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A simple trick can make a dog treat a stranger as their friend

If an unfamiliar person spends 15 minutes following a dog, it tends to follow them back in a possible sign of friendship

By Christa Lesté-Lasserre

29 February 2024

Pet dogs often keep stride with their owners, but that is rarely the case with strangers

Russ Rohde/Getty Images

Many pet dogs are hesitant to warm up to strangers and can feel threatened if unknown people touch them or even look at them – but now researchers have found an easy way to make friends.

“It’s creating familiarity between the dog and the human, without having to touch or use toys or food, or even make eye contact,” says Angélique Lamontagne at Aix-Marseille University in France.

Read more

The hidden rules that determine which friendships matter to us

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