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?

Dogs' stomachs withstand everything. They are one of the grossest animals around (probably second to chimps), someone's spit would probably bring them great happiness.

I love your sentiment, and I love all animals more than I do people, but you have nothing to be concerned about. Whilst I don't know the diseases that can be transmitted to animals via humans, I'm pretty sure this person was safe to be around as he was at a party with other humans.

It’s a bit mental to get a dog if you are a germophobe.

That's a very bizarre fear to have

Vile? A fly flew into their mouth, it’s hardly vile to spit it out.

I thought I had heard it all but obviously I hadn’t.🫣

Dogs lick everything in sight including their private bits and other dogs private bits especially when the other dog is a bitch and in heat.

Your lucky you don’t have a pet hamster as they are well known for eating their new born babies.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 this is so funny! My dog literally cleans himself by licking his genitals and we have to keep him away when we change a nappy because otherwise he will try to steal the nappy to eat it. Dogs are gross! What are you worried about? What do you think the spit will DO? You think the dog will walk on it and somehow catch a cold? Or walk the germs into your house? Or what? This really made me laugh.

I am more concerned about the number of dogs freely shitting and salivating around us humans. Diseases can move between species and I have never seen a dog trained well enough to wash it's paws for two rounds of the Happy Birthday song.

I think if you have a dog then you have to accept that they eat and roll in whatever they like. This is why I do not have a dog and try and avoid touching animals as much as possible.

I say this with the greatest empathy for you as someone who has had a very good friend with this issue, potentially talk to a GP about your anxiety. Germ anxiety led my friend to increasing anxiety which was unchecked for years. He now has a OCD diagnosis and has had to do quite a lot of CBT to overcome it. Doing some CBT may help you overcome some of this anxiety.

Spitting is disgusting but given the reason on this occasion completely excusable. If the dog ate the fly then that's more of a germ risk than the saliva however my dog makes a hobby out catching those

If you're that worried about germs why do you have a dog? They bring germs into your house after you've walked them. Do you, like a lots of dog owners, let it on furniture or in your bed?

Are you getting any professional help for your anxiety?

I don't think it was the OP's dog - it belonged to the host of the party

I think you might need some sort of counselling for your anxiety, this is really quite a strange post.

In fairness dogs also don’t use their paws to blow their nose, eat a sandwich, pay for their bus ticket, shake hands, wipe their bum, pick up items in shops, and so on and so forth. They use them to walk on the ground. So unless you regularly scrub your feet (several times a day) for two lots of the happy birthday song it’s a bit of a false equivalency.

I should add I'm not meaning to be mean saying that, I've had lots of therapy myself for different issues.

I felt weird about the fact that someone had spat where the dog could easily have sniffed it or licked it.

This is very weird. A dog will literally lick its own arse.

Slugs are very dangerous to dogs, it can infect them with lungworm.

Yep, we had to move our litter tray, we thought the cat was unwell as she didn’t poo for four days, nope, dog had been emptying the litter tray for us.

Hes eaten cat, dog, sheep, cow, fox, rabbit, deer and human poo. Also eaten cat, dog and human sick.

Dogs quite literally eat and lick just about anything. It must be because they are descended from scavengers. Their stomach's are practically cast iron, I'm amazed mine aren't dead really. They eat each others sick (in fact they have proper fights over who gets it), bird shit, tortoise shit, cat shit, unidentified shit and vomit. They love a snotty nose if they can manage to get to one, scabs, rotten food, mouldy bread that the birds didn't eat and had been on a grass verge down the road for ages and was a lovely shade of green.

Plant bulbs, plastic, a dropped needle, anti bac wipes, cat fur, sudocream, Prozac, razors, houseplants, the list is endless.

So yes, spit is very unlikely to harm your dog, but it is gross obviously, and very stressful if you have a germ phobia. I hope you manage to overcome it, as any kind of phobia can be debilitating, and I'm sure the thought of your dog licking spit was upsetting for you.

Every day the last few days there's been a different thread about spitting on actives. Odd.

My dog once ate it’s own vomit and enjoys eating horse shit I don’t stop her. And she licks her own arsed. Not sure a bit of human spit will bother most dogs lol

*if I don’t stop her

But spitting is disgusting! So you are not unreasonable for finding that gross