Please keep your dog away

[Barghest1031]

One time I was walking her at a nearby sports ground.  There was a football game on and lots of people.  No problem.  But then the chihuahua appeared.  The unleashed chihuahua.  The unleashed chihuahua which was running toward my big, powerful, dog-aggressive blue heeler, barking and carrying on like a pork chop.  While its owners (and their three children) watched and laughed about how game their little dog was being, wasn't that cute?

Well, Boof went crazy, snarling and lunging and trying everything to get at this chihuahua and eat it.  It was getting so close that Boof almost managed to get it a couple of times, despite my best efforts.  All with the owners looking on and laughing.  I yelled out to them to get their dog away from mine, and they said...

"What, are you scared of him?"

No.  I'm scared that my dog will eat your nasty little animal and spit out the bones, all in front of your three children.  Idiots.
   

That reminds me of a story one of my close friends told me once about a German Shepard his family had. It stayed in the yard which had one of those invisible fence things to ensure the dog couldn’t leave. This dog loved chasing rabbits that happened to come into the yard though, and apparently he managed to catch a good many of them.

Well, some neighbors had a little poodle that they run around. One day it happened to charge into the yard where my friend’s dog was. Let’s just say the German shepard say a small white thing darting about, thought it was a rabbit, and proceeded to catch said “rabbit.” The poodle had to be put down, and I’m pretty sure those neighbors never let any of their small dogs run rampant again.


But back on topic, I personally haven’t had any bad experiences with dog owners and their dogs. I think the most that happens is the dog tries to bound over to me and the owner finally asks after the dog has succeeded in reaching me if I mind dogs. That would be bad if I were allergic or afraid though. Occasionally one or two dogs have managed to pull away from their owner and come leaping up to me or whomever I'm with. In those cases I can't blame the owners that the dog got close to me, and they have always recovered their pet as quickly as they can. (It's was also a bad idea to let ones small dogs outside in my old apartment complex without keeping a close eye on them, as a hawk had decided to take up residence nearby. It managed to snatch at least one dog that we know of. Yet one more reason the dogs needed to be kept on leashes around there.)

On yet another side note, when I was in middle school, I was sitting outside of our apartment complex’s tennis courts watching some of my friends. A lady was walking her border collie and happened to be walking it through the grass that ran behind me. She had the courtesy to try to keep it away from me, but it started to win the tug of war game. In between telling the dog “no!”, she managed to asked if I minded dogs. I didn’t, so I got to play with the big, fluffy cuteness that is a border collie.

[hobish]

Gosh, I had difficulties trying to find someone to watch my hamster while I went out of town.  I just needed someone to make sure his water bottle didn't leak dry.  You would think I was trying to palm off an elephant.

One person said it was because he was having sewer problems at his house (like the hamster would flush?)

Finally, my best friend took it and shut it in a bedroom where her cat wouldn't get it.

I was going out of town because a close relative was dying.

A hamster? People wouldn't take care of a hamster? Wow.

Maybe your friend thought the hamster was toilet trained? 

My animals are really easy to take care of, which is why we don't have a dog - or a horse, for that matter - as much as i would like to. Luckily i have one friend who is not daunted by the menagerie. I don't know what i am going to do in August, though, when we may both be going to the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

[kingsrings]

I've had to hire a pet sitter to take care of my pets because I can't find anyone to take care of them while I'm gone. It's more about me not trusting people to take good care of them, that is why I hired a professional. I am very attached to my cats and don't want to take any chances, even though the pet sitter is costly.

[dawbs]

A hamster? People wouldn't take care of a hamster? Wow.

I no longer hamster/gerbil/bird sit (minus the macaw I may be grudingly sittingin the near future, but that's another story) because El Gato her supreme highness wants to eat rodents.
The last time I thought all was out of reach she knocked a cage off a (believed inacessable) bookshelf.
Poor hamster (yes, it survived, the crash scared them both into freezing until I got there to rescue.  Bad kitty cat!  )

I"m just afraid if I sit for someone's "pocket pet" there will only be no pet to return to them.

(of course, I have the BEST petsitter one can ask for, so now I can refer these people somewhere...although I need to ask her if she sits hamsters :-)

[Clara Bow]

At least you have a socially acceptable reason. Telling people I don't LIKE animals makes me somehow un-American. @@ No, I don't want to see pictures and telling me about your pets in response to hearing I have children is just mind-boggling. Sheesh!

POD....my Luna is like the first animal I ever had that I really liked and it was totally out of the blue....but I like my cat, not everyone's cat, just mine. I'm just not an animal/kid/fuzzyhuggy person. I like my cat, and my kid (extended to any other kid I'm related to or friendly with their parents who behaves reasonably for their age) and I don't need to have others shoved down my throat. That does not make me the Antichrist...

[Gyro Widget]

"Some people wan to counter how their dog is 'hypoallergenic' or that so-and-so is also very allergic, but never has any problems with THIS dog."

I'm not allergic to dogs but I am deathly allergic to cats.  I've gotten that same response from people when they shove their cat into my face or bring it to my parents home when I lived there (they wouldn't get away with it at my place).  I've even gotten a "oh its just in your head" response. 

