The answer
No. On film, the trainers say a dog's happiness doesn't depend on meeting people, and that whether he greets is the handler's decision, not the passer-by's.
At Astro's go-home, Kelton tells the owner, 'don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable ... because he never needs to do any of it right he doesn't need to it's not gonna affect his happiness at all.' He adds that Astro now seems interested in people rather than standoffish and 'might be fine for greetings', but 'i typically wouldn't for kids'. The owner confirms Astro has growled at children getting in his face.
The handler speaks up for the dog. Of Apollo the Bully, Christian says: 'he doesn't have to meet everybody you know um i just advocate at that point i go eh he just doesn't seem like he wants to today um you know but thank you and i just like keep walking.' If Apollo steps back from someone, 'we'll just leave it alone', because pushed into a corner, 'he's still a dog'. With Whiskey, who reacts to people who stare, the trainer turns it into advice for everyone: 'you really should not make eye contact for a long period of time with like approach all slow and awkward towards like any dog because it can trigger a reactivity situation no matter what the dog is so part of it is also advocating for the dog.'
For a dog whose problem is liking people too much, greetings get managed differently. Bernie is friendly and 'really big', so the greeting is given a position (a down) and room to correct in, and a jump is invited on purpose so it can be corrected: 'some people might say that like you're teasing the dog ... but yeah that's exactly what i want.' With Shadow, a husky, 'his problem is that he's too friendly', and the aim is to 'rein it in'.
The opposite approach also appears on film. When a dog's fault only shows up with people, the people become the training set. Clark Kent's handler lets shoppers greet him on the stated condition that mouthing will be corrected ('it gives me a chance to correct a few mouths'). Penny's trainer changes his plan on the spot to use strangers who want to play with her. That's greeting as a chosen exercise, still the handler's call, not an obligation owed to anyone who asks.
Our inference: the rule underneath is that greeting is something the handler grants or withholds for a reason, whether protecting a worried dog, keeping a big dog's joy safe, or setting up a rep, and never something the dog is made to do because someone asked.
What to do
Decide for your dog. If he steps back, say something like 'he just doesn't want to today, thanks' and keep walking (watch 27:26). Don't let people stare at him or creep up slowly (watch 00:59). If your dog's problem is that he loves people too much, give greetings a position and correct the jump.
What the trainers say
don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable yeah right um because he never needs to do any of it right he doesn't need to it's not gonna affect his happiness at all
pushy, I don't know, you know, um, which is fine, that's acceptable, he doesn't have to meet everybody you know um i just advocate at that point i go eh he just doesn't seem like he wants to today um you know but thank you and i just like keep walking
he'll like step back and be like i don't really want like he did to me yeah and and okay so i just go eh you know like you can try but like if he steps away again we'll just leave it alone
is that's something that you really should not make eye contact for a long period of time with like approach all slow and awkward towards like any dog because it can trigger a reactivity situation no matter what the dog is so part of it is also advocating for the dog
he might be fine for greetings i don't know for a certainty i typically wouldn't for kids
but the problem is he's too friendly yeah that's his big thing
see if he jumps on me because i want to correct the jumping some people might say that like you're teasing the dog um enticing him to jump but yeah that's exactly what i want
How it looks, dog by dog
Astro
A dog-aggression case at his go-home. Kelton hands the owner a policy for strangers who ask to pet Astro: it's her discretion. She should do nothing that makes her uncomfortable, because greetings won't affect his happiness. He says Astro has changed from standoffish to interested and may be fine for greetings, but he wouldn't allow it with kids; the owner adds that Astro has growled at children getting in his face.
On film
a good candidate you could say yeah you could say yes um but that's up to your discretion i
don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable yeah right um because he never needs to do any of
and like his body language like everything recently he's just doesn't seem like he's geared up to do anything with anybody
he might be fine for greetings i don't know for a certainty i typically wouldn't for kids
Apollo (the Bully)
At the first owner lesson, Christian describes what happens in public. Sometimes Apollo is fine with a stranger, and sometimes he steps back. When he steps back, Christian leaves it alone, tells the person he doesn't seem to want to today, thanks them and keeps walking. His reason: Apollo is still a dog, and pushed into a corner by someone too pushy he could still object.
On film
he'll like step back and be like i don't really want like he did to me yeah and and okay so i
everybody you know um i just advocate at that point i go eh he just doesn't seem like he wants
him because you know like if i if we don't then he's still a dog right i mean if he got pushed
Whiskey
Whiskey gets a little reactive when people stare, especially people who walk slowly towards her with eye contact. On a store outing, the trainer turns that into advice for the public and for owners: long eye contact and slow, awkward approaches can trigger reactivity in any dog, so the owner's job includes noticing those people and not letting them add pressure.
