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

[Anonymous]

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.

[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 is san insane take and you know it. If three PEOPLE pass on the sidewalk, there's a good chance your arms will brush up against each other even though you have a "right" (a limited right) to not be touched if you don't want to. My dog is not out of control, he simply takes up space and might turn his head. He's not aggressive, he's not trying to jump on you. He just has a body that moves (and he had a stroke so is a little bit clumsy, but fine). Of course, if someone says, "I really don't like dogs," I'll make every effort to step off the sidewalk if I can safely do so. But I'm not doing that for every single person I pass in my urban neighborhood. It's neither safe nor necessary.

[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

I absolutely hate entitled people like you. Keep your dog away from people. What gives you the right to impose your dog on unsuspecting strangers?

[Anonymous]

As usual, dog owners display a tramoundous amount of entitlement and cluelessness. The reasons why someone doesn’t want to interact or be touched by your dog are irrelevant. The default should ALWAYS be to keep your dogs on a tight leash until someone tells you it’s ok for your dog to approach them. Anyone who doesn’t know this should never have a dog.

[Anonymous]

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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.

Where I am the problem isn't unleashed dogs, its the idiot owners who have long leashes or retractable leashes and the dog might as well be off leash. That's what happened to me at the Home Goods. The owner didn't care that the leash was becoming entangled with my legs. I plan to make a scene in the future.

Making a scene would be a good way to make the situation worse so why would you want to do that?

DP. Perhaps making the situation worse is the only way to deter this behavior. Making a huge deal, threatening to sue, yelling at them. Make it really unpleasant for them to deal with the negative fallout of being a bad dog owner. Perhaps the problem is that the rest of us have been too accommodating of bad dog owner behavior, out of fear we will be labeled a dog hater, and we need to reverse that dynamic.

It's wild to me how often dog owners will minimize or even defend really negative situations with dogs. Once I was walking in our neighborhood (spouse, kid who was maybe 6 at the time, me). None of us dislike dogs but DC is fearful of unknown dogs, especially if they are big. A woman's huge dog slipped his leash somehow and came bounding over to us, directly towards DC, who panicked at a dog about the same height bearing down on her (dog looked friendly but a 6 year old who is a bit skittish around new dogs doesn't know the difference, especially when the dog's teeth are eye level). Kid runs into the street to get away from dog. Spouse and I lunge into street to grab kid, I pick kid up (6 years old so not a size that is easy to lift but adrenaline) while spouse managed to get a car to stop. Everyone is breathing hard, freaked out. All three of us came close to being hit by a car. Dog is still bounding around so I can't put the kid down, who is crying.

Now you might think, wow that dog owner must have felt terrible! She must have apologized profusely, immediately leashed her dog, and moved away so everyone could recover. Nope. She didn't even leash the dog and just let it keep jumping and barking and when my spouse turned to her and said "yikes, you might need to invest in a better leash -- that was scary" she snapped back at us "It's not MY problem your kid couldn't handle a dog."

Hmmm. I wonder why there are so many people who hate dogs these days. What could it be? Let's keep thinking on it.

I was walking down a trail in my neighborhood once when this off leash dog bounded up and started barking at everyone. I've been around dogs my whole life and I can tell when a dog is doing a friendly bark versus an aggressive bark. This was an aggressive bark. Dog was giving all kinds of aggression signals.

Another woman walked up with a dog on a leash and her dog actually started snarling back at this dog. The woman with the dog on the leash apologized to me but honestly her dog felt like it was acting to protect the people. The first dog's owner bounded up more than a minute later and did the whole "don't worry, he's friendly". The woman with the on leash dog said "My dog isn't." Her dog never reacted to the people just the harassing off leash dog.

That off leash dog is a ticking time bomb. Before the woman with the on leash dog showed up I was contemplating if the off leash dog was going to attack. The woman who had her dog on a leash never brought it close to anyone. That on leash dog also never gave aggression signals to people.

You want to own a dog, be like the on leash lady.

[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.

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.

[Anonymous]

Move to the burbs. Non issue.

[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.

This is san insane take and you know it. If three PEOPLE pass on the sidewalk, there's a good chance your arms will brush up against each other even though you have a "right" (a limited right) to not be touched if you don't want to. My dog is not out of control, he simply takes up space and might turn his head. He's not aggressive, he's not trying to jump on you. He just has a body that moves (and he had a stroke so is a little bit clumsy, but fine). Of course, if someone says, "I really don't like dogs," I'll make every effort to step off the sidewalk if I can safely do so. But I'm not doing that for every single person I pass in my urban neighborhood. It's neither safe nor necessary.

If you are walking on a sidewalk crowded enough that people cannot pass each other without touching, then you better have your dog on a very, very short leash. I rarely see people actually doing this.

[Anonymous]

The dog people around here are the most inconsiderate a holes in the planet.

[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.

This is san insane take and you know it. If three PEOPLE pass on the sidewalk, there's a good chance your arms will brush up against each other even though you have a "right" (a limited right) to not be touched if you don't want to. My dog is not out of control, he simply takes up space and might turn his head. He's not aggressive, he's not trying to jump on you. He just has a body that moves (and he had a stroke so is a little bit clumsy, but fine). Of course, if someone says, "I really don't like dogs," I'll make every effort to step off the sidewalk if I can safely do so. But I'm not doing that for every single person I pass in my urban neighborhood. It's neither safe nor necessary.

If you are walking on a sidewalk crowded enough that people cannot pass each other without touching, then you better have your dog on a very, very short leash. I rarely see people actually doing this.

That's what I do. He's pulled all the way up to me and I grab my (non-retractable) leash right by his collar. And I keep him focused with treats. But he can still turn his head and might get a little distracted if he can smell a good smell. It's not frequent, but does happen occasionally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Move to the burbs. Non issue.

I live in the burbs and it definitely still is. We have this ine lady whose dog I swear is going to get killed because she "walks" it off leash and it darts in front of cars all the time. She does this in the mornings during school drop off time and I'm genuinely worried my kid and other kids are going to see this dog get killed.

[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.

You should take this position to animal control or court next time a dog you're passing sniffs you. You'll be laughed out of the office/court. Of course animals need to be under control, but your emotional position is extreme. And your beliefs about what the law says pets are allowed and not allowed to do is just objectively wrong.

[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 absolutely hate entitled people like you. Keep your dog away from people. What gives you the right to impose your dog on unsuspecting strangers?

Unintentional things happen in real life and we all need to do our best in public to minimize issues. If you have an extreme paranoia of a domesticated animal that you are highly likely to encounter in public then you may want to do something to control your own anxiety and behave in a way that minimizes negative encounters that are unique to your own personal triggers. I am doing the same for my dog but once again dogs may turn their heads to sniff a passerby without warning because that’s normal and non threatening behavior. If a dog isn’t threatening you then you need to learn how to coexist. Dogs exist. Learn how to deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Move to the burbs. Non issue.

I'm the PP who says my well-behaved, senior dog, who had a stroke might brush up against you on a crowded sidewalk. I now live in the burbs and have to say the problem with off-leash dogs is extreme. I have five or six neighbors who refuse to use leashes. To encourage my one neighbor to put his TWO hunting dogs on a leash, I said, "My dog can be a little unpredictable around other dogs." He responded, "Oh, mine too." Some people are clueless, rude and totally willing to harm people, other animals, and their own dogs for fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The dog people around here are the most inconsiderate a holes in the planet.

Not really. Have you driven through Tysons lately?