I will going over to visit a friend’s new house. They have a couple new dogs that I’ve never have met before. They are somewhat friendly he says. The breeds are a 160lbs German Shepard (big and fat) and a 1 year old Pit Bull. What do I need to do? Should I bring snacks? How should I interact with them? The Shepard is very shy apparently, however the pit is very hyper. Thanks in advance.
In my experience, the best way to act when meeting a new dog is to stand still when they approach, and slowly hold out the back of your hand for the dog to sniff. This is seen as non-threatening, and unless the dog is very aggressive/hostile to strangers will usually work.
Be careful not to try patting them on the head until they become accustomed to you. Many dogs are sensitive about their ears and might snap. Once they know you, most dogs love a good scratch behind the ears.
I’ve got a 2-year-old pit, I’ll tell you what I tell folks who come over to my place. YDMV (Your Dog May Vary), of course
First, when you come in ignore him (i.e. don’t look at him; if he jumps at you, physically turn your body away, don’t reach for him with your hands) until he’s settled down. Like most pit bulls I’ve know he loves new people and gets very happy when they come to visit him. (After all, why else would anyone come to my house, except to visit my dog?) If you don’t ignore him he will jump all over you in a big wiggly slobbery heap, and it doesn’t sound like that’s your thing.
After he’s settled down, if you want to befriend him, go down to his level (e.g. squat down), catch his attention but don’t meet his eye, don’t approach him but offer him your hand to sniff. Once he starts sniffing and wagging his tail, you’re golden.
Lots of people’s first instinct is to try to pat the top of his head or scratch his ears (because they’re trying to keep their fingers away from his mouth, I gather) but that’s not the greatest idea because he’ll look towards your hand, and basically follow your hand with his mouth (probably not the desired effect). Also as others have noted, lots of dogs don’t like it and may snap at you.
A better plan is to reach from behind or beside him and scratch his chest, it calms him right down and he loves it. I knew another pit who turned into a big love puddle when you scratched the back of her neck. And I have never met a dog that doesn’t love getting a good hard scratch on his rump (and as a bonus, that’s the end without teeth). Right above the tail works particularly well. If you’re in front of him, put both your hands under his face and scratch under his chin, he’ll rest his muzzle right on your hands and bliss out. Once you’ve done this, he’s yours.
(The advice above re: ignoring goes for anything the dog is doing that you don’t like - jumping, licking, etc. You can’t really discipline other people’s dogs but if you completely ignore unwanted behaviour they generally stop doing it with you.)
Don’t bring treats. A 160# shepherd certainly doesn’t need them. That seems insanely obese, even for a very large one. At that point, he’d pretty much be a shepherd colored balloon with vaguely leg-like protruberances. Heck, he’s probably not shy, just unable to waddle out and greet people.
At any rate, when meeting a strange dog, let them make the approach. Dogs are like people, they don’t like strangers getting all up in their grille. Have your hand just slightly outstretched at an easy level for them to sniff if they decide to, with your fingers slightly curled up into a paw-shape. If they start licking and otherwise asking for attention, drop down to a squat and gently rub the jaw or back around the shoulders.
If they seem hesitant in any way, leave 'em alone. Pushing a dog and making it feel threatened is a good way to get snapped. And even making friendly overtures like trying to pet and trying to call them over can be too much for some of these guys. They’ll warm up to you as their comfort level increases, and often the comfort level increases a lot more quickly if you just pretend they’re not even there.