On film
The only time she's becoming like a little reactive at this point and it's not too bad
is that's something that you really should not make eye contact for a long period of time with like approach all slow and awkward towards like any dog
Bernie
The big, friendly greeter. Bernie is very nice and 'really big', so the risk is size, not aggression. The trainer gives the greeting a position, a down he's just learned. A different trainer invites the jump on purpose so she can correct it with 'nope', and acknowledges that some would call that teasing. People stay his hardest distraction to the last week of his program.
On film
to I can try to put him in a down he just learned down so cuz he's really big
you're teasing the dog um enticing him to jump but yeah that's exactly what i want i want him
Shadow (Siberian Husky)
A husky whose problem with people is too much affection. On a public walk the handler invites a passer-by to pet him and explains, 'his problem is that he's too friendly.' At the owner follow-up, Shadow's trainer contrasts him with a nervous dog he's training: this one loves everybody, gives 'the hug jump', and has to be reined in, with 'nope' for a jump you never want to see again.
On film
you can come and pet him if you want see i'm training him so his problem is that he's too friendly
anybody and then i had him who was like i love everybody and i was like all right we gotta rein it in buddy
Why it works
A dog who steps back is signalling, and a dog cornered by a pushy stranger 'could still be like hey like i don't want this' (watch 27:38). Staring and slow, awkward approaches pressure any dog (watch 00:59). So the handler decides, and declines with a stock phrase (watch 27:26). For over-friendly dogs the risk is size and jumping, so greetings get a position and the jump is set up so it can be corrected (watch 02:19; watch 03:43). Inferred, not stated: declining protects neutrality, the dog's indifference to strangers, which is the aim elsewhere in the program (see neutrality-not-friendship).
Where the trainers differ
Are strangers invited to greet?
One view
Greetings are optional and often declined for the dog.
On film
pushy, I don't know, you know, um, which is fine, that's acceptable, he doesn't have to meet everybody
don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable yeah right um because he never needs to do any of
Another view
For a dog whose fault shows up with people, strangers are invited to greet as the training set, on the condition that he'll be corrected (Clark Kent, Penny, Bernie).
On film
Yeah, it gives me a chance to correct a few mouths.
Oh, you guys are actually helping me out here,
How to read it
Different dogs and different faults: the declining is for worried or reactive dogs, the inviting is for friendly dogs with a people fault. In both, the handler decides. From the map's recorded conflict.
Common owner mistakes
- Letting a stranger keep trying after the dog has stepped back.
On film
just go eh you know like you can try but like if he steps away again we'll just leave it alone
Watch at 3:53 ↗ - Letting people stare at the dog or creep up slowly.
On film
part of it is also advocating for the dog just making sure that you like are
Watch at 1:15 ↗ - Saying yes to a greeting that makes you uncomfortable.
On film
don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable yeah right um because he never needs to do any of
Watch at 20:14 ↗ - Letting a big, friendly dog greet however he likes because he means well.
On film
to I can try to put him in a down he just learned down so cuz he's really big
Watch at 2:19 ↗
Questions owners ask
Does my dog need to meet people to be happy?
No, the trainers say. Greeting 'is not gonna affect his happiness at all', and you should do nothing that makes you uncomfortable.
On film
don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable yeah right um because he never needs to do any of it right he doesn't need to it's not gonna affect his happiness at all
How do I say no to someone who wants to pet my dog?
Christian's version: 'he just doesn't seem like he wants to today, but thank you', and keep walking.
On film
everybody you know um i just advocate at that point i go eh he just doesn't seem like he wants
Should my dog greet children?
For Astro, Kelton said he typically wouldn't allow it; Astro had growled at kids getting in his face.
On film
he might be fine for greetings i don't know for a certainty i typically wouldn't for kids
My dog is too friendly. What do I do?
Give the greeting a position (a down), correct the jump with 'nope', and even set up the jump deliberately so it can be corrected. The aim is to rein the affection in, not to make him wary of people.
On film
see if he jumps on me because i want to correct the jumping some people might say that like
anybody and then i had him who was like i love everybody and i was like all right we gotta rein it in buddy
The lesson
The goal
Decide greetings for the dog: decline for a worried dog, structure them for an over-friendly one.
Learn first
The drill
Worried dog: if he steps back, the handler says 'he just doesn't seem like he wants to today, thank you' and walks on (watch 27:26). Over-friendly dog: cue a down for the greeting (watch 02:19); invite the jump and correct it with 'nope' (watch 03:43).
Watch out for
- Letting the stranger decide.
- Letting people stare or creep up.
- Saying yes to children with a dog who has growled at them.
- Letting a big dog jump because he's friendly.
Check yourself
A stranger asks to pet your dog; he takes a step back. What do you say?