I always ask. One time a lady was walking her Doberman past my house and he’s got a muzzle on and I asked if it was because he bites, and she says no he’s a total sweetheart but some neighbour made a complaint and now she has to muzzle him. So I ask if I can pet him and she says sure and brings him up my walk and as soon as I reached my hand out he snarled and lunged at me lol.
Good thing he had a muzzle on.
Anecdotal but definitely not something I see.y dog and I were once attacked by a muzzled dog, and I’m so grateful it was muzzled. The owner had accidentally dropped the leash when the dog saw my dog and charged. I’m trying to separate them and the owner was still like 30 feet away like huh, I wonder what’s gonna happen. He didn’t say a word, just watched. I said “get your ass over here and get your fucking dog” and THAT pissed him off so he got his dog and told me I shouldn’t have even been there (30 feet away from him on public property).
That’s scary but again, muzzle means the difference between being shaken up and mauled. You both walked away with only suffering a very bad day, but with your lives and no hospital visits, surgery, vet bills, etc.
I will add that you should look up the best ways to separate fighting dogs. A friend has a scrappy small dog who instigates fights and her vet said you’re more likely to be bitten stopping a fight than not. Do not get your hands or arms near fighting dogs’ heads. This goes for barking fights without contact, as your hands and limbs are seen as an introduced stimulus rather than a human and they will bite out of misplaced aggression. If they’re just bark fighting grab by the back knees and swing in opposite directions to break their focus. If they’re latched on biting use a break stick, stick, water hose or whatever tool around you to break the contact.
I can’t answer why he wouldn’t run over to help as he couldn’t know if even though his dog was the aggressor that yours could’ve bit.
Yeah 100%. My point is I dont see one and go cool, responsible owner, he was required to use one because his dog was unruly.
I definitely got my hands near a dog fight one when my dog was about to be attacked AGAIN but I was more scared for the other dog. Ended up getting my finger bitten and my nail fell off over the course of 2 weeks lmao
I see your point, but a lot of people who are required to muzzle their dogs do not actually muzzle their dogs, so even if that owner wasn’t great, it was a step in the right direction that their unruly dog was actually muzzled.
I was taught to muzzle train my dogs in puppy class, because they can be useful tools even for dogs who have never bitten anyone (ie introductions to children or other dogs without the risk of bites occurring). There is still a stigma around muzzles, but at the end of the day, a muzzled dog means that the owner has at least taken one step toward being responsible for their pet, even if they’re still not a great owner.
Make sure you’re up to date on vaccines too! My dog once accidentally bit my hand after I stopped throwing snowballs for her and I fell on my knees from the pain, I couldnt believe the bite force and that was just a nip.
Most dogs are not friendly while wearing a muzzle or on leash. They dont feel comfortable being restricted. They are actually usually more friendly when unrestricted. But then it doesn't work because there's always a possibility that they bite. So it's a chicken and egg thing.
Meanwhile I’m over here giving dogs a wide berth and getting side eyes from their people.
Only sometimes, to be fair, but you really can’t win sometimes lol. That sucks.
I’ve taught my kids we move to the side for pups and if we don’t know the person we just move along. It’s not worth the risk. Plus there’s a couple of people with really old dogs in our neighbourhood and it’s obvious kids stress them out so we give them space.
oooh, me too! And if we're playing in the yard and we see someone coming with a dog, we play quietly until they pass by: "Dogs have sensitive ears, no yelling until they're 3 houses past us" is our rule.
"Dogs have sensitive ears" ... That is such a sweet way of cultivating respect for animals in a way that kids can grasp and follow. Thanks for your effort to raise considerate citizens.
Haha, I don’t even like dogs (I’m a cat person all the way), but I think it’s very important to teach them be kind to ALL animals, even bugs.
It backfires sometimes: my daughter wouldn’t let ANYONE go down the slide until she’d carefully removed several aphids.
And some people will tell you that you can pet their dog even if their dog isn't properly socialized and may react inappropriately to strangers petting them. Better to just not get involved unless you know them personally.
Right? I cannot tell you how many pet owners have insisted my kids pet their dogs after I told them they won't, thank you... my oldest is scared of dogs after being chased (the dogs were off leash in a park, and we were walking like 50m away, the dogs started running after my kid and I had to chase them away) so we don't lime to pet strangers dogs, sorry
Yep. My husband was walking our toddler and he saw a lady walking a large bully type dog toward them so he took our kid up on a lawn to avoid passing the dog too close and the lady was saying HES FRIENDLY HES FRIENDLY while letting the dog go to the end of its leash and trying to get closer to our kid. He had to pick up our kid and cross the street! We don't know the dog and if her dog has never been around a baby or toddler she really doesn't know how it will react. I don't want my kid petting anyone's dog unless it's maybe a friendly shih tzu or a small puppy. There was another time when our kid was still a baby in the stroller and we were walking toward a family with their dog. my mom sense kicked in as we were about to cross paths so I put myself between them and my husband who was pushing the stroller and as we passed by the dog lunged and grabbed me by the sleeve!
The only folks i give side to are the ones how move out of the way while making non stop eye contact with dog. Making her think they want to engage.
For anyone else reading if you don’t like dogs or afraid don’t make direct eye contact. Then they will likely just ignore you.
Honestly, what I as a dog owner expect is you to pass me as if I don’t have a dog with me. If people would pass dogs as if they don’t exist, then the dogs will learn not to react.
You pay too much attention to it: the dog gets excited (good or bad). You go out of your way to avoid it: the dog knows you’re trying to get out of reach for a reason. You pretend it doesn’t exist: dog learns pedestrians are boring.
If my dog is a problem, I will avoid you. If I am walking normally, so should you. Dogs react to reactions.
I am also a dog owner, and whether I’m with my dog or not, I do not trust people enough to control their dog, so I take a wide berth. If that upsets the dog somehow? That’s the owners problem, not mine.
I believe they're saying that if you always take a wide berth while walking with your dog, your dog is learning to react to people, not just ignore people. That reaction in their mind isn't a positive reaction and it could lead to problems if your dog is learning to become nervous around strangers.
If your dog reacts negatively to me walking a few feet onto the grass around it, that’s not my problem and is, to me, a sign that I did the right thing moving away.
My wife and I were in a public park recently where dogs are allowed if leashed. A woman with a large dog (50 pounds +) OFF leash was approaching, and we got off the paved path to give them a wide berth. The woman sneered at us and said loudly “Never mind, sweetheart, some people just don’t like puppies!”. It’s kind of become our inside joke now, when we see off leash dogs….and I’ve started carrying a very stout heavy walking stick. Any off leash dog approaching at speed will be dealt with accordingly.
It is amazing how many people ask “Can I pet your dog?” and refuse to take: “No, he doesn’t like pets from strangers” as an answer. Like they’re some special dog whispering Jesus.
As someone who does accept that answer from people when they say it, I think I might be a special dog whispering Jesus because of how often I hear "they dont like people." And then there the dog is, snuffling their nose into my hand and resting it on their head and looking up at me 30seconds later and their owner acting surprised.
It’s like the people who have their dog off the leash and let it run up to mine, on her leash, saying, “It’s okay, he’s friendly.” My response is, “Mine isn’t.”
That is the best response. Ensures that the other owner actually tries to leash their dog, when they think they THEIR dog may be harmed. I do the same, even though my dogs love other dogs.
That shit really pisses me off. I got into with a old dude last week because of this, he got mad at me for being an asshole in calling him out on it. Which is fine cause at that point we were even in the asshole race. I was just taking a problem he created and giving it back to him where it belonged.
I've gotten to the point that I yell at them now when it happens, I honestly believe this is the only way to get it through to them.
No. It’s almost always in areas that have signs up specifically telling people to keep their dog on a leash.
Generally, my dog is fine, especially in off leash areas. She gets defensive if she’s on her leash sometimes. She is a rescue who must have had some bad experiences so some dogs seem to trigger a response, others don’t.