With respect to owners not protecting strangers from their pets, sweetie and I were walking through the parking lot of Superstore to get to our car.  All of a sudden he stopped and held me back.  Right in front of us was a car with all windows rolled halfway down with a massive rottweiler sticking his head out.  It was dark out and we only saw him just as we were about to walk next to him.  The dog was able to have his head out right to his shoulders and was looking at us with intent.  Basically, as we were walking through the aisle of cars, the thing could have felt threatened because we were too close to his "territory" and surprise attacked. 

I was so angry as we walked around the car to get into ours.  As we turn on the headlights, a bumper sticker on their car read "If you can read this my rottweiler thinks you're too close".  Gee, thanks for allowing him to have his head out so he could bite the arm off someone as they innocently walked by.  I mean, all windows were rolled down half way in WINTER for crying out loud!

Its a lot like people tying their animal off on a pole right in front of an entrance to a public place.  I was always warned not to approach an animal that was tied down as they behave erratically if threatened (understandably, they are held down in a strange place around possible dangerous people, instinct kicks in then).  But sometimes you have these owners that tie their animal off right where people cannot get around it! 

[kingsrings]

Not only is it dangerous for people to be attacked by a dog tied to a pole, it can also be very dangerous for the dog if another dog comes along and attacks it.

[Lisbeth]

I'd reply, "Sir/Ma'am, regardless of how friendly your dog is, I do not want it jumping on me, sniffing me, or shedding on me or my things.  Please prevent that from happening."

Or I'd use Tabris's response.  I love it.   

[MerryRaven]

This past weekend I was at a hotel that allows pets.  Which is fine.  I have stayed there before with no problems or complaints about the dogs I encountered they were well-behaved and controlled by their owners.

The hotel has a 'continental' breakfast bar. 

I was getting my coffee at the bar when this woman wandered in with her little pug 'purse' dog with his blue ruffle around his neck wandering (unleashed) with her.  The dog immediately started sniffing my ankle and I looked up and gave the woman the icy stare.  She immediately picked up her dog and giggled like it was some joke.

About 5 minutes later, I was sitting drinking coffee and eating a bagel when another woman came in trailing a cocker spaniel.  Again unleashed.  The dog immediately started running all around the breakfast area, came over to me and started sniffing at my leg.

That time I spoke up as the woman was paying no attention and I said, "Please keep your horrible animal away from me." 

She said, "I just need some coffee."  I replied that dog should be leashed and if she didn't get it away from me, I would report it to the management."  She did call the dog to her and leave, but really!

Two times in 5 minutes. 

I like dogs.  I have had dogs.  I never allowed them to bother other people in public places. 

[CrayonOutlines]

That time I spoke up as the woman was paying no attention and I said, "Please keep your horrible animal away from me." 

Why refer to the dog as "horrible?"  I understand your chagrin at the dog being unleashed, but I don't understand the insult.

[MineralDiva]

This is not the first time I've gotten "Oh, he's really friendly,"

This is careless and potentially dangerous!  Retractable leads do not provide the necessary control over an animal in a social situation.  This guy should not allow his dog to bother other people or other animals.  "Oh, he's really friendly," is immaterial.

I would be very tempted to respond with, "He very well may be...but I'M not!  Get him away, NOW!"

[MerryRaven]

Courtney:

Why refer to the dog as "horrible?"  I understand your chagrin at the dog being unleashed, but I don't understand the insult.

Mostly because I am a cranky old bat until I have my morning coffee and it was my second dog encounter in about 5 minutes.  And to me at that moment it was a horrible creature.

The woman should know that her animal may not be appreciated and thought of as "cute" by other people.

Dogs should not ever be running around public eating areas. 

I have been to this same hotel many times and have encountered many dogs all well behaved and on leashes. 

[aloe]

I like dogs and cats (I have a house dog now, my cat died last year).
That said, I find it rude how some people are with their pets when I visit.
I love to pet cats, play with cat toys with them...but I don't like to pick them up.
Though some cats like being picked up, especially by their owners, I've found that at least half of them hate it and would rather be petted on the head.

One of my closest friends has two cute cats.  I like petting them while they're on the floor or on the sofa.  A few times though, she was holding her cat while I was standing next to her, and said, "Here, hold Fluffy.  He loves to be held."  Before I could say anything, she hands me Fluffy, and he wants nothing but to be released, squirming, and I almost got scratched.

Another time, she was sitting next to me and put Fluffy on my lap.  He dug his claws into my legs (not unfriendly, he was trying to brace himself, I think).

I find this very uncomfortable when people are overly pushy with their pets.
I finally told my friend that I don't like to pick up and hold cats, but I love to pet them.

[kingsrings]

The majority of cats don't like to be held by complete strangers. Even my Gracie, being as people-friendly as she is, likes to get to know people a little bit before she is comfortable letting them hold her.

[Ciarrai]

I'm a petsitter as a side job for a little extra money and I love it. But I've heard from some of my clients that they've had problems finding people to pet sit, so I certainly understand why people don't go away if they can't take their animals.

I am on the verge of kicking the next little dog I see that runs up to my big 100 lb Akita and tries to take her on. I do not like small dogs because I've found them to be meaner and more likely to bite than any big dog I've had or taken care of. I will never get a small dog and I no longer take care of small dogs.

My Akita is very very friendly, but I know that some people will be afraid of her because she is quite big. That's fine. I do however take offence to those who tell me that she's horrible when she's with me. She's on a leash and hasn't done anything wrong. If she runs up to you or something that's fine, but don't yell at me to get my dog under control when she's walking beside me sniffing the grass. That's happened to me a few times in the past year, and it really turns my crank.