I Need Space: The Yellow Dog Movement

Have  you heard of the Yellow Dog movement?  It is a worldwide campaign to  increase awareness about the importance of giving dogs space, and  overall promoting responsible dog ownership.

The  idea was originally started by international behaviourist and trainer,  Eva Oliversson, after hearing about dog clubs in Australia using yellow  ribbons to signify that certain dogs in the classes were sensitive.   Inspired, Eva took this idea and launched the Swedish International  Gulahund Yellow Dog programme in 2012.  Recognising the growing need for  a clear and simple way to communicate that certain dogs require space,  the movement quickly gained international traction as dog owners,  trainers, and animal welfare advocates embraced the concept.
It  has since been taken up and supported by ambassador charities across  Europe and beyond.  Here in the UK, it is promoted by Yellow Dog UK.

The  concept is that a hound, regardless of breed, dressed in yellow (be it a  ribbon, bandana, coat or otherwise) requires space.  This can be for  many different reasons, but they need space all the same.  

Dogs,  like humans, have diverse personalities and needs. While some dogs are  highly social and enjoy interacting with people and other dogs, and take  to new environments with ease, while others find such interactions  stressful or overwhelming.  The reasons for needing space can be broad  but can include things such as old age, surgery or injury recovery,  behavioural issues such as reactivity, undergoing training, or are  generally quite anxious and fearful.

Some  might say, if your dog is anxious or reactive, just don’t take it to  places where it’s going to be exposed to things that trigger them.  

Such  comments are not helpful and are very privileged, for how is a hound  supposed to learn, grow, and overcome their anxieties if not exposed to  them?  Careful, controlled, positive experiences and exposure from a  distance that they are comfortable with can greatly help dogs.  This  approach allows for gradual desensitisation to certain triggers, from a  safe distance, that allows dogs to create positive associations and  overcome their fears in a supported way, hence the yellow!

The  yellow prevents unwanted encounters, prevents dog fights, and supports  owners that have dogs with special needs.  The yellow provides a sense  of relieve and support and reduces their own anxiety in taking their  hounds out by preventing close interactions and encouraging a more  considerate mindset.  It gives them the space to provide positive  reinforcement training, allowing the dog to feel safe and secure.

We  have only encountered one person who has actively called out to us on a  narrow path, asking if the dog we were walking needed space due to the  yellow ‘in training’ lead.  They put their dog back on the lead and  stepped to the side so we could move past safely.  This is the kind of  considerate and mindful experience that everyone, with a special needs  dog, would appreciate.

By  promoting and increasing the awareness, and importance, of wearing  yellow.  It allows all dog owners to understand its role in promoting  respectful and informed interactions between dogs, humans, and their  environments.  Thus, allowing for dogs to have more enjoyable, and  safer, walking experiences.  

But it only works if everyone is aware of it…and so many people aren’t!

So,  spread the word, so that yellow dogs everywhere can have the freedom to  live fear-free lives, learn and grow to overcome their anxieties, and  beyond that, so all dogs, regardless of their needs, can live happier  and healthier lives!