Safe way to approach a strange dog?

Question

There's a dog that's been hanging out around my house for the past few nights. He has a collar, and I think maybe tags. He looks healthy...dirty, but not starved. It's getting cold where I live, and animal control is giving me the run around.

I'm hoping that if I can get close enough to see his tags, then I can hopefully get in touch with his owner and get him back where he belongs before another winter storm hits. He's a bigger dog, though, like a golden retriever. I'd rather not just stroll up to him and grab his collar.

What are tips for how to approach a strange dog in the safest way possible? What are warning signs (body language) that I should watch for to let me know to back off? Besides growling and snarling, of course.

He seems skittish. If he's hanging out near my garbage cans and I go over there to throw something away, he runs about 15 feet away and watches me. He hasn't growled yet.

Answer 1

Most of the posts have given you a pretty good idea of how to present yourself as non-threateningly as possible to help this dog get more comfortable with you. Since you've noted he's already skittish and is choosing not to approach, that is already the first signal.

Get down low so your body profile is small, avert your eyes (staring straight at him is a challenge), turn to the side (frontal approaches are also threatening), offer an open hand with a tasty treat... keep a handful of tasty treats in your other hand.
Let him approach you. If he still doesn't come close enough to take the treat from your hand, you will have to toss them toward him... don't move toward him... just toss the treats until he will remain in a certain radius of you to get the treats. A quick dart in to get the treat and then retreat means he's still not comfortable... don't attempt a quick collar grab!

If he does come close, watch for body stiffening, whale eye (where you can see the whites of the dog's eyes), stretching of the back legs (he's not willing to get that close and is positioning himself for a quick retreat) or him eyeing your hand as you touch him... these are all signs that he is NOT comfortable. Don't judge by the tail... a wagging tail does NOT always mean friendly... tail positioning is more communicative.

Lip licking, yawning, averting his eyes/turning his head and flattened back ears are also signs that he is stressed/uncomfortable with you and wants you to back off. Dogs always give other signs before growling, lip curling, snapping or biting... read and respect what they are telling you... especially a dog that is already so stressed... you have no idea what it's bite threshold or bite inhibition level is (and no idea of his vaccination status).

Answer 2

I volunteer at a Humane Society. I am constantly coming in contact with strange dogs. And I am not the least bit intimidated by 99% of the dogs I meet. However, I am always careful. I don't go around just grabbing stray dogs. And I don't think you should either. By you asking this question here, I can tell you are not overly "dog savvy." However, since you probably won't listen to an answer like I just listed, here are a few tips. Number one, don't make eye contact with a strange dog. Eye contact is perceived by the dog as challenging the dog. Also, if you are able, get close to the dog and turn your back to the dog. Let the dog approach you. Most dogs will approach you out of curiousity if you act disinterested. The other suggestion on here about a loop on the end of a stick is a good idea. Dog catches use something similar. In the past year, I have probably "caught" 4 strays that I have found. Each one was different and somewhat unpredictable. The most interesting one was a pitbull who rolled onto it's back as soon as I approached it. Good luck.

Answer 3

We've had strange/stray dogs around before *as well as many, many cats we've taken in off the street* and it's a matter of patience. Leave food out a little ways from the porch, when you see him taking the bait, and he runs as you approach, move the food onto the porch *or just closer to the door if you don't have a poorch* After you've caught him eating on your porch near your door, put something very aromatic *something that even you could smell from a few feet away that's SAFE for a dog to eat. slightly warmed up wet dog food, maybe* And then sit on you porch, quietly and patiently until he comes to eat, and we all know the way to an animal's heart is through it's stomach so he should come up. If it doesn't work the first time *give it as much chance as you can, as in sit out as long as you can possibly deal with* then take the food inside with you and try again later on.
It worked with one dog we took in *who is now gone somewhere, dissappeared a few weeks back. we miss him* that was in serious danger of being shot by a neighbor, though he had no collar and thus no real hope of finding where he had come from.

But best of luck in whatever you chose to do.

Answer 4

First, let him come to you. Hold out your hand and let him smell it, and keep it there for a little while.

Once he's done that you can tell whether he's going to let you touch the collar or not, some dogs are a little timid about this. If he does, just put him on a leash. If he does want you to touch it, don't try for it again. Play with him, feed him, work with him for a while until he feels comfortable enough for you to really pet him, and then put a leash on him.