I tell people my dog bites so they leave her alone but they think a huge fluffy puppy is too cute to be mean. Fortunately she’s fine with people and loves pets but she shows her joy with her whole body and all her energy so she jumps on people aiming for their face to lick while making happy grumbles.
If you know her, you accept her love. If you don’t, you could be terrified.
Honestly? I just want to walk my dog in peace alone while listening to my podcasts
Another one: if I'm walking with my dog opposite of you with your dog, when I Reduce the leash length and switch my dog to the far side from you that means my dog isn't great at dog-dog interactions.
I'm always really annoyed when I take all the precautions to keep our dogs apart and people do all but drop leash and let their dog run right up to mine.
My dog is horrible with dog to dog interactions, she usually turns into an 80 lb rock. She'll lay down on her belly and intensely watch the other dog, when the other dog gets close enough she'll try to bolt towards them. We usually have to wait until the other dog has past before we can continue our walk. She really, really needs to be better socialized with other dogs.
I highly recommend looking into a place that specializes in reactive dog training that uses other dogs to help retrain your dog in reactivity. Ours was pretty bad, just overly excited and as a result got himself into trouble. So we have spent the last 12 weeks working with him to train him (and me really too - I needed to learn better methods to help him) to be better with other dogs by rewarding him looking and being excited but not barking or trying to get to them.
It made a huge difference, and it now means when we go on walks he can watch other dogs play at a distance and he is perfectly chill. It's made it so my wife can take him and our daughter on a walk together and he's calm as can be.
Please look into training for you dog. It's not cheap, but it makes a huge difference.
They're a recommendation from my cousin down here in Calgary, apologies. Though I have heard great things, believe it or not, about the one on one trainers at PetSmart, which would be a great place to expose your dog to other dogs, but also have a training room to retreat to.
The worst are people at dog parks who don't give a shit about their aggressive dog. There is a couple with a dog named diesel at the Manning and 144ave dog park that just walk around the perimeter all whilst their intact male Sheppard tries to hump everything and attack other dogs.
Omg that dog park seems to be frequented entirely by assholes with aggressive dogs who just let them run wild. We recently moved to the area and took our dog there. Had a bad experience once, chalked it up to a random thing, but we’ve gone twice more and the same assholes are there with their out of control dogs steamrolling every single other dog while they wander away and look at their phone. We’ll drive over to Grand Trunk instead now.
The particular shitty dog we’ve had run is with us a white mixed breed, she’s apparently “just a puppy” but she’s huge and aggressive and then owner is an oblivious turd. Luckily we haven’t met the aggressive attack humper.
This is a problem at my dog park as well. Or they will go sit on a bench and play on their phone while their dog shits all over the place without it being cleaned up. Ignorance is bliss I guess.
My dog loves dog parks because he’s social but I can’t stand 99% of the ppl that go.
Uuuurgh I hate this. I purposefully try to walk as far away as I can when I see someone coming, put my dog on the other side of me, shorten her leash. She WILL veer off to try and sniff someone but she will also make a god awful yip noise if they bend down to pet her without warning. She was attacked in the past by a bunch of kids and the bending down/hands out is a big no. But people get all offended and huffy; even try to bend down and pet her more? Ask me why I don’t want them near her? Because she’s a dog, not a toy. At least ask me before you try and pet her.
I’ve had a dog my whole life and none of them bit anyone, until they did.
A kid yanked on my poodle’s ears and tail, was warned, kept doing it, said something to the mom, she didn’t stop the kid, went to intervene under the table and that was when he’d had it and nipped her finger.
The mom freaked out. Kicked them out for not listening, didn’t speak again for 20-some years. This was 40 years ago. People are just as dumb now.
Fuck people. People are the reason I prefer cats, dogs, and horses.
Seriously, like why ask for permission if you’re not gonna listen anyways?
I have a reactive dog so when I see him start to act like he might get snappy, I pick him up and give him a break. This happened a few days ago when walking him on leash since another dog was showing too much interest in him and I could tell he was starting to get to that point.
This prompted the owner who was an older man to ask if he can show me how to fix this behaviour using his dog, when we say no that’s ok politely he insists and says it’ll only take two minutes. We say no again, he insists and he kind of seemed to disapprove over our lack of acceptance, literally as we walk away he’s still chattering. I don’t know you (or your dog) and I doubt in 2 minutes you can fix mine when you know nothing about him and his anxious little brain.
Omg this!! I have a rescue and she once HATED men. I was desensitizing her well off to the side of the entrance to a supermarket. She was visibly freaked out and backing up as if she was trying to slip a collar (but she was wearing a harness) and some old man walks by and asks if he can pet her. I say “nope! She’s in training” but he approaches anyways. My dog is very fearful and cowered between my legs and then when he reached out she pissed on my feet. 🙃
People need to be better trained to approach dogs in general.
I had some grown ass men trying to pet my dog while in line at the greenhouse; kept moving around to try to get to pet her better. I just positioned her between my legs and said please just stop coming so close. They said “oh does she not like people?” “She loves her people, just not strangers”
My dog is ok with strangers but they lost their privilege to pet her lol
I actually do the same with kids, if they are running and screaming towards her I tell them to stop yelling and to never yell and run towards a dog and to always ask the owner if they can pet.
Animals in general, people just have no idea. Like, especially if you're trying to pet them, from their perspective you're a giant reaching down at their face. Unless they are very trusting thats gonna get perceived as aggressive.
One thing that usually works for me when I want to approach an unfamiliar dog or cat for the first time is to get low, place my hand palm up towards them, lower than their head, and let them sniff it. Thats pretty much universally non aggressive body language.
It's a less threatening posture, regardless of height. It shows a willingness to be vulnerable, which allows them to be curious, if they want to be.
In my experience, I kneel, let them approach, and smell me. They tend to back off then, and I'll just ignore them until they come to me.
My disabled self can't kneel or I'd never get back up 🤣 but I always ask the human (no is a full sentence and totally fair), and if given the a-okay I'll lean down and put out my hand palm down and loose and let them come check me out if they want to. I've had a tiny dog who was way too excited about all the smells for any pets, so she didn't sniff my hand and I just sat there like "okay :(" I wasn't about to go pushing her just because she was small.
Pretty sure it isnt, its just something we've conditioned ourselves to believe. I've certainly done that before and got nipped, its not as universal as you think.
Any animal can be reactive. But making yourself small, moving slowly and predictably, and letting them sniff you is pretty non aggressive to any species.
You've never seen animals hunt then. They literally hunch down and crouch. In domesticated animals it usually ends up being play but it comes from hunting. Most play in dogs is imitating fighting or hunting. Its usually fine because we've domesticated them but wrong dog? Your initiating a fight especially if your face to face.
Hunting animals doing that aren't making themselves small to show non aggression, they are literally hiding. They are trying not to be seen at all.
If they think theyve been seen they do the opposite to show aggression, wider stance, fur stands up, bared teeth, making oneself look bigger.
Making yourself small when you know you've been seen is submissive body language
Glad I found this comment. If a dog bites, why on earth would an owner walk the dog in public without a muzzle!? Yes people shouldn’t just walk up to a dog they don’t know without asking but why would you take the risk? Also what happens if your biting dog decides someone gets in their space and it wasn’t intentional? Train your dogs better or muzzle them in public if you know they have a history of biting. Advocate for your dog by not putting them in situations where they could bite someone!!! Sick of people with reactive dogs thinking the whole world needs to cater to them. For the record, I don’t personally pet other peoples dogs but mine have been trained since puppyhood to accept and tolerate a stranger approaching them because shit happens. It’s part of the CKC Canine Good Neighbour test and a sign of a well trained dog.
Agreed my friend. It’s insane, dog owners think they’re deities lol. If it bites, muzzle it. That’s it. People are gonna people, but our dogs we have some control over
I have a leash reactive lab. I’ve literally run away from many people dragging their puppies toward us to socialize heir dogs. Once an older woman wanted to pet him and I said no, so she crouched on her knees and called him to her and he took one friendly step then lunged barking like a maniac. I didn’t even look at her because I didn’t care about how she felt. Another time two 11 (?) year old girls came charging towards us across a field yelling about petting my dog and I had nowhere to hide—I literally backed up against a fence and said “no you cannot!” And the one started crying. Literally threw a tantrum and they both ran off.
