[dtel]

Doggie faux pas Number 1...direct eye contact will be percieved as a claim to dominance...some dogs will make you prove it.

I disagree with you, by avoiding eye contact you tell the animal he is boss.
If you expect to be boss, the quickest way to establish this fact is through eye contact. Never back down from any animal. Period.

[gundog]

Original post stipulated a "potentially dangerous dog"...I've had better luck avoiding eye contact and easing out of doggie's territory. As I said, you can "tell" an animal who is boss...not all of them will take your word for it; some insist that you earn dominance, and that can be a real bitch.