# Do not pet (and a brag and a vent)



## Genalis_mom (Mar 9, 2018)

Genali had her second vet apt this morning. I usually try to schedule vet appts. early in the morning when its less crowded, but that didn't work out today. The place was packed! I have never seen so many ill-mannered dogs in one place. The great dane that needed TWO people to hold his leash was barking constantly, which riled up the extremely overweight poodle. The poodle decided to hate Genali and just freaked out at her. She LUNGED at Genali because her owner had her on one of those retractable leash things (The staff stepped in immediately and handled that poodle).

Through all this, Genali sat and watched. She didn't whine nor did she bark. She didn't cower, she just watched, glancing at me every now and then like "what the FREAK?" When the poodle started acting aggressive and the owner laughed and said "Princess is very protective of me" , I decided to put Genali on the bench next to me. Not long after that is when the poodle lunged. Genali growled back and laid down with her front feet on my lap. So proud of my girl! I may need a muzzle for me if that happens again.

THe only issue that I had with Genali was when the lady brought in her rabbit. It was in a carrier but Genali just about turned inside out wanting that rabbit. I was grateful that she has been learning "look". I was able to settle her down pretty quick, but she still wanted that rabbit, lol.

What was worse than the ill-mannered dogs was the ill-mannered people. Everyone kept wanting to put their hands on my dog. One lady was using a treat and saying "C'mere pretty puppy" to MY dog who was the only dog that was actually behaving. I growled that time. Again, Genali was cool. She didn't cower from them and she also did not ask for their attention.

I do not want strangers petting her. I do not want her learning to ask for treats and petting from strangers. I want her rock solid steady around strangers, but her focus should be on me. This is a new issue for me......no one tried to pet my dobes or my mastiff. Surely there are others on this forum that don't want strangers loving up on their dog, so how do you handle this? What is a polite way to say "BACK THE FREAK OFF"?

I can train dogs. I just don't "people" very well.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

> So proud of my girl! I may need a muzzle for me if that happens again.


:rofl:

Oh yeah! I can SO relate, especially after what happened to Star and me earlier this week! Good for you, and good for Genali!

Gosh, I wish people would TRAIN THEIR FRICCKEN DOGS!!

And a dog 'being protective' of its owner in a non-threatening situation is NOT CUTE, no matter what said owner thinks! :angryfire:

Glad the clinic staff stepped in!


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## Genalis_mom (Mar 9, 2018)

This vet's office is great. They told me to bring Genali by just for visits, and that I can bring her to just sit in the lobby for training purposes if I wanted to (I don't live in a very doggy area, so this is a helpful offer!) 

I have complete faith that Genali will be solid around dogs and people with training. I gotta work on ME. That poodle really riled me up. I was afraid that the owner would not be able to contain her....this was not a teacup or a mini.....she was about the size of a cocker spaniel. She could have messed Genali up and caused fear or aggression. I may take the vet's office up on their offer, because I saw how quickly they handled the situation. Loved how they handled Genali.........spoke to me first and allowed her to size them up before reaching for her.

I am researching. I see "Do not pet! In training!" vests. Have any of you used these? Do they work with stupid people?


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Genali'smom: I have trained two dogs to be my hearing ear dogs. I don't have a 'do not pet' sign on the vest, but most people do ASK before petting when they see the vest. Also, both my dogs were very well trained to ignore distractions (humans and other dogs.)

However, from what I've heard from the service dog community, it is amazing the number of people out there who can't or won't READ!! :help:


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

This is why my dogs stay in the car until they are called or we sit where there are no other animals


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Kudos to Genali _and _you! Sounds like you're both doing a terrific job. As to your question, I don't have a problem telling people to back off and, in the circumstances you've described (person fails to ask permission first and approaches with bribes, no less), I don't waste time being polite either. "Hey! Don't Pet The Dog!!" works just fine. With adult dogs and really stupid/pushy people, I've also been known to say, "Back up! This dog BITES!"

My first priority is to protect my dog; my second priority is to teach the dog how to respond to (or ignore) inappropriate approaches from strangers. I can't accomplish my second goal if I don't attend to the first. 

