Does this make you guys mad too?

[Peepa]

You know what pisses me off? If a dog bites someone, regardless of how it happened and if it was serious enough, the dog could be taken away and God forbid, put down. Let me explain... so my husband and I were at Petsmart last weekend and this girl wanted to pet our furrball so we told her that she''s nervous and that wasn''t a good idea and to just let our dog sniff her. She does that and sooner than later proceeds to pet her and of course our baby doesn''t like it so she flinches and the girl does it again and same thing happens. Now the mom is just watching this, knowing we said NOT to pet. And doesn''t do a thing, not a single thing! And you know what would have happened if her daugher did get bit? She probably would say it was our fault. So my husband had to be firm and tell her, "hey she doesn''t like that; You should stop." Some parents really need to advise their child of how to approach an animal and if the owners say no, it means no.
How do you guys handle these kinds of situations?
Oh, and yes she had a leash on.

 

[Fancy605]

Well, it depends on the state really as far as whether anything could have happened had your dog bitten that girl. To me though, you could have made a case that you used reasonable care in insuring that she didn''t pet the dog.

Really, I think you made the right call telling the kid to scram. If the owners say, "hey, it''s not a good idea to pet my dog," well then it''s not a good idea. If I were that kid''s mother, I would have been horribly embarrassed if she had proceeded regardless of your warning. What was she thinking just standing there like that? What an awkward situation for you to have to be in.

 

[Peepa]

hi Fancy605,
It''s weird because it happens to us all the time.
There''s always someone who wants to pet her and I think because she''s small, she looks harmless. And she is but we know what she likes and she just doesn''t like to be petted unless she''s had plenty of time to sniff the person.
It''s getting to the point where we''re really starting to lose our patience and will just have to be rude.

 

[sunnyd]

I never understood people who walk by a dog and just pet it. Without a second thought. The owner could not even be looking and they would just pet away because they think that every dog shouldn''t have a problem with being touched by strangers. I have a problem being touched by strangers, why shouldn''t my dog?!

Really, what was mom thinking? Oy.

 

[diamondfan]

Peepa, no offense intended as I am a animal lover and have a large dog, but if you have any doubts you need to get one of those things for your dog, not a muzzle but I forget what it is called...this way, if she is skittish and a noise scares her or she gets spooked, she will not accidentally nip at someone.I understand the laws, because I do not want to get bitten if I am minding my business, and I know she did pet her, but I know a lady who had her dog in a store, the dog was a nipper on occasion, and the lady next to her dropped her car keys, bent down to get them and this woman's dog sunk her teeth in the lady's hand. The woman who dropped her keys should not have had to be worried about that. She was not petting it. But she was close enough for the dog to get her. I always tell my kids not to pet any dog without asking the owner and to never make sudden moves or raise their hand, they must always put their palms out to a dog to sniff. So, I guess I would say if you have a dog who is very sensitive to stuff, yet you want to socialize her and take her out, you have to take the proper precautions. You have to know if you take a cute dog out people will want to touch her.

 

[VegasAngel]

As soon as the person even looks like they want to try & pet your dog tell them he/she will bite (Even if it wont). I know people loves animal but not all animals love strange people. I dont even let my daughter go near strange dogs, she is allowed to look then say hi & bye. I dont care to pet random animals as it is.

 

[Peepa]

Hi diamondfan,
No, she would never just bite just because someone got close. That''s actually kind of funny that you say that. I''m talking about someone coming over to pet her before letting her sniff.
When the girl held out her hands for them to be smelled, our doggie licked her fingers. She''s NOT dangerous.
Petrie was actually running away from her on leash. The girl kept trying to touch her.
That was really annoying.

 

[Keepingthefaith21]

Oy! I know the type of people you are talking about (both children with irresponsive parents and adults who just don''t listen). We have a cocker spaniel and he’s very cute looking and loves to wag his tail nub so people just assume he’s “happy” to see them. What my SO and I know is that while he can be adorable, the wagging tail often times means high anxiety and the moment he feels the least bit threatened he WILL bite. When we have guests over the house we often times have to keep our eyes on new guests because they insist it is okay to try and pet the dog even after we’ve warned them several times not to and shown off some of our battle wounds from the dog turning on US!

