# Yellow Dog Project



## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

I just found this website as I was finally finishing reading the article about not hugging dogs that was posted by mudpuppymama (I think). An interesting idea.


----------



## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Interesting, I hadn’t heard of it.


----------



## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

*Great post Ricky!*

I've never heard of The Yellow Ribbon Project. After doing more research, my response is an emphatic yes! It would be helpful if everyone used common sense but... Most people (about 85%) are visual and/or kinesthetic learners. That is attended to during grade school but quickly dismissed at the secondary level. A yellow anything is an easy way to signal caution and a lot of people may ask from curiosity. Our 11 year old is a rescue Havanese (HRI) and even though he was only a year old when we got him he had a lot of emotional healing to do. He's just a little love bug now but I sure could have used the yellow dog system his first year. The attachment is a poster I saw on positively.com I'm wondering what you think.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I think it’s a nice idea. I ALSO think that the people who MOST need to heed it won’t have a CLUE what it means. You stll have to advocate for your dog. A LOT when you have a cute, little, fluffy dog.

The number of times I’ve had a kid fly around the corner in Petco and grab Kodi around the neck and bury their face in his fur... he takes it, because he’s a good egg. He doesn’t love it. (I don’t think MANY dogs do!) I wait for the parents to catch up and remind them that MANY little dogs are snappy, and could have taken their kid’s face off, and that it is their responsibility to teach their kids to ASK FIRST before touching a strange dog. I say it nicely, of course, and then I have the child practice this, and then give them MY treats and show them how to get Kodi to do a trick. 

But sheesh! It really is amazing that more kids don’t get bitten in the face!


----------



## Wulfin (May 3, 2019)

They tried to do leash colours here once.. red, yellow, green. But it never took off. We always just taught our kiddo (and everyone else), that you should always ask the owner first. But maybe this project will work.


----------



## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

That’s what I try to do also Krandall. I taught 2 clinically hyperactive boys how to treat animals and now as adults they automatically shift their demeanor in the presence of new animals. Then they go back to talking at warp speed😆 I think you summed it up well with “Sheesh.”


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Wulfin said:


> They tried to do leash colours here once.. red, yellow, green. But it never took off. We always just taught our kiddo (and everyone else), that you should always ask the owner first. But maybe this project will work.


They've been talking about this for AT LEAST 5 or 6 years...


----------



## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Perry could use something like this. He wouldn't snap but he is very uncomfortable with new people, especially men. In the 4 years I've had him I've had 1 !!! person approach, stick out their hand for him to sniff, and read his body language well enough and said "he's not comfortable with this" and backed away. Lucky for us most people who have approached him have done it respectfully (asking, etc.) and I usually say that they can, but caution them that he's unsure with new people - and stop if/ when he's clearly unhappy... but people often take it very personally when that happens (kids mostly seem sad/ disappointed).


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> Perry could use something like this. He wouldn't snap but he is very uncomfortable with new people, especially men.


Wouldn't you love to know what went on in his little life before tou got him? 



Melissa Brill said:


> In the 4 years I've had him I've had 1 !!! person approach, stick out their hand for him to sniff, and read his body language well enough and said "he's not comfortable with this" and backed away. Lucky for us most people who have approached him have done it respectfully (asking, etc.) and I usually say that they can, but caution them that he's unsure with new people - and stop if/ when he's clearly unhappy... but people often take it very personally when that happens (kids mostly seem sad/ disappointed).


Pixel is like that. We call it "discerning" Kodi and Panda love EVERBODY. Kodi would happily leave with the mailman. He will, literally, climb in the truck with him. Panda isn't QUITE as bad as that...SHE would only leave with a stranger if I came too! LOL! Both will do tricks for anyone I give a treat to and tell them the "magic words" to use. I love to turn Kodi over to someone who has never run a dog on a Rally course and let them run Kodi because it's like getting to drive a sports car for the first time. They have a blast! Very few dogs will work for someone else like that!

