This is about as mundane and pointless a topic as ever there was, but I’m just curious. Yesterday I was in a clothing store. A guy was in there with his dog (looked like a pit bull) on a cute pink leash. He was talking avidly to a girl, and the dog was looking at me, well, with those puppy dog eyes, so I leaned down and pet her. She seemed to like it… and then her owner turned around and said, in this very irritated, offended voice, “Please ASK before petting my dog!” Apparently she had had a fight earlier that day or some such thing and he was concerned that she might bite. The irony of it was, of course I stopped petting her instantly when he said this, so she got up and walked over to me and head-butted my hand to be pet more. No intentions of biting me whatsoever.
My question is: do you always ask before petting someone’s dog? Should a person who is so touchy about his dog being petted be bringing this dog into a crowded clothing store? Did I commit a social faux pas by just reaching down and patting this dog?
Believe me, in spite of appearances, I’m not obsessing about this. However, I do want to know for future reference, since I generally like to pet dogs when I see them around and I’ve never had this happen before.
Yes, you should always ask before oreach out to pet someone’s dog. And parents should teach their children this as well. Many otherwise nice dogs find it threatening to have a strange hand come at them. Dogs who feel threatened might bite.
I think the man’s irritation was likely due to the fact that had his dog been startled and snapped, you ( in the generic sense) might have threatened to sue him or have his dog confiscated or whatnnot. It happens.
So us dog owners, even those of us with very well-behaved, leashed pets, get a bit nervous when strangers reach out a hand without first asking. It’s just not a smart thing to do and one day you might reach for the wrong dog.
Incidentally, my neighbor’s dog tried to crush my wrist just last night when I tried to rescue him from another dog. I know better, and yet I was bitten.
Yeah? A lot of pet owners must be pissed at me then, because I usually pet cute wittle aminals. (Err, sorry, the baby talk comes out when I’m dealing with adorable wittle pups.) When I still had a dog, strangers would pet him all the time when I was taking a walk. I never minded.
And NEVER pet a service dog (guide dog for the blind, wheelchair assist, etc.) when it is working, which generally means whenever he’s out in public where you can see him. He’s got a job to do, and petting is a distraction. His owner needs his full attention.
I have never owned a dog, so I have a few questions now: could any dog be a biter? I thought that most dogs didn’t generally bite without provocation, hence their designation as good pets. And, if you think your dog is a biter, why would you bring her into a clothing store and then proceed to ignore her while you nattered on at length? I mean, he was really snippy with me, as if there was some unwritten rule about dog petting that I didn’t follow.
Yes, I did make an assumption about this dog’s friendliness, based on where she was and, yes, I admit it, they way she was looking at me. She was sort of avid-looking and did a little tail thump, so I thought that was a green light. I was right… but I will ask from now on I guess.
MeanOldLady, just because you don’t mind doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Your dog might mind greatly. It’s best to introduce strangers to your dog carefully, rather than let them come at him. And you just don’t know what a strange dog might do, no matter what a cute widdle guy he is.
It’s great fun to pet other people’s dogs, and we’ve had some great conversations with their owners. Just ask first!
You can’t know just from looking at a strange dog what it’s temperament might be like. You risk significant personal injury if the dog is fearful of strangers and does bite. Aside from that, the dog is not your property.
In a similar situation, (outside my house, with the dogs leashed) pretty much anyone can pet my dogs - provided they ask, so I can put the dogs in a sit and supervise.
All that said, someone who’s concerned that their dog may bite should be watching things a lot more closely.
Always, always ask first. You don’t know that dog, you don’t know if it just came from the vet, or is a biter, a jumper, a what-have-you. I personally would love to be able to pet every dog I see and hold every cat, but there is always the chance that this dog or that cat may be the one that likes human fingers. Plus, you are invading the pet owners space, so it is polite to ask.
You can’t know what’s going on with a strange dog, the owner might and might know what the dog can and cannot take. Asking significantly lowers the potential for disaster for everyone involved.
I have a “cute wittle dog”, a Yorkshire Terrier that’s simply adorable. I’m amazed at the number of people that will automatically reach out to pet him without even a word to me.
I always thank the people that ask first. It’s common courtesy and it may save you from being bitten by a strange dog.
For those of you who think it’s OK, if you’re ever bitten petting someone’s dog without permission, I hope you have the decency to not expect the dog owner to pay for your medical treatment.
Yes, you should always ask before you pet someones dog. Our cute little poodle Max will bite. I wouldn’t let a kid pet Max, and if you are an adult I would let you know what he might do if you did. Looks can be decieving. Does this look like dog that would bite?
