To suspect the dog biscuits were poisoned?

[crunchymint]

Just taken my labrador for a walk. He is an old dog, extremely friendly and even tempered, and like most labradors very very greedy. I have had to drag him away from sick on the pavement before, that he wanted to eat.
Anyway as we were walking slowly back from the park, a man stopped and stroked my dog - absolutely fine. He then asked if he could give him a dog biscuit. I said sure. He held the biscuit out and my dog would NOT touch it, even turned his head away. So I simply said oh he must not be hungry and we walked away.
He has NEVER turned down any food ever. I even caught him once trying to get in a deep canal, which he could not have climbed out of alone, trying to get bread that someone was throwing for the ducks. He eats everything.
So I strongly suspect the biscuits were poisoned and that he could smell this. AIBU?

It's a bit of a jump.

Well you know your dog, if he’d usually eat anything, it’s not a huge stretch to think he might have sensed that there was more to this treat that met the sniff test.

Not unreasonable to think that but I think it was foolish to let a random stranger give your dog a treat. Would you allow a stranger to give a child a sweet?

It's a bit of a stretch I think - I can't imagine why anyone would poison a stranger's dog and there could be lots of other more reasonable explanations for why your dog refused the biscuit. Maybe the man had something bad smelling on his hands, maybe your dog is a little under the weather etc. That said, in general I wouldn't allow strangers to feed my pets.

You may be right, you may be wrong. Unless the mysterious biscuit man pops up on here you will never know, so therefore YABU.

Bit much thinking he'd poison him right in front of you isn't it?

Hope so anyway.

YABU. I'm also the owner of a greedy lab but occasionally even he turns his nose up at stuff. Maybe he didn't like the smell of something on the mans hands. To instantly think poisoned biscuits is a bit of a leap IMO.

Omg really? I would NEVER make that leap

Why would I not let a stranger give him a dog biscuit? He routinely eats all sorts of dropped food outside before I can stop him.

Maybe been in the bottom of his pockets for so long it had lost its tasty smell and smelt horrible.😃or maybe your lovely dog was saving himself for his dinner?😃
Just joking OP,I know people do try to poison dogs but not using this m.o. Try to put it out of your mind and say no in future... Difficult when a big pair of pleading eyes are staring at you I know!

Did stranger have a dog? Bit odd to have dog biscuits on you if you didnt have a dog.

I have never had a stranger ask to give him food before, except for kids wanting to give him chocolate and obviously always tell them no and explain it can poison dogs.

That a huge leap - probably smelt of month old pocket or some undesirable smell.

I did something with pepermint oil that left my hands smelly - local cat who always comes for some fuss wouldn't come near me but I wasn't suddenly wishing it any hard .

harm not hard.

No stranger did not have a dog. I still do not think my dog would have turned anything down.

One of my dogs will have a go at pretty much anything HE finds on the ground, but absolutely will not take food from anyone he doesn't know.

None of them will eat those treats they have at the vets, groomers, etc.

The biscuits probably smelt a bit off.

My dog is the same eats everything, she’s even ate out the cats litter tray, but she won’t eat the biscuits offered in the groomers in Pets at Home. I don’t suspect they are poisoned just that she doesn’t like the smell of them.

Oh come on! You are seriously taking a big fucking leap here. It could just be that the man had something strong smelling in his hand. If I use a minty hand cream, my dog won't take any treats from me. I am not giving my dog poisoned biscuits. This is the same dog that hoovers up another dog's vomit. SO there you go!

Paranoid much?

I doubt it, mainly because dogs tend to scoff down poisoned food quite readily.

Maybe your dog just prefers eating vomit?

My dog won't take treats from strangers as she doesn't like strangers. She will eat all sorts of 'food' she finds on the ground. I wouldn't assume just because your dog wouldn't eat the treat that it was poisoned.

It's not that much of a leap. If ours turned down a dog biscuit I might think the same… he will eat moss and rocks!

Are you a snob and they were from Aldi maybe?!

I have a lab too - and find it odd that your dog wouldn't take the treat.

Mine will hoover-up anything organic and even non food items on occasion - milk bottle tops/grey wool/pencils.... ('Get it down quick - it can come up later if it isn't digestible' seems to be the instinct.)

Persons without dogs don't usually have dog biscuits on them.

Laughing at the comment that maybe he prefers vomit.
Even if I was a snob, my dog isn't. We walk by Greggs to get to the park. It is a big occasion if someone has dropped a tiny bit of a Greggs sausage roll or pasty.