Maybe you can think of dogs as over simplified humans. If you approach too strong or too weak, the dog will distrust you. If you try to get to know the dog the first time he's seen you, he may distust you. If he has seen you a few times before, and maybe you left some food for him, he may be more inclided to get to know you.

Remember though, just like innocent looking people may have very dark pasts of abuse that may make them snap, dogs have these things too. A dog may be very nice outside where he feels safe, but if you bring him inside, or put your hand over his head, or move too fast, he can feel frightened or associate that action with some past abuse and become aggressive quickly.

Answer 5

Don't approach him. Squat down so you're eye level with him, but don't look him in the eye- that's a sign of aggression. Hold your hand out, palm up, with some enticing food in it. Talk to him very softly and calmly. If he approaches, wait for him to sniff you before you try to touch him. If he seems okay with you- ears up, tail wagging, panting- pat his sides, not his head, face, or neck. Don't reach over his head or towards his face at all. Have enough food in your pockets to keep him around while you read the tags.

If he has no tags, but is friendly, try bringing a leash out and see if you can snap it on his collar- then you can at least take him to a shelter for safety and warmth.

If he lays down his ears, growls, barks, tucks his tail between his legs or throws it up high over his back without wagging, the hair stands up on his neck, or he stares straight at you and starts slinking forward quickly, STOP. It might be best to bring something with you that makes a loud noise- a can full of quarters, an airhorn, whatever- just in case he gets aggressive and you need to chase him off instead.

Answer 6

To approach him walk at him from an angle and dont face him head on. Turn your head and body slightly to the side. Keep an eye on him and stop about two meters away. Hunch over a bit and put your hand out slowly with your fingers curled under.If he snarls at all even with a wagging tail stop. If his tail is wagging stay still, if not, slowly withdraw your hand and back away slowly try again later. If his head is up and back and his front legs are stiff, try again later. Dont try to coax him over with treats because if hes nasty he will misinterpret the gesture as teasing. If at any time you are handleing him he goes stiff let go, it will be a prelude to a bite. Also be a bit careful if he rolls over but seems nervous or stiff, he might not bite but he might. If his ears are back but no snarling and his head is slightly down he might nip if he feels what your doing is not right but you should be right. If he crouches and his tail is down and he looks up at you, go for it. Just keep an eye on that mouth he will snarl first before a bite to warn you.

Answer 7

I've been told that when you approach a strange dog you should always present them with a clenched fist lowered in front of you & let them come to you. Don't stand over them because they're more likely to get defensive. If they start sniffing your fist & seem responsive (licking is generally good) then it's a good cue to pet them, from there you should be able to get them comfortable enough so that you can hold them.

It's also a good strategy because in the case that they bite or attack it'll be more difficult to pierce the flesh or draw blood. If your fist is held in front of you it's easy to draw back quickly too. Take your time, because it may take a while to gain its trust. Bribes help as well, of course!

Also, I think it's awfully nice of you to want to make sure this dog is safe, most people wouldn't bother. Good luck.

Answer 8

If he acts cautious you be cautious don't act cautious cause that will make him more nervous. To approach him...get down on his level..on one knee. Put you hand out palm up like you have a treat and let him come to you. Don't make sudden moves that may scare him and talk to him as he comes forward in a calm rewarding good boy voice. It would be a good idea to have a piece of food with you and stay close to your front door or car so you have some place to get to if he does try to attack. Some dogs are sensitive about their collars too so be careful he may only trust you to a certain point. I would also have backup standing nearby just to be safe.

Answer 9

Hey there. Good for you for trying to help out the poor stray.
Watch out for : "hard" eyes (long stares at you that feels confrontational) He may face you head-on, stare at you, and freeze. If he does this, *back off*. Other signs of nervousness include : licking lips, turning away from you, blinking a lot, yawning. These signs would indicate that he'd rather run away from you. Bring along an open can of tuna fish or something else that's pretty stinky. You may need to leave this for him until he feels comfortable with you.

Answer 10

Is it growling at you? If it isn't showing signs of aggression, you should be okay. A dog followed me home too once, and I had to look at its collar to find is owner. Approach slowly, talk reassuringly to the dog, hold out your hand and let it sniff you and if its not aggressive, go ahead and look at the tags.