To dog owners (again): I don't want your dog to touch me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly this is something YOU have to get over. You are clearly not well mentally and while I feel sorry for your history, you do live in a society where people have pets and children, etc and there will be interactions with them. Most mentally healthy people find these interactions pleasant and fulfilling even, but clearly you do not. That is not typical and the world should not be required to adjust to your extreme hypersensitivity. Try meds, therapy or consider in patient treatment. I wish you well

Dogs are NOT children.

Keep your animals out of human areas if you can't exercise basic pet courtesy.

Dogs have the right to walk outside.

Dogs have a limited right to walk outside in the precise manner allowed by the law in your jurisdiction. And that right, if abused, can be taken away by a new law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you should wear a special shirt that says that so the dogs can read it and stay away.

It would say “ruff ruff ruff 🐶 “

Seriously, animals have no idea what PTSD is…..they simply do not understand that some humans may not want to be approached or touched even.

So if a dog does approach you - try to understand that it is just going on what is organic to them.

OMG, you need help. We don't have to understand what your dog is thinking. The owner does and must control the dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm also in MoCo and everyone in my neighborhood seems to have a dog. I was mauled by a dog as a kid and while I will heart your dog photos, I will never be comfortable around them in person. I'm also surprised at how many people seem to think it's adorable for their dogs to jump on strangers or roam my front yard while they're out for a walk. The dog people are almost always distracted by their phones fwiw.

DP
That is a YOU thing. You need to adapt to the real world not expect perfection from outside forces. Dogs are individuals and so they will act in unique ways. Deal with it or stay home.

Actually, no. You are a pet owner. Back in the day, pets were expected to run around their own yards, and no dogs but city dogs "went for a walk." Dogs do not have an inherent right to be out on the street jumping on people. You and your dog are the ones who should "stay home."

Now you’re just making up nonsense. “Back in the day” dogs would run the whole neighborhood freely. I know that for a fact.

We have laws about this. I know that for a fact.

[Anonymous]

Keep a pepper spray with you. Show the spray to dog owners. Say "Please keep your dog away from me. If your dog approaches me I will protect myself and use pepper spray".

Become that lady. I would.

[Anonymous]

OP, I’m sorry if it was ever my dog. I keep them on leash but one is a puppy and still learning so sometimes sticks his face over to try to get a sniff of people as they pass, and it’s challenging in close areas like walking trails.

You said above that if a person touched you on the street, that would be assault. I don’t think that’s accurate. If someone tapped you on the shoulder or incidentally brushed against you on a crowded sidewalk, that is not assault. I know those interactions are often difficult for people with PTSD. If you are at that degree of impairment, I do think you should seek more assistance from a professional, as they could likely get you to a point where incidentally interactions (with humans or animals) are not so upsetting to you.

Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

I want to go to this neighborhood from the OP with tons of friendly dogs that want to engage with me. Sounds like heaven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep a pepper spray with you. Show the spray to dog owners. Say "Please keep your dog away from me. If your dog approaches me I will protect myself and use pepper spray".

Become that lady. I would.

But I don't want to pepper spray a dog! It's not the dog's fault their owner sucks, and I love animals and don't want to hurt one.

What I'd like to do is pepper spray the idiot dog owners with the long leashes or who are staring at their phones or whose dogs are jumping up or barking or sniffing my crotch while the owner just smiles and says "she's friendly!" I would LOVE to pepper spray these people.

[Anonymous]

Drop chocolates wrapped in bacon on the street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I’m sorry if it was ever my dog. I keep them on leash but one is a puppy and still learning so sometimes sticks his face over to try to get a sniff of people as they pass, and it’s challenging in close areas like walking trails.

You said above that if a person touched you on the street, that would be assault. I don’t think that’s accurate. If someone tapped you on the shoulder or incidentally brushed against you on a crowded sidewalk, that is not assault. I know those interactions are often difficult for people with PTSD. If you are at that degree of impairment, I do think you should seek more assistance from a professional, as they could likely get you to a point where incidentally interactions (with humans or animals) are not so upsetting to you.

Best of luck.

I don't think OP is talking about the dog equivalent of a tap on the shoulder or incidental brushing.

If a person walked up to you on the street and put their hands on you, started running around you and shoving their body into you, was making barking sounds in your face, or licking you, that would be assault.

It's also assault if it's a dog. That's what OP is talking about. The dog owners who allow or even encourage that behavior in their dogs even when the person in question is saying clearly they don't want to meet the dog. She's not talking about a dog just accidentally brushing against her one time before walking on their way. TBH that kind of contact is not even common except in very dense neighborhoods with narrow sidewalks, and OP doesn't live in a neighborhood like that. She lives somewhere that there is always space for a dog to pass without brushing against her.

I do hope you are conscientious about when and where you take your puppy out while you socialize him. Please don't take him to crowded places until he's got a few skills and won't be easily activated by other people or dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly this is something YOU have to get over. You are clearly not well mentally and while I feel sorry for your history, you do live in a society where people have pets and children, etc and there will be interactions with them. Most mentally healthy people find these interactions pleasant and fulfilling even, but clearly you do not. That is not typical and the world should not be required to adjust to your extreme hypersensitivity. Try meds, therapy or consider in patient treatment. I wish you well

NP. We found the problem dog owner.

