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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a dog that I’m absolutely obsessed with. He rarely touches anyone and I’m not clear on situations where there is so much accidental touching. I’m a dog nut, but still not nutty enough to think people want him touching them without an invitation.

Do you live in an urban, walkable neighborhood?

DP but I have lived in urban and suburban areas and a dog has never touched me unwarranted in 15 years or so. I walk at least an hour each day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the responses. I am in Montgomery County. I think the weather has been nice, and folks are walking around with extended leashes in pleasant conversation. This while not realizing their pets are coming close to strangers. I stay away, I will cross the street, and I will give clear signals. Still, if a human touched me, it is 2nd degree assault. Unwanted touching is not acceptable.

I am the ex-wife of an AF veteran who is now in a powerful gov position. I had to deal with his BS. I do not want to deal with your dog. I want to get a coffee and get to work.

Thanks to the dog owners who realize not all humans want to be approached by dogs.

This is a gross exaggeration and also a misunderstanding of assault vs. battery. Battery involves willful use of force. Brushing up against someone or accidentally bumping into them is not battery or assault. Let's try to keep it in perspective.

If you're verbally telling people to stay away because you don't like dogs and they approach you with their dog and let their dog touch you, that's not okay. But I also don't know "clear signals" are (they don't sound like a clear statement to please stay away). I also don't know what kind of "touching" you find offensive. Is it a dog turning its head and sniffing when you pass on the street? Or is it jumping on you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a dog that I’m absolutely obsessed with. He rarely touches anyone and I’m not clear on situations where there is so much accidental touching. I’m a dog nut, but still not nutty enough to think people want him touching them without an invitation.

Do you live in an urban, walkable neighborhood?

DP but I have lived in urban and suburban areas and a dog has never touched me unwarranted in 15 years or so. I walk at least an hour each day

This seems literally impossible to believe. If you're walking your dog in downtown Old Town, where I've lived for many years, you're going to brush up against a dog from time to time.

[Anonymous]

Did the journal factory burn down?

[Anonymous]

I agree. My kid has been bitten twice by dogs - once in the face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here and I just don’t really like being touched by dogs. A puppy came up to me during a walk after escaping from home. When I’m at stores, there are often dogs in line. I’m not afraid, I’d just rather not get sniffed or pawed.

Why? What do you think will happen if a dog sniffs you? You'll have less of your expensive perfume on you? Lost to the dog's nose?

[Anonymous]

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

DP. NO. You and your dog do NOT have the right to physically. touch a human being without permission. It is YOUR job as the owner to keep your dog from teaching other people.

.

THIS.

[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

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.

DP here, and if your dog "might turn around to sniff" me in a way that means touching me, and "might even boop [me] with his snout", then you should know that I WILL kick your dog in the snout as hard as I can when he makes contact.

I hate dogs, and it is my right to expect your dog NOT to touch me.

The last time a dog came running up to me and made contact, I kicked it in the snout so hard it screamed and kept whimpering after it ran back to its person. I think I might have really hurt it, and I don't care. This is what you are risking in letting your dog touch strangers who don't want to be touched.

Is it OK with you if my husband comes up to you and "boops" you? No? Then keep your family, including your animal, from touching strangers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here and I just don’t really like being touched by dogs. A puppy came up to me during a walk after escaping from home. When I’m at stores, there are often dogs in line. I’m not afraid, I’d just rather not get sniffed or pawed.

This! I actually love dogs but can't have one right now because my one child is allergic. But dogs smell like dogs, and if a dog comes up to me and licks my leg or jumps up on me, I smell like dog, and have dog hair on me. And no, you can't smell it yourself, because you're used to dog smell, but if a dog licks your hands, your hands smell really bad. And if a dog jumps up on you, they often leave dog hair, and yeah, I can see it, even if you can't because you're used to it. Also, it means I can't pick up my toddler until I change my clothes (yes, he is THAT allergic- contact with dog saliva makes him break out in hives.). So please, just don't. Your dog is cute, but I don't want it licking me or jumping on me. And I definitely don't want it licking my kid's face when he's in his stroller because that means we have to go home immediately to rinse him off and give him some zyrtec to make his hives go down. It's a PITA even if it's not life threatening. Don't ruin our day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here and I just don’t really like being touched by dogs. A puppy came up to me during a walk after escaping from home. When I’m at stores, there are often dogs in line. I’m not afraid, I’d just rather not get sniffed or pawed.

Why? What do you think will happen if a dog sniffs you? You'll have less of your expensive perfume on you? Lost to the dog's nose?

It doesn't matter WHY she doesn't want your dog to touch her!!!

It doesn't matter what her reasons are. She doesn't want to be touched by your pet, so your pet shouldn't be touching her!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here and I just don’t really like being touched by dogs. A puppy came up to me during a walk after escaping from home. When I’m at stores, there are often dogs in line. I’m not afraid, I’d just rather not get sniffed or pawed.

This! I actually love dogs but can't have one right now because my one child is allergic. But dogs smell like dogs, and if a dog comes up to me and licks my leg or jumps up on me, I smell like dog, and have dog hair on me. And no, you can't smell it yourself, because you're used to dog smell, but if a dog licks your hands, your hands smell really bad. And if a dog jumps up on you, they often leave dog hair, and yeah, I can see it, even if you can't because you're used to it. Also, it means I can't pick up my toddler until I change my clothes (yes, he is THAT allergic- contact with dog saliva makes him break out in hives.). So please, just don't. Your dog is cute, but I don't want it licking me or jumping on me. And I definitely don't want it licking my kid's face when he's in his stroller because that means we have to go home immediately to rinse him off and give him some zyrtec to make his hives go down. It's a PITA even if it's not life threatening. Don't ruin our day.

+1 to all of this. New poster and many times I’ve had the experience of being out for a walk or run (often somewhere uncrowded like a trail in the woods) and someone’s unleashed dog runs up to me and puts its nose on me, licks me, or ever shakes off water on me after swimming and the owner just giggles and says “he’s friendly!” as if that makes it ok. Then I can smell their nasty dog smell on me for the rest of my walk/run. It’s not ok to let your pet touch other people without their consent.

[Anonymous]

I'm mostly fine with dogs but I agree with OP. Your dog shouldn't be touching, jumping, or nosing random people in a walk. If it is, you need to train your dog. If your dog can't handle walking by someone on the sidewalk, it's on you to take your dog aside or cross the street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look, everyone in my neighborhood has a young dog. I have PTSD, was triggered by a recent abuse event, and I do not want to be approached right now. A large dog broke my cheek in 2019. My XH tried to kill me a couple of times. Sometimes, I just want to get a coffee. I am allowed to be a human, too.

Thank you for walking your dogs. Know that some adults don't want your dogs to come up to them. I give clear physical and hand signals that it is not okay. Make sure to understand that some people cannot handle this. It is might right to walk in the neighborhood, too.

Duly noted.

Anything else while I'm here?

[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

Um, no.

Control your dang smelly slobbery animal.

[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

Dogs are NOT children.

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