One of the easiest things about social distancing for me has been walking my dog Belle.

This is Belle.

Photo by Tara Woloschuk

Cute, right? I adopted her through a local rescue organization, HART, when she was about five months old. She hadn’t been well socialized and would apparently “yell” at dogs she wasn’t familiar with. But she was still a pup, so I could work on that, right?

Not so much.

Apparently, there’s an optimal window of opportunity for socializing a puppy, and that window was all but shut. And it didn’t help that I’m an introvert and not really big on socializing myself. Belle did relatively well on playdates and grew to like the dogs she knew. But the dog park was a disaster — definitely not the place for her (or me — dog people can be crazy).

“Her coping strategy is to appear as loud and mean as possible.”

Belle is now three and a half, and she’s a full-blown reactive dog. She’s afraid of a lot of things, and her coping strategy is to appear as loud and mean as possible to keep those scary things from coming too close. She goes from happy, sweet, dorky pupper to vicious guard dog in under a second — snarling, barking, lunging, and pulling on the leash, hackles raised down the length of her spine.

At first, these “threats” were limited to other dogs, but the list grew to include men, people in hats, people in bright or weird clothing, kids, joggers, bicycles, strollers, and heavy machinery (yes, you read that right). She also reacts to things on TV, particularly animals and anyone moving faster than a walk. Good luck watching sports with her.

“I never have to worry about getting within six feet of anyone.”

Taking Belle for walks is challenging. Pre-COVID-19, we had perfected social distancing, and we even take it to the next level, having different distance rules for different things. Dogs need more space than joggers, joggers need more space than people in hats, and people in hats need more space than kids. And it’s best to have a pond between us and any heavy machinery.

On our walks, I never have to worry about getting within 6 feet of anyone — or 20 feet, for that matter. If someone tries to approach us, Belle goes into terrifying guard dog mode and scares the bejeezus out of them.

To prevent heart attacks, if someone is walking toward us on the sidewalk, we cross to the other side of the street. If we’re on a path, I take Belle as far off the path as needed until the person passes by.

“It’s my job to help my dog feel safe.”

It took some time for me to stop feeling self-conscious about doing this. The Reddit group for owners of reactive dogs helped me to get over it. It’s my job to help my dog feel safe, and she won’t feel safe if I allow scary things to get too close to her. She’s on a leash, so she can’t escape if something scares her. It’s up to me.

Social distancing tips from my reactive dog

Since she’s so good at it, I asked Belle if she has any tips on social distancing for humans during the pandemic. Here’s what she said:

1. Trust no one

Humans seem to think it’s cool to just walk up to anyone. But they could have that coronavirus thing! Even if someone says they aren’t sick, how do you know for sure? Maybe they’re trying to lure you in so they can bite you — I mean, cough on you.

Don’t be stupid. Humans can’t be trusted — unless the human is your mom.

2. Know your boundaries

The government says you have to stay six feet away from other humans. That seems risky. What if someone is really good at coughing?

To make sure you’re safe, stay 20 feet away from other humans. Especially if they’re wearing a hat.

3. Be loud and clear

Sometimes, humans don’t listen — a lot of times, actually. They think you’re cute and furry, and they want to come up and pet you, but THEY CAN’T! Social distancing!

If someone doesn’t want to respect the rules, you have to remind them. The best way is to yell at them as loudly as you can. It works, especially if you yell, “STAY AWAY, OR I WILL PROBABLY KILL YOU!” It’s important to remind other humans that the coronavirus can kill them, right?

4. Be consistent — no exceptions

Maybe you’re sad. Maybe you want a hug or scratchies. Maybe someone has a grocery bag that might have treats in it. Maybe you want to check for yourself if the bag has treats in it.

STOP! There are no exceptions to the social distancing rule! Everyone is a possible threat, and even though the treats are probably really tasty, they’re NOT. WORTH. IT.

5. Hold the line

You need to keep doing this social distancing thing. Even though you aren’t naturally afraid of things you should be scared of — like strollers — you can do this. Resist the temptations. I believe in you, human.

Photo by Tara Woloschuk

Thanks, Belle.