I agree 100% OP. I was walking in my IL’s neighborhood a couple of weeks ago and this guy is standing in his garage and allows his dog to run across to me. I yell at him “get your dog.” But he already is jumping on me. The guy yells, “he’s friendly,” and I yell back, “I don’t care!” He then says something derogatory and I nearly cursed at him, but I was in MAGA land, so I thought he might get aggressive.

Can you imagine a child doing this?!

You can’t walk at sunrise at Rehoboth Beach without dogs running up to you. I don’t effing want to say hello to your dog on my walk!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep a pepper spray with you. Show the spray to dog owners. Say "Please keep your dog away from me. If your dog approaches me I will protect myself and use pepper spray".

Become that lady. I would.

I totally agree. Maybe then these super selfish, inconsiderate dog owners would learn to keep their dogs away from strangers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly this is something YOU have to get over. You are clearly not well mentally and while I feel sorry for your history, you do live in a society where people have pets and children, etc and there will be interactions with them. Most mentally healthy people find these interactions pleasant and fulfilling even, but clearly you do not. That is not typical and the world should not be required to adjust to your extreme hypersensitivity. Try meds, therapy or consider in patient treatment. I wish you well

I managed to own a dog for 15 years, living in an apartment in urban areas, without him touching a single person on our walk who didn't specifically ask to pet him. Most people do not find a strange dog they don't know touching them without a clear affirmative consent "pleasant and fulfilling". They find it invasive. The fact that you think that's "extreme hypersensitivity" is bizarre.

There is middle ground here. I am a dog owner. I absolutely hate off-leash dogs, and I never intentionally bring my dog to someone without them expressly inviting it. But also if you're walking on a city sidewalk, my dog might turn around to sniff you and might even boop you with his snout because there just isn't a lot of room to pass and my dog isn't perfect. The interaction won't be long because I keep his leash very short when we pass someone, but I can't guarantee perfect.

Shorten your leash or don't have a dog if you cannot walk them without it touching other people or invading their space

I grab dog’s leash so he’s right up against me. The sidewalk is like 6 feet wide or less. Two people plus a dog means we’re all coming in close proximity.

So when you’re coming into close proximity with someone who is indicating they want to avoid your dog, stop, put yourself between your dog and the other person and make your dog is secure. If shortening the leash can’t assure your control, then hold the collar, use both hands, sit on the ground with the dog in your lap while you hug it, pick it up altogether, step off the sidewalk so the other person can pass, hire a dog walker who can control the dog, take it some place where there’s no chance of it being too close to others who don’t welcome interaction, or leave the dog home altogether. The fact is that every single human has the right to use the sidewalk without being accosted by a dog. Dogs are extended the privilege of sidewalk access only when the owner’s control insures they don’t inconvenience other people.

OP, you're clearly not functional at all. Of course you have the right to not be jumped on or have a dog come right up to you for petting. But expecting people to dive on the ground to avoid an accidental brush is both unrealistic and demonstrates a level of extreme thinking and terror that goes beyond a normal dislike of dogs. You should be getting in exposure therapy and EMDR ASAP. And I say this as a person with random phobias (chewing gum -- I am phobic of it and struggle when people chewing gum approach me or stand near me or sit next to me on an airplane, for example) and PTSD from sexual violence.

I’m the poster you responded to, but I’m not OP. I don’t personally have a problem with dogs. I like dogs. I’m just reasonable enough to acknowledge that not everyone does, and their rights should be respected.

Nowhere did I say anyone should “dive on the ground”. The closest I came was suggesting that if they couldn’t control their dog by shortening their leash, they should consider other options, including (among others) sitting (not diving) on the ground so that they could hold the dog in their lap and hug it. If they can keep their dog under control with a short leash, or a long leash, then everyone’s happy. If they can’t then they need to find some way, any way (whether or not it involves sitting), to control their dog.

I only listed various options for those who have been unable to figure out on their own how to control their pet. For owners who can ensure that their pet doesn’t come into contact with those who are clearly trying to avoid it, then my suggestions are moot. For those who have been unable to figure out how to adequately control their pets, perhaps some of my suggestions might be helpful, if only to prompt them to come up with their own solution. The point of my post was not that they should adopt any of the proposed steps, much less all of them, but that they recognize that there are alternatives to relying on a short leash if that is insufficient.

I am sincerely sorry for the trauma you’ve endured and the fear you experience. Unfortunately, proximity to humans is probably unavoidable, but I hope when possible, people are respectful of your need for personal space. Similarly, you can’t keep those around you from chewing gum. Fortunately, unlike OP, you don’t have to worry that every time you’re near the thing you’re afraid of, you’re going to come into direct contact with it. I sincerely doubt many strangers are taking their gum out of their mouth and placing it directly on your person. I just think OP is entitled to the same courtesy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you should wear a special shirt that says that so the dogs can read it and stay away.

