Strangers Petting your dog without asking!

I was reading about puppy socialising as I plan to get a dog soon, and I came across an interesting article that got me thinking

http://www.dogsandbabieslearning.com...et-my-dog-day/

It is basically on children running up to your dog without asking to pet them. And how children and parents assume that just because a dog owner is walking their dog, they suddenly have an obligation to let anyone pet their dog. And in the article she was saying how it's someties good to say 'no' to people, just so people are aware it is important to ask, and that they aren't given a God given right to pet any dog that they see. I also read othr people's experiences with children running and screaming up to dogs, and grabbing the dogs face or fur, and their parents even telling them to go over! It amazes me that they don't think how dangerous it can be, and that it's how a lot of dog bites can occur, an then suddenly it's all the owner's fault!

Anyway sorry for the ramble! I just wanted to see if anyone else has had any similar experiences with strange children/adults trying to reach your dog, pick it up without asking, or even worse asking, then still going to pet if you said no! And how you feel about it?

Anyway to start it off, I remember when I was walking my Dane with my friend and her GSD, we had two children following us on a bike and scooter along a very quie road. My dane hated bikes because of a bad inccident he had has a puppy with about 5 idiots trying to pretend to run him over (there was nothing I could do but shout at them and get way asap at the time) I said to them not to pet the dogs as they didn't like the bike, but they persisted on following us STILL trying to grab them, and then they said something like their mum said they can stroke any dog!

Some people have the same urge to pinch cheeks of babies etc (not so much nowadays with everyone paranoid about paedophiles) or touch other people.

I just block their approach with my body, it is not always 100% successful however and I have had children run up and throw their arms round the neck of my GSD as we were coming down the stairs of a hotel.

thanks smokeybear and yes it's the same with people touching a pregnant woman's bump! At least children aren't likely to bite (well at least some ) unlike a dog that has teeth! I think one owner said that to the parent of a screaming child that ran up to her dog, and the parent was like "she only wants to pet your dog..!" the owner then replied "how would you like it if I ran up to and hugged your child without asking" the mother was spluttering after that I think!

The good old body blocking is a good move! but still when I was a child, I remember when I was 4 i went up to a dog without asking and my mother gave me a right telling off, never did it after that! Also there are a few rescue dogs that have been abused badly, and it's the last thing they would want! Oh gosh must have been quite suprise for you and your dog to have a strange child wrapped around its neck!

So far, I have thankfully never met a child who has tried to stroke Guinness without asking permission first. I wish I could say the same thing about adults.

Children tend to listen when they are told "Sorry, but no, he's nervous of strangers," when he's having a bad day. They are also generally more amenable to being handed a dog treat and asked to wait for Guinness to approach them (on days he seems a little more confident).

Adults tend to try to touch him without asking, will not listen when I ask them not to, and are too impatient to wait and let him approach them first.

Having a little dog, we get this quite a lot from adults as well as kids.

I do try to body-block with the kids and make a point of telling their mom that it's wise to ask because not all dogs are friendly and like petting.

I also have a word with those who find it acceptable to let their dogs wander/charge over to mine. I get far more nasty comments from these 'moms' than I do from the mothers of kids though.

i never let anyone touch my dogs but just in case i think someone looks like they might be about to do it i find giving my dogs a simple "leave command stops people attempting to touch them! although i very rarley have this problem,the other day i was walking down the street with one gsd and my rottie and two 6ft+ men nearly got themselves runover in an attempt to get away from me i wouldnt mind but the dogs hadnt even noticed them spike was checking the traffic cones for hidden tennis balls and the rottie was watching were he was putting his feet cos he has a leg missing so is causious on uneven ground,

Usually I find that children ask to pat the dogs unlike adults who just march up and pat them . I must say it annoys me especially when they say things like " why have you got 4 dogs ? " . So far I have been polite but it's only a question of time before I'm not

I can't recall off the top of my head anyone specific stroking without asking but the one who does stand out was a youth who asked me if they could stroke my rott and proceeded to grab her around the neck i was like He was lucky he wasn't bitten because that would come as a shock to any dog.

This happens to us quite regularly (although i suspect will lessen as the Dobermann grows up!) and it never fails to amaze me.
In the past we used to have a horriffic time in particular with one of our rescues. He had been badly abused (jaw broken, cigarette burns etc) and as such was fear aggressive. We were always insanely careful with him but even with a muzzle on, people wouldn't listen to us. They seemed to think because he was cute and fluffy it was ok. It got to the point where i was actually having to pick people's children up to stop them harrassing him despite me yelling at the child/parent that he was terrified and would bite.

I tend to have missed this phemonena until now, for the past 30 years we have had multiple dogs and one of the gang has always been aggresive so I have never had too many people assume in the face of a snarling barking beast they leave us alone. But now Mollie is friendly and Betty loves people and we have a new sort of idiot approaching us who assumes Betty is Mollies puppy. How an 11 year old retreiver cross could give birth to a chihuahua they don't seem to wonder

I am finding myself getting a bit paranoid as people seem to think they can just reach into my doggy papoose and pick Betty up ! It can be carried on back or front but I am finding it matters not to people who want to see her. It feels like I am being mugged or my pocket being picked in front of me ! I even yesterday popped her in a hand bag hoping to hide her a bit but no someone still reached in to touch her !