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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I walk my kids to school each day, which apparently is the time everyone in my neighborhood walks their dogs. Many dogs strain at their leash to approach my kids. I don’t know why. My kids don’t fear dogs, but they don’t like them, either. Walking home after dropoff seems easier—dogs don’t seem to approach me alone.

Because dogs are social animals and they want to greet people. No harm.

You don't get to decide what is harm for other people. Keep your dog to yourself. The poster above did a great job describing the problem - it's the owners like you. The problematic dog owners are attention whores or narcissists.

Agree. My mom does not like dogs but when we walk in her retirement community, the neighbors all have their dog come over to “say hi.” This is whether or not she knows them.

My mom will make a bit of noise and I refuse and tell her she should stop. She said people “expect” this and she’s afraid people will shun her otherwise. Crazy!

You have to be an attention whore to expect this. WTF people!

The annoying this is that some people *will* shun you if you don't enthusiastically love their dog. We have family friends who had a large dog (pit/lab mix) for many years. I don't hate dogs but am not a dog person -- I was attacked by a dog in college and have been wary since then, especially of large, muscular dogs, because I know from experience that a muscular dog can take me down even if I outweigh it -- dogs are animals and certain breeds have this ability, even if they are trained into good behavior or have naturally sweet temperament. It's like they have a gun they never intend to use.

Anyway, I was always pleasant to this family's dog. Greeted the dog when we interacted, petted her when appropriate, even praised her for being sweet and gentle, which she was. But I was also clearly not a dog person. I'd shoo her away when she'd try to sniff my crotch and didn't like when she licked my hands or legs. Her owner (really just the wife, the husband didn't seem to care about it) noticed these things and clearly took offense. This dog has now been dead for almost a decade and this woman will still make little comments about how I'm "not a dog person" or "don't get dogs" and she obviously likes me less than other people because of the dog thing. I've come to accept it but I still find it so unreasonable. I was attacked by a dog! I can't help that my instinct is to avoid them, especially their mouths, or that large, muscular dogs make me uneasy. I actually do pretty well given my experience but because I'm not "a dog person" I'm just not a worthwhile person to her. At this point the feeling is mutual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is incorrect. I know a woman who was charged with assault when she put her hand on a child’s arm to calm him down on the playground. I was there. She was not aggressive in the least. She was charged with assault and it was an ordeal for at least a year and cost her greatly with lawyer fees.

You cannot touch a person in public.

An element of both assault and battery is intent. Accidental touching is NEVER assault or battery by definition.

[Anonymous]

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.

This cannot be a serious post. You would rather I sit on the sidewalk and hug my well behaved properly leashed dog than literally step to the side, as I will do, as we pass?

The dog hating insanity has gone off the deep end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

But you have nothing to say about the person threatening to poison random dogs?

Yeah, that line about dropping bacon-wrapped chocolate everywhere ended this thread for me. Poisoning any and all dogs, regardless of their proximity to you?

And we’re going to pretend only bad dog owners are the problem.

It warrants repeating, if you keep your dog away from strangers you have nothing to fear. It’s selfishness of dog owners that makes people want to harm your dog. You are the problem.

Sometimes dogs pass people on sidewalks because both people and dogs are allowed to be there. Sometimes crossing to the other side of the street is not possible or there are people on the other side of the street. Get a grip.

[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.

If you pepper spray my leashed, licensed dog walking in a public space I will be the one calling law enforcement.

[Anonymous]

My mother was a young adult in the 60s and part of the civil rights movement. She and friends were attacked by police dogs.

If an old black woman does NOT want to be around your dog, whether it’s a chihuahua or a bull mastiff, please be respectful.

[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

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.

+1

When in high school, a man was walking a dog on school grounds and it came up and shoved its head between my legs. Gross. People need to control their dogs. I do not want dogs touching me either unless I say it's okay.

