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?

Yes Ovid! It's that time!

Here I go again!! And I'm going to come down to your level prorsum so you understand....
I hope you get what you deserve and that is to be arrested .... Sorry MN and I'm breaking a rule of my life here about name calling or going down to someone else's level but I don't think she will understand in any other way... Prorsum you are an aggressive halfwit and everything you have posted previously proves that, your aggression and obvious tendency for violence astounds me and you should not be within 5 miles of ANY kids or ANIMALS!

Go and have that drink darling. I'm within 5 miles of quite a few kids and animals and they're all good.

woof woof for good. Promise.

"You need to control your dog"
"You need to control your dog"...
Repeat repeat repeat.

Well bear in mind that many of these dogs who are jumping up, licking and "invading space" ( love that one ) are still puppies.

They are still learning.

So in a public place, where dogs are allowed off lead , contrary to whether people like it or not it may happen - if you don't like dogs then stay the hell away - don't sit a metre away from a family or people who DO have a dog either off lead or on one.

Take some responsibility for YOUR OWN thoughts and feelings and don't expect others to manage them.

And for all those going on about dog saliva - google it comparing it to human saliva .

As a nurse I can vouch for being more about human saliva than I could ever be about dog saliva.

I still can't understand how the poor lickee ???? has become the villain of the piece because she got a little shock at an unexpected wet tongue lick (possibly accompanied by a cold dog nose) and is now an hysterical dog hater who should never venture outside where any lurking dog may be.

The op never said she said anything after the apology to make op feel bad. If someone puts a block of ice on your bare ankle, I defy you not to jump.

In championing op's and barney's feelings some dog lovers have become overly strident in their defense, with no understanding of people with phobias or allergies.

Likewise dog haters (the woman who jumped up can't be assumed to be one) can't expect dogs to not act like dogs and as dog ownership is perfectly legal should take reasonable precautions to avoid them, except where they are banned.

Dog owners can't predict every thing that their dog will ever do, but a simple apology (which op did) and consideration will go a long way to make everyone happy.

YADBVVVU!!

waves at pintof madam offered to change my eating habits. It would have rude not to give her opportunity to live up to her words

Finally a friend of Toby speaks truth. You don't care

You are my favourite person on MN right now

The thing is, Mary, a person with a genuine phobia or life threatening allergy would not seat themselves next to a dog, regardless of whether there are other seats available or not, which in this case there were, would they?

I've nothing against people who are phobic and people with allergies have my utmost sympathy but if you sit yourself next to the source of your fear or allergy then you're a bit daft, really aren't you?

I doubt this woman was phobic or allergic.

Most posters amusement is coming from the ott pearl clutching responses, rather than poor Barney's ankle licking habit.

Hilarious thread.

Certainly makes sense as to why there are so many precious children around.

Have people seriously got so little to worry about .

Ragged was so right down thread.

It is a parenting responsibility to make sure that children have proportionate responses to perceived threats.

Exactly Lost, which is why I doubt she had anything against dogs. Just an involuntary reaction to a cold lick

mary I think there's only been four of us on this thread that have considered that the lickee just reacted in shock to an unexpected encounter rather than was a hysterical shrieking dog hater.

I've suggested it a few times and have been totally ignored each time maybe because I'm not frothing on either side of the spectrum thinking either that the woman was a stupid bitch who should get a grip or thinking Barney need to be disciplined and not let out.

Maybe, just maybe, Barney didn't lick the woman at all. Maybe he just happened to accidentally touch her with his cold, wet nose.

Exactly wixing, the frothers get all the attention.

Too late Ovid, I brought up the cold nose already in a previous post (which probably went unnoticed as it wasn't offensive to anyone in particular enough)

Start punctuating any sensible posts, with "you cunt" Mary then we'll pay attention to them, it well be to feed you to a pack of rabid dogs, but it's attention, nonetheless

I shall lick them right back should it ever happen.

Ok I'm going to try an experiment.

my asthmatic dd 18 is allergic to dog saliva ,she would be very ill if she didnt have her anti/hist and inhaler with her.

The dog was offended ??? Its an animal!!!
I wouldnt like to be licked by a dog but then i wouldn't have sat next to you cause i dont like dogs. Its not your dogs fault though.

Maybe, just maybe, YOU CUNT, the lickee wasn't hysterical, YOU CUNT, but just made an exclamation of surprise YOU CUNT, or like mary said YOU CUNT (not you Mary) it was the shock of the cold nose.

Wixing you cunt, my dogs are incredibly offended that you've called me a cunt, you cunt. One has kicked the cat off the sofa in disgust and one has nipped out, licked my neighbour's ankle and called her a cunt, you cunt.

The other wants your address and says she'll meet you ahhhtside, you cunt.

I suppose you're going to get hysterical now, you cunt, aren't you?

YABU.

People should be able to sit in the park without other people's animals being annoying.

Can you wankers not insult each other with a bit more imagination? I'm a fucking foreigner trying to bloody learn some new words. Cunt I know.

"Can you wankers not insult each other with a bit more imagination? I'm a fucking foreigner trying to bloody learn some new words. Cunt I know."

reni, I just scared the shit out of the cat due to laughing so loudly when I read that!

Can I teach you 'ohbollockscuntfuckshitsodandbuggerit'?

It's London speak for 'damn'.