I recently had a situation at the Vets office where a child was tormenting my kitten. This kid kept sticking his hands in the carrier despite my several requests for him to stop. The kitten was a rescue and was terrified enough. After I repeatedly asked the kid to stop poking the kitten he proceeded to SCREAM at him. The entire time this was happening his mother did NOTHING. I was getting so upset one of the techs had to come around and let me into the exam room before they were ready for me because it was obvious my patience was worn.

People really need to learn to show animals respect and to listen to their owners. We know our animals the best, afterall.

 

[diamondfan]

I think a kid needs to listen to their mom. I always warn my kids because one never knows. I think my Maya is the nicest dog, but she is still an animal and something could freak her, so though I am 99.9% confident in her, I would always hope someone coming up to us would ask and approach gently. I mean, my youngest is very loving to her and climbs on her when she is at home, but a stranger getting in her face she might get upset about.

Did the mom say anything to the kid? I would have reminded her not to touch unless she had permission.

 

[ljmorgan]

When the girl asked if she could pet your dog, you should have told her "no, she can bite." With lawsuits today, you definitely don''t want to risk it. Also, no one knows their dog 100% -- any dog, no matter how well behaved, no matter how much you could never imagine they''d hurt a fly, can become distressed and bite someone. But if your dog is skittish and you know that, you need to flat out refuse someone''s request, not just say "that''s not a good idea..."

I have two chihuahuas, one who is friendly and one who is not. When people ask to pet or hold Elizabeth when we''re out and about, I firmly say "no." When they''re in our home and the dog can check the person out, no problem. If she bit someone it WOULD be my fault because I know she has a tendency to flip out if a stranger tries to pet or grab her.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

This happens to us all the time--we have a Newfoundland and kids absolutely love to run up to him and hug him. Or try to climb up on his back (seriously, so weird) to "ride" him--which of course turns me into the bad guy when I say "Please don't ride my dog, it's bad for his back and his joints". Now, our dog just so happens to be a certified therapy dog and he absolutely loves kids and could get poked in the eyes/ears/nose all day long and never raise an eyebrow, but the parents don't know that. You'd think that most parents would not want their children running up to and then climbing on a 150lb. strange dog, but I guess they are more trusting than I would be.

I know that in our case, Byron reacts to the energy level of the person who is interacting with him. If the person is very fearful and timid, he stiffens up a bit and keeps his tail up without wagging it as though he's trying to figure the person out. If the person is really exciteable, Byron is much more animated and starts panting and wagging his tail--you can tell he's excited. When I approach a dog and can tell he's anxious/fearful/unsure of himself, I know that I need to back off and not provoke him in any way. I tend to think that the smaller the dog, the less seriously people take the "back off" signs, or they don't know how to read them at all.

Even as an adult I don't run up to dogs and stick my hands on them without letting them sniff me first and guaging their comfort level--you never know how socialized the dog is and how he might react.

 

[Sabine]

This drives me crazy too! My dog is very skiddish of anything she is not used to, including all people, noises, etc. She has never growled at or snapped at a person, but when they try to pet her, she tries to run away and starts shaking. I tell our neighborhood kids not to try to pet her, but sometimes they insist. She''s usually okay if I bend down and pet her while the kids do, but she is always more than happy to run away.

What REALLY drives me crazy though is the other pet walkers. When their dogs get all excited to see her, they stop walking and wait for us to catch up to them or even turn around to come see her. I tell them, she is afraid of other animals, she''s not friendly, but they often tell me, Oh, my dog just wants to say hi. My dog has growled at and snapped at dogs that have jumped on her. Although most of the time she will sniff noses and then run away, if other strange dogs do try to sniff her butt and she can''t run away (scary people in the way, or the dog follows her to the end of the leash), she growls and then snaps. You''d think another pet owner would understand that "My dog is scared" means it''s not good to push the situation, but they stand in our way!

 

[CaptAubrey]

As a lawyer, pet owner, father of three young kids, I can tell you there is really only one option: You''ve got to proactive about separating your dog from the situation any time you think there is a risk of biting, even if it means being rude.

"Better rude than sued" how you have to look at it. The law presumes you know whether your dog has a propensity for biting, and it''s your responsibility to keep it under control.

 

[FrekeChild]

My dog (Pembroke Welsh Corgi) is 14.5 and doesn''t look it at all. Plus he''s small and stocky and very cute and cuddly looking. I have nieces and nephews that are toddler to fifteen years old and they play with him all the time. However, he is VERY expressive. If he''s tired of it, he''ll get up and walk away, and keep walking if they try to follow him. If they keep following him, he turns around and barks at them to leave him alone. To my knowledge, he has never bitten anyone-except for me when I''d basically have to stick my hand in his mouth when grabbing a ball or trying to get something out of his mouth that he''s trying to eat and shouldn''t be. But that was never on purpose.

