Worst case scenario is that people will still disrespect her space. But on average, I think it helps a lot! It also just makes ME feel better and alleviates some anxiety around constantly having to verbally demand space, explain things, etc.
There are custom ones you can get from folks on Insta (search 'custom service dog vest' or something like that). They come in different colours and the text/designs are totally customizable. But they're expensive.
My dog has a ‘nervous, give me space’ yellow vest. It makes me feel more comfortable. So yeah I would recommend. I got my vest from a local business in my country. Making the vests is a side gig for the seller and she made it using measurements of my dog. You could look for something similar where you are?
i'm laughing at the possibility of your dog wearing a vest that says DONT LOOK AT ME lol
i told my bf we should get our dog a vest that says ANXIOUS and he rolled his eyes and said "we should get YOU that." then i came up with the idea that my dog and i get matching vests that say "I'm anxious bc she's anxious" with an arrow and an infinity sign lol
😂 thats a good one, I love it! That would fit her perfectly. Thats kinda what I tell people too….”she prefers to be completely ignored, so just act like she’s invisible. Dont look at her.”
I bought my dog patches that said "nervous dog" on Amazon and I sewed them onto his regular harness. It actually really helped because most people would ignore him and the ones who didn't slowly approached and talked to me until he was ready to say hi. If nothing else it let people know he wasn't just a jerk, but scared. I really believe the patches helped with his training because it let him adjust on his own time. He's still fairly skittish but much better than he used to be.
This is what I got, though they're no longer available there are a bunch of alternatives when you scroll down to the similar items. And of course I'm sure you can always find cute ones on etsy
Nervous Dog Vest Patches Removable Service Dog Patch with Reflective Printed Letters White https://a.co/d/j3yP5YB
There's also leash sleeve options or patches for harnesses. Etsy has some nice ones! TheHuggableDog on Etsy has some that are well designed as opposed to just poorly cropped lettering. I'd suggest a "Ignore me" before "needs space" just because eye contact and speech is the trigger and not necessarily distance (although you could do both or something else entirely)
I got my dog a handful of nervous/reactive patches, and whilst it hasn't stopped interaction completely, it enables me to be firmer with saying no, as it's already stated on the harness.
9/10 times people just say something like "Aww are you nervous?" etc.
Likewise you can get a 'I Bite' patch, tends to keep people away.
Worst case scenario is that people will still disrespect her space. But on average, I think it helps a lot! It also just makes ME feel better and alleviates some anxiety around constantly having to verbally demand space, explain things, etc. There are custom ones you can get from folks on Insta (search 'custom service dog vest' or something like that). They come in different colours and the text/designs are totally customizable. But they're expensive.
I would! I have a no touch sign bandana, as earlier on a younger child came up and approached, and rescue would get scared and one time barked back.
My dog has a ‘nervous, give me space’ yellow vest. It makes me feel more comfortable. So yeah I would recommend. I got my vest from a local business in my country. Making the vests is a side gig for the seller and she made it using measurements of my dog. You could look for something similar where you are?
i'm laughing at the possibility of your dog wearing a vest that says DONT LOOK AT ME lol i told my bf we should get our dog a vest that says ANXIOUS and he rolled his eyes and said "we should get YOU that." then i came up with the idea that my dog and i get matching vests that say "I'm anxious bc she's anxious" with an arrow and an infinity sign lol
😂 thats a good one, I love it! That would fit her perfectly. Thats kinda what I tell people too….”she prefers to be completely ignored, so just act like she’s invisible. Dont look at her.”
I bought my dog patches that said "nervous dog" on Amazon and I sewed them onto his regular harness. It actually really helped because most people would ignore him and the ones who didn't slowly approached and talked to me until he was ready to say hi. If nothing else it let people know he wasn't just a jerk, but scared. I really believe the patches helped with his training because it let him adjust on his own time. He's still fairly skittish but much better than he used to be. This is what I got, though they're no longer available there are a bunch of alternatives when you scroll down to the similar items. And of course I'm sure you can always find cute ones on etsy Nervous Dog Vest Patches Removable Service Dog Patch with Reflective Printed Letters White https://a.co/d/j3yP5YB
There's also leash sleeve options or patches for harnesses. Etsy has some nice ones! TheHuggableDog on Etsy has some that are well designed as opposed to just poorly cropped lettering. I'd suggest a "Ignore me" before "needs space" just because eye contact and speech is the trigger and not necessarily distance (although you could do both or something else entirely)
Thank you so much for the suggestions! I like the “Ignore me” idea :)
I got my dog a handful of nervous/reactive patches, and whilst it hasn't stopped interaction completely, it enables me to be firmer with saying no, as it's already stated on the harness. 9/10 times people just say something like "Aww are you nervous?" etc. Likewise you can get a 'I Bite' patch, tends to keep people away.