What do you say to people... - Page 2

For me it depends on the venue. If I'm in a dog supply store with my GSDs, they are going to be GSDs who don't have a problem with strangers petting them and don't have a problem with people passing by close to them and me. If I'm walking through a park or down the street, I prefer people ask first before they pet and I will remind people if need be.  In my experience, most of the kids are polite, but some of the adults are real a&&holes. 

i just got done with 4 sat nites at the LA county fair and at least 95% of the kids asked to pet angus and probably 85-90% of the adults asked. some nites were much busier than others so we all watched our dogs carefully to make sure they weren't unduly stressed or excited. it was a very positive experience.

we also just finished our "doggie drill" routine in a city parade yesterday. horses, a goat, fire trucks, marching bands, LOTS  of kids, lots of dogs (in the parade and along the route), even a camel. all our dogs in our group behaved extremely well. one barked at a horse once. we were waiting to use the bathroom at a church before our "turn" in the parade and a woman barged up behind us and into me, exclaiming that she just had to pet my dog! angus didn't even blink (he was more interested in the golden ret in front of us :} ). i said sure and she calmed down and behaved herself and petted angus and a couple other dogs. if she had been "nuttier" or more intrusive, i would have told her "no". my breeder told a bunch of us in an obedience class that we are under NO obligation to allow anyone to pet our dogs unless WE want them to. if they protest, "if you want to pet a dog, get your own". maybe i've been pretty lucky - the majority of people i meet have been pretty polite and have taught their kids to be too. altho, for the ones who don't ask, i try to explain that not all dogs will be nice and friendly, so it's ALWAYS best to ask the owners. sometimes parents get it, sometimes they don't.

Some people just won't learn, as if a snarlin' show of teeth doesn't say it all. My DH put his hand up just in the nick of time to receive the bite intended for the homeless man seeking a donation at our car window while stopped at the light. A good friend "who has dogs" stuck his hand out when we told him, " Do not move", while we had our dog collared and leashed. Needless to say I needed peroxide, and he told me, it was our/dog's fault! (This was a rescue, either a pitbull/shepherd mix or a dutchie, hard to say.)

So, you always have to think in the defensive frame of mind, especially when kids are present.

People can be(and often are) stupid...

Like the 4 teen boys were where making faces @ my PPD and banging on the back window of my van while he was going balistic over it.  I very politely  offered to let him out to play with them, and opened the door...     For some reason they chose not to stay and play!!   oh well!   

Same dog, who LOVED  everyone and welcomed petting by all... was laying on sidewalk during a parade. When two moms with 5 small kids came up and were admiring him.  They DID ask if the kids could pet him first and all 5 started hugging him and the lil 2 year old sat on his back. Mom commented.  "I'm usually afraid of Shepherds but he seems so calm... but I bet he'd protect you if someone tried to hurt you." I paused then shared with her that he was trained for personal protection.  She looked shocked and almost snatched the little one from his back... but I explained that he LOVES PEOPLE. She paused and watched the big grin with his tongue hanging out of his  mouth... and laughed.   I went on to talk with her about the idea that friendly outgoing dogs could be protection, and indeed because he was so stable he could go anywhere with me, and thus be available in an emergency.  They hung out for quite a while... and Shiloh enjoyed every minute of the attention.

   Yes people SHOULD ask... but I realize that in many instances they won't so before getting into a crowded situation with a dog we all need to be certain that he can handle the stress of a little 5 year old coming up and throwing their arms around his neck without warning.  I was that kind of kid I guess...  Dogs were like a magnet to me... much to my mom's dismay.  And of the hundreds of dogs I bearhugged as a little kid... none bit me.  Guess they recognized a kindred spirit.

