Dear dog owners!............It really isn't CUTE!!

So I love dogs, I've had them all my life and it is therefore safe to presume that in general I don't have any problems with them, mine or other peoples.

However! that does not then make it alright for a stranger to presume that because I have a dog that I won't mind their dog jumping all over me!

My compulsory uniform for work is Black in colour, and I was out walking my dog before I head off to work "My Dog Does NOT Jump Up" so it is the norm for me to be wearing my uniform on this walk, as I try and take it as close to my leaving time as possible (reduces the time the dog is left).

A stranger out with their dog, decided they where going to stop and speak to me, to be polite I stopped and passed the time of day. They just stood there as their dog proceeded to repeatedly jump up on me placing muddy paws all over my work trousers! did they make one attempt to stop the dog? NO! all I got was "Oh it's so cute when he does that"!!

NO! It's not................

I explained that I was wearing my work uniform and was heading out as soon as I got my dog home.............not even a flinch!

Please dog people don't let them do that, just because you don't mind it doesn't mean that everyone else feels the same way.

Thank you very much.

 Do I get Dabs on the first moan of 2009

Agreed. The route I walk to college is also a popular dog walker route. The larger dogs don't actually seem to give me (or anyone else) much grief beyond barking, but when you've trekked your way to your college grounds only for someone's yappy little pain in the backside to start running around your feet and splattering mud on you, while their owner watches blithely, makes it very tempted for me to squash said small dog under my size 9's. :|

I completely agree!

I read that the best rule of thumb for dog behavior is, "Your dog should not be allowed to do anything that you wouldn't allow a child to do."  You wouldn't allow your child to go jumping all over strangers, and therefore your dog should be trained not to do this as well.

It's also not "cute" when your dog decides to chase after someone who's biking, running, walking, etc. down the street.  Don't know how many times I've been told by an owner (if the owner's even outside) that "He won't hurt ya!"  Yeah, sure.  The dog who bit my calf was "always chasin' stuff but didn't do no harm" according to its owner so...I never believe it anymore.

My dog is always trying to jump up on people. I have made EVERY effort to break her of this habit, and I definitely rein her in if I see that she's about to do it to someone. Allowing her to do it without trying to stop her would be unacceptable, IMO. But what kills me is that, even if I say something like "I'm trying to train her to not jump up, please do X, Y, and Z," people still go, "Oh, it's OK, come here and kiss my face, puppy!" and proceed to smother her with affection as she jumps all over them. I don't know how I'm supposed to fix the behavior when people keep reinforcing it. Ugh.

Just another sign of how rude and inconsiderate people are now days.

Justlaura - re: book that said:  the best rule of thumb for dog behavior is, "Your dog should not be allowed to do anything that you wouldn't allow a child to do."  " Has whoever wrote the book seen how people allow there kids act now days? I work at a school and it is unbelieveable of course they are just reflecting their parent behavior.I've had kids hit me and kick me. They come into kindergarten and 1st grade out of control. Most people have no idea how to train a dog and they get one that is going to be 150lbs and then they can't control it and want to get rid of it and no one whats it because it's no long cute and cuddly and is a out of control. (kind of like their kids are turning out)

Oh and please would my neighbor stop letting that horse crap  at my mailbox.

Once, a couple allowed their dog to pounce on me when I was just walking past them. It was not fun at all.

my b'f's moms rat of a dog (not really a small dog person) has this thing lately to jump on me. I mean yea it cant reach past my knee but still when ever I come in the door that thing is pawing at my leg. It is a very nasty dog too so I just nudge it off.

I don't agree with using corporal punishment to discipline a dog, but I think that if a person lets their dog jump on you, you are entitled to knee/kick the dog to get it off of you. If my dog ever manages to jump on you, you have my blessing to let her have it.

Original Post by gem86:

my b'f's moms rat of a dog (not really a small dog person) has this thing lately to jump on me. I mean yea it cant reach past my knee but still when ever I come in the door that thing is pawing at my leg. It is a very nasty dog too so I just nudge it off.

 this is one thing that drives me nuts, people who have small dogs and don't bother to train them. i mean obviously my 80 lb dog NEEDS to not jump on people, because if he did, he could possibly knock them right down, but just because a dog is tiny and cute doesn't make me not mind his tiny claws raking down my legs, or pawprinting up my clothes!

i have a bit of a dilemma about this, actually.  kenya never jumps on me and never has, but she occasionally jumps on guests (not strangers on the street, understand; just on people who come to visit, and only the ones who really like her).  because she doesn't do it to me, and because company is pretty rare, i don't get many opportunities to correct her. 

and i completely agree, jules.  lot's of people let their small dogs get away with way too much: jumping, barking, even biting.  and it pisses me off that people think it's okay to take their rats into stores.  if i have to tie mine to a bike rack, dammit, so should you!!

Original Post by gypsierose:

Oh and please would my neighbor stop letting that horse crap  at my mailbox.

 Hilarious!

