question for dog owners!

[Me, My Girls & I]

Just wondering if this would offend anyone as a dog owner or if you think it's sensible?! Es going thru a big dog phase, despite being.brought up around my mum's dog and being told not to touch! So when we're out, if we come across a dog when we're out and about, we have a little chat about how we don't touch dogs unless we've spoken to their owner and asked cos some dogs don't like being touched!

To me it's a sensible thing to do, but I've had some right funny looks, which I don't know if it's cos people are taking offense that I think their dog might hurt her (I don't discriminate, I do the exact same whether they're tiny little things or huge great ones) or whether people are thinking I'm weird telling such a small child (I'm.guessing a lot of people wouldn't expect a child of her age to a. Understand or b. Be able to approach someone to ask!

But yea, as a dog owner would it offend you?! It's not something that ever bothered me growing up, but maybe that's cos it was more normal to do the whole asking the owner thing back then?!

 

[cosmicgirl]

No, it wouldn't offend me, it's essential! x

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

That's exactly what my dad said when I asked him! I just don't understand people giving funny looks over it!

 

[MrsW84]

No I always call my dog back if they anywhere near children and hold onto them
Sometimes if the child is like oooohhh doggy I say to the parent that my dog won't bite she is very friendly and usually they both come over and I hold onto my dog whilst the kid strokes her
Wouldn't be offended even the cutest dogs can be biters!
Believe me m dog basemen attacked by little fluffy ones before!
Xxxx

 

[MrsW84]

Has been not baseman

 

[MrsR]

No, it wouldn't offend me. It's the sensible thing to do. Despite me always encouraging dog safety with DD and always getting her to ask before stroking before we got Rocco I didn't know you're not supposed to stroke over the dogs head you're supposed to let them smell you and then stroke their body.

 

[charliebear]

No it wouldnt offend me and tbh I tell AJ exactly the same thing!

He was getting to a point where he wanted to stroke every dog as he thought he could and being brought up with lots of dogs in the family its natural to him to just stroke a dog.

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

I never knew about letting them sniff you either! Although I do it subconsciously anyway cos I'm scared of big dogs .ao step back when they jump up for a sniff

 

[Butterflykisses]

Wouldn't offend me at all. I hate when children come running up to me when I have dog out. My dog is great with children but is very nervous in that if she feels threatened may growl. My wee one will be taught dog safety as soon as necessary.

 

[VikkiR]

I never let strangers stroke my dog, and certainly not children he's a great Dane and he's a good guard dog, my last was a St Bernard and i was the same with him. Letting all and sundry stroke him tells him all strangers are friends, which they are not and if something untoward were to happen I wouldn't want him put to sleep. He's soft as butter with the people he needs to be and he acts indifferently to everyone else. I wouldn't want my lo stroking unfamiliar dogs either, you just never know BUT asking permission first is responsible and I wouldn't be offended x

 

[SeonaidMac]

Wouldn't offend me at all I have 5 dogs and my stepson who is 3 knows that he can't just go up to any dog on the street and hug it like he does our 5. He has to ask the owner if he can touch the dog. I still ask other owners if i can touch their dogs as I don't know it's temperment and I hate people just launching in and stroking my dog too... all mine are big softies but any dog can feel threatened if they're crowded.

I'd say it's a responsible thing to do to ask first..

 

[PyscoFalcon]

I'm sooo glad your doing this hun.

The amount of times I've had to have a go at parents and kids when they just let the kids run up screaming to Sam and grab him! It freeks him out and makes him snap.

Several people have said he's an agressive dog that should be muzzled. Even been reported to RSPCA for it.
He's a Dalmation so everyone things there like the cartoon *sigh*

At least I proved to the RSPCA (and the decant parents) that if you apporch Sam in a quiet,calm manner and let him sniff you he'll be fine and even smile,lick them. Just don't touch his head or hip/bum area (he's old and aches there sometimes)

People forget that not all dogs are brought up with kids.

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

People do just seem to assume dogs are fine to stroke and little bundles of fun don't they?! My two have always been taught to stay away from my mum's dog cos even tho we got him when we were kids, he's 15 now and bloody grumpy! That said tho, him and E have found a mutual love of food and are suddenly sharing everything

I was always brought up to ask to stroke them, but it's made me wonder if that's not as commonplace as I thought!

 

[LikeJohnnYoko]

Definitely the right thing to do, it really winds me up when parents don't teach their children that not every dog is a friendly dog and not to touch.

 

[l_maclean]

Def the right thing to do, although (and def not saying this is the case) - but sometimes people ask in a funny way.

Like when we call my aunts dog back in the park if there's little ones about folk ask "is the dog safe" - but with some people it's like disgust that he's allowed off the lead - (this isn't quite coming out the way I mean to write it - so I'm hoping folk know what I mean!)
Xxx


On my iPhone - so cant see tickers

 

[monkeynut]

Any child that attempts to touch my dogs without asking gets told not to, I get extremely frustrated with parents that allow their children to run after my dogs either to try and stroke them or more commonly, play with their balls/toys etc... Which makes me so angry as my dogs DON'T want a child joining in their game!

I welcome parents that explain to their children and ask to stroke my dogs- they are all friendly so I am more than happy for respectful children to say hello and have a stroke.

I am a responsible dog owner and welcome responsible parenting!

 

[J_Anne]

There's no way I'd be offended. Like most people have said, it is my pet hate when children, or even adults crowd my dogs and force themselves upon them! They are all friendly but 2 of them if frightened or threatened would snap without a doubt and they would have right to.

I think you're being very sensible so I would just ignore any funny looks, perhaps these people aren't very child friendly!

 

[PyscoFalcon]

I'll certainly be teaching my LO to look but not touch with pets. Starting with our own. At least until there old enought to start supervised handling of pets etc. Will teach them respect.

Many people have told me to get rid of Sam now I'm expecting but I've told em where to go and got a behaviourist instead. He's not an agressive dog at all, he's just nervous (ever since got attacked by a staffy and a boxer, Staffy attacked him in our own garden!) and dosen't like change.

I will do anything for my Sam but I still will NOT leave him with the LO unattended at all due to his age and nervous nature. So yes it's mostly down to parents been responsabile and teaching the kids these things.

Your gonna be an awsome mum going about things this way so ignore the disrespectful parents and carry on hun

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

.aw thanks hun it's funny how dogs learn to stay away as well, my mum's dog runs fir the hills when he hears my two come in well, til foods mentioned! We've always kept them separate, but it's obviously a bit trickier now! But they do know not to touch him unless we're sat with them and they ask! Just a shame they don't remember when out nd about!

 

[PyscoFalcon]

Haha. I'm sure they'll learn if you keep drumming it into them