The other day I was tracking at a forest preserve.  It's mostly wooded where people walk on the trails but there is some grassy area off to the side of the parking lot where my track was laid.   I wasn't really paying too much attention to anything but how my tracking was going (my bad!). I got 2/3 through the track, my dog is concentrated - head down, and this Beagle comes running up to him full speed from about 50 yards away.  I thought it was pretty obvious I was busy doing something and that the guy would stop his dog, but apparently not.  The Beagle got all the way up to my dog and I finally had to yell at the owner "MY dog's not friendly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".  He looked shocked and offended, but he finally reeled in his flexi and pulled the dog away from my dog.  Then he proceeded to trample all over my track (I could've handled a cross track but a trample had me annoyed).  Then as the guy finally goes away I notice the dog picked up one of my articles as he took off!

Even though my dogs are friendly or tolerant of these types of social situations, I use the "MY dog is not friendly" line a lot.  There's more than a few dogs and also some weirdos that I don't want touching my dog.

Kids I always allow to pet my dogs but I make sure I go threw the drill to tell them they should ALWAYS ask to pet someone's dog, never approach a dog they do not own because not all "cute dogs" are kind.  I show them how to pet my dogs so they don't get uptight or stressed out and I stress they are never to get down on the ground eye level with any dog or try to wrap their arms around their neck to give them kisses.  Usually it goes over very well and parents even appreciate the time I take with the kids.

Adults on the other hand I really don't encourage to pet my dogs and I usually just say something like I'm sorry we're in a hurry, or "he hasn't been feeling too well and may not be up for it, maybe some other time" or I just simply say he's a working dog in training.  Sometimes they give a shitty look but I just continue about my business.  I want my dogs to be suspicious of everyone outside our family circle but yet I want them to be gentle and patient with children. 

My trainer's dogs on the other hand are "off limits" to everyone but him.  He has a "house dog" that interacts with his family and is loose when company comes, anyone can pet that dog but his other dogs that are his "working dogs' not even the wife interacts with.  I myself think it's a bad idea to be that over the top but too each their own.

I try to take the time to teach children, afer all it isn't their fault their parents are stupid......but on the other side of the coin I been known to quickly snap "Eh!!  Watch your fingers!!!"  to kids and adults a like.  Secretly I like seening them jump!

I always take the time to explain when they "ask to pet a dog" do not assume it is a safe thing to do, they have bad days just like we do. You should make a fist and tuck all fingers in and let the dog smell the back of your hand first, then pet the dogs. People are going to assume that if you have brought a dog to a pumkin patch with kids in it, that the dog is safe or you would not have brought it, So I think that would be a good time for the dog to socialize and a great opporunity to teach the "GP" how to approach a strange dog.

Hi

I had something strange happen to me.  It was getting dark and I was walking my two dogs. I noticed a man in a wheelchair and  two men coming toward me on the sidewalk. I took my dogs off the sidewalk and walked through a church parking lot when I looked up the men were in front of me as they had turned down the street.  My dogs started to bark and I walked back to the sidewalk. I turned around and the man in the wheelchair was coming toward me. My dogs were going crazy so I put their leashes around a pole so I could control them. The man kept coming closer and closer. The other two men were watching. The man in the wheelchair started to cluck his mouth and saying thing s like hello boys. My dogs were trying to get him but I had them tied pretty good.  He got about a foot away and stopped and said you have some good dogs there.I said I know.

 I am a 65 year old woman and my dogs are usually well behaved BUT if they think I am in danger I can't hold them. I try to avoid these fools but there are just too many.

My old boy is sweet, but his hips are bad and he's getting unstable.  Many times I've intercepted a rushing child with "NO TOUCHING" and a hand blocking their rush as my old boy steps behind me.  The parents are usually horrified and rush off, but whatever. 

Only shepherd people ever ask to pet my girl, and I usually say if she wants to come to you.   Usually people just say "does she bite" to which I often answer "maybe".  

Although I had the back tailgate up when was hot out and I was pumping gas,  and one weird guy did charge over and stick his hand into her crate and scruff up her ears.  To my surprise she pretended he was invisible.