You see a dog in public.
They are super duper cute.
You want to touch them and give them all the love.
What do you do?
Ideally, you would ask the human on the other end of the leash (assuming there is a leash, which there should be… but that’s a topic for another day!)
The human says “Yes, of course!”
You reach out to touch the dog, and the dog moves away.
Should you still touch the dog?
What if the human picks the dog up, or uses the leash to move the dog, and brings them towards you so you can brush them?
That is a sign that their human simply doesn’t understand dog communication… please, still, do not touch the dog.
Why does it matter?
Well, dogs are sentient beings.
What does that mean?
A sentient being is one that:
- Perceives or responds to sensations of any kind, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell
- Is alive and can feel, perceive, and sense things
- Encompasses all living creatures with the capacity for perception and consciousness
Being a sentient being means that dogs have the capacity to experience feelings, emotions, and sensations such as joy, fear, pain, and affection. They are aware of their surroundings and can form meaningful relationships, respond to stimuli, and exhibit problem-solving skills. Sentience in dogs highlights their ability to perceive and emotionally process the world, making them capable of suffering and deserving of care, respect, and compassion in how they are treated.
So let’s treat them with the same respect we would for any other sentient being that we care about.
How can we seek consent from dogs?
Well, luckily, there are a ton of informative videos to watch to learn more about how to perform consent tests for dogs, stranger dogs and our own.
I’ve collected some for you here so you don’t have to search for yourself.
In Summary
Dogs should have the right to say no to anyone touching them, at all times.
Don’t just take my word for it though, here are some other reading resources that talks about asking dogs for their consent and why it’s important:
Additional Information Edit:
It was pointed out to me by another pet professional that, although we call it “consent”, it is actually “assent/dissent”, and there is a difference! As explained in this brilliantly written article: Companion Animals and Consent:
It is commonly recognized that there are limits to who can and cannot provide consent. For example, from an ethical point of view, individuals from vulnerable groups such as children and those with cognitive disabilities are unable to give informed consent and so often require a proxy, such as a caregiver, who can consent on their behalf.
Animals often express assent (approval/agreement) as well as dissent (disapproval/disagreement) to engaging in different behaviours, which we can see when some dogs come running with their tails wagging when they hear “time for a walk?!” or when others slink away, ears back and tail tucked, at the prospect of a bath. In theory, some pets, should be able to make decisions for themselves and consent to engage in different behaviours when requested, but animals are rarely given agency and their personal sovereignty is often ignored, even when they display clear signs of desire or discomfort.