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KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:07 PM May 2013

As a dog owner, here are 5 situations that freak me out

1. Family walking down sidewalk and the kids approach my dog(s) with food in their hands. Why? Because if my dog goes for the food it may nip that little hand. Toddlers tend to carry food in the same position as someone offering it to the dog -- cookie up, fingers underneath. I teach my dogs to sit whenever they want any food that is present but food is a tough one to get consistent restraint around.

2. Parking meter readers that feed (or want to) your dog "treats." We have one meter reader that loves it when dogs see him and go crazy. He trains them to go crazy by feeding them treats out of his tech pants pocket when they do. It is a thankless job dealing with people who didn't put a quarter in the meter all day long and I'm sure they need some love but training my dog to get hyper and want to run up to people are dressed like and smell like cops is dangerous for my dogs. Cops shoot dogs who run at them.

3. (New) dog owners who demand that their fearful dog meet yours. Their dog has its tail all the way up between it's legs and they are dragging it forward toward your dog. It can't "flight" due to the leash (and the clueless owner) so it nips your dog in the face. And the owner is completely mystified.

A variation: people who bring newly adopted rescues to the dog run. They have had the dog a week or less and thanks to TV shows, they want to socialize the animal. Fine. But I didn't come to the dog run to help you figure out if your adoptee has fear aggression, or plain old aggression.

4. Non-dog owners who quote Cesar Milan. "Be the pack leader!" "Just go 'Shhh!'" etc. They mean well but it is a TV show damn it. Watching a TV show is only the start of understanding the body language and behaviors of dogs. Spend 24/7/365 with one before you declare yourself an expert please.

5. People who say weird stuff to your dog and/or let it stick its tongue on their mouths. My one neighbor likes to call one of my dogs a 'big dumb mutt' and then calls the other one "my little girl." And you might be surprised how many people stick their face down next to my dogs faces and then close their eyes as it licks every open orifice on their head. I kid you not. People didn't do that when I had a non-AKC Boxer and sometimes I miss the healthy apprehension and the occasional panicked question: "What BREED is that ?!" Answer: Not the one you're thinking of.

36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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As a dog owner, here are 5 situations that freak me out (Original Post) KurtNYC May 2013 OP
Don't let someone else's dog lick your face. Quantess May 2013 #1
But to be fair... Duer 157099 May 2013 #3
Still pretty gross. Quantess May 2013 #7
Lol! My baby loves that as a snack as well. Dash87 May 2013 #11
I don't let any dog lick my face. Even if they don't eat poop, they lick their butts. Arkansas Granny May 2013 #6
plus there is the worm problem.n/t dixiegrrrrl May 2013 #25
As opposed to shaking the hand of that person who just used the restroom without bothering to wash hlthe2b May 2013 #8
Looks like you didn't read the whole post. (no text) Quantess May 2013 #9
Dogs have a higher tolerance for salmonella and the like KurtNYC May 2013 #21
Nonsequitor? hlthe2b May 2013 #22
I thought I was responding to your statement that 'human pathogens are more risky to us' KurtNYC May 2013 #29
Pathogens transmitted directly from humans to humans n/t hlthe2b May 2013 #33
If the dog has minty fresh breath lapislzi May 2013 #19
Oh my God Aerows May 2013 #24
Geebus. Are you sure you really want to be a dog owner? hlthe2b May 2013 #2
I suspect KurtNYC lives in a dense urban neighborhood. Quantess May 2013 #5
Yes, on a busy sidewalk they can come at you from all angles KurtNYC May 2013 #23
Sadly, some people are beyond education. dixiegrrrrl May 2013 #13
re: "Where I come from, you ask permission to pet someone's dog". hlthe2b May 2013 #14
On rushing up and high voice -- I didn't have those things happen when I had my boxers KurtNYC May 2013 #30
The first two can be solved by crossing the street. kickysnana May 2013 #4
Be patient with dog owners Johnny2X2X May 2013 #10
Put a yellow ribbon on your dog lead TrogL May 2013 #12
that's a really good idea d_r May 2013 #15
THAT is so cool. dixiegrrrrl May 2013 #16
I'm gradually teaching people TrogL May 2013 #20
neat project - don't expect people to be smart enough to respect it. hollysmom May 2013 #17
Thank you so much for that link! I have a beautiful little Cavalier that is Zul Incarnate with dogs. nolabear May 2013 #27
Very cool. Thanks for sharing that! KurtNYC May 2013 #31
I've cared for dogs now and again ... Arugula Latte May 2013 #18
I knew a guy who trained his dog not to take ANY food Politicalboi May 2013 #26
Ah, yes. All the reasons SheilaT May 2013 #28
In several instances I've been with friends who have dogs, and Arugula Latte May 2013 #32
I'm inclined to think that things such as you've just described or as I've SheilaT May 2013 #35
Good insight. Arugula Latte May 2013 #36
I always ask people if I can pet their dogs, but I have to smirkymonkey May 2013 #34