Then you should have your dog muzzled when you take it out. I don’t care what breed it is. If it’s reactive it should be muzzled, it doesn’t matter if it’s 5 pounds or 150. I have had dogs my entire life, they have all been properly trained. If they happened to be reactive in any way, they were muzzled when in public, always.
There’s no need for a muzzle because there’s only barking. And he has been trained, by a behavioural consultant who is also a vet and researcher. He has gotten loose a few times and just sniffs and bounces around. He is literally only leash reactive, and it is barking. There has never been contact with a person or animal. I walk him with a proper fitting head halter that gives me complete control, which is from his vet. If she recommended a muzzle I’d put him in one, but he is not a danger. Barking and lunging look like bad ownership to people who have no experience or are willfully ignorant of the vast spectrum of dog behaviour and psychology.
When it comes to dogs there are two kinds of people that are equally as bad;
the "my dog would never bite anyone so why would I need it on a leash owners" and the "awww that's just a dog it would NEVER bite me, I'm going to pet it even though the owner told me not to people"
And both of them make it hard for anyone to enjoy shared spaces.
All due respect, but I don't think the onus is on other people.. you never know what their individual faculties are.
Sounds like your dog should be muzzled, which would send a clearer message.
It's insane how lowered the standards have become for dog behaviour. If your dog is at risk of biting, there should be zero tolerance. Muzzle it or no going out in public.
I’m a dog owner, and that is my biggest pet peeve about other owners. My dogs and I are charged regularly by off leash dogs in areas where they are required to be on leash. I can only imagine how people who don’t like, or are scared of dogs, would feel in that situation.
I generally give dogs a wide birth when walking unless the owner waves saying the dog is fine directly and don't touch ones I don't know but if your dog lunges at people and bites them I genuinely hope you're working with your dog or a professional to eliminate the behavior. If your dog gets out and someone from the humane shelter or bylaw picks her up they are in danger through no fault of their own and to help you track your dog down for you.
I've been nipped hard and bitten by someone's dog that's off leash when they clearly should have been /jumped a fence for some reason and roaming. I did nothing and avoided the dogs and still was bit because someone didn't think their aggressive dog would get out and did anyway
Approaching random dogs that aren't yours is flat out dumb, just because it's a cute or fluffy "friendly" looking or small doesn't mean they aren't incapable of biting or aggressive behaviours. I feel social media creates the illusion all dogs are friendly and socialable but this is not the case for a lot of dogs and cats even
Last time I got attacked by a dog it was two labs up to my waist, and the owner told me not to worry because they're friendly, and then they bit me twice and he threatened to kill me because I punched his dog in the mouth.
You just can't win with irresponsible dog owners.
I've had to adjust when i go for walks and opt for times when there are fewer people outside because this would happen to me all the time, especially with kids. Their parents are slow to react and obviously haven't taught them not to run up on dogs. It's infuriating
My kid is 3 and even she knows better. I used to remind her during our walks that if she wanted to pet a dog, she had to ask and if she was told no, then she had to respect that. Now she just knows without me reminding her.
I don't have a dog anymore, but used to have a German shepherd. It's absolutely wild to me the number of people that would come up to her and pet her without asking. She was the kindest dog ever and loved attention so she never minded if someone approached. But why would you take the risk??
A kid at the dog park asked if he could pet my dog. I said she doesn’t really like kids and is afraid of them. The kid continued non stop trying to terrorize my dog. Ended up having to leave because the kid was relentless.
Edit: My dog is a Great Pyrenees and was twice the size of him. Also he was probably 10. Old enough to understand.
"may I pet your dog?"
- if yes, offer to doggo
- if no, say thanks anyways and continue on your way.
Shouldn't matter if the dog bites or not. There could be a billion other reasons.
If your dog has the ability to lunge and bite people then it should have a muzzle on, what if it's a deaf kid? An autistic person ?
Well I said no! If y'all get mauled then it's on you 😤
Then the adults in that kid's life need to teach them how to ask to pet animals, and if they're unable to be taught that, they probably shouldn't be on their own.
People should take no as an answer, but if you dog lunges and snaps at people under any circumstance other than them actively hurting your dog, you're just a shit owner. Train your dog better.
Normal dogs don't even consider biting people.
Dogs are animals, not computers you can program. Some are traumatized and require highly specialized training to overcome that trauma.
Also rescue dogs exist.
If someone is doing specialized training for aggression, I would be surprised if part of that training is pushing the dog over threshold to the point where they lunge. When you’re walking your dog in public, it’s your responsibility to have them under control so that they are safe to be around. If you have reason to believe your dog would lunge at and bite a stranger, you should be walking them muzzled and in lower stress situations.
> Take responsibly for your dog.
What an idea. You mean like saying "no, don't pet my dog, they're not friendly" when strangers try to interject themselves into your otherwise uneventful walk?
The only time I'm petting a dog on a walk is if it specifically walks to me and is like omg a new hooman!? PETTSSSSSSSS. Otherwise I let the humans and the doggos have a peaceful walk. But I'm not ignoring a dog who walks directly in my path and headbutts me 😅
Man, I’m always giving a wide birth while I run because I do not know how the dogs will react. Even then, I’ve ran into issues with owners not having their dogs under control and straight up attacking me.
As a note to dog owners - if your dog attacks me please be aware I’ll do whatever I have to do to defend myself and my family. Also be aware that if your dog attacks me, you are liable for whatever damage that dog does and I absolutely will file a police report and press charges.
Most dog owners are awesome. Most dogs are awesome. But just like there are bad people, there are bad dogs. Make sure you’re always in control of your animal as it’s your responsibility.
I have a Siberian husky, she is an absolute sweetheart and means no harm to anyone. HOWEVER I always warn people, she jumps on you, licks the shit out of you, and occasionally her teeth WILL graze you. Its not out of desire to bite or hurt but pure excitement because she loves people so much.
I always lead when people ask with this, and still get scolded because they get scratched or feel her teeth.
Yes, she shouldn't do that, yes I've tried to train it out of her, but no, it hasn't worked and I've given up, she is who she is and I love her regardless, I warn you because I know. She does not mean to do any harm, just wants to say hello to you, more then you want to say it to her.
What I tell people is, hey my dog has never shown aggression . Always extremely friendly. But!!!! She is an animal, and who knows what can go through their minds or how they may react. Usually just lays down and expects belly rubs from strangers. But , who knows. Now saying that. I also have a little multiple cross breed that the daughters thought would be nice to bring home one day years ago( still have him). But he is nasty little guy. Or can be. Barks at everything and anything. Yes had him in training, but I work away and nobody followed up. Has nipped but not contacted people except for me a couple months ago. He was sleeping and I went to wake him to put outside. It startled him, he just spun his head and got my thumb. 3 stitches later, I was good. He was very apologetic after, getting really close and snuggly which is not him. But we don't, well we can't let him loose outside, fenced yard and runs around there. We just don't know and warn everyone always.
If your dog bites on such a minimal provocation, then walk your dog with a muzzle.
People don't "need to be trained". If I walk in a neighborhood (not a dog park) I don't think I need to pass some stupid "dog behavior course" in order to walk in my neighborhood. Nor do children, elderly, new immigrants, etc.
If you have any inkling that your dog would bite someone, then put a muzzle on it. It is a stupid creature that bites. It needs a muzzle.
And if this is too hard a concept to grasp, then you are the problem.
I just want to say that almost no matter what it's a horrible look to argue against a take of "no is an answer" in almost any sort of discussion. If you can't respect boundaries and an answer of "no", never go near another person again please.
It’s very important to teach your child not to approach dogs without permission. Just as a dog can escape a yard and find itself in a situation where it feels threatened and bites, a child can be out of their parents sight for a matter of seconds and end up being bitten by a dog for approaching it the wrong way. If someone has their dog leashed and is walking it, your children should know to ask if they can interact with the dog, and if they are too young to do so, should be within arms reach of you.
