To wonder why people stand at the bottom of my drive looking at my dog?

[MrsOverTheRoad]

For context...we live on a high street in a rural town. We're at the "quiet end" so no shops here but a pub next door.

We have a drive leading from the high street to our garden...it's pretty long but you can clearly see our big gates which separate our back garden from the driveway....our dog sleeps in the garden by the gate.

He's a distinctive dog....a big one. People sometimes stop by the end of the drive and stare at him which makes him bark.

They then stand there STILL staring!

I went out earlier today to see why he was having a hissy fit and there was a man of about 60 standing there staring.

So I said "Are you ok?" and he said "I'M ok!" as though the dog was being unreasonable!

The dog hadn't barked for long...just a few but Loud and he'd been fast asleep moments before so I know it was another dog tourist.

This man then wanted to know WHY the dog was bloody barking!

He doesn't bark if people don't stand and stare at him!

Wtf? It happens at least twice a week...the other week there was a whole family standing there looking at him whilst he barked his nuts off.

Have people no sense?

He's a big, white dog...good looking and all that yes...but he's not THAT remarkable!

I would stop and look at your polar bear dog.But move away rapidly when it was clear it was not comfortable.

So YANBU.

wickedgirl we were so lucky with our Newfie, she didnt slobber at all. Leonbergers are stunning. Big dogs rule 💜

The man down the road had two litttle yappy dogs. If someone walks past they bark.

I do all I can to wind those dogs up. Sometimes hide behind the hedge and jump out on them, sometimes walk backwards and forwards, sometimes bark at them or even miaow. I purposely jangle my keys on approach so they know someone's coming.

Must drive the owner mental, but it is so much fun.

We have a pure white cat who likes to sit and look out of the living room window. I often spot people gawping in at her, particularly parents pointing her out to children.

Oh my gosh I had a family member who had a Maremma and she was the most beautiful dog! A great big teddy bear, both temperament and coat wise. Can't imagine what the vacuuming in their house was like though!

I have a gate barker too. I was told by a behaviourist that dogs don't think the same as humans. Say you're walking past my house to the shop. My dog sees someone coming towards their terrority, barks, and then as you continue to the shop my dog thinks "wow that worked! That was great!" and will keep doing it.

I bought a sheet of MDF (not the super cheap paper thin type, but you won't want it too heavy) from B&Q, got them to cut it (they'll do it for free) sealed it with some MDF sealer paint, and got some black garden paint and put that over the top. Drilled holes in it, and used black cable ties along the sides to attach it to my gate. It's great, looks like metal, and cost me about £20 all in all. It's survived a lot of weather and still looks great. :)

Is your dog a Sammy by chance, people can't help it. But my god they bark for England

Tbh I would be mesmerised by your dog, he's a stunner

Just seen you posted the breed. Sorry.

Yep I'd want a peek at him too but I would move along quickly if he barked as I'd feel bad for pissing him off.

I don't think YABU but I can see why people stop to look! Gorgeous.

I have a St. Bernard x Rottweiler, people always want to look at him or talk about him when we are out. Well, the ones that don't just cross the road when they see us coming anyway.

@Changebagsandgladrags haha you are mental

It's a guardian breed, of course he's going to bark. People are weird, but they're gonna stare at an unusual dog.

People often do this with one of my cats when he sits at the window, he's a mog, but identical to a maine Coon, a huge ball of fluff.
I assume they are just admiring him.
Must be annoying for you though if your dog barks.

"our dog sleeps in the garden by the gate. He's a distinctive dog....a big one."

There's your answer.

We have a stupid neighbour who insists on walking her aggro little Pomeranians (I think) past our place every time my dog is in the front garden (behind a wire fence) doing a poo. She feels very vulnerable at this time and goes off her brain when they (of course) start yapping. If my dog is not in the front garden, the old duck walks her dogs in the park across the bloody road. Of course she complains about my dog being aggressive (Which I'll admit she would be if I let her anywhere near those little dogs - and I won't...) but won't admit to goading her.
(Btw - my dog was attacked by a daschund and is terrified of little dogs now. She weighs 40 kilos and has no idea she's a monster.)

I would worry that someone would try to steal him.

I would also stop and say hello to him but walk away if he started barking.

I think there's a difference between having a quick look and staring. The latter can be seen as threatening for dogs. Particularly if the person isn't talking to the dog, just standing there staring at them.

I have a rescue who hates being stared at, it makes her visibly nervous and uncomfortable. If the person doesn't stop after her making it obvious she doesn't like it she will bark/growl at them and to be honest I don't blame her, think I would feel uncomfortable if a stranger stood there staring at me in silence 🙈

this is such a stealth dog boast.

Just say you have a gorgeous dog people stare at, OP, no one minds.

I have a Beagle puppy she's gorgeous we can't go anywhere without loads of people stopping and petting her people like dogs🐶

I have a very polar bear like dog (mines a huge mongrel) and people do stop and stare at him a lot, he is a massive tart though and loves the attention.

I don't think people actually think when it comes to dogs sometimes, next doors teenager's friends took to leaning against our railings a while back and looking at the dog and my cats whilst waiting for her in the mornings which made the dog make this annoying whimper noise (probably because they weren't stroking him) and when I went out and spoke to them they seemed genuinely shocked that's what was winding him up, they have in fairness stopped leaning and say 'Hi Dog' now which shuts him up, but they really hadn't realised.

changebags that's pretty twatty tbh, you know you're upsetting them, and the owner, why would you do that?

Mrs Cropley, if you think your lurcher is "scratty" I think he should come and live with me, where he will be properly appreciated.

That's emotional abuse, that is.

I'm always stopping to gawp at lovely dogs, I'm afraid.

I do all I can to wind those dogs up. Sometimes hide behind the hedge and jump out on them, sometimes walk backwards and forwards, sometimes bark at them or even miaow. I purposely jangle my keys on approach so they know someone's coming.

WHY? What is wrong with you. This is one of those posts where I get some insight into the minds of those who torture animals or small children.

I dunno. In the beginning they used to scare the DCs so I did stupid stuff to make them not seem frightening.

I got addicted to the stuff

Bloody hell, I don't touch the dogs, I just act the eejit around them. FFS