Quantess

(27,630 posts)
1. Don't let someone else's dog lick your face.
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:13 PM
May 2013

You don't know where that dog's mouth has been recently.

The dog may have snuck a bite of poop faster than the owner could stop him/her, just 10 minutes earlier. But now that you just let the dog lick your face, the owner doesn't have the heart to tell you. True story.

Duer 157099

(17,742 posts)
3. But to be fair...
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:21 PM
May 2013

More often than not, the dog licks itself and then a person pets the dog on that spot and then uses that same hand to wipe their eyes or nose or mouth.

Same transfer, just not as direct.

Just sayin' that the obvious route isn't the only route.

Quantess

(27,630 posts)
7. Still pretty gross.
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:28 PM
May 2013

I just got done scolding my dog for taking a bite of some homeless person's pile of soft-serve. I was so disgusted! Then later on, he's licking some woman face.

Dash87

(3,220 posts)
11. Lol! My baby loves that as a snack as well.
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:40 PM
May 2013

I'm successful in stopping him most of the time, but he's fast.

hlthe2b

(101,721 posts)
8. As opposed to shaking the hand of that person who just used the restroom without bothering to wash
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:30 PM
May 2013

their hands?

Human pathogens are far more risky to us.

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)
21. Dogs have a higher tolerance for salmonella and the like
Thu May 16, 2013, 02:56 PM
May 2013

Some of the recent pet food recalls have been because salmonella counts went too high, meaning that there is a level of salmonella that dogs can tolerate. Many pet food makers recommend that you not put the dog food in your mouth (as some trainers do) and/or handle it as you would raw chicken, eg. wash your hands or use a scoop.

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)
29. I thought I was responding to your statement that 'human pathogens are more risky to us'
Thu May 16, 2013, 05:56 PM
May 2013

Maybe I don't understand what you mean by HUMAN pathogens (?)

lapislzi

(5,762 posts)
19. If the dog has minty fresh breath
Thu May 16, 2013, 02:51 PM
May 2013

Chances are very good he's been snacking at the Litter Box All-Day Buffet.

The case for keeping the litter box out of doggies' reach. No Tootsie Rolls for Fido.

 

Aerows

(39,961 posts)
24. Oh my God
Thu May 16, 2013, 03:17 PM
May 2013

This thread just scarred me for life. My dog never did that. Lord . I don't even want to know what the fuck my cat has been up to and she sleeps all over me.

On edit: Hell my refrigerator probably has a few things ready to open the door and murder me in my sleep. She's probably the only thing keeping me safe

hlthe2b

(101,721 posts)
2. Geebus. Are you sure you really want to be a dog owner?
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:19 PM
May 2013

I feel, personally, as a responsible dog owner that I have the requirement to teach others who know far less than I. And, if that means helping them socialize their animal, helping them identify behavioral problems and the best way to address them, encouraging them with respect to "GOOD" ways to show their appreciation for my and others' pups, and on and on, then I am absolutely fine with that.

I adore dogs, regret that there are "bad" dog owners, but feel that the majority are simply in need of education.

And, as for children, I NEVER fail to take time to put my pup in a "sit" for them to pat her under their parents watchful and approving eye. Otherwise they do NOT learn how to safely approach strange dogs and may become the very ones who will lobby AGAINST off-leash dog parks and other dog-friendly "perks". And, on that score, while I certainly do not condone anyone taking a known aggressive dog to the park (and have performed my share of breaking up pending fights), these parks do not belong solely to YOU. And, yes, that is the best place for pups to learn how to interact appropriately with other dogs. It behooves all of us to help them do so once they are safely through their initial post-adoption adaptation to new owner phase and have their vaccine-immunity well in place.

