I was walking along an avenue during a busy jazz festival yesterday. The event was loud, lots of people had dogs of all sizes with them, and on the sidewalk ahead of me were two women engaged in conversation. One woman held a black Pomeranian puppy in her hands. As I approached, ahead of me, a man walked right up to the woman and stuck both of his hands on the puppy and ruffled her up. I was astonished from both sides of the coin.
Would he have gone up to the woman herself and ruffled her hair? No! He’d most likely get slapped or worse. Why did he think it was OK to invade someone else’s space, and fluff up a puppy he knows nothing about? Because the pup was small? Cute? Fuzzy? That doesn’t matter!
People need to show as much impulse control for their actions as we expect dogs to do. Plus, we should have more common sense than dogs. We don’t know if that dog is aggressive, fearful, contagious, or just doesn’t want to be bothered. Small dogs have it worse because they seem to be approachable and accessible. In reality, small dogs need to be respected as much as their larger counterparts. And people who want to pet them, need to ask permission before reaching out.
I was at a dog park last year where I saw a woman whose Sheltie was on a long line. The dog felt insecure. A few minutes later, a complete stranger walked over to this poor dog, hoisted her up, and as you can see from the photo, made her feel very uncomfortable. The woman had no right to do this, didn’t know how to support the dog in her arms even, and the worst part of this was the owner of the dog stood and watched this happen, with a half smile on her face.
It’s up to us, our dogs’ advocates, to say “no” to people like these. We are our dogs’ voices and have to speak on their behalf. We know our dogs, and know their limits. And we also have to realize there are going to be people like this who will approach and overstep boundaries. That’s when we must step in and say, “Oh, please don’t do that.” If anyone asks why not, explain nicely any reason you have. “My dog doesn’t like to be picked up and she may snap.” “Oh, watch yourself, she’s contagious with ringworm.” “My dog isn’t fond of strangers.” Whatever the reason you have, then state it cordially with a thank you. But advocate for your dog. Your dog is family!
And if your dog is all right with being petted, walk the person through the procedure your dog is comfortable with when having a stranger pet her. But keep in mind what your dog is comfortable with and keep your eye opened for strangers who may be making a beeline for your dog. Be prepared and educate. It’s part of being a responsible dog owner. Our dogs come first and we have to keep their welfare in mind.
By Helen Verte
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor
Dog Training, Dog Owner Education, Broward County, Fort Lauderdale
