So I have a new puppy and he’s REEEEEEEALY cute. Obviously, he’s bound to get attention.
But - what on earth is it with people randomly coming up and picking up my dog? Does this not strike anyone else as:
a) kinda rude and presumptious
b) kinda dangerous - he could be a biter (he’s not)
c) a good way to get clobbered by an over protective owner? (No, I haven’t clobbered anyone).
The typical culprit seems to be a woman with 2 inch long finger nails and Very Big Hair[sup]TM[/sup].
On Saturday I had a woman grab him and refuse to give him back even after I asked multiple times. Eventually I had to haul him out of her arms, grabbing her boobs in the process - hey, it was her own damn fault!
Puppy is starting to get a bit demented. I mean, he likes people, but he’s not crazy about complete strangers grabbing him and squishing him and generally refusing to let him breathe.
BAH! Leave my poor puppy alone! And for the love of Pete - ASK before you pet strange dogs! (And DON’T just pick them up!!)
And make sure you tell people not to reach over the puppy’s head from in front to pet him – it makes some dogs anxious and nippy. Tuck under the chin, rub on the shoulder or neck are much better.
This is just plain stupid. I was taught to ALWAYS ask before petting somebody else’s dog. (Cats make it pretty clear whether they want to be petted, but dogs aren’t always so obvious.) I wonder if they’d sue somebody if they messed with their dog and got bit? Animal bites are NOT always the animal’s fault, no matter what some people think!
Can I pet your puppy? I bet he’s adorable! And feel free to pet our boys, especially the golden, he WUVS being petted.
My 3-year-old assumes that every dog she encounters wants to be petted (and, FTR, she has no big hair, no long fingernails, and certainly no boobs:)). But I always restrain her, ask the dog owner first if petting is acceptable, and then honor what the dog-owner says. If they say “No, I’d rather she didn’t pet the dog”, I tell my daughter she can wave to the dog and blow it kisses, but not pet. If she is allowed to pet, I make sure she does so gently.
Hey Alice, you’re very right. And don’t forget, strange people may carry diseases and other stuff from their own pets. Might be a legitimate excuse for telling people off…
The chick who grabbed your little buddy deserves more than a boob-tweak, in my book. Speaking of books, try “The Art of Raising a Puppy” by the Monks of New Skete. Worked wonders on my dog Blue.
I can understand people petting a dog. But you ask before you pick up someone’s pet, period. You are hoisting their companion off the ground, holding them at dangerous heights, making odd cooing noises, and generally being strange. At least you could, you know, ask first.
And then there was the silly cow who picked him up, with out asking, and proceeded to say: “Well, he’s cute, but MY dog is MUCH CUTER!”
WELL THEN GO TORTURE YOUR DOG YOU STUPID BITCH!!
Fortunatly, Voltaire is a very mild mannered dog and he’s not prone to biting. I was talking to my mom and she suggested saying “Get your fucking hands off my dog, NOW!” which seemed like it might work.
FTR, Voltaire is a bichon/shitzu/yorky cross. He’s small and brown and furry. Pictures will be coming soon (my friend has them on her digital camera and hasn’t e-mailed me yet).
I never pick up a strange puppy. I like to just get down to their level and see if they’ll come to me. You are right to fear a possible bite response. Famous last words, snarl “Don’t worry, I have a way with dogs…” or “my dog won’t bite.” I’ve found that any dog will bite if the wrong buttons are pushed.
Even if the puppy doesn’t bite the stranger, peeing all over the stranger is quite possible. That’s bad enough for me.
I would give Voltaire as many dog-treats as he could eat if he would do this. Sadly, he’s doing a little too well with the potty training for it to be a risk.
