Say Hi or Walk On By? Teaching Your Dog When to Greet or Move On
Clear, well-practiced cues help take the guesswork out of greetings. photo: AdobeStock
If your dog becomes overly excited whenever they see another dog - pulling madly, whining, barking, or lunging - you're not alone. Some dogs want to greet every dog they see, while others prefer to be left alone. Most fall somewhere in between: social but with strong preferences about the other dog’s breed, size, or play style. Either way, the results can be stressful, with your dog tugging or lunging, acting frustrated or confused, or darting toward other dogs without warning.
The good news is you can teach your dog when it’s okay to greet and when it’s not. Clear, well-practiced cues help take the guesswork out of greetings, bringing greater calm, predictability, and a sense of partnership to your walks.
Why Leashed Greetings Are Tricky (and Usually a Bad Idea)
Before jumping into the how-to, let's be clear: leashed greetings are usually a bad idea. When one or both dogs are on leash, they can't move freely. That restriction and inability to move away if they're uncomfortable can lead to tension, growling, or even scuffles.
Just because your dog is social doesn't mean every other dog is. The dog you're walking toward might be fearful, injured, recovering from surgery, or just not in the mood. Their human may simply want a peaceful walk. When your dog rushes up to a leashed dog, it's not just impolite—it can be dangerous.
If you must do an on-leash greeting, always check in with the other guardian first. Then keep the leashes loose and held high so the dogs can circle around each other and sniff each other's rear ends, which is normal canine greeting behavior. Pay close attention to body language and move away immediately if you see signs of discomfort, such as hard staring, stiffness or freezing, a tucked tail, repeated lip licking, or growling.
Never punish or correct a dog for growling. It’s your dog’s early warning system. It means they’re uncomfortable and trying to avoid conflict. Respect the signal and give them space by moving away.
Teaching Clarity: "Let's Go" vs. "Go Say Hi"
Whether on or off-leash, teaching your dog who they’re allowed to greet and when reduces frustration and creates clarity. Instead of acting impulsively, your dog learns to look to you for guidance.
This takes practice and repetition. It's not a one-and-done lesson. Dogs don't learn by being told what not to do. They learn by getting rewarded for doing the things we want them to do instead.
If your dog is used to greeting every dog they see (or has a long history of pulling to get there), expect this to take some time. The more that behavior has been reinforced in the past, the more repetition it will take to build a new pattern. Stay consistent. You’re not just changing the behavior. You’re changing the expectation.
Cue #1: "Let's Go"
The "Let's go" cue tells your dog we're moving away together. Think of it as an informal recall. You're not calling your dog to you, you're changing direction together. “Let’s go” means simply passing another dog without stopping, doing a U-turn, or arcing around to make space. It's a calm way to say "not this one" and move on without tension or confusion.
The words themselves aren’t important. You could use "With me," "This way," "Vamos,” or any other short phrase. What matters is that the words become muscle memory: your dog hears it, turns, moves with you, and gets a treat.
How to teach it:
Start in a quiet area. Walk slowly and say, "Let's go" just before you move or change direction. As your dog follows, give them a treat. If they hesitate, use a treat magnet (hold a treat to their nose) to gently guide them in your direction.
Change directions often. Say "Let's go" before each turn, then reward movement with you.
Add a leash and repeat. Keep it loose.
Practice in more distracting environments.
Reinforce frequently at first, then intermittently once the behavior is solid.
The goal is for your dog to move with you without any leash pressure. You're not dragging them. You're inviting them and reinforcing the choice. If your dog has trouble responding, you're probably too close to the other dog. Increase the distance until they can easily follow your cue. Distance is your friend. If you find yourself relying on the leash to hold your dog back, you're too close.
It’s essential to practice “Let’s go” in calm, neutral situations, not just when another dog appears. If your dog only hears it when something exciting or stressful is happening, they may start to associate the cue with tension or conflict. Instead of thinking “We’re moving together,” they start thinking “Where’s the dog?” Use the cue on every walk, even when nothing notable is happening. Reward generously. That’s how you build a positive association and ensure it stays a reliable, flexible tool.
It’s also important to understand that, for this to work, not greeting other dogs has to feel just as rewarding as greeting them. Use positive reinforcement every time your dog moves with you calmly, checks in, or disengages from another dog. Use treats, praise, and play to turn the choice to walk away into something they feel good about. That’s how we shift the mindset from “I didn’t get what I wanted” to “I got something even better.”
Of course, in an emergency - if your dog is already reacting and can't focus - you may need to use leash pressure to move away quickly. That’s not a training moment; it’s about getting your dog out of a tough spot safely.
