 But you've got to recognize those signs. Let's talk about how kids and you should approach a dog. First, find out from the dog's owner if he's friendly and if it's okay to pet him and where it's okay to pet him. You know, some older dogs have hip pain. So if you didn't know that and went to pat him on the side by his leg, it might hurt him enough to where he'd turn around and snap at you. Always calmly approach dogs. Matter of fact, my dog feels threatened when people approach him. He's much more comfortable when he's allowed to approach the person.