Does it bother you when people grab your dog?

[Kerrigan]

I don't mind one of my doggie friends giving my dogs commands, but someone off the stree I don't know or some of my relatives - no way.

 

Strangers feeding my dogs is a definite no-no, unless I provide the treat and I've asked them to as a socialization thing. I do have a doggy aquaintance that is always trying to give treats I don't like to my dogs which is a bit harder to deal with. Seems to go in one ear and out the other with her.

 

I don't like strangers just coming up while we are walking somewhere and petting/playing or messing with my dogs without permission although it doesn't really happen all that often. I have taken my dogs to a lot of public events such as the Scottish Games, Pet Expos, community dog day events, etc. so I'm not too worried about how they will react. They're all very used to having strangers pet them. I think the dogs think its doggie heaven with tons of attention from people - tummy rubs and COOKIES - lots of COOKIES However, I do post rules at these events which have worked very well over the years.

1. Please ask permission before petting the dog.

2. Please use the alcohol based antibacterial hand cleaner before petting the dog. (I don't know what kind of health care the other dogs at these events have had - most have responsible owners, but some have been iffy and there are usually shelter dogs up for adoption at these events also. It's interesting, but a lot of folks are thankful I have that available for them to use.)

3. Please only pet the dogs that are out on leash with its owner.

4. If the dog is in the ex-pen or crate, please leave it alone - its having its quiet time (I rotate the dogs so none of them get burnt out. This is the one rule people seem to have trouble with for some reason. They just have to bug the dog asleep in the crate or ex-pen).

5. Please don't feed the dogs without permission (I provide a basket of either kibble or the puppy sized Old Mother Hubbard bisquits broken in half and I don't let the dogs get anything but that. If I feel they have had enough, I just put the basket out of sight).

 

How about this one. When you are at a doggie event, someone that you barely know says "Here, hold my dog" and throws the leash at you while they run off to go do something? That's one that irritates me.

[Nik]

I think the thing that irritates me the most isn't so much people who try to pet my dogs when were out walking (mainly because there aren't that many that we run into on our walks) but when they are in the back yard, they do NOT like anyone coming in the gate unless I escort the person in and let them know it's ok for that person to be there, is when someone comes up to the gate and I point blank tell them "My dogs do not like strangers, please don't try and pet them over the gate and they do it anyway.

 

Case in point...all of this construction that we've been going through...a couple of weeks ago we had the brick man come out and total up how much we are going to need. He leaves and brings back the estimate today. I caught him just as he was about to open the gate to come through and told him not to come in, the dogs don't like strangers. So I met him outside the fence, took care of buisiness and my mom was standing there talking to him. Navi was at the gate and the guy preceeds to stick his finger through the gate to pet Navi and Navi went balistic. Needless to say he backed up real quick and didn't even come near the fence the rest of the time he was here. It just amazes me most when you TELL someone not to fool w/ your pet (especially for a reason like this one) and they do it anyway. I wanted to tell him "Go ahead and when you draw back a nub, don't say I didn't tell you so".

 

But the thing I've noticed is when were out in public and someone does come by, they are fine w/ meeting other people...a little on the nervous side but fine for the most part at first. Come in their backyard and they don't like it one iota.

[sweet_ceana]

Today I had some one drive by in their car and try and call Ceana to them while the car was still moving! Thank goodness she was on her leash. People really are not in the habit of thinking before they act when it comes to other people's dogs.

[borderlicious]

My BC evades drive-by's quite cleanly. If someone reaches for him before they introduce themselves, he slinks out of the way at warp speed and glares at them. It's impossible for people to catch him if he doesn't like them.

 

People who grab my Papillon get attacked. Loudly. He never bites and breaks the skin but he ROARS (as loudly as a 5lb dog can) and snaps if a stranger tries to pick him up. He makes his mistrust of strangers very evident.

 

I HATE HATE HATE it when people give my dogs, esp. my BC, commands. My Border Collie is still young and just gets confused as all get-out when strangers start yelling random commands at him. He responds to "sit", not "siddown".

People do not understand that he will not show the same degree of responsiveness to their commands as he will to mine, and they act almost offended when he blows them off. Even worse, I've had some people try to correct him for blowing them off. Wtf? He's not their dog to correct. Gah, that made me so angry.

 

I try to be as courteous as possible to other dog owners because I know what it feels like to have a stranger messing with your dog. However, last week in petco I had to catch myself as I did a "drive by" on a very friendly Great Dane who wanted to be petted soooo badly. He just stood there and wagged his tail and looked up at me with those mournful eyes and I couldn't resist. I felt bad for not asking permission to touch him.

[nancy in AZ]

Yesterday I took Minnie with me to the feed store. The guys behind the counter always offer to give the dogs treats and they are usually very good about asking if it's OK first. (Usually as they are standing right in front of the dog with a treat in their outstretched hands, but hey, at least they make the effort) So I explained that yes, she can have the treat, but she has to work for it. I suggested he ask her to "down" and then "rollover". Well this guy was so tickled when she did that. He was still chuckling when he loaded the feed sack in my car and said she made his day.

[Beth G]

Originally posted by borderlicious:

My BC evades drive-by's quite cleanly. If someone reaches for him before they introduce themselves, he slinks out of the way at warp speed and glares at them. It's impossible for people to catch him if he doesn't like them.

 

Sounds like Poppy.

 

Originally posted by borderlicious:

People do not understand that he will not show the same degree of responsiveness to their commands as he will to mine, and they act almost offended when he blows them off. Even worse, I've had some people try to correct him for blowing them off. Wtf? He's not their dog to correct. Gah, that made me so angry.

.

Hear! Hear!

Poppy is a big one for blowing off people and it makes them so mad they get angry with him like all dogs should be at the ready to be commanded by just anyone..lol.

 

When they start trying to order him around that's when they get to deal with me. He comes right up to me, sits next to me and just stares at them like, "Try it." I swear he smiles...lol.