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Who can resist giving a cute doggo an affectionate pat on the head?
According to one expert dog trainer, this is the last thing you should do to a dog.
International dog training instructor Sarah Bartlett told the Mirror: “The wrong way to approach a dog is to walk up to them head on and just lean straight over them and go down and [stroke them].
“That for a dog is quite threatening.
“Dogs don’t like you going over their head. It’s quite a threatening gesture for them, as is going straight forward into them.”
But that doesn’t mean you have to avoid dogs altogether.
According to Sarah, “the best thing is to approach them from the side and then go down.”
“Keep your own bubble and their bubble, and it’s then the dog’s choice whether then encroach into your bubble.
Sarah suggests that you crouch down sideways and offer them your hand. If the dog sniffs your hand, you can then give them a little scratch under the chin or the ear.
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