NP

[Anonymous]

This thread reminded me to take my dog for a walk on this beautiful day. My dog will be kept on a short leash, but we will NOT be crossing to the other side of the street every time we see a person because they might silently have an extreme phobia of dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is incorrect. I know a woman who was charged with assault when she put her hand on a child’s arm to calm him down on the playground. I was there. She was not aggressive in the least. She was charged with assault and it was an ordeal for at least a year and cost her greatly with lawyer fees.

You cannot touch a person in public.

An element of both assault and battery is intent. Accidental touching is NEVER assault or battery by definition.

PP included the scenario of putting a hand on someone’s shoulder. You cannot touch someone. Allowing a dog to run off leash to greet people is the equivalent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread reminded me to take my dog for a walk on this beautiful day. My dog will be kept on a short leash, but we will NOT be crossing to the other side of the street every time we see a person because they might silently have an extreme phobia of dogs.

Nobody in this thread has remotely suggested that. People have routinely said it’s when they clearly try to avoid dogs.

You don’t have to be defensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

There are so many ahole dog people now. In Loudoun the dog activists are trying to normalize dogs being in all the stores. They are particularly active in Home Goods stores. If you show any discomfort, they will actually follow you and try to start something they can film. Recently one of the dog owners let her dog's leash wrap partially around my leg. If I fall it's going to be a serious issue for them that I won't let go. Something similar happened at the Goodwill too. It seems like they are trying to provoke something with people who don't like the dogs being there.

What is wrong with you if you think your dog has to be in a store? Weirdos!

This happened to me in a clithing store in a nice local mall with a pitbull who was pulling on his leash at everyone walking by.

The guy was in the middle of the store, so you had to walk by them to get out of the store. I was not going to stay in a small crowded store with a pitbull between me and the entrance, so I left, hugging the wall, outside of his leash range. The owner actually had the gall to yell at me as I left.

I have also been in multiple stores, ironically it's uusally Home Goods type stores, where people have their poorly behaved pet "emotional support" dogs inside, pulling on leashes, barking at people, knocking things over, peeing, and in one case pooping on the floor.

Dog owners who bring their dogs into grocery and other retail stores just suck and should not be allowed to own animals.

They are the animal world version of abusing grandma's handicap car tag so you can find quick parking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am always astounded at how many dog haters post here.

That being said, as a dog owner, I do everything I can to avoid other people when out walking. I love dogs but don’t care for random dogs coming up to me, especially when I’m out walking my dog.

It is a result of rude selfish dog owners taking their dogs into stores and restaurants expecting everyone else to be happy about it.

But this thread isn’t about stores and restaurants. OP has an issue with people walking their leashed dogs anywhere in public.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm sorry you are having a difficult time and that some of the people you pass are being unkind.

I'm a dog owner, and I also do not want to be approached by others' dogs - both with my dog and without. Unfortunately it just takes a minute for an interaction to go wrong, and I'm not interested in risking an injury to my dog. I live near a lovely walking trail and while most neighbors follow the rules, there are a few who do not follow leash laws. I actually changed my early morning walk routine to avoid one man who refused to leash his dog after it came at me twice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread reminded me to take my dog for a walk on this beautiful day. My dog will be kept on a short leash, but we will NOT be crossing to the other side of the street every time we see a person because they might silently have an extreme phobia of dogs.

Nobody in this thread has remotely suggested that. People have routinely said it’s when they clearly try to avoid dogs.

You don’t have to be defensive.

OP says she uses “body signals” to show she doesn’t like dogs. What does that even mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

But you have nothing to say about the person threatening to poison random dogs?

Yeah, that line about dropping bacon-wrapped chocolate everywhere ended this thread for me. Poisoning any and all dogs, regardless of their proximity to you?

And we’re going to pretend only bad dog owners are the problem.

It warrants repeating, if you keep your dog away from strangers you have nothing to fear. It’s selfishness of dog owners that makes people want to harm your dog. You are the problem.

Sometimes dogs pass people on sidewalks because both people and dogs are allowed to be there. Sometimes crossing to the other side of the street is not possible or there are people on the other side of the street. Get a grip.

I have a very firm grip. Stop playing dumb and keep your dog away from me.