YMMV

Aly


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

The only time I ever took Inga to the vet was to get a torn ear sutured after she ran under a barb wire fence. Inga had never been to the vet because I did her puppy vaccinations myself. I got her rabies shot at a mobile vet that comes to TSC. So the vet's waiting room was packed. I took Inga and weighed her and sat as far away from people and animals as possible and downed her. It was a circus of yowling cats in boxes, chihuahuas that bark like women screaming, and breeds of dogs so bizarre that I doubt Inga recognizes then AS dogs. That plus all the dogs in the kennels in the back barking Help! Help! Help! in dog language. Inga did OK, considering. She broke the down a few times, then settled. Suddenly, the door to the exam room in front of us bust open. A German Shepherd bitch came out. With a roar the bitch instantly charged Inga, dragging her people behind. Inga lept to her feet to answer the challenge and there was a full on vocal dog fight. I mean, furious barking at the ends of leashes slinging saliva in each other's faces. To my astonishment, the couple's little daughter came out and stood between the lunging dogs with her hands over her ears. The couple dragged the bitch away out the door. Inga! I said, Down! She downed and everybody broke into applause.

People ask to pet her I just say nicely, not right now, she's in training. And she will be in training the rest of her life.


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## Genalis_mom (Mar 9, 2018)

OK, well I feel better about it then. I wasn't so friendly to people who tried to say "oh, but she so cute I can't help myself". 

Perhaps I should just start rambling and talking to invisible people when they do this. Maybe that will scare them off.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

I admit I did a naughty thing with people trying to pet one time. I was sitting with Inga and my two cousins at a state park picnik table. Inga was tied to the bench and my back was to the sun. I looked down and sideways to see the shadow of a person half bent down and creeping toward Inga with hand extended. From behind my back I heard a voice asking Can I pet her? No, she's in training I said. Oh, for a therapy dog? Without turning around I said Nope, attack dog.


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## Genalis_mom (Mar 9, 2018)

Nurse Bishop said:


> I admit I did a naughty thing with people trying to pet one time. I was sitting with Inga and my two cousins at a state park picnik table. Inga was tied to the bench and my back was to the sun. I looked down and sideways to see the shadow of a person half bent down and creeping toward Inga with hand extended. From behind my back I heard a voice asking Can I pet her? No, she's in training I said. Oh, for a therapy dog? Without turning around I said Nope, attack dog.


Love it! Ok, now I can't wait for someone else to ask..... >


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

"What is a polite way to say "BACK THE FREAK OFF"?"

BACK THE FREAK OFF PLEASE. Lol.

Your girl did amazing. I don't bother waiting in the waiting room any more. It's just too stressful for both of us so we wait in the car and get waved in.


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

O, meant to add and it was very effective in stopping a determined man who was just about dragging his 3 yr old to catch up to us. I turned to him and said "do not approach" It stopped him short.

For some reason, those words sound more formidable.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

My big boy doesn't get upset with attention from strangers. It almost seems that he sees it as a game to size them up as quickly as possible. If he doesn't want their advances he simply moves away as if they don't exist. We have been known to say, "No bite" which means nothing to my boy but it sure gets people to pay attention. One time in a group walk a guy was letting his dog walk up behind my boy's butt. My dog didn't seem to mind but it was distracting. We did say, "my dog bites" but then again all dogs bite if annoyed enough. They complained to the walk organizers, but the organizers knew our dogs and weren't too concerned. 

My gal dog will give a warning bark, which makes people jump. I try to warn them, "she doesn't like to be touched by strangers. talk to me, not her" but if they ignore that they get one sharp ear splitting warning bark. That they take seriously. 

Yes, more people need to teach their dogs how to behave in public. But golly, that takes work....


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Genalis_mom said:


> This vet's office is great. They told me to bring Genali by just for visits, and that I can bring her to just sit in the lobby for training purposes if I wanted to (I don't live in a very doggy area, so this is a helpful offer!)
> 
> I have complete faith that Genali will be solid around dogs and people with training. I gotta work on ME. That poodle really riled me up. I was afraid that the owner would not be able to contain her....this was not a teacup or a mini.....she was about the size of a cocker spaniel. She could have messed Genali up and caused fear or aggression. I may take the vet's office up on their offer, because I saw how quickly they handled the situation. Loved how they handled Genali.........spoke to me first and allowed her to size them up before reaching for her.
> 
> I am researching. I see "Do not pet! In training!" vests. Have any of you used these? Do they work with stupid people?