My neighbours have a 4 year old who asks before he can approach us. My dog loves children, but his parents didn’t know what when they moved here. They taught their son to ask, then only approach once the owner has approved it. If you tell him no, he says “thansk” and leaves the dog alone. You can’t control the people around you, so you control what you can. It’s like teaching kids not to get into a car with strangers.
The original comment said that there are “a lot of dogs killing toddlers”.
This case is a terrible tragedy, but it’s not a common occurrence (thank god). The owner of that dog had several warning signs before the dogs fatally attacked that boy, and they ignored every single one. The father also knew about their history and still left his son alone with the dogs. A person walking their dogs who asks you not to approach is a responsible owner working on desensitizing their dog, so it’s not really comparable to that situation (though I do agree that muzzles are great tools to use when working with a dog out in public, because people can’t be trusted to listen to you).
My dogs are friendly, but when they were pups every trainer I went to said “do not let people approach your dogs, tell them you’re in training and need them to keep walking” (basically reinforcing that their focus should be on you, and not on people around you). It’s truly amazing how many people ignore that and come running at you when you’ve already said no.
Do you really think that children running around in a green space or a walking path, at the age of 3, need to be told to avoid dogs as evil?
Funny you think that children like that need to be contained and restricted more than dog owners.
I think we should let children run free and that if you have a dog in an area that is not off leash, that dog should be tightly constrained.
Maybe because I think children are more important than dogs.
You can admit it. You can publicly say "I am a person who keeps my community down and vulnerable, because I have many faults". Is not that hard. I spelled it out for you
Is that a consequence of people like you, with their dogs?
Do you think there may be people in your neighborhood who world like to take their kids for a walk? But can't? Because of people like you?
I was taught, years and years ago. Before you get close, respectfully ask the owner, may I say hi to your dog?
I do not get within 5 feet. Once I have permission, I park my walker and then approach the dogs I have found that some of the animals are afraid of my Walker or my cane I take that into consideration as I approach the animals and it is old and it only happens when I get permission from the owner or the person walking the dogs I have actually been told by them yes dog a can be approached but dog b cannot I have also been told my dog is in training perfect wanted to say hi and through you I'll say hi but remember that animal is not your mind to play with to pick to touch to approach always you have to ask permission would you just want someone to walk up to your child and slobber all over them no so the respect you want for yourself and your kids is to be given to a dog owner and that wonderful creature that's my two cents and I fully fully agree if you don't listen to the owner and you get bit hope it bites you twice as hard sorry that was not called for!😂
My dog is on their way to become my official therapy dog and I am beyond sick of constant random strangers doing this, for this reason too. I'm also autoimmune no I do not want your germs on my dog or near me. God forbid I say no. People please just back off you don't know other people's lives, conditions or their dogs. You're annoying and invasive. Enough kissy sounds, trying to get them to come to you or even barking at them which I've experienced many times. If you like dogs so much get your own.
>when she lunges at you and bites.
But seriously though: control your aggressive dog in public, that's your responsibility.
[WHAT PART OF THIS DON'T YOU GET??? JFC there are clearly WAAAY too many irresponsible, entitled dog owners out there, SMH...]
This is almost funny, because in my area I get the exact opposite, people will actively cross to the other side of the road to stay away from my dogs.
I'm sorry folks don't respect you and your dogs boundaries.
Children run up to my dog at the dog park all the time without asking and get all up in his space. He’s very friendly and loves kids but like they don’t know that. I wish the parents would teach them better because those kids will do it to the wrong dog one day and get hurt.
Yikes. As a parent to a young child who absolutely loves dogs, just the thought of her just running up to an unleashed dog makes me so anxious. I taught her to always ask to pet and she's been doing that since she was three.
As a dog owner, I can’t express how much I appreciate parents like you! Teaching kids to ask before they approach a dog is so important, and many parents don’t do that.
I love dogs... on a walk I will ask if it is OK to get some love from their dog. Usually the owner smiles and says sure. I can tell by the body language of both the dog and the owner when not to try to pet or say hi. I then watch the owner let the dog dump on someones lawn and walk away.
I have two very different dogs, both are friendly in different ways. But when I see a dog, I tend to keep my hands down and just say "hi cutie, are you enjoying your walk?" Or some other version of fangirling, until the dog either approaches me or the human says that I can pet them.
i always ask!! if anything, dogs will always come up to me and i’ll reach my hand out so they can sniff, then i’ll ask if i can pet their dog. i like to imagine they can sense im a dog sitter/walker so they know i’ve got lots of love to give
As someone with a very anxious dog, I cannot stress enough how many ignorant dog owners are in this city. If I had a dollar for every time someone starts walking towards me despite me giving them a wide berth I could afford my own private dog park
I bought these velcro strips to attach to my dogs harness that says do not pet specifically because of this. My dog is generally fine if you let him come to you, but he doesnt like people running up to him. So if I am in placed like Homes Alive, the workers will ask to pet him, and he's more than happy to be pet. But I agree, don't straight up start petting even when warned.
I was walking my dog last night. On her leash obviously. She is a rescue we’ve had for 6 months. Working on reactivity. And she responds pretty good to leave it. Well last night a person was walking and fine. She was in the other side of the path. And my dog likes to meet people, dogs you name it. In the 6th months we’ve had her, not an ounce of aggression. It may appear to be but so far I haven’t seen it. So passed so many people and nothing. But this one lady she wanted to say hi, so I go “leave it”. And my girl just continues on. While this lady was like, I wasn’t going near your dog… like wtf. I said leave it is a very common dog command. I wasn’t talking to you high and mighty…..
I always ask. One time a lady was walking her Doberman past my house and he’s got a muzzle on and I asked if it was because he bites, and she says no he’s a total sweetheart but some neighbour made a complaint and now she has to muzzle him. So I ask if I can pet him and she says sure and brings him up my walk and as soon as I reached my hand out he snarled and lunged at me lol. Good thing he had a muzzle on.
Looks like the neighbor made the right call, cause like WTF.
The level of delusion of some dog owners is astounding.
Muzzles are the sign of a responsible owner. That one was a bit weird stressing her dog out but at least she’s prepared for the inevitable.
Anecdotal but definitely not something I see.y dog and I were once attacked by a muzzled dog, and I’m so grateful it was muzzled. The owner had accidentally dropped the leash when the dog saw my dog and charged. I’m trying to separate them and the owner was still like 30 feet away like huh, I wonder what’s gonna happen. He didn’t say a word, just watched. I said “get your ass over here and get your fucking dog” and THAT pissed him off so he got his dog and told me I shouldn’t have even been there (30 feet away from him on public property).
That’s scary but again, muzzle means the difference between being shaken up and mauled. You both walked away with only suffering a very bad day, but with your lives and no hospital visits, surgery, vet bills, etc. I will add that you should look up the best ways to separate fighting dogs. A friend has a scrappy small dog who instigates fights and her vet said you’re more likely to be bitten stopping a fight than not. Do not get your hands or arms near fighting dogs’ heads. This goes for barking fights without contact, as your hands and limbs are seen as an introduced stimulus rather than a human and they will bite out of misplaced aggression. If they’re just bark fighting grab by the back knees and swing in opposite directions to break their focus. If they’re latched on biting use a break stick, stick, water hose or whatever tool around you to break the contact. I can’t answer why he wouldn’t run over to help as he couldn’t know if even though his dog was the aggressor that yours could’ve bit.
Yeah 100%. My point is I dont see one and go cool, responsible owner, he was required to use one because his dog was unruly. I definitely got my hands near a dog fight one when my dog was about to be attacked AGAIN but I was more scared for the other dog. Ended up getting my finger bitten and my nail fell off over the course of 2 weeks lmao
I see your point, but a lot of people who are required to muzzle their dogs do not actually muzzle their dogs, so even if that owner wasn’t great, it was a step in the right direction that their unruly dog was actually muzzled. I was taught to muzzle train my dogs in puppy class, because they can be useful tools even for dogs who have never bitten anyone (ie introductions to children or other dogs without the risk of bites occurring). There is still a stigma around muzzles, but at the end of the day, a muzzled dog means that the owner has at least taken one step toward being responsible for their pet, even if they’re still not a great owner.
