NEED TO KNOW
- A woman admits she may “scream” if one more person pets her dog without asking
- She said that she is attempting to train her young pup, but people often approach and touch the canine — even when she asks them not to
- She detailed her story on a community forum, where several dog owners said they commiserated with her situation
A woman admits she may “scream” if one more person pets her dog without asking.
The woman shared her story in the “Am I Being Unreasonable?” forum on the U.K.-based community site Mumsnet, explaining that she owns a “very young and very family-friendly breed.”
“I’m socializing her at the moment and doing first walks. I’ve had her breed before and I know that if not properly trained they are a sodding nightmare (bouncy, bitey and big),” she said.
The issue? The original poster (OP) said that people keep coming up to the pup and petting her without asking — even when the OP “said no.” She also said that people “not only approach her and touch her,” but sometimes even “encourage her to jump up.”
“Dogs are not toys!” the OP said, before asking, “AIBU [am I being unreasonable] to think that if it is clear the owner does not want you touching their dog, then you do not touch the bloody dog?!”
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The vast majority of commenters said that the OP has every right to feel frustrated by the situation — with many saying that they, too, have experienced a similar phenomenon with their own dogs.
“YANBU [you are not being unreasonable]! This f—— happens all the time with me and my pup,” one person said.
“I feel your pain,” added someone else. “It’s the entitlement combined with the sheer stupidity that really blows my mind. They’ll be livid in a few years if your dog lunges and jumps up at them on a walk — because they’ve encouraged her. And [they’ll say it’s] your fault, even if you’ve done everything right.”
A few other commenters, however, said that they personally have never seen this type of behavior from others.
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“Really? I have an utterly adorable [Cavelier King Charles Spaniel] and I’m always asked before anyone touches, literally always,” said one person.
“I’ve always been asked first,” agreed someone else.
One person said that they thought the OP’s training technique may need some work.
“I was with you until you said that even when [people] ask [to pet your dog], your response is ‘no.’ Isn’t socialization all about getting your puppy to be … social? As in, able to tolerate people, other animals, noises etc.? How is she ever going to be socialized if your default mode is ‘No, do not touch!’ ” they said.
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