Cute Little Dogs and Strangers

WendyM · Member Joined: 31 Dec 2006 Posts: 25 Location: Ontario

As I have posted before, I have a soon to be 7 month Shih-poo.
I am wondering if anyone else has had problems with cute little dogs and strangers who think it is quite ok to call the "cute little puppy" over to see them or just walk up and start petting her. Perhaps, I am just getting crotchety in my "old age". I never had this problem when we had our black lab. Even when you ask people not to do this, they seem to ignore and insist on proceeding. It is not that I don't appreciate that people think she is a sweet little puppy but I do wish they wouldn't be so forward. Am I making any sense? Does anyone else have this problem and if so, how do you handle it?

MalteseX2 · New member Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 3

Sometimes I have the same problem. Much like you im not sure how to ward these people away. Our little dogs must be considered a novelty or something. They must feel like little kids having their cheeks pinched by grandma all the time.

Aqueous · Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 5:38 pm Post subject:

I get that all the time with my Yorkie and Bichon. kids and adults always run up to see them. It gets annoying especially with my Bichon because he is weary of strangers if theyr'e not properly introduced (he doesn't like people running up to him in general) and gets a little flighty if kids just run up to him.

I'm usualy always on guard for oncoming people when we go on walks and thankfully just keeping them on the opposite side of me (away from the side the person is walking on) and not paying attention to the person is enough to make them walk by.

WendyM · Member Joined: 31 Dec 2006 Posts: 25 Location: Ontario

I am going to try to distance Kristel (my puppy) from oncoming people. I am glad that others have experienced this problem. I was beginning to think it was just me not doing something correctly. I guess people don't realize that while you are walking a dog/puppy - you are trying to train them to behave in a certain manner. I find that people expect a puppy to jump and be all squirmy and chewy which is the polar opposite of what I am trying to train Kristel not be be.

Shineillusion · Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 8:34 pm Post subject:

I have a miniature dachshund puppy, and experience the same thing. It doesn't help matters that he's 6 months old and deep in the throes of the second fear impact period that puppies go through. He's become suspicious and shy, and while I know he just needs time to work through this, and he'll be fine if I don't force the issue, people just don't understand.

He does know sit/stay and down/stay, so when I see people approaching, I put him in a sit or down and stand between him and the people. If it looks like they're going to try to pet him and gush all over him, I just say "Sorry. He's working right now. Please don't distract him."

If I happen to be holding him for some reason, I tell them he's shy, and might bite. I know he won't bite, but they don't need to know that. A well timed "Whoa! He bites!" will stop most people in their tracks.

shell92 · New member Joined: 07 Sep 2008 Posts: 3

My husband and I often have adults and children come up to us and ask if they can pet our five month maltipoo. Jack enjoys the attention. I believe, and this is just my belief not something I have read, that all the attention has built his social skills with people. He is such a loving puppy! Most adults and children will ask us first, though, if it is ok to pet him. My husband I love that other people love Jack, too, but I can see where some people might not like the attention given to their pet.

HDrydr · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:12 pm Post subject:

This happens to me all of the time but I have a big Boxer/lab and he is very protective of me and doesn't like yappy, bouncy dogs or people for that matter that come running up to him. So I have to put myself between them and tell them when they come over to him that he either doesn't get along with other dogs or that he is "working I would rather you didn't". If he is in a good mood and for the most part he is I just judge how he is acting and if it is all good I'll socialize him. If his hackles are going up and gets that stance I don't.