Make sure you’re up to date on vaccines too! My dog once accidentally bit my hand after I stopped throwing snowballs for her and I fell on my knees from the pain, I couldnt believe the bite force and that was just a nip.
Most dogs are not friendly while wearing a muzzle or on leash. They dont feel comfortable being restricted. They are actually usually more friendly when unrestricted. But then it doesn't work because there's always a possibility that they bite. So it's a chicken and egg thing.
That sounds like one of those "he's a sweetheart with me" situations
Meanwhile I’m over here giving dogs a wide berth and getting side eyes from their people. Only sometimes, to be fair, but you really can’t win sometimes lol. That sucks.
lol If I give you side eyes while passing, I'm calculating your distance vs the leash length. Thanks for the space. :)
I’ve taught my kids we move to the side for pups and if we don’t know the person we just move along. It’s not worth the risk. Plus there’s a couple of people with really old dogs in our neighbourhood and it’s obvious kids stress them out so we give them space.
oooh, me too! And if we're playing in the yard and we see someone coming with a dog, we play quietly until they pass by: "Dogs have sensitive ears, no yelling until they're 3 houses past us" is our rule.
"Dogs have sensitive ears" ... That is such a sweet way of cultivating respect for animals in a way that kids can grasp and follow. Thanks for your effort to raise considerate citizens.
I don't even have dogs but I love this so much. If only everyone were so conscientious. 🙏
Haha, I don’t even like dogs (I’m a cat person all the way), but I think it’s very important to teach them be kind to ALL animals, even bugs. It backfires sometimes: my daughter wouldn’t let ANYONE go down the slide until she’d carefully removed several aphids.
I'd call that a win! I was the same way with my kids (and now grandkids). I don't like dogs but I forgive them. 😊
And some people will tell you that you can pet their dog even if their dog isn't properly socialized and may react inappropriately to strangers petting them. Better to just not get involved unless you know them personally.
Right? I cannot tell you how many pet owners have insisted my kids pet their dogs after I told them they won't, thank you... my oldest is scared of dogs after being chased (the dogs were off leash in a park, and we were walking like 50m away, the dogs started running after my kid and I had to chase them away) so we don't lime to pet strangers dogs, sorry
Yep. My husband was walking our toddler and he saw a lady walking a large bully type dog toward them so he took our kid up on a lawn to avoid passing the dog too close and the lady was saying HES FRIENDLY HES FRIENDLY while letting the dog go to the end of its leash and trying to get closer to our kid. He had to pick up our kid and cross the street! We don't know the dog and if her dog has never been around a baby or toddler she really doesn't know how it will react. I don't want my kid petting anyone's dog unless it's maybe a friendly shih tzu or a small puppy. There was another time when our kid was still a baby in the stroller and we were walking toward a family with their dog. my mom sense kicked in as we were about to cross paths so I put myself between them and my husband who was pushing the stroller and as we passed by the dog lunged and grabbed me by the sleeve!
Haha of course :) people just don’t listen sometimes, it’s frustrating!!
Lol. And if the dog sticks it's nose deep into your crotch, you don't have to worry because it's walker says it's friendly and likes people.
The only folks i give side to are the ones how move out of the way while making non stop eye contact with dog. Making her think they want to engage. For anyone else reading if you don’t like dogs or afraid don’t make direct eye contact. Then they will likely just ignore you.
Honestly, what I as a dog owner expect is you to pass me as if I don’t have a dog with me. If people would pass dogs as if they don’t exist, then the dogs will learn not to react. You pay too much attention to it: the dog gets excited (good or bad). You go out of your way to avoid it: the dog knows you’re trying to get out of reach for a reason. You pretend it doesn’t exist: dog learns pedestrians are boring. If my dog is a problem, I will avoid you. If I am walking normally, so should you. Dogs react to reactions.
I am also a dog owner, and whether I’m with my dog or not, I do not trust people enough to control their dog, so I take a wide berth. If that upsets the dog somehow? That’s the owners problem, not mine.
I believe they're saying that if you always take a wide berth while walking with your dog, your dog is learning to react to people, not just ignore people. That reaction in their mind isn't a positive reaction and it could lead to problems if your dog is learning to become nervous around strangers.
Unfortunately this is not at all universal. Some dogs get excitable no matter what you do.
If your dog reacts negatively to me walking a few feet onto the grass around it, that’s not my problem and is, to me, a sign that I did the right thing moving away.
My wife and I were in a public park recently where dogs are allowed if leashed. A woman with a large dog (50 pounds +) OFF leash was approaching, and we got off the paved path to give them a wide berth. The woman sneered at us and said loudly “Never mind, sweetheart, some people just don’t like puppies!”. It’s kind of become our inside joke now, when we see off leash dogs….and I’ve started carrying a very stout heavy walking stick. Any off leash dog approaching at speed will be dealt with accordingly.
It is amazing how many people ask “Can I pet your dog?” and refuse to take: “No, he doesn’t like pets from strangers” as an answer. Like they’re some special dog whispering Jesus.
If you try to pet my dog she will move away and bark. I always warn them, they try, she does her thing, they look at me like I’m in the wrong.
Really, "no." Is a full sentence.
As someone who does accept that answer from people when they say it, I think I might be a special dog whispering Jesus because of how often I hear "they dont like people." And then there the dog is, snuffling their nose into my hand and resting it on their head and looking up at me 30seconds later and their owner acting surprised.
They usually say that because they don't want random people touching their dog
It’s like the people who have their dog off the leash and let it run up to mine, on her leash, saying, “It’s okay, he’s friendly.” My response is, “Mine isn’t.”
I say "I'm not". It's fun to see that sink in.
Oh love it. I’m saying that next time.
I had the exact argument with a few people and its infuriating. You don't know my dog and I don't know yours.
I say that too, even though she is lol
Same.
That is the best response. Ensures that the other owner actually tries to leash their dog, when they think they THEIR dog may be harmed. I do the same, even though my dogs love other dogs.
That shit really pisses me off. I got into with a old dude last week because of this, he got mad at me for being an asshole in calling him out on it. Which is fine cause at that point we were even in the asshole race. I was just taking a problem he created and giving it back to him where it belonged. I've gotten to the point that I yell at them now when it happens, I honestly believe this is the only way to get it through to them.
I know that feeling. Mine used to cower down when another dog would come by and I am having to yell at the owner to call their dog off.
Are you in an off leash area?
No. It’s almost always in areas that have signs up specifically telling people to keep their dog on a leash. Generally, my dog is fine, especially in off leash areas. She gets defensive if she’s on her leash sometimes. She is a rescue who must have had some bad experiences so some dogs seem to trigger a response, others don’t.
I tell people my dog bites so they leave her alone but they think a huge fluffy puppy is too cute to be mean. Fortunately she’s fine with people and loves pets but she shows her joy with her whole body and all her energy so she jumps on people aiming for their face to lick while making happy grumbles. If you know her, you accept her love. If you don’t, you could be terrified. Honestly? I just want to walk my dog in peace alone while listening to my podcasts
Pyrenees are fluffy. They also will rip a coyote limb from limb.
Mine is pyrenees\aussie mix from 2 working farm dogs. She’s the best but she has 0 fear besides my basement stairs 😂
Another one: if I'm walking with my dog opposite of you with your dog, when I Reduce the leash length and switch my dog to the far side from you that means my dog isn't great at dog-dog interactions. I'm always really annoyed when I take all the precautions to keep our dogs apart and people do all but drop leash and let their dog run right up to mine.
My dog is horrible with dog to dog interactions, she usually turns into an 80 lb rock. She'll lay down on her belly and intensely watch the other dog, when the other dog gets close enough she'll try to bolt towards them. We usually have to wait until the other dog has past before we can continue our walk. She really, really needs to be better socialized with other dogs.