I live in a city where apparently dogs are public property. Over the years I have had people not only pet my dogs but lift their tails, grab at leashes, offer them food and while doing crowd control some drunk actually tried to hug Sabs. So no the vest won't fix stupid. Not even duct tape fixes stupid, just keeps it quiet.
I stopped being polite ages ago, they now get told things in unacceptable forum language. I often used to tell people in my bar days- any part of you that touches me you don't get back. Now I tell them if that hand touches my dog I'm keeping it. I have also been known to advise people that if they touch my dog I will touch them. Right in the head. Or that the dog does not bite, but I will if they don't back off.
I also, as someone else mentioned, keep the dogs in the car at the vet until they have a room for us. I also muzzle and that makes some of the stupid tide ebb.

A friend of mine found that telling people her dog was a cadaver dog made them go away. I never tried that.


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## Suzy25 (Mar 3, 2016)

You wouldn't believe the amount of stupid that walks through the doors of a vet clinic. 

The amount of people that bring in their small, and completely untrained dogs without a leash or collar on is astounding.. Then when we carry the dog back out to the owner the owner just takes it and puts it on the floor and letting them waltz around the waiting room walking up to other clients while the owner is paying.... and things like that happen way more often than you might think... 

The vest might help a tad for a few people, but it wont help for all. I have seen grown ass adults walk up and harass police dogs in the middle of the waiting room (very clearly police dogs as well, handlers will be in uniform) 

There will always be those people that feel entitled to petting every dog they can reach :/


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

I will consider myself fairly lucky in that we don't often have much trouble with stranger danger. On the occasion people start approaching to pet my girl without asking I have found that if I engage her with a "be a good girl and leave it " or a simple "leave it" command. It seems to deter most adults and adolescent types from continuing their approach. I'm happy it works because I don't like telling every stranger my dog bites or such things and thus perpetuating the bad rap the breed gets. I'm not judging anyone who says those things because I'm well aware it is what it takes for many. When asked "can I pet your dog?" I've also used "sorry...she's not a people dog." I'm honest and tell kids "No...sorry...she doesn't like kids." as a move away if I can. Not lying....she doesn't get much exposure to kids and she really doesn't like them. Children tend to listen better than adults thank goodness.

When strangers offer a treat I clearly tell them "NO... she is allergic,can't have it." Well it is true she is food sensitive to so many things, I can say no and no one argues with me about it and quickly retracts treats. Try it...most well intentioned people won't insist on giving a treat if they think they will make your dog sick by doing so. It helps that she has never taken food from anyone she doesn't know. She turns her head away when offered. Heck she won't even take treats from me when we are at the vet or she is stressed in any way. 

At the vet it is my dog who is pacing and whining  . She stresses easily...lousy nerves. Again, lucky our regular vet has a pretty big waiting room and mostly have avoided any major issues. We do get looks when people walk in and see my 78 lb. GSD sitting in the chair next to me instead of on the floor lol! Cats and dogs wait on opposite ends of the a very large room with the reception counter between them. Only issue is the entry door is too close to the reception desk. 
Although, there was one visit at a different vet where a labradoodle charged through the door on a flexy leash and backed us up out of our chairs into a corner. My girl was seriously going to eat that dog. I pushed a chair at the dog and yelled at the owner to get his dog back. We had no where to escape to and the owner was oblivious to the dangerous situation he created with that darn flexy leash being fully extended 10-15 ft. The staff just stood behind the counter with their mouths hanging open. No one apologized but they sure knew I was livid. After they checked in the labradoodle and owner waited outside. Darn good thing too.


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## Tennessee (Apr 13, 2017)

Genalis_mom said:


> This vet's office is great. They told me to bring Genali by just for visits, and that I can bring her to just sit in the lobby for training purposes if I wanted to (I don't live in a very doggy area, so this is a helpful offer!)
> 
> I have complete faith that Genali will be solid around dogs and people with training. I gotta work on ME. That poodle really riled me up. I was afraid that the owner would not be able to contain her....this was not a teacup or a mini.....she was about the size of a cocker spaniel. She could have messed Genali up and caused fear or aggression. I may take the vet's office up on their offer, because I saw how quickly they handled the situation. Loved how they handled Genali.........spoke to me first and allowed her to size them up before reaching for her.
> 
> I am researching. I see "Do not pet! In training!" vests. Have any of you used these? Do they work with stupid people?


I think would depend entirely on just how stupid they are, lol. :grin2:

I’ve had good luck with using a fur saver and prong when out in public with mine, people seem to get that they should ask when it’s a GSD wearing multiple metal collars. Screams you might come back with a nub if you touch me. 

