Leelaa17 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 There is a story on the punch - I put this in general because I want everyone's opinions on the comments, not the actual article. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dog-ownership-laws-a-load-of-total-bullpit/ There is one idiot on there - JB - who seems to think it is a child's right to be able to go up to a strange dog and pat it without fear of getting bitten... is it just me that thinks it is not anyone's right to go up to a strange dog and pat it without asking the owners first???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I voted no, if a random stranger on the street wanted to pat my dog/dogs, they should ask for permission, all mine would be fine with a stranger patting them but that is beside the point. It common courtesy to ask to pat someones dog. Never mind the fact the dog could be aggressive. Also my dogs are just that my dogs not public property. If a person chooses to put thier dog in a situation where random people can pat the dog without asking then thats different. For example my two girls are therapy dogs, so whenever we go into a facility for thier "work" then of course people dont ask to pat them thats what they are there for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadbury Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I think all Children and Adults should always ask before approaching or patting a Strange dog. My Parents must have been very tuned in as I remember being told "That Dog doesn't know you and you don't know the dog so ask" I am 61yo and my children and now my Grandchildren have and are being raised the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teekay Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 This is a difficult one for me to actually vote on. Without a shadow of a doubt everyone should ask before they pet any dog but in reality this is not always going to happen. I am constantly being approached by unsupervised kids wanting to pet my 2. Some ask but a lot do not. It makes me mad but I know my 2 and I know they will be fine. If I had even the slightest doubt about whether they may react aggressively I think my only option would be to muzzle them in public. It is a sad fact but I would be protecting my own dogs by doing this because if they did bite the idiot who approached in the wrong way, it would be my dogs who would have to pay the ultimate price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 There is one idiot on there - JB - who seems to think it is a child's right to be able to go up to a strange dog and pat it without fear of getting bitten... is it just me that thinks it is not anyone's right to go up to a strange dog and pat it without asking the owners first???? I didnt see the comment from JB because I got bored with all the stupid comments after about 20 seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 At the same time people have a right to be out in public without fear of being bitten. You can't control people, the human machine has a mind of its own really so you have to idiot proof your dog. If a child does run up to a dog your holding and gets bitten by your dog, I would still say why did your dog not wear a muzzle if it is that reactive. Society is give and take. There also seems to be this snobbish sentiment on this forum that your dogs are not to be touched by anyone at all. Did we all learn under the same security trainer I had privvy to listen too way back when ... I agree people should always ask first before getting a pat but anti social animals should be marked clearly to prevent an accident, and to show they too can be responsibly socialised out and about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumof4girls Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) I have from an early age taught my children to never go up to a dog and pat it without asking first.. They never do they always ask me if they can approach and ask the owner, sometimes I say yes sometimes I say no, depends on the situation for me occasionally I feel uneasy so I say no and we move on.. Edited February 3, 2012 by mumof4girls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) At the same time people have a right to be out in public without fear of being bitten. You can't control people, the human machine has a mind of its own really so you have to idiot proof your dog. If a child does run up to a dog your holding and gets bitten by your dog, I would still say why did your dog not wear a muzzle if it is that reactive. Society is give and take. There also seems to be this snobbish sentiment on this forum that your dogs are not to be touched by anyone at all. Did we all learn under the same security trainer I had privvy to listen too way back when ... I agree people should always ask first before getting a pat but anti social animals should be marked clearly to prevent an accident, and to show they too can be responsibly socialised out and about. I don't think I've seen anyone on this forum say that their dogs are not to be touched by anyone at all, but I do think it's fair to say that people should ask before they pat your dog. And I don't think there is anything wrong with saying no if it's not a good moment for a stranger to have a pat. I had Daisy at the farmers markets the other day, she is a pretty bomb proof dog and very little ever bothers her. A little girl came up from behind her and grabbed her tail, Daisy didn't seem to notice but I still said something to the little girl about making sure you ask before you pat a dog and that we shouldn't grab dogs by their tails. Her parents just watched on the entire time, I would have been in massive trouble had I grabbed a dog like that when I was little! A more nervous dog could easily have snapped from