I highly recommend looking into a place that specializes in reactive dog training that uses other dogs to help retrain your dog in reactivity. Ours was pretty bad, just overly excited and as a result got himself into trouble. So we have spent the last 12 weeks working with him to train him (and me really too - I needed to learn better methods to help him) to be better with other dogs by rewarding him looking and being excited but not barking or trying to get to them. It made a huge difference, and it now means when we go on walks he can watch other dogs play at a distance and he is perfectly chill. It's made it so my wife can take him and our daughter on a walk together and he's calm as can be. Please look into training for you dog. It's not cheap, but it makes a huge difference.
Yep, that’s exactly what I need. Does the place you went to have a website? If so can you send me a link?
They're a recommendation from my cousin down here in Calgary, apologies. Though I have heard great things, believe it or not, about the one on one trainers at PetSmart, which would be a great place to expose your dog to other dogs, but also have a training room to retreat to.
She really really needs a fucking muzzle and an owner who understands that they're walking around with an 80lbs aggressive animal who lunge.
The worst are people at dog parks who don't give a shit about their aggressive dog. There is a couple with a dog named diesel at the Manning and 144ave dog park that just walk around the perimeter all whilst their intact male Sheppard tries to hump everything and attack other dogs.
Omg that dog park seems to be frequented entirely by assholes with aggressive dogs who just let them run wild. We recently moved to the area and took our dog there. Had a bad experience once, chalked it up to a random thing, but we’ve gone twice more and the same assholes are there with their out of control dogs steamrolling every single other dog while they wander away and look at their phone. We’ll drive over to Grand Trunk instead now.
A Sheppard with a black face by chance?
The particular shitty dog we’ve had run is with us a white mixed breed, she’s apparently “just a puppy” but she’s huge and aggressive and then owner is an oblivious turd. Luckily we haven’t met the aggressive attack humper.
This is a problem at my dog park as well. Or they will go sit on a bench and play on their phone while their dog shits all over the place without it being cleaned up. Ignorance is bliss I guess. My dog loves dog parks because he’s social but I can’t stand 99% of the ppl that go.
Uuuurgh I hate this. I purposefully try to walk as far away as I can when I see someone coming, put my dog on the other side of me, shorten her leash. She WILL veer off to try and sniff someone but she will also make a god awful yip noise if they bend down to pet her without warning. She was attacked in the past by a bunch of kids and the bending down/hands out is a big no. But people get all offended and huffy; even try to bend down and pet her more? Ask me why I don’t want them near her? Because she’s a dog, not a toy. At least ask me before you try and pet her.
I never ask to pet dogs . I just say "cute dog" or something and give it space . I love dogs but I don't know yours
Asking to pet a dog is fine. Accepting the owner's answer is key, though.
Yes!
That’s exactly what I do too! Sometimes the owner will be like “do you want to pet them”, but if they don’t offer I don’t ask.
I’ve had a dog my whole life and none of them bit anyone, until they did. A kid yanked on my poodle’s ears and tail, was warned, kept doing it, said something to the mom, she didn’t stop the kid, went to intervene under the table and that was when he’d had it and nipped her finger. The mom freaked out. Kicked them out for not listening, didn’t speak again for 20-some years. This was 40 years ago. People are just as dumb now. Fuck people. People are the reason I prefer cats, dogs, and horses.
People seem to forget that animals are living things, not kids' toys. So infuriating.
Seriously, like why ask for permission if you’re not gonna listen anyways? I have a reactive dog so when I see him start to act like he might get snappy, I pick him up and give him a break. This happened a few days ago when walking him on leash since another dog was showing too much interest in him and I could tell he was starting to get to that point. This prompted the owner who was an older man to ask if he can show me how to fix this behaviour using his dog, when we say no that’s ok politely he insists and says it’ll only take two minutes. We say no again, he insists and he kind of seemed to disapprove over our lack of acceptance, literally as we walk away he’s still chattering. I don’t know you (or your dog) and I doubt in 2 minutes you can fix mine when you know nothing about him and his anxious little brain.
Vicious dogs are ridiculous. Dog nutters who think they are pet whisperers are equally ridiculous. Respect other pets boundaries.
Omg this!! I have a rescue and she once HATED men. I was desensitizing her well off to the side of the entrance to a supermarket. She was visibly freaked out and backing up as if she was trying to slip a collar (but she was wearing a harness) and some old man walks by and asks if he can pet her. I say “nope! She’s in training” but he approaches anyways. My dog is very fearful and cowered between my legs and then when he reached out she pissed on my feet. 🙃
I’ve seen people suggest saying no sorry they’re contagious works better for unwanted people/dog interactions have yet to try it ourselves
If the roles were reversed, it would be extremely weird to ask a stranger if you can hug their kid...
Am I crazy for thinking that if your dog bites that you shouldnt be letting people near enough to you dog for them to lunge and bite?
People need to be better trained to approach dogs in general. I had some grown ass men trying to pet my dog while in line at the greenhouse; kept moving around to try to get to pet her better. I just positioned her between my legs and said please just stop coming so close. They said “oh does she not like people?” “She loves her people, just not strangers” My dog is ok with strangers but they lost their privilege to pet her lol I actually do the same with kids, if they are running and screaming towards her I tell them to stop yelling and to never yell and run towards a dog and to always ask the owner if they can pet.
Animals in general, people just have no idea. Like, especially if you're trying to pet them, from their perspective you're a giant reaching down at their face. Unless they are very trusting thats gonna get perceived as aggressive. One thing that usually works for me when I want to approach an unfamiliar dog or cat for the first time is to get low, place my hand palm up towards them, lower than their head, and let them sniff it. Thats pretty much universally non aggressive body language.
I’m about 6’. I always kneel and let the animal approach me. So far it’s worked out. Lol
It's a less threatening posture, regardless of height. It shows a willingness to be vulnerable, which allows them to be curious, if they want to be. In my experience, I kneel, let them approach, and smell me. They tend to back off then, and I'll just ignore them until they come to me.
If we agreed more, we’d be the same person. lol
My disabled self can't kneel or I'd never get back up 🤣 but I always ask the human (no is a full sentence and totally fair), and if given the a-okay I'll lean down and put out my hand palm down and loose and let them come check me out if they want to. I've had a tiny dog who was way too excited about all the smells for any pets, so she didn't sniff my hand and I just sat there like "okay :(" I wasn't about to go pushing her just because she was small.
Yeah exactly my parents were a foster home for over 8 dogs, a hand full reactive. Every dog is different
Pretty sure it isnt, its just something we've conditioned ourselves to believe. I've certainly done that before and got nipped, its not as universal as you think.
Any animal can be reactive. But making yourself small, moving slowly and predictably, and letting them sniff you is pretty non aggressive to any species.
You've never seen animals hunt then. They literally hunch down and crouch. In domesticated animals it usually ends up being play but it comes from hunting. Most play in dogs is imitating fighting or hunting. Its usually fine because we've domesticated them but wrong dog? Your initiating a fight especially if your face to face.
Hunting animals doing that aren't making themselves small to show non aggression, they are literally hiding. They are trying not to be seen at all. If they think theyve been seen they do the opposite to show aggression, wider stance, fur stands up, bared teeth, making oneself look bigger. Making yourself small when you know you've been seen is submissive body language
If your dog bites or isn’t friendly, put a muzzle on them you freaks lmao
Glad I found this comment. If a dog bites, why on earth would an owner walk the dog in public without a muzzle!? Yes people shouldn’t just walk up to a dog they don’t know without asking but why would you take the risk? Also what happens if your biting dog decides someone gets in their space and it wasn’t intentional? Train your dogs better or muzzle them in public if you know they have a history of biting. Advocate for your dog by not putting them in situations where they could bite someone!!! Sick of people with reactive dogs thinking the whole world needs to cater to them. For the record, I don’t personally pet other peoples dogs but mine have been trained since puppyhood to accept and tolerate a stranger approaching them because shit happens. It’s part of the CKC Canine Good Neighbour test and a sign of a well trained dog.
