How do you feel about strangers picking up your dog?

[ShowGirlLola]

I always pick Lola up if people want to pay attention to her. I only let my close family and a few friends hold her, she's way too wiggly and attached to me. A few people have asked and I just say she's too wiggly.

I've only had to lecture people about grabbing her face, ugh.

My mom and I were out and she had Lola, I walked about a foot away and Lola tried to jump out of her arms to get to me. I also had to keep a hand on her when the vet had her because she was getting upset.

[ColesMommy01]

Originally Posted by buffy512

Nope. Nope. Nope.

This allows me to get ugly. I agree. Ask 1st.

Totally agree if it's my pups which I consider my fur children I will go bats#!t if someone touches them without my permission. Dont you put your hands on my pups or my son without my permission or all 5 feet of me are going h.a.m on you.

[Lovetodream88]

I would be worried they could drop him or even run off with him.

[yorkietalkjilly]

If they don't hold him just so, Tibbe might try to jump from their arms and so I never let anyone pick him up who doesn't know that about him ahead of time and isn't prepared to hold him securely.

[Kaylee32]

NO! I do not trust hardly anyone with my girls. You ca never tell about people these days, as sad as that is. Ellie loves people, but she cant stand to be away from me for more than a few seconds anyways. I am all for socialization but not that much.

[dawn27]

For someone to just walk up to you and pick up your dog that is ridiculous. When we were kids we were always taught to ask first before even petting a dog. Most people that I have dealt with do ask but it seems as if people don't really care if they get bit these days. Not that mine would bite but you just never know. It is the same as if you saw a huge pit or scary looking dog. There are not the only dogs who will bite when they get frightened or deal with strangers in a strange place.

Last weekend when we were at the annual Strut Your Mutt fund raiser and I actually had a little boy just walked up and try to pet Ruby. Ruby is one of those dogs who has to do things on her terms. She will let you pet her when she's ready to be petted. I gently reached out and stopped the boy and in a sweet motherly voice explained to him that he should always ask before he pets a strange dog because they could bite and I wouldn't want him to be hurt. Than I gave him permission to pet her. I didn't see a parent anywhere.

[CouversMom]

I do not allow it. I will hold my female if someone wants to pet her, but I do not allow strangers to pick them up.

[FryFry]

Originally Posted by dawn27

For someone to just walk up to you and pick up your dog that is ridiculous. When we were kids we were always taught to ask first before even petting a dog. Most people that I have dealt with do ask but it seems as if people don't really care if they get bit these days. Not that mine would bite but you just never know. It is the same as if you saw a huge pit or scary looking dog. There are not the only dogs who will bite when they get frightened or deal with strangers in a strange place.

Last weekend when we were at the annual Strut Your Mutt fund raiser and I actually had a little boy just walked up and try to pet Ruby. Ruby is one of those dogs who has to do things on her terms. She will let you pet her when she's ready to be petted. I gently reached out and stopped the boy and in a sweet motherly voice explained to him that he should always ask before he pets a strange dog because they could bite and I wouldn't want him to be hurt. Than I gave him permission to pet her. I didn't see a parent anywhere.

You're right, it is ridiculous..but I guess it was my fault. I walked up to them, and Leo jumped up on the guys leg wanting attention. It's something I definitely have to be more aware about. And Leo is teething, so his razor sharp teeth could really hurt a little kid. I try to avoid kids anyways, as a lot of them that i know of are too rough with a little animal. I don't think a lot of parents teach them manners. Growing up, I was told to ask to pet a dog. Now a days a lot of parents expect technology or something to teach them

[FryFry]

I don't think parents even pay attention to their children..it's not only teenagers who are attached to their phones, older people, such as parents are too. It happens all the time at my job. The parents will totally ignore their kids, while on the phone, and the kid's will recklessly push the shopping cart around. Then when the kid runs into something, the parents yell at them.

[JunesMum]

Originally Posted by FryFry

I remember one time, while walking Zoey, a guy pulled up to the sidewalk in his car and asked me where I got her from? Then he asked if she was for sale. I got the creepiest vibe from this guy, and I kept Zoey close to me. I laughed and told him she was not and will never be for sale, which he responded "aw too bad, I'd pay big bucks for her" I will DEFINITELY keep a closer eye on the other persons movements from now on.

This reminds me of a couple week ago when I was out walking my boyfriend's parents' Siberian Husky. Some guy came up to us in a park, didn't even ask if the dog was for sale, and just offered $300 dollars for him. Even after I told him he wasn't for sale he continued to follow us for a while practically begging for me to sell him. Firstly, that's just plain creepy and completely inappropriate. Secondly, who offers someone only $300 for a beautiful and beloved member of the family??! There are definitely some strange people out there. Luckily the husky was too large for someone to pick up and run off with very easily or I'm somewhat certain he would've tried! A little yorkie on the other hand...

I also have difficulty telling people no when they ask to pet my little one, but I'm getting better at it each time the situation pops up. Junie is still quite reactive towards other dogs (terrible barking and lunging at them) as well as little children so I worry he might snap at someone who approaches him the wrong way. Responsible adults with the right temperament I'll allow to pet him but I usually tell children no. I have yet to have anyone ask me to hold him though!

[gracielove]

Gracie loves to meet people when we are out. She is just very social but I prefer that people not pick her up. If someone was to pick her up and she spotted someone or something else she wanted to go to she would get very wiggly and most people would not know how to handle her when she is trying to get away. Too much chance that she could accidentally be dropped.

I have sat on benches or the ground with children and helped them to hold her on their lap. That is with me also having my hands on her as they pet her while she is on their lap. She loves it as much as the kids do and the kids end up with doggy kisses all over their faces.

[DvlshAngel985]

I've gotten into the habit of picking up Kaji to allow people to pet him when asked. That way, he's securely in my arms and people can pet him all they way. It also helps because Kaji hates people (he's terrified) and I can easily flip him around so he's facing me and the stranger can pet his back and not his face. I think that's less scary for him when they're not touching his face.

[ShowGirlLola]

I'm surprised so many of you have had issues with kids. In my experience kids older than 5 are the ones who ask first. Adults almost never do.
My issue is with middle aged women who feel the need to grab Lola's face to push her hair back while I'm telling them to stop and she's trying to push their hands off. They won't listen to me so I end up walking away. They're also the ones who feel the need to tell me how to take care of my dog, like I should let her approach groups of large dogs.

[Faboosh]

I let one "stranger" (a PetSmart employee) hold Billi & they dropped her. I was upset and won't let anyone hold her now. I have to know them and they have to be sitting down, no exceptions. I'm actually leery of letting too many people near her, period after a group of PetSmart employees were bending down petting her and the same chick said 4 different times how she could just steal her, put Billi in her pocket and walk away. I politely told her off, told her manager and don't let more than one person pet her at a time.

She's not even 3 pounds and very friendly. If someone wanted to steal her, they could. I'm like a watch dog when it comes to her, I have to be.

[Teegy]

not allowed and they have to ask to pet them, sometimes I say no if I don't get a good vibe