Laura Palardy, a dog trainer from Alberta, Canada, recognized that not all dogs are sociable.
Some may be nervous, or sore from surgery or because of their history may not react well to strangers and just need time.
Palardy came up with a simple yet effective way to address this issue.
She started the Yellow Dog Project which encourages owners of such dogs to tie a yellow ribbon around them to warn others to give them space.
The non-profit also donates the money raised to buy things like yellow ribbon and t-shirts to encourage the cause.
The yellow ribbon is also a sign for other dog owners to not let their dogs approach a dog with a yellow ribbon around its neck or leash.
It also saves the owner of a nervous dog from not having to constantly explain why their dog needs space.
“The Yellow Dog Project is a global movement for owners of dogs that need space,” the project’s website says.
“It hopes to educate the public and dog owners to identify dogs needing space, promote appropriate contact of dogs and assist dog parents to identify their dog as needing space.”
It can be a stressful situation for some dogs to be petted and approached by a stranger and so many of us dog lovers forget this.
This is the perfect way to combat that and protect the dog for any unnecessary stress.
Please share so more people know about this excellent project and are made aware of what a yellow ribbon on a dog means.