Not in terms of behaviour or anything, ddog has always been much easier to wrangle than my feral children.
I mean because nosy, bossy know alls comment far more on my dog than they ever did on my toddlers.
I never, for example, got told my baby looks cold and needs a coat, or that I'm feeding them wrong, or that I shouldn't have had them. And certainly not by complete strangers.
But I have met with countless busybodies on dog walks who chime in with 'advice'.
In the last two weeks I have been berated for her not wearing a coat in the rain (it was sunny when we left the house). Told off for leaving her for 30 seconds at the school gate (I usually stay with her but had to nip in). I was chatting to another dog owner when HE got quizzed on why his male dog wasn't neutered.
I've had twenty questions before about where she sleeps, what she eats, how much exercise she gets, whether we went to puppy classes. I've been told I have the wrong lead, that it's too cold for her to be out and that she's obviously tired and needs a rest. I've been asked on the school run why I only bring her in the morning and told that she needs an afternoon walk as well.
It's relentless! Obviously my resting butch face has worn off since my kids have got older and now I seem like someone receptive to criticism dressed up as advice. I'm not.
Is it just me? Or does dog ownership make you fair game for comments?
AIBU?
To think having a dog is worse than having a small child?
MellieMGrant · 08/03/2017 14:56
I haven't ever had this. Maybe it's you 
I think people do talk about dogs - as a nation we seem to be more interested in them than we are in other people's children. If people are rude though, it is okay to tell them to bugger off and mtob.
I rarely seem to have been subjected to unwanted advice about either my child or my dog. 
. Of course, total strangers do comment, but generally in appreciation or envy, or to comment when we're on a long walk that we've worn his legs down. If I had a pound for every time... I'd have a lot of pounds.
Oh yes, me too. I've been sternly told by a bossy mare to,
'put her down!'
It's a toy poodle - she doesn't care for big dogs ever since one
growled at her when she was a puppy. Consequently if she
sees a big dog coming towards us she jumps in my arms.
The latest busy body demanded to know if she is microchipped-
she was in her own front garden at the time (the dog that is)
How odd! I have two fluffy white medium sized dogs who are now six and have never been asked any questions like that about them! Whenever I'm walking them the only comments ever tend to be along the lines or "are they twins/brother and sister", "how cute" or occasionally "do they go for the throat?"
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