As a companion to “Let’s go,” you can also teach a “Find it” cue to use after changing direction by tossing a few treats on the ground for them to sniff out. This will shift your dog’s focus and helps make missing out on a greeting feel like a win, not a loss. In addition, sniffing out a treat with “Find it” doesn’t just distract your dog from another pup. It actually lowers the heart rate and helps regulate your dog's emotional state.
Like any other skill, start by practicing “Find it” in easy, distraction-free environments first and then gradually work up to using it around distractions. Just don’t use “Find it” when other dogs are nearby or off-leash to prevent potential conflicts over food on the ground.
Cue #2: "Go Say Hi"
The "Go say hi" cue gives your dog permission to greet another dog. This cue is for off-leash, friendly greetings only. Never use it when the other dog is on a leash.
As with any cue, it works because it's predictable. Every time you say it, your dog gets to greet the other dog. You don’t need treats for this cue because the greeting itself is the reward.
How to teach it:
Practice with calm, familiar dogs in a secure and controlled environment.
Approach slowly. If your dog struggles to stay calm, use a treat magnet (hold a treat to their nose as you walk closer to the other dog).
Watch for intense or overly forward body language, like dropping low and stalking. That kind of approach might be fine with known playmates, but it’s too much for a first greeting and can come across as threatening. Interrupt and redirect before your dog makes contact.
Just before reaching the other dog, pause, then say, "Go say hi," and drop the leash. Keep the greeting short and friendly. Then say, "Let's go" and walk away together.
Repeat often and reward calm approaches. If your dog gets too excited, back up, regroup, and try again.
Loose Leash Walking and Dog Distractions
If your dog pulls on the leash and then gets to greet another dog, what have you taught them? That pulling works. Instead, stop and create space the moment they begin to pull. Wait for a moment of calm (slack in the leash, head turn toward you, or eye contact), then reward and proceed. Reinforce every step they take without pulling. If your dog stays composed, the other dog is off leash, you’ve checked with the other owner, and you're close enough for a polite greeting, you may then drop or slacken your dog’s leash and cue “Go say hi.”
Over time, your dog will learn that calm behavior gets them what they want, not dragging you towards other dogs. If your dog tends to rush up to people, use “Go say hi” as structured permission instead of letting them pull or lunge. Again, always check with the other dog’s person before allowing your dog to approach.
If your dog only pulls when they see other dogs or people, the issue probably isn't only leash skills—it's a matter of emotional regulation. Many dogs walk beautifully on leash until another dog shows up.
Figure out what’s driving that emotional intensity (is it frustration, fear, or overexcitement?) and address it directly. When you do, leash walking gets easier.
Shifting the overall focus of a walk also helps. Put your phone away, engage with your dog, and make the walk an interactive experience. Reinforce check-ins, play games like “Find it,” and keep treats or toys handy. When your dog learns that walking with you is rewarding and fun, they’re less likely to fixate on every passing dog. If meeting other dogs is the only exciting part of the walk, of course they’re going to focus on that. Once you build in other forms of engagement, the pressure to interact with every dog starts to fade.
Some dogs pull, whine, bark, or lunge to get to other dogs, but once they get there, they sniff briefly and move on. That doesn’t mean they’re rude or antisocial. For many dogs, especially those who are anxious or unsure, getting close is how they gather information and confirm the other dog isn’t a threat. The urgency is not about play. It is about certainty. Once they feel safe, the need to interact often disappears. This is why structure and clear cues around greetings can dramatically reduce anxiety and overarousal.
If your dog barks, lunges, or melts down at the sight of other dogs, don't wait. Get help from a qualified, force-free behavior consultant. A structured plan and early support can make a huge difference.
Train Smart: Start Easy and Build Up
As with any training, always begin with familiar dogs in calm environments. As your dog improves, gradually add new locations and new dogs.
Remember, you're not training in the moment—you're training for the moment. When a bouncy Doodle barrels toward you, your dog won't respond just because you have a scrap of filet mignon in your pocket. They'll respond because you've rehearsed the behavior in low-stakes situations until it becomes automatic.
The Payoff: Your Dog Looks to You First
You'll know your greeting strategy is working when your dog sees another dog and turns to you with a look: What now?
Maybe you say, "Let's go," and they trot off happily. Maybe you say, "Go say hi," and they get to greet the other dog. Either way, they're not guessing. You've built a system, and you're working together as a team.
That kind of teamwork doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the product of deliberate practice, thoughtful setups, and consistent reinforcement. It's not distraction, bribery, or magic: it's training. Your dog isn't guessing anymore, and you're no longer bracing for chaos. You've replaced uncertainty with communication and turned a source of stress into a moment of connection.