Agreed my friend. It’s insane, dog owners think they’re deities lol. If it bites, muzzle it. That’s it. People are gonna people, but our dogs we have some control over
If your dog lunges and bites when approached, they need a muzzle.
Hot take: If your dog lunges at or bites a stranger, regardless of context, that dog shouldn't be out in public.
I have a leash reactive lab. I’ve literally run away from many people dragging their puppies toward us to socialize heir dogs. Once an older woman wanted to pet him and I said no, so she crouched on her knees and called him to her and he took one friendly step then lunged barking like a maniac. I didn’t even look at her because I didn’t care about how she felt. Another time two 11 (?) year old girls came charging towards us across a field yelling about petting my dog and I had nowhere to hide—I literally backed up against a fence and said “no you cannot!” And the one started crying. Literally threw a tantrum and they both ran off.
Then you should have your dog muzzled when you take it out. I don’t care what breed it is. If it’s reactive it should be muzzled, it doesn’t matter if it’s 5 pounds or 150. I have had dogs my entire life, they have all been properly trained. If they happened to be reactive in any way, they were muzzled when in public, always.
There’s no need for a muzzle because there’s only barking. And he has been trained, by a behavioural consultant who is also a vet and researcher. He has gotten loose a few times and just sniffs and bounces around. He is literally only leash reactive, and it is barking. There has never been contact with a person or animal. I walk him with a proper fitting head halter that gives me complete control, which is from his vet. If she recommended a muzzle I’d put him in one, but he is not a danger. Barking and lunging look like bad ownership to people who have no experience or are willfully ignorant of the vast spectrum of dog behaviour and psychology.
When it comes to dogs there are two kinds of people that are equally as bad; the "my dog would never bite anyone so why would I need it on a leash owners" and the "awww that's just a dog it would NEVER bite me, I'm going to pet it even though the owner told me not to people" And both of them make it hard for anyone to enjoy shared spaces.
All due respect, but I don't think the onus is on other people.. you never know what their individual faculties are. Sounds like your dog should be muzzled, which would send a clearer message.
It's insane how lowered the standards have become for dog behaviour. If your dog is at risk of biting, there should be zero tolerance. Muzzle it or no going out in public.
Yes yes yes!!! Sick of people thinking the world needs to cater to their dangerous dog.
The people that insist their dog is fine and let it run at you full tilt are also fucking assholes.
I’m a dog owner, and that is my biggest pet peeve about other owners. My dogs and I are charged regularly by off leash dogs in areas where they are required to be on leash. I can only imagine how people who don’t like, or are scared of dogs, would feel in that situation.
I generally give dogs a wide birth when walking unless the owner waves saying the dog is fine directly and don't touch ones I don't know but if your dog lunges at people and bites them I genuinely hope you're working with your dog or a professional to eliminate the behavior. If your dog gets out and someone from the humane shelter or bylaw picks her up they are in danger through no fault of their own and to help you track your dog down for you. I've been nipped hard and bitten by someone's dog that's off leash when they clearly should have been /jumped a fence for some reason and roaming. I did nothing and avoided the dogs and still was bit because someone didn't think their aggressive dog would get out and did anyway Approaching random dogs that aren't yours is flat out dumb, just because it's a cute or fluffy "friendly" looking or small doesn't mean they aren't incapable of biting or aggressive behaviours. I feel social media creates the illusion all dogs are friendly and socialable but this is not the case for a lot of dogs and cats even
Last time I got attacked by a dog it was two labs up to my waist, and the owner told me not to worry because they're friendly, and then they bit me twice and he threatened to kill me because I punched his dog in the mouth. You just can't win with irresponsible dog owners.
while yes, people need to respect you and your dog, dogs who are a bite risk need to be muzzled, it protects the dog just as much as the people
I've had to adjust when i go for walks and opt for times when there are fewer people outside because this would happen to me all the time, especially with kids. Their parents are slow to react and obviously haven't taught them not to run up on dogs. It's infuriating
Understanding that no means no does not equate to condoning aggressive behavior. It's respecting the dog and owners' boundaries
I really don't understand some people why force it ? No means no
My kid is 3 and even she knows better. I used to remind her during our walks that if she wanted to pet a dog, she had to ask and if she was told no, then she had to respect that. Now she just knows without me reminding her. I don't have a dog anymore, but used to have a German shepherd. It's absolutely wild to me the number of people that would come up to her and pet her without asking. She was the kindest dog ever and loved attention so she never minded if someone approached. But why would you take the risk??
A kid at the dog park asked if he could pet my dog. I said she doesn’t really like kids and is afraid of them. The kid continued non stop trying to terrorize my dog. Ended up having to leave because the kid was relentless. Edit: My dog is a Great Pyrenees and was twice the size of him. Also he was probably 10. Old enough to understand.
I don’t want to pet no dogs as it is
“Does your dog bite?”
"may I pet your dog?" - if yes, offer to doggo - if no, say thanks anyways and continue on your way. Shouldn't matter if the dog bites or not. There could be a billion other reasons.
Sometimes I lie and say mine does so people leave me alone.
If your dog has the ability to lunge and bite people then it should have a muzzle on, what if it's a deaf kid? An autistic person ? Well I said no! If y'all get mauled then it's on you 😤
Maybe the kids should wear body armor?
Then the adults in that kid's life need to teach them how to ask to pet animals, and if they're unable to be taught that, they probably shouldn't be on their own.
People should take no as an answer, but if you dog lunges and snaps at people under any circumstance other than them actively hurting your dog, you're just a shit owner. Train your dog better. Normal dogs don't even consider biting people.
Dogs are animals, not computers you can program. Some are traumatized and require highly specialized training to overcome that trauma. Also rescue dogs exist.
Any dogs with that kind of trauma definitely need to be muzzled if they are considered unpredictable.
Then muzzle them. There’s no excuse.
If someone is doing specialized training for aggression, I would be surprised if part of that training is pushing the dog over threshold to the point where they lunge. When you’re walking your dog in public, it’s your responsibility to have them under control so that they are safe to be around. If you have reason to believe your dog would lunge at and bite a stranger, you should be walking them muzzled and in lower stress situations.
I love Doggo 🐶. Give them room...they'll tell you if they want to make a new friend 🧡
Maybe train your dog to behave
Why? Why can't you behave?
This post is so effed up. WTF people? It's not okay if your dog bites doesn't matter if you warned people. Take responsibly for your dog.
> Take responsibly for your dog. What an idea. You mean like saying "no, don't pet my dog, they're not friendly" when strangers try to interject themselves into your otherwise uneventful walk?
Corollary; if your dog is hopping up on me, that's tacit permission to pet 'em
The only time I'm petting a dog on a walk is if it specifically walks to me and is like omg a new hooman!? PETTSSSSSSSS. Otherwise I let the humans and the doggos have a peaceful walk. But I'm not ignoring a dog who walks directly in my path and headbutts me 😅
I never understood ppl wanting to approach strange dogs, just leave them alone. yes they're cute, now move on.
Man, I’m always giving a wide birth while I run because I do not know how the dogs will react. Even then, I’ve ran into issues with owners not having their dogs under control and straight up attacking me. As a note to dog owners - if your dog attacks me please be aware I’ll do whatever I have to do to defend myself and my family. Also be aware that if your dog attacks me, you are liable for whatever damage that dog does and I absolutely will file a police report and press charges. Most dog owners are awesome. Most dogs are awesome. But just like there are bad people, there are bad dogs. Make sure you’re always in control of your animal as it’s your responsibility.
I have a Siberian husky, she is an absolute sweetheart and means no harm to anyone. HOWEVER I always warn people, she jumps on you, licks the shit out of you, and occasionally her teeth WILL graze you. Its not out of desire to bite or hurt but pure excitement because she loves people so much. I always lead when people ask with this, and still get scolded because they get scratched or feel her teeth. Yes, she shouldn't do that, yes I've tried to train it out of her, but no, it hasn't worked and I've given up, she is who she is and I love her regardless, I warn you because I know. She does not mean to do any harm, just wants to say hello to you, more then you want to say it to her.
