Why do strangers judge me for using a dog pram

[WorriedDogMum87]

My dog is 6 and has trauma. She is very reactive and would bite someone if given the chance. On a lead she either freezes or goes absolutely mental and tries to run into the road.

I let her walk sometimes but only if no one is around. Most of the time I use a dog pram because it is the safest option for both of us.

I know some people might suggest having her put down, but this is about keeping her safe while she is still happy and able to enjoy life.

The problem is the judgmental looks, audible sighs and comments from strangers who know nothing about my life. I am not good at dealing with people and I already have severe social anxiety, so all this negative attention is really upsetting.

Has anyone else experienced this and how do you cope?

I never take the bus so don’t worry about that

The only people I know who have needed a wheelchair due to MH have been anorexics (and severely so). They were not allowed to walk.
Or older kids with SEN who are a flight risk (lady local to me who has an 8 year old with ADHD. She gets tuts for having a older kid in a pushchair. Gets told he is lazy etc).
Both still need to get out and about instead of being stuck at home. Because being stuck at home when you want to go out is pretty shit for your mental health.

I assumed most people use dog prams because they have old dogs who would have normally been PTS but have been kept alive and this is their outing for the day.

Because dogs go on walks to exercise, not to be pushed around like babies.

What breed is she? What trauma? Is it fear aggression due to being attacked?

I think you are stretching the example somewhat 😂

Dogs with anxiety issues need a trained dog behaviourist to work with them not a pram. A pram is not a long term fix or in fact a fix at all.

Look I get it, you always pop up on threads like this and compare dogs in prams to elderly people in wheel chairs or people with additional needs. But it doesn't change the fact that dogs and humans are different and behave in different ways. A dog such as this needs specialist support or it will still be a risk to others even in a pram because it could escape and hurt someone or itself. That's much more important than the rights or wrongs of using a dog pram.

Why do people get taken out in wheelchairs?
It is for a change of scenery, the sights, the smells. Enrichment.

I do agree, this dog needs some input from a behaviourist or something. Maybe one day, her dog will feel more relaxed and they can do more together outside of the house.

But OP was not asking about that. She was asking about strangers judging her for having her dog in a pram. But it is typical MN for people to give advice on things the OP never asked for. If her dog is on a pram due to mobility, then her thread still stands. She just wants to know how to handle judgemental knobs who have no idea about her actual situation.

I sympathise OP - I think there’s a danger however that your reactive dog - while in a dog buggy - might look more appealing & innocuous to little kids or others who see the buggy & want to pet them all the more??
I used to think dogs in buggies was infantilising & the owners treating their dogs like accessories or humans until I adopted a rescue dog with a spine condition - who never got as far as a buggy but certainly would have done had they become unable to walk. Lots of elderly dogs with mobility issues still enjoy being out smelling different smells & going out this way.

I know you can probably avoid people coming up to you by changing direction etc but your dog could still lunge & react. I think you have a duty therefore to muzzle your dog & keep him/ her leashed while in the buggy so they can’t retaliate to any provocation by other dogs etc.

You can get dog coats & dog accessories that say
Nervous Dog - Give Us Space!! in bright yellow that give a deterrent to those approaching & also makes sure everyone knows you’re not just treating your dog like a doll 🙄

But you do have to get quite close to be able to read them. But if everything is a bright yellow colour - you could also wear a vest /tabard saying the same, people will get the message.

I do think your dog needs time & space to run & be free off lead & to sniff & explore. You can book a secure dog field for this very purpose safe in the knowledge that no other dogs /owners will approach you. Prob not cheap but well worth it.

Honestly, OP, just ignore other people. You are doing what works for you in your situation. I see many people in our area using them for dogs who are elderly or disabled or have other issues. I have seen people using them on public transport to keep their dogs enclosed. Nothing wrong with them, you do you.

I think it's a good idea. You're getting him fresh air and when no dogs are about you can let him walk and sniff. I also have a reactive dog so I know how it is. I cannot take him to busy places including parks. I drive to a quiet wood and walk him there in the mornings, then around the block very late at night. We usually don't see any dogs that way. He does have a bad knee so I keep him home when he limps, but I'm thinking of buying a dog pram to get him outside when his leg is bad. Just ignore people if they look. Or say he has a bad leg and wanted to give him fresh air!

I suppose people mistake it for a human pram and think you're some crazy person treating her dog like a human baby. It's silly because dog prams are very sensible. If you have a small dog or a dog who's old or has paws that start to hurt after a while (like when humans get plantar fasciitis) you can go much further with the prams. And if your dog is really old or can't walk at all, then they get to see the outside world and have some fresh air.

Maybe people just aren't used to seeing them very often.

Because people are judgemental twats, as shown by this thread. For what it's worth, I take my dog out in a pram because he's blind and doesn't walk much, but still enjoys a mooch around in a new place. Not to mention an ice cream at the end of his "walk".

Are you sure people are judging though, and it's not just something you are imagining because you are socially anxious and feel a bit silly? I was really self-conscious about pushing the dog around in his buggy at first, but people are nothing but delighted by it. Of course it helps that he's friendly and people can say hello to him. The worst thing anyone has said was "Madam, that is an ugly baby!" but it was said as a joke 😂

Just ignore them. One of my dogs needs a pushchair and the other two walk alongside. When we get to the park, she is either supported to walk In her sling or she shuffles about on the grass. I have had nothing but positive comments from people - including a car driver who had never seen a dog pushchair before and thought it was marvellous.

A good friend who I hadn’t seen for a while and didn’t realise my dog was now disabled wrote a long and spiteful post about dogs in pushchairs - I was amazed really as she was a nurse, specialising in long term pain management…. So many of her friends disagreed with her, she actually took her post down.

So take heart - as in most things in life, the quiet ones, the vast majority, are not judging, just going about our business and those that mind don’t matter and those that matter, don’t mind.

IMHO, dog prams are just plain weird.

Even if the dog is disabled or elderly? Would you say the same of a disabled child or a 95 year old grandmother in a wheelchair?

What does the vet say, OP?

Someone on here judged me as weird for my elderly greyhound wearing a jumper.

On a bus a few months ago, in the sweltering heat, there was a woman with a dog pram. She seemed completely oblivious to others' needs. Mums were trying to squeeze in with toddlers and babies in prams, elderly people standing, as it was just too hard for them to get past the dog pram. They should be banned on public transport. Plus the absolute stink of a panting dog. Revolting. .

Are you new to public transport? People stink far more than a panting dog.
You can't fold dog prams, and I get the feeling you would have been pissed off if the dog was not in a pram anyway.
People with dogs still need to use public transport.

No, not at all new to public transport. This dog pram thing is fairly recent. You are wrong to think I would be pissed off with any dog. A well-behaved dog on the floor is a delight. The place for the pram was not on a crowded bus. Mums, children, the disabled and elderly people are the priority.

You would be pissed off with a well behaved dog that is panting. You said that yourself. Unless you think that is something the owner can control?

Listen op you need to muzzle your dog. I have seen little dogs launch out of their pram things and go absolutely feral at other dogs or young children. You risk being prosecuted if it harms someone. No one is asking you to put her down or keep her locked up inside but a muzzle is the least you can do.

Unless the dog is old and blind or similar I would massively judge.

Have you said what breed of dog she is ?

Hopefully you have a decent sized garden she can run around in, for exercise.

Nothing wrong with a dog pram / buggy.

However there is also nothing wrong with hiring one of these dog fields ( everywhere seems to have them now ) so she can have a really good hour of exercise / running around.