09/13/2026
Today, my kids and I were at the beach when we encountered two dogs. Their owner told me they were nice, and I believe her. The dogs weren’t behaving aggressively, and they said one was young and very active.
We still chose to give them plenty of space.
About 20 minutes later, those same dogs got loose and ran toward a leashed dog walking nearby. They attacked the other dog, and I ended up physically grabbing one of them to stop it. This took place three feet from one of my kids!
Thankfully, no people or dogs appeared to be seriously injured.
And it reinforced something I tell my kids:
A dog being friendly doesn’t mean we need to interact with it.
I don’t let my kids run up to dogs they don’t know. We ask before petting. And “no” is always an acceptable answer—even if the dog is the sweetest dog in the world.
The same goes for my own dog.
I don’t expect my dog to greet every dog we encounter. I don’t assume every dog wants to meet him. And I don’t believe that “socialization” means every dog should play with every dog.
Good socialization isn’t about meeting everyone. It’s about learning how to calmly exist in the world.
Dogs can be wonderful, friendly, loving animals and still have moments where fear, excitement, frustration, pain, prey drive, resource guarding, or simply being overwhelmed changes their behavior.
That’s why we use management.
That’s why we respect distance.
And that’s why teaching children to ask before approaching an animal—and to be perfectly comfortable walking away—is so important.
It isn’t about being afraid of dogs.
It’s about respecting that they’re animals, not predictable stuffed animals. ❤️
You don’t have to think someone’s dog is dangerous to decide that you don’t want your child interacting with it.
And that’s okay.