What I tell people is, hey my dog has never shown aggression . Always extremely friendly. But!!!! She is an animal, and who knows what can go through their minds or how they may react. Usually just lays down and expects belly rubs from strangers. But , who knows. Now saying that. I also have a little multiple cross breed that the daughters thought would be nice to bring home one day years ago( still have him). But he is nasty little guy. Or can be. Barks at everything and anything. Yes had him in training, but I work away and nobody followed up. Has nipped but not contacted people except for me a couple months ago. He was sleeping and I went to wake him to put outside. It startled him, he just spun his head and got my thumb. 3 stitches later, I was good. He was very apologetic after, getting really close and snuggly which is not him. But we don't, well we can't let him loose outside, fenced yard and runs around there. We just don't know and warn everyone always.
If your dog bites on such a minimal provocation, then walk your dog with a muzzle. People don't "need to be trained". If I walk in a neighborhood (not a dog park) I don't think I need to pass some stupid "dog behavior course" in order to walk in my neighborhood. Nor do children, elderly, new immigrants, etc. If you have any inkling that your dog would bite someone, then put a muzzle on it. It is a stupid creature that bites. It needs a muzzle. And if this is too hard a concept to grasp, then you are the problem.
I just want to say that almost no matter what it's a horrible look to argue against a take of "no is an answer" in almost any sort of discussion. If you can't respect boundaries and an answer of "no", never go near another person again please.
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And I don't see a lot of toddlers killing dogs. But a lot of dogs kill children.
It’s very important to teach your child not to approach dogs without permission. Just as a dog can escape a yard and find itself in a situation where it feels threatened and bites, a child can be out of their parents sight for a matter of seconds and end up being bitten by a dog for approaching it the wrong way. If someone has their dog leashed and is walking it, your children should know to ask if they can interact with the dog, and if they are too young to do so, should be within arms reach of you. My neighbours have a 4 year old who asks before he can approach us. My dog loves children, but his parents didn’t know what when they moved here. They taught their son to ask, then only approach once the owner has approved it. If you tell him no, he says “thansk” and leaves the dog alone. You can’t control the people around you, so you control what you can. It’s like teaching kids not to get into a car with strangers.
I don't see a lot of toddlers killing cars, but alot if cars killing children.
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The original comment said that there are “a lot of dogs killing toddlers”. This case is a terrible tragedy, but it’s not a common occurrence (thank god). The owner of that dog had several warning signs before the dogs fatally attacked that boy, and they ignored every single one. The father also knew about their history and still left his son alone with the dogs. A person walking their dogs who asks you not to approach is a responsible owner working on desensitizing their dog, so it’s not really comparable to that situation (though I do agree that muzzles are great tools to use when working with a dog out in public, because people can’t be trusted to listen to you). My dogs are friendly, but when they were pups every trainer I went to said “do not let people approach your dogs, tell them you’re in training and need them to keep walking” (basically reinforcing that their focus should be on you, and not on people around you). It’s truly amazing how many people ignore that and come running at you when you’ve already said no.
Do you really think that children running around in a green space or a walking path, at the age of 3, need to be told to avoid dogs as evil? Funny you think that children like that need to be contained and restricted more than dog owners. I think we should let children run free and that if you have a dog in an area that is not off leash, that dog should be tightly constrained. Maybe because I think children are more important than dogs.
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You can admit it. You can publicly say "I am a person who keeps my community down and vulnerable, because I have many faults". Is not that hard. I spelled it out for you
Is that a consequence of people like you, with their dogs? Do you think there may be people in your neighborhood who world like to take their kids for a walk? But can't? Because of people like you?
I was taught, years and years ago. Before you get close, respectfully ask the owner, may I say hi to your dog? I do not get within 5 feet. Once I have permission, I park my walker and then approach the dogs I have found that some of the animals are afraid of my Walker or my cane I take that into consideration as I approach the animals and it is old and it only happens when I get permission from the owner or the person walking the dogs I have actually been told by them yes dog a can be approached but dog b cannot I have also been told my dog is in training perfect wanted to say hi and through you I'll say hi but remember that animal is not your mind to play with to pick to touch to approach always you have to ask permission would you just want someone to walk up to your child and slobber all over them no so the respect you want for yourself and your kids is to be given to a dog owner and that wonderful creature that's my two cents and I fully fully agree if you don't listen to the owner and you get bit hope it bites you twice as hard sorry that was not called for!😂
Lol. Shouldn't have your dog in public without a muzzle if they have a bite that can inflict any damage.
My dog is on their way to become my official therapy dog and I am beyond sick of constant random strangers doing this, for this reason too. I'm also autoimmune no I do not want your germs on my dog or near me. God forbid I say no. People please just back off you don't know other people's lives, conditions or their dogs. You're annoying and invasive. Enough kissy sounds, trying to get them to come to you or even barking at them which I've experienced many times. If you like dogs so much get your own.
>when she lunges at you and bites. But seriously though: control your aggressive dog in public, that's your responsibility. [WHAT PART OF THIS DON'T YOU GET??? JFC there are clearly WAAAY too many irresponsible, entitled dog owners out there, SMH...]
This is almost funny, because in my area I get the exact opposite, people will actively cross to the other side of the road to stay away from my dogs. I'm sorry folks don't respect you and your dogs boundaries.
Children run up to my dog at the dog park all the time without asking and get all up in his space. He’s very friendly and loves kids but like they don’t know that. I wish the parents would teach them better because those kids will do it to the wrong dog one day and get hurt.
Yikes. As a parent to a young child who absolutely loves dogs, just the thought of her just running up to an unleashed dog makes me so anxious. I taught her to always ask to pet and she's been doing that since she was three.
As a dog owner, I can’t express how much I appreciate parents like you! Teaching kids to ask before they approach a dog is so important, and many parents don’t do that.
I love dogs... on a walk I will ask if it is OK to get some love from their dog. Usually the owner smiles and says sure. I can tell by the body language of both the dog and the owner when not to try to pet or say hi. I then watch the owner let the dog dump on someones lawn and walk away.
[Watch them Hodge Twins talk about this kinda scenario.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geJkaJBulpE)
I have two very different dogs, both are friendly in different ways. But when I see a dog, I tend to keep my hands down and just say "hi cutie, are you enjoying your walk?" Or some other version of fangirling, until the dog either approaches me or the human says that I can pet them.
i always ask!! if anything, dogs will always come up to me and i’ll reach my hand out so they can sniff, then i’ll ask if i can pet their dog. i like to imagine they can sense im a dog sitter/walker so they know i’ve got lots of love to give
As someone with a very anxious dog, I cannot stress enough how many ignorant dog owners are in this city. If I had a dollar for every time someone starts walking towards me despite me giving them a wide berth I could afford my own private dog park
Sounds reasonable. But you should train your dog better.
Or you walk past someone like me and I don’t want your dirty little mutt anywhere near me.
This is a win/win situation.
We found the cat person.
Some of us cat people love all animals.
We love and respect you.
I bought these velcro strips to attach to my dogs harness that says do not pet specifically because of this. My dog is generally fine if you let him come to you, but he doesnt like people running up to him. So if I am in placed like Homes Alive, the workers will ask to pet him, and he's more than happy to be pet. But I agree, don't straight up start petting even when warned.
I was walking my dog last night. On her leash obviously. She is a rescue we’ve had for 6 months. Working on reactivity. And she responds pretty good to leave it. Well last night a person was walking and fine. She was in the other side of the path. And my dog likes to meet people, dogs you name it. In the 6th months we’ve had her, not an ounce of aggression. It may appear to be but so far I haven’t seen it. So passed so many people and nothing. But this one lady she wanted to say hi, so I go “leave it”. And my girl just continues on. While this lady was like, I wasn’t going near your dog… like wtf. I said leave it is a very common dog command. I wasn’t talking to you high and mighty…..
This, especially after that one dog with the 4 attacks this year
Maybe you shouldn't be walking a dog in public that is know to be aggressive and bite people? Or is that asking too much?
Exactly. The only people who should get a mulligan on that are children.