Now he will mind his own business. He’s not going to be walking on a leash and then come up to you and bite, but if you bent down to pet him while we were walking the first thing your going to get is a warning growl, then it’s Max turned aka Napalm and you better watch out.
I have to agree with those who said that you should ALWAYS ask. Dogs can be unpredictable- even a “good” dog will do things that are unexpected.
I used to like to pet dogs whenever I encountered one. I was taught to ask first, and I always have. I don’t even ask anymore.
One evening last summer, d_redguy and I were taking a walk around our neighborhood. We came across a guy walking two cute little dogs. One was a Cock-a-Poo (Cocker Spaniel mixed with Poodle). I had a Cock-a-Poo as a kid, so I asked if I could pet it. The guy was all like “Sure! Go ahead.” The little f*cker bit my calf before I even reached down. I didn’t think the skin was broken or anything, so we kept walking. About a block later, I looked down to find that I was bleeding from a nasty incisor puncture. We never did see the guy again. Luckily, it didn’t get infected or anything, but I still have a scar.
So, even owners can’t always predict what their dogs will do. A stranger definitely can’t know. ALWAYS ASK!
First off, it’s common courtesy.
Second, there may be a reason other than biting.
My dogs are uberfriendly. you give them an inch and they will take 12 miles.
I prefer people to ask me if they can be petted so that I can monitor the dogs and give them a stern NO when they start that ol’ “oh boy, I am soooooooo excited, I want to lick you! I want to jump in your lap” routine they are famous for.
Always ask before you pet a dog. Your friendly hand might be misinterpreted as a threat. Even worse is to feed any dog,
particularly a working or guide dog, without asking the owner’s permission.
Apart from the risk of injury to you I would like you to ask me before you start doing anything with my dog - I don’t know you after all, you don’t look like you’d bite but…
Sadly, yes. If the animal is on leash and no other strangers or people are petting it, always ask first. Certain breeds like Chows and Dalmatians are snippy at best and should always be neared with caution. The best policy is to approach all dogs as if they are “working” animals.
Without wishing to be pedantic, never pet a seeing eye dog or other “assistant” animal in the course of it’s regular public duties. If it has its work harness off and is engaged in obvious play or reward, yes, it is probably all right. Otherwise it can represent a dangerous distraction for the animal to be diverted from its task.
That said, if an animal approaches you in a friendly fashion, go ahead and pet it if you feel safe. I love animals and enjoy reinforcing their perception that humans are loving and kind to them. I like the fact that the pit bull came after you for more strokes, that was the icing on the cake in your story.
No Rubystreak, you did not. The dog’s master committed the faux pas by bringing his dog into a clothing store.
When I meet a strange dog and want to pet it, I proffer my hand first at a small distance. If the dog then accepts, sniffs my hand, and reacts in a pleasant manner… I feel safe in petting the dog.
Oh, ye gods yes, ask before you pet. The first thing you learn in my line of work is that the day you trust an animal, especially one you don’t know, is the day you get nailed. Every dog is a potential biter, every single one. They’re also all potential lickers, jumpers, clawers, and leg-pissers.
My dogs are incredibly sweet, and they love people and attention. However, Claudia is a rescue dog, and she’s still a little skittish sometimes about people coming at her, especially when she’s on-leash and can’t escape. Dolly doesn’t have those sorts of issues, but she will try to climb you like a tree at the slightest friendly overture and thus needs supervision and a very short leash when being petted while out in public.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people just reach out to strange animals. Were my parents the last people on Earth to tell their children, “One of these days you’re gonna put that hand out to a strange dog and pull back a bloody stump, and it’ll serve you right”?
Oh, and when you do pet a strange dog, and it gets all excited and starts jumping, and the owner corrects it, do NOT say, “Oh, it’s all right.” Jumping on people is clearly something the owner is trying to train the dog out of, and it’s not all right. That’s why the dog’s being corrected.
Christ, I had no idea people were bothered by this so much. I never minded and neither did my dog. We actually got him as a watchdog originally, but then he kept wagging his tail at and licking strangers. Some watchdog. Anywho, whenever I’d run into a seemingly friendly pooch, not that psycho looking Cujo-poodle posted by AshKicker, I’d make small talk with the owner then start playing with the pet. No one has ever minded. Err, either that or the smiles and friendly conversation were all phony. I’m guessing y’all are in the minority. In any case, I suppose I’ll think twice before petting a stranger’s pet. Never did before because no one ever seemed to mind. They seemed welcoming of the attention, actually, but whatever. Looks like there are people out there who feel differently. Eh.