Tolerance... Not just for people....

Quantess

(27,630 posts)
5. I suspect KurtNYC lives in a dense urban neighborhood.
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:24 PM
May 2013

If that is the case, I know what it's like. Other people, especially children who are not used to dogs and don't know how to act, can be very annoying.

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)
23. Yes, on a busy sidewalk they can come at you from all angles
Thu May 16, 2013, 03:00 PM
May 2013

Happy to have kids pet my dogs and help teach them safe practices for meeting dogs. I think I am less annoyed than concerned that the child could have a bad experience and it would be considered 100% my fault.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
13. Sadly, some people are beyond education.
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:53 PM
May 2013

The lady up the hill who was walking her cocker spaniel, off leash, on MY street,
while I was coming from the opposite direction with my Golden on a leash ( yes, we have leash laws)
The moment I saw her half a block away, I called for her to put the leash on her dog.
Which she ignored.
So I turned around headed for home and her cocker ran half a block to attack my dog.

A guy from Fla. who rented a house a block away and let his 3 dobie/shepherd mixes run loose all day.
They attacked my dog when I was walking him close to my house.
Fortunately, a neighbor instantly took in the scene, grabbed a shovel and beat the dogs away.
Owner got 3 warnings from neighbors, to no avail.
2 warnings from Animal Control ...still no change,
and finally we had to call the police because the pack was rushing up to small children in their yards and attacking cats and other dogs.
He soon moved out, complaining that people here were not "friendly".

The gas meter reader man, who has 2 Goldens which he leaves outside 24/7, insists
on giving my dog a biscuit if he sees it outside with us.
We solved that by keeping the dog inside when he comes to read the meter.
I do not want people feeding my dog anything.

People DO rush up to us when they see our Golden being walked.
Kids and adults, high pitched voices and hands sticking out, grabbing at him.
He is NOT fond of that.

Where I come from, you ask permission to pet someone's dog.

hlthe2b

(101,721 posts)
14. re: "Where I come from, you ask permission to pet someone's dog".
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:57 PM
May 2013

Me too... And I EDUCATE Them to that. Are some oblivious? Yes. And, certainly calling animal control and ultimately police is the appropriate action for those.

But, the majority, I have found, DO respond to correction and education.

If we fail to do so, we all lose because these "bad apples" will be used to set policy against all of us.

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)
30. On rushing up and high voice -- I didn't have those things happen when I had my boxers
Thu May 16, 2013, 06:06 PM
May 2013

Now I have a golden lab mix and some people behave in a whole different way toward her than the boxers. She is generally mellow but when riled up could knock someone over. Not aggressively or intentionally but just because at 90 pounds she has the mass and low center of gravity.

In hindsight, many people were scared, or at least cautious, around the male boxer. He was a big sweetheart but looked scarey to some.

kickysnana

(3,908 posts)
4. The first two can be solved by crossing the street.
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:23 PM
May 2013

You were a new dog owner once too.

On the other hand. Some people are just too dumb to be near animals, avoid them altogether because they are too dumb to have around people too.

Disclosure: I am a cat person but I had a couple dogs, (big gentle golden retriever and a doberman who thought he was a people, worst guard dog ever. He loved everyone including cats, guinea pigs, gerbils and other dogs) because I had a couple kids and we all got along fine.

Johnny2X2X

(18,745 posts)
10. Be patient with dog owners
Thu May 16, 2013, 01:34 PM
May 2013

We have a very well trained boxer mix, he's simply the most melow dog you'll find, just is fun to be around and is a total lover. We occasionally puppy sit for friends and it's frustrating to be around an annoying puppy when our dog is so well behaved, but then I remember that our dog was a pain in the rear when he was a puppy too. It takes time, the 1st 18 months you have a dog, they usually aren't all that fun to be around.

d_r

(6,907 posts)
15. that's a really good idea
Thu May 16, 2013, 02:23 PM
May 2013

I wasn't aware of it but I really hope it catches on.

