my kids usually try to run up to every dog they see in public. i've always told them NO because you don't know if a dog will bite. also, i didn't want them to think it was okay to run up to dogs incase there was a stray - they would know to stay away.
usually when i tell them no - the owner will say something like, "it's okay" or "she won't bite" and then i'll let them pet. if they don't say anything (which i can't remember if that's happened) then i would keep going.
UNFORTUNATELY, not everyone has enough sense to keep their kids from running up to every dog they see. if you take a little dog like that out in public - people are going to approach you. they probably think since you're somewhere like the park that you don't mind. maybe you can sit farther away from where people walk by - or put the puppy in something (like a basket ) where they may not see it.
and when someone asks how much it cost - tell them what i told my daughter when she asked me for help on "guess how many are in the jar" game - "more than a hundred and less than a thousand." ....or million...or whatever. that way you don't have to answer, but you don't seem rude.
some people wouldn't find that question offensive so they don't know it would offend others. i wouldn't mind answering that question if someone asked me, but i know that some people would - so i wouldn't ask it. |