JudyN]

Yep - taking action five seconds before you need to instead of five seconds after, you can ensure that your dog looks like a perfect angel, a paragon of good manners. Most people wait for something to go wrong and then trying to fix it. And fixing it isn't easy with a large dog!

Some people will still blame Ari's 'optional extras' for their dogs' behaviour, though.

[Nettle]

That's a great job both of you have done, even though your dog issues are so different. If a dog can trust its person to protect it, then it doesn't have to be reactive. Especially cool for Ari demonstrating that an intact male can be Joe Cool.

If only more people would just get that into their heads..........it's their job to protect their dog

[MPbandmom]

Good work Ari-RR.

I agree on the knowing the other dog's distance needs.

I don't know if it registers with other owners, but I have a tendency to tell my non reacting dog that they are too close to reacting dog and that the other dog needs more space. as we move along further away.

Considering my dogs have a fairly wide space bubble, it always kind of amazes me when other dogs have need of a greater bubble. Especially when the other dogs are in the dog park across the parking lot. If your dog needs that kind of space bubble, why are they in a dog park that is only about the size of the parking lot?