Years ago we had a great dane dog. He was a good dog, had a bit of an alpha streak but a good dog who had learned good manners. He liked to play with small dogs a lot. The problem was always medium sized dogs. They'd try to dominate him because he was the biggest dog around. So the family golden or lab would try to put his head on top of the dane's and bam, it would be trouble. A lot of the folks who had those dogs didn't recognize their dog's behavior and signals. I learned so that could usually see it coming and rein the dane in before - the other dog would have forward ears, the tail straight up, the flashing of teeth. Approaching from straight on instead of at a slant. Blaring eye contact. Prickeled fur. I'd pull him in quick and go the other way. I had to split a couple of vet bills and honestly it was the other people's fault because they didn't see it in their dog's behavior. The funny thing was, that dog loved to play with other dogs. Would chase and play and let dogs like poodles and scotties chase him all over. He had a boxer and a german shepherd he would regularly play with. He could run and play off leash at the dog park with a field of dogs. And there was nothing more awesome than five or six great danes running and playing. But every once in a while there was that alpha-seeking dog that was the boss at home that wanted to dominate him and he wouldn't take it. It was like he thought I was president of the entire world, but that he was vice president.

Our dog now is a lab-beagle mix from the shelter. She is sweet as candy. But she is funny and reminds me of how you have to figure out rescue dogs. She hates, I mean hates, bald men. She sees a bald man down the road and will start barking. And she is afraid of middle age women swinging things like bags around. She'll cower away. But she tolerates kids coming up like anything. She didn't really know how to play when we got her over a year ago, but she has figured a lot of that out. The funny thing about it is - to me - she can meet with most dogs, but a couple of times there have been dogs that pulled the same kind of behavior I described above, and she tried to go after them. At 30 pounds she is a lot easier to keep from it than the dane was at 160. But it is the same behavior that elicits it, and most dog owners that have those dogs seem to just not get it.

I would almost put a yellow ribbon on her just to shoo those folks away.

TrogL

(32,818 posts)
20. I'm gradually teaching people
Thu May 16, 2013, 02:53 PM
May 2013

I've got three dachshunds (2 crosses) that I walk together.

The original full-breed dachshund used to have a lot of socialization issues and we had multiple incidents of people getting challenged. In one case the police chose to involve themselves to tell the approacher to back off.

The second dog was bought primarily as a companion to the first dog. He's a happy-go-lucky foxy-doxy who will allow anyone to approach, or more accurately will drag me towards them. The other two take their cues from him so usually things are OK.

The third dog is a rescue from a puppy mill. The breeder said take her or I'm putting her down. She does surprisingly well, but she does have food issues, primarily caused by the first dog trying to steal her food because she's used to eating slowly and protected inside a cage. If we're out in public and somebody tries to give her a treat and the first dog looks at her wrong, she'll start a huge snarling rolling fight, then the second dog will try to rescue the situation, then I have to wade in and separate all three, so I've got all three dogs on separate leads each with their own yellow ribbon.

When strangers approach, I immediately point out the ribbon and explain what it's for, then explain how to approach a pack of dogs (basically, you don't - let them come to you).

I've still had some incidents. A few weeks ago I was bending over to retrieve dog poop and somebody walked up behind me and the dogs decided to defend me. He got bit on the cuff of his jeans but he just walked away without acknowledging any of it.

I was driving down the street and saw a couple of kids acting strangely, so I watched them in the rear view mirror and suddenly one of them jumped of the neighbour's car so I backed up to give him shit and discovered two dogs running loose - the kids was terrified of dogs. I got out of the truck, one of them ran past me so I stomped on his leash. The other one stopped to see what was going on and the owner came around from the back of the truck - blind drunk. She yelled at me to leave her dogs alone. I yelled back that I was helping her catch them. Instead of retrieving her dogs, she spotted mine in their cage in the back of my truck so she stuck her hands through the bars and promptly got bit, which she failed to notice. She retrieved her dogs and staggered off down the street. The yellow ribbons were clearly visible, but obviously she wasn't perceiving much of anything.

hollysmom

(5,946 posts)
17. neat project - don't expect people to be smart enough to respect it.
Thu May 16, 2013, 02:39 PM
May 2013

Why, I swear most people are illiterate now. Unless you tweet it.

nolabear

(41,915 posts)
27. Thank you so much for that link! I have a beautiful little Cavalier that is Zul Incarnate with dogs.
Thu May 16, 2013, 03:37 PM
May 2013

I've worked with her for years to try to stop the aggressiveness. It's only when she's on the leash or in our dooryard but she's a city girl so that's nine tenths of the time. She weighs twelve pounds and I literally have to pick her up and carry her growling, wrestling body away. I feel terrible about it and she misses out on many a walk because I can't stand the stress.

