# Dog Encounters of the First Kind

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-encounters-of-the-first-kind/193220>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 5, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-encounters-of-the-first-kind/193220 "2003-08-05T22:43:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-encounters-of-the-first-kind/193220/21 "2003-08-08T04:09:17Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by lachesis \*  
> \*\*what i WOULD do is yell **DOWN!**  
> \*\*

Never yell a command at dog; a trained dog only needs a firm voice, and an untrained dog will bark back at you.

‘Down’ is the wrong command; it can mean ‘lie down’, ‘get off the couch’, or ‘let’s dance’.

Body language is game playing; you are a human, use words

Tell the dog to ‘Sit’. Firmly. (This works with dogs of all languages, by the way; when a dog hears an unfamiliar command, 9 times out 10 (s)he will sit.)

Then give it a scratch behind the ears, and a tennis ball.

Hey, (s)he likes you; affection and good humour is too rare to dismiss as an annoyance.

That being said, how can I keep you cat off my lap?

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**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-encounters-of-the-first-kind/193220/22 "2003-08-08T04:40:17Z")

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We used to own a very hyper medium sized beagle. This dog would jump off the ground at anyone who visited. Whenever someone came over, I’d always make sure I held her back. If the visitor was a dog person, as some were, and said that it was okay if she ran up, then I’d let her go.

I don’t mind other peoples’ dogs jumping on me. When I go to friends’ houses with dogs I always tell the owner its okay to let the dog come after me 🙂

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