the fright of having a kid grab their tail like that. Edited February 3, 2012 by huski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I answered "depends on circumstances". If the dog is in the street, it should be able to accept people touching/patting/bumping into it without biting as a response. If the owner is worried that their dog will bite they have an obligation to muzzle it. The dog is very dangerous and the public shouldn't have to tolerate that sort of danger in the streets. If the dog is on private property and a person enters the dog's yard without permission, they should fear being bitten. That's fair enough I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) I don't think I've seen anyone on this forum say that there dogs are not to be touched by anyone at all, but I do think it's fair to say that people should ask before they pat your dog. And I don't think there is anything wrong with saying no if it's not a good moment for a stranger to have a pat. My point was we don't live in a perfect world where everyone who wants a pat will automatically be polite and ask you. So we have to make a little provision for what could happen. You just can't fix stupid sometimes :laugh: I had a bloke kick my malinois once as he walked past ... it was totally random ... I wouldn't of blamed her for reacting but she didn't. It was the Owner who was the aggressive one that day eta I agree with Greytmate Edited February 3, 2012 by Nekhbet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I don't think I've seen anyone on this forum say that there dogs are not to be touched by anyone at all, but I do think it's fair to say that people should ask before they pat your dog. And I don't think there is anything wrong with saying no if it's not a good moment for a stranger to have a pat. My point was we don't live in a perfect world where everyone who wants a pat will automatically be polite and ask you. So we have to make a little provision for what could happen. You just can't fix stupid sometimes :laugh: I had a bloke kick my malinois once as he walked past ... it was totally random ... I wouldn't of blamed her for reacting but she didn't. It was the Owner who was the aggressive one that day That's why I said it's fair to say people should ask before they pat your dog - of course this won't always happen and there will be idiots out there who do stupid things. In the nine years I've had Micha, I don't think we've ever left the house on an outing without being stopped by someone wanting to pat or talk to him, which he loves. I find most people are sensible enough, though there's always the odd idiot who makes you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Sorry nek, why should we expect our dogs not to react and be perfect, when we can't expect the same from people? There are plenty of dogs who are happy to accept pats from stranger, but can still jump and react (even if it is an air snap that accidentally get the idiot) if someone runs up and jumps the dog before they realised they have been approached. Dogs should be allowed to be dogs, not unreactive robots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lavendergirl Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thats a great support for the soldier serving overseas to surrender his dog while he is gone . I worry more about taking my little dog out now then I did when I took the kids out when they were little - always on the lookout for any random stray dogs or feral kids :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I had an instance with a little girl running up to my youngest who was on lead, I only had him at the time and not the others. We got out of the car at a big market, people, stalls, music, noises everywhere, and out of the blue this little girl comes running and I mean running screaming at the top of her voice puppy puppy puppy, this would be enough to freak any dog out, I got down to the kid/dog level to intervene as she was about to throw herself over the dog and smother him with kisses which I knew he wouldn't like, (any of the others but not the youngest) she was full on. her father who was horrified ran over to us and screamed at the lttle girl to stop her, then he explained about not touching strange dogs and actually frightened her (frightened me too) but it done the trick, don't think she will be rushing up to strange dogs anymore without asking first. Bronson was a bit taken a back and just tried to back out of the situation and he did have a little grumble under his breath at the time which I don't blame him for as from his point of view it would have been scary. The little girl did get a pat after then asking me nicley could she pat the puppy. :laugh: Anyway my point being at least there is still some people trying to teach kids values about doing the right thing with strange dogs. Also no matter where you go out in public you need to be on guard as you just never know what's around the next corner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Sorry nek, why should we expect our dogs not to react and be perfect, when we can't expect the same from people? There are plenty of dogs who are happy to accept pats from stranger, but can still jump and react (even if it is an air snap that accidentally get the idiot) if someone runs up and jumps the dog before they realised they have been approached.Dogs should be allowed to be dogs, not unreactive robot My point was about harm prevention. If you know you have a reactive dog, make allowances for it (muzzle if it's a snapper, 'leave me alone' shirt etc) because the dog and owner will have more enjoyment from being out and about as well, especially if people actively see it is a dog that doesnt want random touching. We can't stop all people, but at the same time if you knowingly have