Maybe if it gets around I'll at least have something that says "I'm trying."

 

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)
18. I've cared for dogs now and again ...
Thu May 16, 2013, 02:48 PM
May 2013

Afterward I've concluded I'm not cut out for it. Way too stressful. I don't like all the decisions you have to make about dog-dog interactions, dog-human interactions, etc. I always expect something to go wrong, so I can never relax. I think I've heard too many stories about "the nicest, sweetest" dogs suddenly snapping or attacking. I'm always slightly wary and afraid of dogs, because you can't trust them 100 percent of the time (like all animals and humans, for that matter), but dogs can do some major damage if they do snap, in both senses of the word.

Also, the people who let their dogs run free in a park and then yell "It's okay! S/he's friendly!" when the dog charges up to someone deserve a special place in Hell.

I'm so happy to be owned by nice, soft, purring kitties.

 

Politicalboi

(15,189 posts)
26. I knew a guy who trained his dog not to take ANY food
Thu May 16, 2013, 03:27 PM
May 2013

And she wouldn't. Even if it was steak, she wouldn't eat it till he said so. One day he had a friend over, and the dog was licking herself.
The friend says "I wish I could do that" The dog owner says "Go ahead, she won't mind".

 

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)
28. Ah, yes. All the reasons
Thu May 16, 2013, 04:43 PM
May 2013

why I'm not very fond of dogs.

Actually my number one reason is that most dog owners just don't get it that not everyone adores dogs, and even fewer people adore their particular dog.

 

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)
32. In several instances I've been with friends who have dogs, and
Thu May 16, 2013, 06:17 PM
May 2013

I've been embarrassed by their somewhat clueless behavior and failure to keep their dogs under control. For example, I was walking in a public forest on trails with one friend who kept her untrained dog on a very long leash, the dog would zigzag all over the place and constantly create barriers for people trying to get by in the opposite direction. I wish I could have held up a sign saying: "Not my dog." Another friend let her dogs run wild on the beach and they would charge over to small kids and practically knock them over. These friends seem to think that because they don't mind their own dogs slobbering all over them nobody else does, either.

 

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)
35. I'm inclined to think that things such as you've just described or as I've
Fri May 17, 2013, 02:00 AM
May 2013

experienced over the years comes from a very basic level of . . . I think I'll call it ignorance, but it's not willful or malicious. It's a result of the mythology about humans and dogs -- to which there is a lot of truth. Humans and dogs have been together for a very, very long time, perhaps almost as long as we've been human. It means that domesticated dogs are for the most part very much in tune with humans. As an aside, about a decade ago I did volunteer work at an animal shelter, and I was very much struck by the fact that every single dog that passed through the reception area (where they needed to go through when being walked by other volunteers) wanted to greet every single human they encountered. That connection between dogs and humans was obvious and striking.

But since dogs and people first connected there have been a lot of changes on both sides. That includes specialized breeds, and we people living very, very different lives from those we lived tens of thousands of years ago. What that means is that modern dogs need a very special kind of socialization, called training, to make them suitable to live with humans in this modern, complicated world.

And I think that the ignorance that keeps people from properly training their dogs (and here I'm thinking of specific people I've known) is an ignorance that stems from kindness, and an assumption that people and dogs just naturally fit together. Meanwhile, it's very frustrating to the friends and acquaintances of those untrained dogs. In extreme cases it leads to dogs mauling and even killing humans. Not a good think at all.

Personally, I'll stick to cats.

 

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)
36. Good insight.
Fri May 17, 2013, 11:23 AM
May 2013

I'm sticking with cats, too. Love 'em! I don't like having to constantly be commanding animals (I used to ride horses and that is another instance where you must always be the authority ... it wore on me after awhile, as I'm sure it did the poor horses) and so the kitties fit in with that mindset perfectly. My kitties do whatever they want, and I cater to their every whim. And it works out very well for both of us.

 

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
34. I always ask people if I can pet their dogs, but I have to
Thu May 16, 2013, 08:06 PM
May 2013

admit, if the dog starts to lick my face, I don't really mind. Maybe that is gross, but I love dogs so much it doesn't really bother me and I have never become sick from it. What doesn't kill you makes me stronger, I guess. They just don't gross me out as much as people do.

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