To panic about people spitting when a dog is around

[Lis1992]

So - as in the thread title. I was at a BBQ today and the host’s dog was there. There were lots of fruit flies with the heat and someone mentioned that they had spat on the grass/ground as apparently a fly was in their mouth or about to go in their mouth or something. The dog was inside at the time I presume as he was in all morning with the heat, but came out around 20 minutes
later. He was sniffing around as dogs do.

I felt weird about the fact that someone had spat where the dog could easily have sniffed it or licked it. Nobody else was bothered at all including the owner and all laughed when the person mentioned they had spat due to annoyance of the fly. Wondering AIBU in people’s
opinion. I get very anxious about hygiene etc. And I know dog’s get into lots of germs things. But maybe it’s because they’re a different species or something- I just worried about him sniffing it! So AIBU to feel like that about a dog and human saliva? Would you think anything if it was your dog?

My dog licks her own arsehole, drinks from muddy puddles and eats horse dung if we let her

i wouldn’t be bothered by her licking up someone’s saliva

as a separate point, spitting is hideous and I’d judge someone for that

I genuinely don’t understand the concern?

Thiis! My dog eats shit

Umm, well, I'd think it was pretty gross, but the dog I walked today (not mine) was sniffing at a green meter thing (quite gross, but pretty normal for a dog, but then he started licking it & I drew my line in the sand right there. Vom. He's a year old GS and has spent the rest of the day humping me.

I wold try to discretely stop the dog going to that area, but it won't actually do them any harm. The daft things eat poo.

You're massively over thnking this OP. Dogs smell and lick all sorts of crap and they survive. A bit of human spit won't hurt at all.

@LittleBearPad I guess I get bad germ anxiety and it just made me uncomfortable that a dog could literally lick those germs from another species

My dogs will eat anything, if they could get hold of it. Cat poo, sheep poo, rabbit and hamster poo.

We're talking about animals that roll in fox poo for fun here. What exactly do you think a dog will catch?

🤮🤮and some people let dogs lick their face and lie on their beds!

@MissBattleaxe I’m such an over thinker! And when it comes to germs it’s even worse. It’s a horrible way to be as I do suffer with it

Dogs quite literally eat shit. They will happily lick your face and mouth. You really haven't thought this through.

I think you could have stopped after the fifth word in the title…
Spitting is disgusting and yes, you can spread certain diseases from human to canine, but spitting in itself is already illegal in Enfield in London, and carries fixed-penalty notices in Waltham Forest, so the issue is that it’s seen as an almost- illegal activity in most places in the UK, rather than “can it be harmful to dogs”…

With all due respect OP, this sounds like quite a harmful level of anxiety (I say this with kindness and as a lifelong OCD/anxiety sufferer). It is worth trying to get this under control if you can.

To answer your question — and as PPs have pointed out — dogs happily lick each other's arseholes and sniff shit, so a tiny fleck of human spittle is not something that will harm them in any way!

What? Dogs eat sheep shit, their own shit, rotten shit. What is a persons spot going to give them? I love dogs but they are not clean and they are sturdy fuckers.

Dogs have been known to eat their own sick and lick their own and other dog's buttholes. I'd be more concerned about the animal who spat on the ground and not into a tissue.

Spitting is disgusting end if discussion. Your fixation with spitting and a dog potentially being exposed to it is odd

Oh it must suck for you feeling so anxious!
To reassure you, always had dogs, lots of doggy friends etc, and dogs consume loads of horrendously gross things all the time and are absolutely fine. You do get some dogs with sensitive stomachs but human saliva is pretty low on the germ scale compared to the rabbit, sheep, cow, horse, cat, fox poo etc that dogs will eat. Dogs love sniffing and following trails for other animals like squirrels etc, so its really normal for them - its what they are built to do in a lot of breeds, hunt other species!

@Ushkin thank you. I know you meant it kindly.

Yep my dogs will eat their own sick, especially undigested biscuits.

Also my dog once managed to come across me after I fell asleep on the couch. I awoke to him licking the inside of my nose. He's fine.

@KILM thanks. You’re right- that’s reassured me. Saliva and poop are a tad different germ wise! Appreciate the reply

A dog has much stronger stomach acid than a human, and is capable of fending off much more bacteria in their gut.

I wouldn't worry.

@ShirleyPhallus good point! Appreciate the reply

My dog ate my cats sick earlier. I was just relieved she'd cleared it up for me! She's fine btw

@Hellocatshome it may seem like that to you but as I’ve said I have anxiety around germs and associated things