It would say “ruff ruff ruff 🐶 “

Seriously, animals have no idea what PTSD is…..they simply do not understand that some humans may not want to be approached or touched even.

So if a dog does approach you - try to understand that it is just going on what is organic to them.

So many @sshole dog owners on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly this is something YOU have to get over. You are clearly not well mentally and while I feel sorry for your history, you do live in a society where people have pets and children, etc and there will be interactions with them. Most mentally healthy people find these interactions pleasant and fulfilling even, but clearly you do not. That is not typical and the world should not be required to adjust to your extreme hypersensitivity. Try meds, therapy or consider in patient treatment. I wish you well

I managed to own a dog for 15 years, living in an apartment in urban areas, without him touching a single person on our walk who didn't specifically ask to pet him. Most people do not find a strange dog they don't know touching them without a clear affirmative consent "pleasant and fulfilling". They find it invasive. The fact that you think that's "extreme hypersensitivity" is bizarre.

There is middle ground here. I am a dog owner. I absolutely hate off-leash dogs, and I never intentionally bring my dog to someone without them expressly inviting it. But also if you're walking on a city sidewalk, my dog might turn around to sniff you and might even boop you with his snout because there just isn't a lot of room to pass and my dog isn't perfect. The interaction won't be long because I keep his leash very short when we pass someone, but I can't guarantee perfect.

Shorten your leash or don't have a dog if you cannot walk them without it touching other people or invading their space

I grab dog’s leash so he’s right up against me. The sidewalk is like 6 feet wide or less. Two people plus a dog means we’re all coming in close proximity.

So when you’re coming into close proximity with someone who is indicating they want to avoid your dog, stop, put yourself between your dog and the other person and make your dog is secure. If shortening the leash can’t assure your control, then hold the collar, use both hands, sit on the ground with the dog in your lap while you hug it, pick it up altogether, step off the sidewalk so the other person can pass, hire a dog walker who can control the dog, take it some place where there’s no chance of it being too close to others who don’t welcome interaction, or leave the dog home altogether. The fact is that every single human has the right to use the sidewalk without being accosted by a dog. Dogs are extended the privilege of sidewalk access only when the owner’s control insures they don’t inconvenience other people.

OP, you're clearly not functional at all. Of course you have the right to not be jumped on or have a dog come right up to you for petting. But expecting people to dive on the ground to avoid an accidental brush is both unrealistic and demonstrates a level of extreme thinking and terror that goes beyond a normal dislike of dogs. You should be getting in exposure therapy and EMDR ASAP. And I say this as a person with random phobias (chewing gum -- I am phobic of it and struggle when people chewing gum approach me or stand near me or sit next to me on an airplane, for example) and PTSD from sexual violence.

I’m the poster you responded to, but I’m not OP. I don’t personally have a problem with dogs. I like dogs. I’m just reasonable enough to acknowledge that not everyone does, and their rights should be respected.

Nowhere did I say anyone should “dive on the ground”. The closest I came was suggesting that if they couldn’t control their dog by shortening their leash, they should consider other options, including (among others) sitting (not diving) on the ground so that they could hold the dog in their lap and hug it. If they can keep their dog under control with a short leash, or a long leash, then everyone’s happy. If they can’t then they need to find some way, any way (whether or not it involves sitting), to control their dog.

I only listed various options for those who have been unable to figure out on their own how to control their pet. For owners who can ensure that their pet doesn’t come into contact with those who are clearly trying to avoid it, then my suggestions are moot. For those who have been unable to figure out how to adequately control their pets, perhaps some of my suggestions might be helpful, if only to prompt them to come up with their own solution. The point of my post was not that they should adopt any of the proposed steps, much less all of them, but that they recognize that there are alternatives to relying on a short leash if that is insufficient.

I am sincerely sorry for the trauma you’ve endured and the fear you experience. Unfortunately, proximity to humans is probably unavoidable, but I hope when possible, people are respectful of your need for personal space. Similarly, you can’t keep those around you from chewing gum. Fortunately, unlike OP, you don’t have to worry that every time you’re near the thing you’re afraid of, you’re going to come into direct contact with it. I sincerely doubt many strangers are taking their gum out of their mouth and placing it directly on your person. I just think OP is entitled to the same courtesy.

Oh no, I’m phobic of gum in someone’s mouth too. And I’m not exaggerating. I have all kinds of avoidance tools and have been in therapy for a while. I don’t know the origin of my phobia. But I’m not entitled enough to believe that the world has to cater to my phobia, particularly strangers.

Regarding dogs, if I grip my dog’s leash six inches from his collar and pull him up against me, but we’re passing closely enough on the crowded sidewalk that my dog’s body still grazes the passerby, have I done something wrong? Have I failed to keep my dog under control? A simple “yes/no” will suffice.

[Anonymous]

I have a dog and I am fully aware that there are people who are afraid of dogs. I don't take my dog to stores. I don't assume that people want to pet my dog. I keep my dog on a leash. I don't get people who find this hard to understand.