My border collie, Maggie, is great with one kid: my own. When it comes to almost every other kid, I wouldn't take chances. Maggie isn't aggressive, but she's got strong herding instincts built through generations upon generations of selective breeding, so, when she sees kids running around that don't smell like home, her instincts kick in and she wants to herd them. The result is that if a child she doesn't know approaches her quickly, he's likely to be met with a gentle nip on the hand. It's not enough to hurt, but it's also not something that I want my dog doing. The solution: Maggie now wears a yellow ribbon on her leash when we go for walks.
A yellow ribbon on a dog's leash means, "Don't pet me without asking." That's good advice to follow at any time, but some people need a reminder. Far, far too many children have run toward my dog without asking permission, and even some adults have done it. I always warn people to back away and give me a moment to calm her down before they pet her, but for those familiar with it, the yellow ribbon acts as a helpful visual reminder to ask permission before petting a dog.
The yellow ribbon program has been started by animal control centers all across the U.S. You can ask your vet or local animal control center if there's a yellow ribbon program in your area, and if they are doing anything to spread awareness about yellow ribbons. You yourself can print out flyers and spread the word at dog training centers and pet stores so more people will be aware of the yellow ribbon campaign. It's not only helpful to dogs and dog owners, but it's a good visual clue that reminds people of proper dog-petting etiquette.
There are many reasons that a dog might be donning a yellow ribbon, but it should never mean that the dog is "mean" or aggressive. These dogs need to be muzzled in public. It just means that you need to ask the owner before petting the dog. The dog may be wearing a yellow ribbon because she's recently had surgery, or she's in pain, or she's blind, or she's a puppy still in training, or she's very easily startled. In most of these cases, you can pet the dog, but you have to let the owner know first so he can introduce you to the dog safely.
When children have the common decency to ask before petting my dog, she's never, ever a problem. I usually give the child a treat and tell them to approach her slowly so she doesn't mistake them for wayward sheep. She eagerly takes the treat, wags her tail, and allows the children to pet her. She doesn't wear a yellow ribbon to say that she's dangerous; only to remind people to ask before petting her. Because I'd like to spread awareness about the campaign, I'll probably continue keeping a yellow ribbon on my dog's leash even after I've completely trained her out of her urge to nip fast-running kids.
So far, I've met few people who recognize the yellow ribbon, and most of them have been the types of people who know to ask permission before petting a dog anyway. However, I'm hoping that as awareness of the yellow ribbon campaign spreads, more people will start to recognize the ribbon and know what it means. This will make life easier not only for dog owners, but also for people who might unknowingly greet an unfriendly or disoriented dog.
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