Why do they let them do this?

[insanityscratching]

We're on holiday with Eric. We went for lunch today in a dog friendly pub and so as we ate Eric lay under the table, quiet and pretty much out of sight. We were eating and chatting so didn't see a young girl run to Eric until she was next to him her face in his.
Now Eric is a pretty sound dog and does like a fuss but the parents of the girl didn't know that and Eric was waiting to be given a titbit when we had finished and so might have seen the young girl as a threat to his titbit.
I asked the girl to leave the dog alone and asked her parents to ask next time before touching my dog only to be told "Oh she's alright she's got three at home she knew he was friendly"
I worry because had Eric snapped he would have been assumed to be at fault but what can you do when some people are so ignorant. It actually spoilt my lunch as I felt on guard then just in case someone else decided to pet him uninvited.

Drives me crazy too. Worse if you have a 'friendly' breed. Or one like they have at home. Have to say we always try for corner tables and keep a good eye out. As you say it would have been your fault if Eric had snapped. Hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday!

How annoying !

It amazes me how if they have 3 dogs at home they haven't taught her how to behave around dogs ,especially other people's dogs , mine do as we explained to them from an early age !

Don't let it spoil your time away , enjoy the lovely weather & I hope Eric is also enjoying his holiday .

It's just so unnecessary. He's little and cute and doesn't snap as a rule but our youngest is eleven and so he hasn't been around many young and possibly unpredictable children. Had they asked I'd have said no because he was settled under the table and waiting for a treat and I'd have wanted him out in the open to see that he wasn't getting stressed before he was fussed.
Some people seem to have no sense.

It's crazy. My dog was sat concentrating on me eating outside a cafe and a random teenager reached out and patted him on the top of the head from behind as he walked past. My dog snarked....

My children have been taught to ask before they stroke dogs.

:)

And insanity, iirc our circumstances are pretty similar and if I can teach my daughter with Sld not to stroke before asking, people have no excuse do they? :o

I agree owllady , my eldest has a form of social communication disorder but she knows that you don't approach a dog you don't know unless you ask permission from the owners !

Yes dd has autism (as does ds) and dogs have been an obsession for years (naming obscure breeds whilst out was a speciality) but she was taught not to touch any dog before asking.

My JRT gets nervous around kids and has growled before. I hate when children just run over and stick their hands in his face, I then have to pull him away and look like a mean cow by telling them they can't pet him.

A relative of mine allowed his children to really roughly play with his dog (a huge bull mastiff, the kid was 3) but they didn't teach him not to do it everywhere so he smacked a dog outside a supermarket, it bit him and they got the dog put down. Absolutely disgusting.