Dogs with a yellow ribbon

And what exactly is it? This idea was born in Sweden in 2012 and it has been gradually spreading into the whole world. It is a message for the masters of other dogs, but also for regular passers-by: I need space, don’t come closer.

I have first encountered this phenomenon on the internet a few years ago. I thought it was a good idea, and so apart from sharing it across social media sites, I’ve tried practising it on one of my female dogs from my pack, a dog prone to stress, which besides other things, has a panic fear of people. However, sharing didn’t pick up much, and since the yellow ribbon was virtually unknown to anyone, I’ve dropped it in practice as well. But in the last year, the awareness about it started to spread well even here, I think, so I’ve decided to try it again and to introduce it to you here as well.

The yellow ribbon symbol may have several reasons:

• The dog is in training or in the process of sociallising (for example, after a life in a shelter or isolation, when it is only getting used to the life around it)
• The dog has health issues or it is in convalescence after a procedure
• It could be a retired rescuing dog. For such dogs, the world around them may be an unfamiliar place.
• The dog may have a bad experience with another dog from the past, or they simply don’t belong to friendly dogs that want to say “Hi!” to everyone.
• It is a shy dog
• The dog is old / blind / deaf
• It is a female dog in heat

So if you see a dog with such a mark while you’re walking yours, call your dog and don’t get too close to it or to its master. The yellow colour means, that the dog must not be close to other dogs. Therefore, keep your distance or give them the opportunity to move away. This way, you may avoid trouble, psychical tension of the dog or an injury.