04/11/2026
This is such a powerful message from my breeder. Sometimes people are disappointed or sad that I canāt interact with their dogs when I am working. I love other dogs and I love to play with them. I have plenty of time to do that when my working harness is off I promise! Itās not always easy, sometimes I get excited when I see dogs that I know or have never met before. But my mom helps me reign it in and reminds me we will have time to ādebriefā when the role and responsibility is over. I am supposed to be focusing on the task at hand when that harness is on. I have trained and worked very hard to know the difference. So please, if you ever ask if your dog can meet me and my mom says āno Iām sorry he canāt right now heās workingā sheās not being rude, sheās helping me stay on task, focused and consistent. I love my job šš¾
Boonefield Labradors Belchertown Police Department Harmony Acres Personalized Dog Training BARC, INC aka Belchertown Animal Relief Committee
Iāll be honestāthis is something thatās been on my mind.
When Iām scrolling and see working dogsāespecially comfort or facility dogsārunning, wrestling, or engaging in dog-to-dog greetings in uniform, it gives me pause.
Not because dogs shouldnāt play.
They absolutely should.
But because of what that uniform is meant to represent.
For our dogs, the vest isnāt just a piece of gear.
Itās a signal. A cue. A clear line of expectation.
It tells the dog:
This is not the time to engage. This is the time to remain steady, neutral, and present.
Thatās also why we donāt allow on-leash, in-passing greetings with other dogsāand why we guide our handlers to do the same.
Because once we start allowing it sometimes, we create confusion:
Should I stay neutral, or should I engage?
And dogs donāt live in the moment the way we doāthey learn from patterns.
So when those patterns become inconsistent, we start to see it show up:
ā¢ in anticipation
ā¢ in distraction
ā¢ in subtle shifts that matter more than people realize
And hereās the part many people donāt seeā
Our dogs are often at events, in shared spaces, and working alongside other dogs.
They see them.
They pass them.
They exist in close proximity.
And they remain neutral.
Not because they donāt noticeā
but because theyāve been taught they donāt need to engage.
That level of steadiness doesnāt come from avoidance.
It comes from clarity.
Thereās also a responsibility pieceāespecially in shared spaces.
Not every dog wants to say hi.
Not every handler is in a position to allow it.
So we keep it simple:
Give space. About 2 feet or more. No face-to-face greetings without invitation.
Respecting that space isnāt unfriendlyā
itās part of respecting the work.
Our dogs absolutely get to run, play, and just be dogs.
They have dog friends. They have off-duty time.
Just not while wearing the very thing thatās meant to define a different role.
Different programs will have different standards.
This is simply one of ours.
Because in the environments our dogs serve, clarity isnāt optionalāitās everything.
