To feel hurt that my lovely dog licking someone caused such distress.

[sweetgrape]

He's just a big affectionate softy, the only trouble is he thinks everyone loves him. We went for our walk this morning in the park and sat down on a bench for a rest. We'd only been sat down a minute or so and this woman sits down next to me. We were just chatting about the weather when all of a sudden she jumped up shrieking, "ahhh the dog just licked my leg"
Now I know not everyone loves dogs but i thought it was a bit of an over reaction. I did apologise but I felt kind of sorry for my dog, who seemed to have a bit of a hurt look on his face. Wabu to have felt sorry for my dog or should I have felt more sorry for the woman?

Thing is, some people are not into dogs and can regard any unwanted (even innocent) dog behaviour towards them or interaction as unacceptable or a threat. I can understand their view. But if you sit down beside a dog and he just licks you, I don't know if you should act so surprised or if the dog was Godzilla. Maybe she was worried he was preparing the area for a chew.

If my son had sat down beside your dog, you'd be posting an aibu to think this boy shouldn't have tried to cuddle my dog so much and should have let him be. A lick would have been interpreted as the dog wanting to leave you and move in with us.

What I find baffling is the fact that so many on here seem incapable of grasping that it is possible to 1) love dogs and 2) not like being licked by them. Is it so very difficult to hold these two ideas in your head at the same time?

"As to why did the lady sit on the bench when there was a dog walker there.
Or maybe she is trying to overcome a fear of dogs - only to have it re-enforced."

You'd have to be pretty stupid to use an unknown dog as a stooge if you're frightened of them. If you want to overcome your fear of something, especially something which moves of its own free will, surely you become acquainted with the owner and make sure that it isn't a genuine rather than imagined threat to you?

Oh no, wait a moment. She was pretty stupid.

This thread is immense. All these posts of excuses for the shrieker's stupidity are amazing.

I can understand that some dog owners don't mind being licked, just as I can understand that lots of passing strangers would hate to be licked. Both from a germs aspect and also being on the receiving end of tongue touching. The dogs feelings are unimportant. If it had been a toddler licking a stranger instead of a dog, I would see the jumping back and saying 'ugh' as good social skills learning

Mist people expect dogs to be kept under control

I think people do understand that people may like dogs but not dog licks. Especially since some have poo eating habits and lick their goolies regularly. I nearly purge when I see MIL's poo eating dog's face near my son and regularly scream don't let near your face. Also can't get his hands washed fast enough after. But it's not the bow-wow's fault.

Thing is if you sit down beside a dog, it would not be unexpected for him to transmit all his lovely saliva juice through a natural behaviour (bit friendly even). Maybe don't sit down or stand near doggies if it is such an issue as they can do this and are not actually doing anything wrong.

Pandora no offence taken about the crazyness of Springers. They really are crackers. .

I think you'll find that the legal definition of out of control, to say nothing of the sensible one, is a little more than "licked an ankle".

The only thing which was out of control was the grown woman with the disproportionate response, you know, the one who leaped up and shrieked at being licked once upon the ankle by a recumbent small dog.

I know someone who has 7 Springers

dog saliva brings me out in a painful, itchy rash.

so I don't really care how soft and loveable a dog is, I'll still squeal if it licks me.

Mist people expect dogs to be kept under control

That's because the dogs run right through them.....

dog saliva brings me out in a painful, itchy rash.

So you'd have to be pretty fucking stupid to sit next to a dog eh?

Nettles bring me out in a painful, itchy rash so I tend to not go within a couple of feet of them in case they sway in the breeze & get me.....

Dairy products give me hay fever type symptoms - so I don't have a cheese and pickle sandwich, strawberries and cream and a big thick milkshake, and then complain when I start sneezing!

yeah, so I generally don't. but they are a fact of life and unlike nettles they have four legs and independent mobility.

so mostly I just have to put up with the allergic reaction, which sucks but that's life.

so I like to think I can be permitted a little squeal without having threads posted about it on internet forums.

ps, I am not original ankle lady

He sounds a poorly trained dog.

"unlike nettles they have four legs and independent mobility."

Tip: If it's not rooted to the ground but has four legs and independent mobility there's a chance it might move. If this troubles you, don't sit within a dog-lead's reach of it.

A dog would not approach another dog and start randomly licking- it would most likely get bitten.

Nor should a dog approach a human and lick. It shows the dog lacks understanding of boundaries caused by a lack of training.

Your dog did nothing wrong op. He sounds like a nice doggie and would have brightened up my day. if I had any issue with dogs, i wouldn't have sat down beside him.

as I was trying to point out, I wouldn't do so deliberately. I appreciate that you find your condescension extremely witty, but I think you've missed my point.

I accept that people love their dogs, I also accept that sometimes (despite best efforts) I will have an allergic reaction from them. what I don't expect is for people to be offended if I sometimes appear repulsed by their animals.

So dogs take priority over humans when it comes to seats?

THe dog certainly did something wrong- it spread its saliva over someone.
Teaming with bacteria, faeces particles, possibly worm eggs.

Very anti social.

fleamadonna you can't take all the credit. I'm finding the over-reaction from a large number of hysterical posters exceedingly funny.

Oh no, bacteria on an ankle - blues and twos to A&E straight away, tetanus, anti biotics, maybe an overnight stay on a drip, don't panic, don't panic

but ovid it's a dog themed discussion in AIBU, it was bound to become hysterical.

definitely the main reason I clicked it on a rainy Monday morning.

I doubt very much if the doggie was on the bench as he licked the woman's leg.

People do those things every minute of every day. With their sneezes and not washing hands. All animals do it. Probably worse with humans, as they know their dirty habits such as not washing hands after catching snot or sneezes or going to the toilet cause disease or spread of things. Children are big on transmitting worms as they scratch their bottoms and then put hands all over the place.

All social animals are quite anti social in their spread of contagion.

'All gods creatures got a place in the choir,
some sing high and some sing lower,
some sing out loud on the telephone wire
and some just clap their hands, or paws or anything they got'.

Not sure of the religious connotation element, but like the sentiment.

Hygiene precautions should be taken. Precautions should also be taken to avoid certain things would cause you distress.