To expect people not to try and pick up my dog?

[HannahHut]

I'm the owner of a chihuahua and while home for Xmas I took him for a walk in the park. A little girl about 8/9 with her mother stopped and knelt down to fuss over him (this is fine, he loves this). However she tried to pick him up with her arms around his middle so could have injured him. I told her quite sharply ''Don't pick him up, just stroke him'' I wanted to make sure she let go of him quickly hence my tone.

The mother huffed at me and told me not to tell her kid off before walking away. AIBU to think people should teach their kids not to pick up little dogs?! Just because he's small doesn't give everyone the right to pick him up. Sorry I just needed to vent a little.

YANBU. For their own safety, children should be taught to ask before touching a strange dog, let alone picking one up.

No, you are not bu. Also children are good at dropping dogs as well, so the potential for injury is high.

yanbu. My kids know not to try to pet a dog without asking the owner if it's okay first. I don't think they'd even consider picking one up randomly!

YANBU. MY DS has a small Pom. Loves fuss. Hates being picked up. Pom wouldn't bit but would growl fiercely which is distressing for dog and child.

I had a pair of parents watch adoringly while their precious darling (approx 18 months old), tried to poke my dog in the eye! I was chatting to someone so hadn't even noticed the child until the last minute.

Luckily, my dog is very, very chilled so she just reversed away from the child but seriously, do some parents not realise that dogs are animals, not cuddly toys?

You did the right thing.

If she doesn't want her child told off, she teaches her how to interact safely with dogs!

Thank you for replying.

I know he isn't any danger whatsoever, it was more me being scared of her hurting him, she was trying to pick him up around the middle as kids tend to, under his arms if you know what I mean. I think she saw him as a toy rather than an actual dog like people tend to do with small breeds.It just gives me the rage

Yanbu! We have a Saint Bernard and kids try to sit on him and all sorts!! The amount of times I’ve been told not to tell off people’s kids even though I’m just asking them to please not sit on him or pretend he’s a pony. He’s massive but Bernard’s notoriously have bad joints and they aren’t built like horses!

Of COURSE YANBU!

How rude of people to do this.

Simply tell them your dog doesn't like being picked up, and stop them doing it!

It's strange but people would seldom take such liberties with an inanimate object belonging to a stranger - picking it up, sitting on it etc. - yet dogs are considered fair game.

A small child flung her arms round one of mine, fortunately he’s one of the chilled ones. If she’d picked the grumpy one, he would not have been happy. Parents really need to teach their children some safety etiquette around dogs.

I moan a lot about the shit i get as a staffy owner...but sometimes (just sometimes) when i read these i am a bit glad! It was very rare that any parent willingly shoved their kid towards my dog, despite the fact that she really was soft as shit & loved a good fuss! I think you were very restrained just using a firm tone tbh, your poor dog could have been hurt!

Yanbu - i have drilled it in to my children to ask my permission if they can ask the owners permission to stroke a dog.

I have 3 medium sized dogs who are all really bouncy. Parents seem oblivious and let their children run up to my dogs. I stop still, tighten their leash so theyre closer to me and i have better control. I dont want my dogs jumping up on their child no matter how used to dogs they are. Same with other dog owners...yet i get death stares when one of my dogs growl (at dogs not children) when mine are on a leash and theirs arent!

I use my dogs and experiences that my dc see to educate.

I was a terrible child though, thought i was one with dogs and it didnt matter how many times i was told not to...id run over and stroke a dog. Strangely never bitten, which strengthened my belief haha

Nct I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by the number of children who do ask nowadays.

I always find it odd how many adults also assume that they can fuss a dog without asking. My DD has been around rescue dogs since she was weeks old, so she understands why she has to ask; if i can drill it into her from walking age how can adults not even get it???

YANBU.

I get so fed up with children even trying to stroke the dogs without asking. To ask, or tell, child abuse child not to pick up your dog is perfectly acceptable.

Yep adults are far worse than children these days!

I have a Chihuahua and he's v small he doesn't like being picked up and he's weed on someone before when they've tried.It is annoying sometimes but kids just see him and want to touch him

If she had hurt him and he nipped her the mother would have complained more. People are clueless with other people's dogs, yanbu.

I'd get one of those harnesses and leash that have writing on like "nervous" or "do not approach". It should put a stop to it.

YANBU. My ex boyfriend did this recently when we got talking to someone when walking. The owner had to tell him not to pick the dog up. I was really embarrassed and quite cross with him. I'd never dream of picking up someone's pet and always ask permission to stroke them. One of the many reasons he's an ex.

I've got a bearded collie and I've had people try to put his hair in a pony tail when I've not been looking

I had my own thread on this subject..in the end I started saying quickly ...don't touch her ,she bites...

I'm at the opposite end of the size scale with a breed of dog people tend to think of as welcoming attention.
She's not aggressive but she hates being approached by strangers or other dogs and the number of people who fail to check is annoying - not least because we also have a yellow bandana which reads "I need space".
Bad enough in my experience so imagine it would be ten times worse with a toy breed.