My ex had a Rottweiler that was a stray, they found him when he was emaciated at about 80 pounds. Once they started feeding him, and he got up to normal weight, he was 150 pounds. This dog was the biggest stuffed animal you had ever seen-like NEL''s Newfoundland. You could touch him anywhere, poke him, prod him, whatever and he wouldn''t blink. However, he looked scary as heck. So people would back off. He had the tendency of coming up to new people and leaning against them with most of his weight because he wanted to be pet-but people would freak out because he''s so huge. He never bit anyone.

Both of them would, 99.9% of the time, not bite anyone for any reason-one would give warning signs if he was being pushed too much and the other would lean on you until he pushed you over or until you started petting him. They are my two favorite dogs ever, but I STILL wouldn''t advise anyone to pet them if they didn''t try to get to know the dog first.

Just a sidenote- Judge (the Corgi) will roll on his back and ask to be rubbed or scratched on his stomach if he likes you. If he really likes you, he''ll sneak up from behind and start licking your ears and face if he can get at them. Or your feet. He''s kind of weird and the feet thing is pretty gross, but I love him.

I''d tell everyone to BACK OFF. She gets scared easily, and it''s only a reflex and a defense mechanism. Not her fault.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 4/4/2008 5:45:10 PM
Author: CaptAubrey
As a lawyer, pet owner, father of three young kids, I can tell you there is really only one option: You''ve got to proactive about separating your dog from the situation any time you think there is a risk of biting, even if it means being rude.


''Better rude than sued'' how you have to look at it. The law presumes you know whether your dog has a propensity for biting, and it''s your responsibility to keep it under control.

I agree! If a dog bites my child.....I would want the dog put down. Bottom line. It''s NOT okay. DH was bit in the face when we was a baby. Did he provoke the dog, unlikely seeing how he was an infant. It was his family''s dog and they got rid of it. Fortunately everyone just thinks it''s a dimple but it came VERY close to his eye

If your dog has ANY chance of biting it should not be in Petsmart

 

[Peepa]

Hi Tacori E-ring,
That''s too bad that your DH was bit. I''m not sure if you understand what happened. Our dog doesn''t bite and plus she was on leash. Let''s not blow this out of proportion and say she shouldn''t belong somewhere. We clearly told the girl not to pet, only to let our dog sniff her and she didn''t listen and her mom didn''t stop her. The both of them stopped us as we were walking in, not the other way around. If anything our dog was on the defensive. And she''s been around babies; She''s an angel.

I was only venting; Nobody got hurt.

 

[Peepa]

Maybe I''m veering off topic a bit but I once read this story about how this dog bit a child and after the vet had put him down, found blood in one ear and found pieces of a pencil in it. After a bit of prodding, turns out the kid jabbed a pencil repeatedly into the dog''s ear and that''s why he bit. I just think that some situations can be avoided by knowing a bit of let''s say, "dog etiquette" such as not running up to an unknown dog, not petting if not given permission, etc. I want babies someday too and I''d be flaming pissed if they got bit AND (instead of saying but) I have a responsibility to teach them about how to be around animals too so I think it goes both ways.

 

[Octavia]

I don''t understand people of any age petting strange dogs without permission. Especially kids. If/when I''m a parent, I will have a fit if my kid goes against what I will teach him/her about other people''s pets, which is that you 1) ask the owner''s permission, 2) hold out a hand a little way from the dog so it can sniff if it wants, and 3) if the dog ignores/doesn''t seem happy, thank the owner and leave or if the dog is happy, pet very gently and cautiously. This is the way I was taught, and it worked fine. Even now, as much as I love small, terrier-breed dogs, I generally make appreciative "aww" noises when I see one, and if the owner invites me to pet, follow the rules. If the owner doesn''t invite petting, I assume that either the dog doesn''t like petting or the owner doesn''t want me to for whatever reason. My parents'' dog is so sweet and gentle, but because he''s small kids don''t have any fear of him, and he''s never lived around small children so he has no patience with them. I highly, highly doubt he''d bite unless he was physically hurt by someone he didn''t know, but just because he''s small doesn''t automatically mean he''s harmless. It just blows my mind when people assume that all dogs are friendly.