But Pixel needs to get to know you. Once you are on the "friends" list, you are a friend for life. But don't push her. If you give her space, she will come and make her own decision, and I almost always agree with her. If someone tries to force themselves on her, she just ducks around behind us, and that's the end of it. We NEVER make her interact with someone she's not comfortable with.


----------



## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*Perry*



krandall said:


> Wouldn't you love to know what went on in his little life before tou got him?


I've read (anecdotally) that some people who grow up in abusive households develop a "6th sense" / strong empathic ability. Nothing supernatural - just a much stronger (and often subconscious) ability to "read" people - their feelings and emotions. I feel like this with Perry sometimes. In addition to just being timid/ afraid of a lot of things, I feel like he can really read people, especially my husband - unfortunately, Perry does not know/ understand the different between someone being serious or even in a bad mood and whether that mood/ facial expression/ etc. is directed at him!

My husband is a very quiet, introspective, very serious (demeanor) person. And like a lot of people who are like that, his facial expression is often very neutral or could be seen as frowning. I feel like Perry takes that as a danger or at least a very deep concern and reacts to it.

But yes, I would be very interested in knowing what his first 8 months were like and how much of this is just him being a very timid creature and how much of it was his life before us.



krandall said:


> Pixel is like that. We call it "discerning" Kodi and Panda love EVERBODY. Kodi would happily leave with the mailman. He will, literally, climb in the truck with him. Panda isn't QUITE as bad as that...SHE would only leave with a stranger if I came too! LOL! Both will do tricks for anyone I give a treat to and tell them the "magic words" to use. I love to turn Kodi over to someone who has never run a dog on a Rally course and let them run Kodi because it's like getting to drive a sports car for the first time. They have a blast! Very few dogs will work for someone else like that!
> 
> But Pixel needs to get to know you. Once you are on the "friends" list, you are a friend for life. But don't push her. If you give her space, she will come and make her own decision, and I almost always agree with her. If someone tries to force themselves on her, she just ducks around behind us, and that's the end of it. We NEVER make her interact with someone she's not comfortable with.


Perry definitely reacts best to people who just ignore him for a little while. He will eventually come close, sniff feet, etc. and then might, if you still act very chill, let you reach down and let him sniff your hand and then possibly pet him. It's taken several years (though he only sees them twice a year) for him to actively approach my sisters for attention - this past Christmas visit home was the first time he put his feet up on them (standing on his back legs) when they were sitting at the table - they were shocked .

I can think of only one person that he approached/ climbed on AND sniffed her breath! the very first time he met her - that was my aunt (who runs a pet store and owns the place where he gets groomed in the US). He has never given kisses - not even to me - the closest he will come to that is sniffing your breath/ head/ face .

It's really sad in a lot of ways - not because he doesn't like people - but because you can see him _wanting_ to get close to people, wanting their attention, but being very unsure of it!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> Perry definitely reacts best to people who just ignore him for a little while. He will eventually come close, sniff feet, etc. and then might, if you still act very chill, let you reach down and let him sniff your hand and then possibly pet him. It's taken several years (though he only sees them twice a year) for him to actively approach my sisters for attention - this past Christmas visit home was the first time he put his feet up on them (standing on his back legs) when they were sitting at the table - they were shocked .
> 
> I can think of only one person that he approached/ climbed on AND sniffed her breath! the very first time he met her - that was my aunt (who runs a pet store and owns the place where he gets groomed in the US). He has never given kisses - not even to me - the closest he will come to that is sniffing your breath/ head/ face .
> 
> It's really sad in a lot of ways - not because he doesn't like people - but because you can see him _wanting_ to get close to people, wanting their attention, but being very unsure of it!


Ricky's Popi is one of the only "pet people" who immediately "got it right" with Pixel. He came in the door talking to me, kept eye contact with me and sat down on the floor. Said NOTHING to the dogs. Kodi and Panda were on him like flies on honey. Pixel took a BIT longer, but he just kept talking to me, and before long, she was right there too. You could just see her little brain going, "THIS is a guy who "gets" little doggies!"


----------

