Erebus
Well-Known Member
This is mostly going to be a rant if I'm honest. However, maybe it'll be informative for people who may not have been aware of this etiquette. You should always ask permission before petting somebody's dog.
This is usually brought up in relation to aggressive or nervous dogs and for good reason. You don't know whether somebody's dog will interpret your attempt to pet them as threatening and it's entirely possible for them to lash out if they do. That's honestly the most important thing to keep in mind but you should still ask permission even if the dog gives every indication of being friendly.
My dog is cute and people on the street sometimes want to fuss her. She's friendly and loves being fussed so I'm often happy to let them, providing they ask permission first. There are times when it just isn't appropriate though.
Unfortunately, my dog is easily distracted and can be stubborn. When I'm walking her, I basically have to treat it as a training exercise every time. She's rewarded with fuss or a treat when she manages to ignore a distraction and obey the "wait" and "walk" commands. It's all too easy for her to slip into the habit of planting her feet if I don't keep on top of it. That's annoying enough in general but if she does it while crossing a road, it could be dangerous.
When I took her for her morning walk today, I went through the usual routine when crossing a road. I brought her to the curb and told her "wait" then checked for traffic and told her "walk." I'd just stepped onto the road when I heard "Awww! Hello you!" behind me. A woman had bent down to pet my dog right as we were crossing the road.
I immediately felt the tug on the lead as my dog went up to her. What this woman had done was reward my dog for not crossing the road when she was told to, effectively undoing some of her training. I had to ask her to stop and explain why she shouldn't do that.
She was apologetic and probably just wasn't aware of the etiquette. I've had other people get huffy about it though. Even though my dog is friendly, it makes walking her so much harder when people fuss her immediately after she ignores a command.
Always ask permission.
This is usually brought up in relation to aggressive or nervous dogs and for good reason. You don't know whether somebody's dog will interpret your attempt to pet them as threatening and it's entirely possible for them to lash out if they do. That's honestly the most important thing to keep in mind but you should still ask permission even if the dog gives every indication of being friendly.
My dog is cute and people on the street sometimes want to fuss her. She's friendly and loves being fussed so I'm often happy to let them, providing they ask permission first. There are times when it just isn't appropriate though.
Unfortunately, my dog is easily distracted and can be stubborn. When I'm walking her, I basically have to treat it as a training exercise every time. She's rewarded with fuss or a treat when she manages to ignore a distraction and obey the "wait" and "walk" commands. It's all too easy for her to slip into the habit of planting her feet if I don't keep on top of it. That's annoying enough in general but if she does it while crossing a road, it could be dangerous.
When I took her for her morning walk today, I went through the usual routine when crossing a road. I brought her to the curb and told her "wait" then checked for traffic and told her "walk." I'd just stepped onto the road when I heard "Awww! Hello you!" behind me. A woman had bent down to pet my dog right as we were crossing the road.
I immediately felt the tug on the lead as my dog went up to her. What this woman had done was reward my dog for not crossing the road when she was told to, effectively undoing some of her training. I had to ask her to stop and explain why she shouldn't do that.
She was apologetic and probably just wasn't aware of the etiquette. I've had other people get huffy about it though. Even though my dog is friendly, it makes walking her so much harder when people fuss her immediately after she ignores a command.
Always ask permission.
and from dog