 

[Deelight]

I would get your dog a halti it looks like a muzzle but isn''t but it gives you fantastic control over your pet should anything ever go astray, most people will avoid your dog as they think it is dangerous.

In the case of what happened with the pup and the child I would be really firm and loud and say I have told you my dog does not like being petted I think you should go back to you mother if that does not work talk directly to the mother and see how that goes, all things failed I would pick my dog up and leave I would rather not have my dog in an uncomfortable position.

 

[Miranda]

It is maddening that so many parents are not in control of their children, but, I have to agree with what a few others have said. It is the pet owners responsibility, ultimately, to be sure that their dog does not bite. If that means the dog needs to be muzzled, so be it. If that means telling the mother to get her kids away, so be it. I''m not sure if this is applicable or not, but, a dog (small or large) with a propensity for biting and/or aggression shouldn''t be in a public place.

I know Peepa was at a pet store where its okay to bring pets, but, I cannot count the number of times I have been shopping at the mall or in Target etc. and walked past an aggressive, growly, small dog. I''m not sure why so many people think it is just fine to bring little dogs everywhere. I can''t imagine anyone would like me to bring my 120 lb. dog in a stroller to the mall. Though, I must admit, I have thought of doing it. AND I know he''s much better behaved than these dogs I''ve seen. Sorry for my little rant - it''s just a double standard that I do not understand. It was not directed at you Peepa.

 

[VegasAngel]

Mirada, dogs in public places not pet related is a whole other topic that I totally agree with you on & could go on forever about, lol

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 4/4/2008 9:09:41 PM
Author: VegasAngel
Mirada, dogs in public places not pet related is a whole other topic that I totally agree with you on & could go on forever about, lol

arggg....I agree. I mean some people have severe allergies. I remember being in DSW (of all places) and this woman had her dog. The SA was actually nice enough to let her have it but kept telling her the dog could NOT go on the floor. The woman got such an attitude about it.

 

[Fancy605]

Date: 4/4/2008 5:02:41 PM
Author: Keepingthefaith21

I recently had a situation at the Vets office where a child was tormenting my kitten. This kid kept sticking his hands in the carrier despite my several requests for him to stop. The kitten was a rescue and was terrified enough. After I repeatedly asked the kid to stop poking the kitten he proceeded to SCREAM at him. The entire time this was happening his mother did NOTHING. I was getting so upset one of the techs had to come around and let me into the exam room before they were ready for me because it was obvious my patience was worn.

That is absolutely ridiculous. Parents who won''t control their kids is one of the most irritating things in the world. "Grow a backbone. Tell your kid no," is what I want to say to these people.

Honestly, if I were in your situation, I would not be so kind as to "ask repeatedly." I would probably ask politely once, then TELL very firmly, then say something to the effect of, "Excuse me, but could you please remove your child from my personal space" to the parent.

Every animal has the potential to be unpredictable. I mean, even the gentlest dog in the world will bite if the circumstances are just so. People should know not to approach strange dogs no matter how sweet looking ESPECIALLY if the owner nay-says it. It''s just common sense.

 

[movie zombie]

why deal with the child when the parent is standing there?! i''m rather blunt and forward i guess but i''d tell the kid no, don''t touch my dog. i wouldn''t even offer the possibility of sniffing first. if the kid persisted, i''d be loud to the parent with a CONTROL YOUR KID ALREADY WILL YOU?

ok, i''ve had it with parents thinking the world will revolve around their child.......i saw this happen a year ago at an outdoor art/wine festival. the owner was clear about leaving the dog alone but the kid had to push it anyway and was snapping his hand around the dog''s head....the parents didn''t see the dog snap at the kid but i did and so did the dog''s owner.

don''t be so nice and think you have to let someone admire your furball: it could cost you the life of your furball.

movie zombie

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 4/4/2008 3:50:39 PM
Author:Peepa
You know what pisses me off? If a dog bites someone, regardless of how it happened and if it was serious enough, the dog could be taken away and God forbid, put down. Let me explain... so my husband and I were at Petsmart last weekend and this girl wanted to pet our furrball so we told her that she's nervous and that wasn't a good idea and to just let our dog sniff her. She does that and sooner than later proceeds to pet her and of course our baby doesn't like it so she flinches and the girl does it again and same thing happens. Now the mom is just watching this, knowing we said NOT to pet. And doesn't do a thing, not a single thing! And you know what would have happened if her daugher did get bit? She probably would say it was our fault. So my husband had to be firm and tell her, 'hey she doesn't like that; You should stop.' Some parents really need to advise their child of how to approach an animal and if the owners say no, it means no.
How do you guys handle these kinds of situations?
Oh, and yes she had a leash on.