Original Post by pgeorgian:

and i completely agree, jules.  lot's of people let their small dogs get away with way too much: jumping, barking, even biting.  and it pisses me off that people think it's okay to take their rats into stores.  if i have to tie mine to a bike rack, dammit, so should you!!

Ok so this thread is rapidly turning into an ongoing tirade against small dogs. As a small dog owner let me assure you that owning one isn't all sunshine and roses.

Why don't I leave my dog tied up outside stores? Because a) 2 times when I've done it people have tried to steal them (one time they made a joke of the fact that they were trying to untie their leashes, the other time had their leashes untied and were walking down the street) and b) if I do it when I can see them from the store people try to pat them, which sends my tan dog into a frenzy and my fat dog cowering at the end of the leash. If I have them with me and I need to go into a store I either have my carrier with me or I don't go in, because it's too stressful all around otherwise. I've had a dog stolen, I don't want another one gone.

My dogs don't jump up, they ignore everyone and everything unless someone pays attention to them first. I tell people that if they try to pat my dog she will bark; she might bite; she doesn't like people. It has never once in 10 years stopped a single person from trying. And she barks every single time. It's not my fault that people don't listen.

P.S. My rant about big dog owners - if my dog is running around reminiscent of a terrified rabbit while your dog is chasing her? Yeh, your dog is NOT "just playing".

whatever.  i didn't say "all people who own small dogs suck."  but when i've been bitten, it's been by small dogs.  when i'm barked at and chased, it's almost always by small dogs.  when a dog tries to pick a fight with my dog, it's usually a small one.  and when a dog who's not an assistance animal is in a store, chances are it's a small one. 

my dog doesn't go in stores because she's a dog.  if i could pick her up and carry her, it wouldn't change the fact that she's a dog.  and if i'm worried about her being stolen, i leave her at home or in the car.

I think all sorts of dog owners are at fault.  It's not cute when small-dog owners allow their dogs to jump all over someone.  It's definitely not cute when the same thing happens with big dogs.

My big pet peeve is with leashes.  When I'm out running, I don't know that your dog has been trained to freeze at a hand signal or that your dog couldn't care less about fast-moving humans--every off-leash dog I see is a potential bite or chase for me.  There are leash laws for a reason!  I don't want to have to check with your vet about your dog's vaccination status.  And if you do use a leash, please try to keep your dog somewhat close to you.  The only thing worse than a dog off-leash, 30 yards from its owner, is a dog on-leash, 30 yards from its owner, with a really thin cord that I can't actually see and may trip over.

Also, dog owners - "city park" does not equal "dog park." I don't care how well behaved Rover is: when it's off its leash, running around, then starts to run towards me, I don't know that.

Additionally, when you do let loose your creatures, it's best to keep your eye on the dog, as opposed to that Fresh Young Thing you're flirting with.

Original Post by p0nda:

As a small dog owner let me assure you that owning one isn't all sunshine and roses.

 I completely agree, which is why I will not own a small dog. They are just too likely to be more trouble than they're worth. A lot of people buy them assuming they'll be easier, which I think exacerbates the problem because then they don't get proper training and exercise.

As for leaving dogs chained up outside stores vs. carrying your dog into a store, I concur with pg- mine stays at home or in the car.

emily, isn't that avatar a jack russell? (speaking of high maintenance)

edit: upon closer inspection - nope!  definitely not a jack russell ;)

Original Post by pgeorgian:

emily, isn't that avatar a jack russell? (speaking of high maintenance)

edit: upon closer inspection - nope!  definitely not a jack russell ;)

 English setter/English pointer. So...um...close? Still high maintenance and more trouble than she's worth, though. ;)

it's the camera angle - makes her look all short-legged and big-headed.

kenya is pretty low maintenance.  as long as she gets an hour a day of bunny-hunting, all she really wants is a good selection of warm places to sleep.  ;)

oh - and three times as much Iams as the bag says she's supposed to need. 

why does this thread feel REALLY deja-vuish?  odd.

also, the thing that may annoy me the most?  people who let their dogs run loose, onto the streets...and then stand there confused when you're trying not to to RUN THEM OVER.  maybe i'm the only one this has happened to.

and i definately agree with PG about why her dog doesn't go into the store with her.  when i worked in retail, i would have lots of people come into the store with their little dogs in their arms, and get super offended when i would tell them the dog had to leave.  sorry...we sell food.  a dog is a dog is a dog...i don't care if it's 7 pounds or 70 pounds.  by-laws won't allow dogs in the store unless it's a service animal. 

I sooo agree. Jumping on people is just plain bad manners!

So.. since if I tied my dog to the bike rack, he would be stolen (and he might well, he's awfully darn pretty AND friendly to any human who might look his way) it should be perfectly acceptable for me to scoop him up (he's 38 pounds) and take him in the store with me, right? Dogs aren't allowed in the store, but I can't leave him outside, so I should be able to take him in, regardless of the store's rules. I mean, I could put him in the buggy if my arms got tired.

Or I could just finish my walk and go to the store later, without the dog.