a sore, sick, reactive or frightened dog it's your responsibility to ensure it's own safety and other people's as well. I'm saying it works both ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) Sorry nek, why should we expect our dogs not to react and be perfect, when we can't expect the same from people? There are plenty of dogs who are happy to accept pats from stranger, but can still jump and react (even if it is an air snap that accidentally get the idiot) if someone runs up and jumps the dog before they realised they have been approached.Dogs should be allowed to be dogs, not unreactive robot My point was about harm prevention. If you know you have a reactive dog, make allowances for it (muzzle if it's a snapper, 'leave me alone' shirt etc) because the dog and owner will have more enjoyment from being out and about as well, especially if people actively see it is a dog that doesnt want random touching. We can't stop all people, but at the same time if you knowingly have a sore, sick, reactive or frightened dog it's your responsibility to ensure it's own safety and other people's as well. I'm saying it works both ways. I actually quite like walking a dog with a muzzle on. I get a nice wide birth from all the crazies in the area- and its something I am considering doing even with my bomb proof dog, as I don't want her broken by some moron. I don't particularly care about people who are silly enough to approach strange dogs- they deserve what they get. BUT i will protect my dog from them which usually means me reacting far more aggressively toward one than my dog will, and using visual deterrents so I can enjoy my walk in peace. I don't actually think I have ever had anyone actually make it to my dog now that I think about it. Body blocking, using my body to give stop signals all have worked for me, and I walk around a school even when the kids are out. It does mean that I have to be quite vigilant unless I have some visual warning to them that my dog is not a toy. ETA- I answered no but that won't stop people from doing it anyway. I probably should have said Depends on circumstance, as I expect to be able to pat a Delta dog wearing its Delta bandanna without being bitten..... Edited February 3, 2012 by Jumabaar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Sorry nek, why should we expect our dogs not to react and be perfect, when we can't expect the same from people? There are plenty of dogs who are happy to accept pats from stranger, but can still jump and react (even if it is an air snap that accidentally get the idiot) if someone runs up and jumps the dog before they realised they have been approached. Dogs should be allowed to be dogs, not unreactive robots. We can expect the same from people. If somebody surprises you by touching you lightly on the back or head in the street, or accidentally bumps into you, and you retaliate and injure that person, you can be charged with assault. While it might give you a big fright, and we would expect you to have a startle response, it is not acceptable for you to retaliate with violence. We don't tolerate people reacting in extreme or harmful ways to minor annoyances, and we shouldn't tolerate it in dogs either. Dogs should be allowed to be dogs, and you should muzzle your dog if it is aggressively reactive to people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I think all Children and Adults should always ask before approaching or patting a Strange dog. My Parents must have been very tuned in as I remember being told "That Dog doesn't know you and you don't know the dog so ask" How we were brought up too however there seems a total disconnect with many people and animals in general these days and there also seems to be an all about me attitude by many. They care nothing for you or your dog just what they (or their children)want. I am to the point I will tell people not to pat my dogs, to control their children - sick of them running screaming up to my dogs and slapping them or hitting them with whatever they have in their hand and then running off still screaming. Have similar situations at cat shows where you have to be watching like a hawk as people seem to think it OK to open a cage and pull a cat around because they want to see??? or demanding you do what they want. I am clearly getting old and grumpy because I see no reason at all why my rights in regard to my property (ie: my animals as that is how they are viewed by the law) should be trampled on because of what other people and their children want. I don't have a petting zoo I have animals that are part of my family whose needs & welfare I will put before strangers' wants. If they want a dog/cat get one or be polite and ask the owner (in a pleasant tone) if you can interact with their animals. I also refuse to put my animals welfare at risk because if these idiots get hurt I and my animals will be the ones held responsible. Should add that I am very happy to spend time with pleasant people who genuinely seem interested in my animals and treat them (and me) with respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) Personally I'd like to see us return to a world where if you did something stupid then you accepted the consequences. Can't ever see it happening of course. All we have now is "it wasn't my fault" society and there is always someone or something to blame. Edited February 3, 2012 by Crisovar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Personally I'd like to see us return to a world where if you did something stupid then you accepted the consequences. Can't ever see it happening of course. All we have now is "it wasn't my fault" society and there is always someone or something to blame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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