I might piss some people off but in that situation if someone got bit it is your fault.
It is your job too both protect your dog and protect others from your dog.
Get rude if you have too it is your job and DUTY!!!
You had 2 options, make her stop, remove your dog from the situation.
Mine tiger in general loves people and would play all day with anyone when he was younger but no one approached him but those that I knew and trusted! That was my DUTY!
More than once I pulled him up close and stood between him and little rats like the one you ran into and more than a few adults.
Even if he wouldn't mind it at all they were not getting close to him!
Other times when I knew the kids and parents and how they would treat him I gave him a long leash too play as much as he wanted too while I watched.

 

[Kaleigh]

I would have talked to the parents as they were standing there.

 

[Miranda]

Date: 4/4/2008 9:27:30 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring

Date: 4/4/2008 9:09:41 PM
Author: VegasAngel
Mirada, dogs in public places not pet related is a whole other topic that I totally agree with you on & could go on forever about, lol

arggg....I agree. I mean some people have severe allergies. I remember being in DSW (of all places) and this woman had her dog. The SA was actually nice enough to let her have it but kept telling her the dog could NOT go on the floor. The woman got such an attitude about it.

GROSS! At my kids'' school there was a lady with a dog waiting to pick her child up. The dog pooed right on the sidewalk! This is where the kindergartener''s SIT and wait to be picked up! I know some people love their animals soooooo much and think everyone else does too. Dog poo is dog poo! Yicko sicko! I could go on and on, too Vegas!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 4/4/2008 10:46:47 PM
Author: Miranda

Date: 4/4/2008 9:27:30 PM

Author: Tacori E-ring

Date: 4/4/2008 9:09:41 PM

Author: VegasAngel

Mirada, dogs in public places not pet related is a whole other topic that I totally agree with you on & could go on forever about, lol

arggg....I agree. I mean some people have severe allergies. I remember being in DSW (of all places) and this woman had her dog. The SA was actually nice enough to let her have it but kept telling her the dog could NOT go on the floor. The woman got such an attitude about it.

GROSS! At my kids'' school there was a lady with a dog waiting to pick her child up. The dog pooed right on the sidewalk! This is where the kindergartener''s SIT and wait to be picked up! I know some people love their animals soooooo much and think everyone else does too. Dog poo is dog poo! Yicko sicko! I could go on and on, too Vegas!

Oh, I meant put its paws on the ground (she had to hold it) but it is so rude when people don''t clean up after their animals, children, themselves...

 

[LegacyGirl]

My Chi is a doll but doesn't like people just coming up to her and petting her because usually they are too rough. I don't let strange people pet my dog, touch my dog, or do anything to my dog. When she comes to PetSmart with me (or any other place she is allowed to go) I either keep her in her carrier or I hold her. I still have people trying to jam their hands into her carrier or not even asking if they can pet her. I make it know they are being an idiot and they need to ask permission for any dog, while taking evasive action to remove my baby from the situation. You know when someone is going to try pet your dog, you can see the look in their eye like they've lost all common sense and are just acting on emotion. "OH LOOK AT THE CUTE LITTLE FUZZIEWUZZIEKINS!!!" The bottom line here is if you know your dog is like that, and may bite, don't take the dog out, or do something to prevent the situation.

But I need to make one thing clear: If YOUR dog bites someone it is YOUR fault, especially since you know the reactions this dog has.

Yes, in general people are total and complete idiots and I cannot believe some parents.... The parent in this situation was horrid. I would have had a nice talking to with them.

 

[bee*]

Date: 4/4/2008 11:15:58 PM
Author: LegacyGirl

But I need to make one thing clear: If YOUR dog bites someone it is YOUR fault, especially since you know the reactions this dog has.


Yes, in general people are total and complete idiots and I cannot believe some parents.... The parent in this situation was horrid. I would have had a nice talking to with them.

ditto. The amount of times we''ve had dog owners and parents into our clinic telling us their dog has bitten/child has been bitten and they want advice. It is our responsibility as owners to make sure that our dog is not put into a situation where they can bite, if that means being rude, then so be it. It''s better to be rude, then have the former happen and have to say goodbye to our pets.