Arching OR I'm Just Passing Through

It's probably not a surprise to anyone with a neighborhood dog that barks at everyone that walks by that dogs can be territorial and have strong feelings about who passes through their territory or personal space.  Dogs need a way to let other dogs know that they are not impinging on the other's territory, just passing by or through.  One of the ways they do this is arching.  As one dog approaches another, rather than walk in a straight line (the most direct route), the approaching dog will walk in an arch around the other dog. 

This is in direct contrast with human nature and leads to a lot of the problems with walking on a leash.  When humans want to signal that they are just passing through, they attempt to travel the quickest route, an accompanying dog will want to make an arch through the area, which often results in pulling. 

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