Feeling guilty about incident with my dog today

[TooOldForGlitter]

I don't think I was out of order but maybe I was harsh. It's still bothering me now. Sorry if its long.

We went to a steam fair today, we were stood looking at some of the vintage motorbikes and my dog was stood next to me. An old man came up and gave my dog the remnants of his ice cream cone. A sweet thing to do no doubt but my boy can't tolerate anything with cows milk. He gets a terrible tummy, think liquid shit...I immediately told him (dog) to drop it which he did and said to the man I'm sorry he can't eat ice cream it makes him ill but thank you. That is honestly word for word what I said. The man said nothing and walked away.

A bit later we were stood at a different area and a woman came over and told me I'd really upset her elderly dad who loves dogs and wanted to treat mine. I said sorry again, but that if he'd asked me I'd have given him a treat of my own to give to my dog but that he can't eat ice cream. She called me a snotty bitch with "no clue about dogs and clearly not about people" and walked off.

I feel like I could've handled it better but am also pissed off at the same time. I'm just ranting here really. Pfffft! Wine please?

[Purpleball]

You sound perfectly reasonable to me. You weren't rude to him and clearly know about your own dog.
Some people are just rude and she's one of them

[Koalafications]

It was a bit naive of the man to have assumed that he could just give your dog his ice cream without asking. The daughter was probably just reacting to what her father said.

I would be really annoyed if someone did that to my DDog (although she wouldn't take it - she won't even eat treats from us if she's out and about)

[Gileswithachainsaw]

What is up with people. I'd never feed anything to someone's pet without checking first. they could be on any number of diets. He's a dog not a waste disposal unit fir people too lazy to go to a bin.

you sound as if you were perfect my pleasant and no way should your dog be made ill to placate a grown man ffs

[TooOldForGlitter]

Oh thanks you guys. I didnt think I was rude but I felt guilty that I'd upset an old man. If he'd come up and spoken to me I'd have given him one of my treats to give him. Ah well. Chalk it up to experience I suppose.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

If he's that easily upset he's the one with the problem not you.

Your responsibility was your dog. not a grown man's happiness

[TooOldForGlitter]

He normally will look to me first before taking food off anyone bar me but my attention was elsewhere and ice cream was clearly too tempting!

[TooOldForGlitter]

Camel we had lots of 'drop its' with him trying to snarf up dropped chips and burgers in the food section. I think he was well practiced by then!

[TooOldForGlitter]

Haha!

It's a real bugbear of mine when people approach dogs without even acknowledging the owner but to feed them? I'd never do it that's for sure!

[YourBubzYourRulzHun]

How rude was the man?!! It's not on to give a dog food without asking permission first. I wouldn't even give a dog an actual treat made for dogs without checking first, let alone ice cream. I wouldnt have been happy at all if my dog had been fed it. You reacted calmly and politely.

[SirVixofVixHall]

My elderly mother keeps trying to give my dog chocolate, and as she has mild dementia, she doesn't get that this is a problem. Perhaps the old man is slightly unable to grasp things like that, and you accidentally hit a raw nerve with his daughter. I know I find this sort of thing in my mum very upsetting to see. Of course you shouldn't feel guilty at all, as you were perfectly reasonable and polite. I think the daughter was just reacting angrily because she felt protective of her Dad.

[queeninthenorth]

So rude! People do stuff like this all the time to me because I train guide dog pups and people act SUPER offended if you politely say 'sorry, she's working' when they want to stroke them or if someone just does it anyway and you try to move away, they act as if you're rude because you won't let them do what they want to do with your dog!

[TooOldForGlitter]

Argh see that's what I was worried about SirVix, that I'd upset someone vulnerable. I hope I didn't.

[Floralnomad]

What you did was perfectly reasonable irrespective of whether the man was 'vulnerable' or not. . My dog vomits instantly if he eats ice cream and I would have said the same .

[CocktailQueen]

It's so rude of the man feeding your dog without asking you! You were totally reasonable. He and his daughter were not. Some people are bonkers.

[SirVixofVixHall]

Well you couldn't have just let him feed your dog ice-cream could you? You acted really well. I only wanted to explain that as I am often in that situation with my Mum, i can imagine that maybe the daughter was emotional rather than rational about it. If it helps, my mother forgets very quickly when I have said (through gritted teeth, for the umpteenth time) "don't give Vixpup chocolate please Mum". She is upset for a minute as she wants to treat the dog. Its difficult. So please don't feel bad at all, there really wasn't anything else you could have done.

[SistersofPercy]

My friend has a similar issue with her dog, people keep giving him treats and it makes him ill. I made this bandana which fits on his collar for her dog to wear when out and about. I believe you can buy them on eBay as well but they certainly work to warn potential well meaning strangers.

[Buttholelane]

How bloody rude!

I wouldn't let anyone feed my dog anything either, dodgy tums aside, some people are absolute raving lunatics, you hear these stories of them tossing poisoned meat over fences, chucking cats in bins and spiking sausages with nails. I would never trust any treat but my own.

[Jackie0]

You were a lot more polite to him than I would have been.

[TooOldForGlitter]

Feeling better now I'm such a mard twit.

Might look into one of those bandanas. Maybe a bespoke one that just reads FUCK OFF.

[TooOldForGlitter]

Sorry about your mum by the way SirVix

[SistersofPercy]

TooOld I can make that

[SirVixofVixHall]

Thank you. That made me all teary! Its hard seeing a parent confused and upset. My mother was trying to feed Vixdog banana yesterday, luckily not to any ill effect. She has no idea about raisins or dark chocolate, as when we had a dog when i was growing up, these things weren't known. So i have to watch her like a hawk as she will feed the dog anything, her supper, her dark chocolate truffles....
Was your dog ok ? I once totally absent mindedly gave someone else's dog, that was gazing at me, a corner of a plain biscuit. I was mortified as the owner , a friend of a friend, was very stressed when I registered what I'd done and asked if that was ok. The dog was gluten intolerant. Luckily so am I...I felt very silly for not asking first though, it was a reflex action!