If my girl wasn’t so tolerant I’d go with one of those “tactical” vests with multiple bright orange “do not pet” stickers to complete the look.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Tennessee said:


> I think would depend entirely on just how stupid they are, lol. :grin2:
> 
> I’ve had good luck with using a fur saver and prong when out in public with mine, people seem to get that they should ask when it’s a GSD wearing multiple metal collars. Screams you might come back with a nub if you touch me.
> 
> If my girl wasn’t so tolerant I’d go with one of those “tactical” vests with multiple bright orange “do not pet” stickers to complete the look.


I find that my gal-dog with her typical black and tan stock coat, gets much less attention if she is wearing her black tactical harness, even without patches.
My big-boy who has great color and is a long coat, just seems to scream "touch me" with his appearance. This is one reason we showed him that we expected him to allow the attention of strangers. Walking in a resort animal friendly town we knew people would be stopping and asking to touch him. Thank goodness he is a confident dog who can handle the attention and turn it into his own personal game. We still watch out for fatigue. 

I wonder if dogs can be Introverts / Extroverts like we are...seems that they can be.


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## fluffy1893 (Apr 21, 2018)

The first week we had Bradley, so about 12-13 weeks old, I was walking him when he started to growl and bark and I heard foot steps behind me. I turned around and there is this 18-20 year old guy running up to me from behind. I kept walking and even crossed the street to avoid him. This guy catches up to me and actually has the nerve to take the leash from me and try to talk to me about how he is starting a dog walking business!!! Of course Bradley is freaking out, pulling backwards and barking like crazy. I told the guy he needed to give MY DOG back to me or I could be calling the police. He just dropped the leash and walked away mumbling about me being a crazy b***h lol

If I come across respectful adults, I don't mind letting Bradley interact with them, sniffing their hand and possibly getting a head scratch. He is still a puppy after all, so I do want him socialized. Do I care if he is friendly with everyone he meets?? Heck no!! So long as he can walk by them and ignore them, I'm happy.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I really don't mind letting people pet my dogs. That's my choice. If they ask, and there is not a reason not to allow it, like four unruly children screaming in the room, I let them pet. 

The best way to keep people from approaching your dog is to put on your don't-F-with-me face. And yes, that makes everyone think your are a witch. So. If you liked the people, you would probably allow them to pet your dog. And, the veterinarian's office is NOT the place to go petting other people's dogs, or meeting greeting foreign dogs. It is a place many dogs are already nervous, just because of the environment -- not a good time to have strangers pet the dog. And dogs are often sick or injured, not a good time to meet and greet with other dogs or have strangers pet the dog. 

Vet clinics should make up a concise welcome card for new clients. Welcome to our Clinic. And then a few pointers. Concisely written, so that people will read them: For everyone's safety, please keep small animals in a carrier, dogs, not in a carrier need to be leashed (no flexi-leads). And, for the safety of all, do not allow pets to contact each other, and do not pet other people's dogs. The clinic is scarey to animals, and often they are sick or injured. Please be courteous and leave other people's pets alone. Thank you.


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## Genalis_mom (Mar 9, 2018)

selzer said:


> I
> 
> Vet clinics should make up a concise welcome card for new clients. Welcome to our Clinic. And then a few pointers. Concisely written, so that people will read them: For everyone's safety, please keep small animals in a carrier, dogs, not in a carrier need to be leashed (no flexi-leads). And, for the safety of all, do not allow pets to contact each other, and do not pet other people's dogs. The clinic is scarey to animals, and often they are sick or injured. Please be courteous and leave other people's pets alone. Thank you.


THey do have posted rules for crates and leads, but I like your suggestion for the "leave other people's pets alone". I am going to call and make that suggestion!

THANK YOU!


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## RoninByDesign (Aug 11, 2017)

I don't have alot to add to this other than a shared frustration... I seriously cannot understand for the life of me how grown adults cannot control themselves from touching something they like the look of, like holy **** are you serious? would you be alright if i just walked up to you and started tussling your hair or grabbed your butt? All i want is for people to ASK(the owner not the dog) and WAIT for a yes before touching mine or anyones dog. I feel like we need to round these people up and maybe do some impulse control training on them. 

I'm still kinda lost on how to handle that in a productive way, I'd like to tell em to **** off, maybe smack em in the back of the head while theyre crouched down, but I figure a confrontation like that could run emotions too high and be bad/stressful for the dog. Maybe i should just start carrying mace.


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