The number of dogs in New York City can make traversing the sidewalks like walking through a field of mines — and we don’t mean the stinky ones that stick to your shoes.
One New York dog walker learned the hard way this week. After a passerby stepped over his dog instead of around it, the walker picked a fight with the guy (since identified as Corey Pohan, 32), who responded by knocking him out with a punch to the face.
Pohan violated a basic rule of pedestrianism: Don’t get between a dog and its owner. Here are five ways to avoid making the same mistake:
DON’T: Approach dogs that are tied up
Avoid a dog tied up to a fence outside, says Anthony Newman, who works for Calm Energy Dog Training in Brooklyn. The owner isn’t there to mediate the dog’s behavior.
“The dog’s going to be more on-guard, typically,” he says.
DON’T: Walk too close to a dog
The space between a dog and human is sacred, so it’s best to stay out of it.
“You might get an angry walker — or an angry dog,” Newman says.
Indeed, for Stacy Alldredge, owner of Who’s Walking Who obedience school in Chelsea, a big pet peeve is when people walk too close to her dog.
“I have my dog pulled in, but you should walk around me,” she explains. “Respect my space, I’ll respect yours.”
DO: Ask permission before petting a strange dog
It’s often hard to resist petting that pretty pooch you see coming down the street, but experts say reaching down to pet one is a terrible idea.
“My dog doesn’t bite, but you don’t know that,” Alldredge says. “The intention is to be friendly, but a lot of dogs don’t take it to be friendly.”
To be safe, always ask the person on the other end of the leash if you can pet the dog first.
DO: Act relaxed
Dogs can sense human behavior from as far as a few blocks away, says Chris Wright, director of training of Biscuits & Bath wellness center in Greenwich Village. Dogs can react to bad posture negatively, creating a potentially tense situation.
“If you’re relaxed, the dog will be relaxed,” he says. “If you’re uncomfortable, they’re uncomfortable.”
In the same vein, don’t make prolonged eye contact with the pup, either.
“If you stare at a dog, they consider that confrontational,” he says.
DO: Notice poor dog walkers as they approach
Not everyone who owns a dog knows what they’re doing. Be mindful of approaching dogs whose owners are practicing poor walker etiquette, including leashes that are let out too long and owners who are chatting on their cellphones or engaged in conversation.
“A well-walked dog should be on a short, loose leash, directly behind the owner’s feet,” Newman says. “There’s responsibility on the dog walkers to be walking the dog in a way that is not taking up a lot of room on the sidewalk.”
Mostly, if you’re unsure, just keep a wide berth.
“It’s so important not to interact with a dog you don’t know,” Wright says.