
I feel like this is a topic that somehow dog owners can never agree on.
There is 2 camps.
Camp: My dog is friendly
Camp: My dog is reactive
There is also people and dogs in between but these are the main ones.
Two years ago I wrote a post that went a bit viral about that your friendly dog isn't being friendly, he's actually harassing people. The other day I reshared it and it flared up again and one message keeps coming through...
'If your dog isn't friendly you shouldn't come here'.
Why is that?? Why is it that for some reason when you have a dog that loves other dogs you feel like if someone isn't so social is just not welcome?
Why is it that when we have a lead in our hands suddenly all common decency about personal space and being respectful is out of the door?
I have had people walk straight at me even when I asked for space. I have crossed the street and people with dogs would follow me 'so their dog could say hi'. I have actively avoided eye contact, crossed streets and showed every body language possible to human that I'm uncomfortable but still... people seem to go completely oblivious because I have a leash in my hand with a dog on the end?
If I was a woman alone on the street you would NEVER force yourself on me (assuming that everyone that reads this is a decent human being and not some sex predator). You would never cross the street with me. You would never INSIST on meeting me. Why? Because you know its RUDE. You would never walk up to me and tell me 'Go walk somewhere else then'. You would probably just look at me and not even give a single flying fuck what I was doing.
I simply can't understand why it is that as dog owners collectively we can't be respectful of each others space.
It's actually ridiculous that I have to make post after post to BEG people to just respect MY personal space. My dogs personal space. We're not asking you to do anything else except leave us alone.
Why is that so hard?
Responses we have gotten to that super simple question:
- You need to socialise your dog more (as if it was that simple to some dogs)
- You should avoid places where other dogs come then.. basically banning us from any places in nature that we'd love to enjoy. You're saying
- You're not welcome in forests
- You're not welcome near rivers or lakes
- You're not allowed to go to the beach
- You can't go to parks
- You can only walk on urban streets because I can't be bothered giving you personal space.

I have said it before and I will say it again:
Not everyone is as social as each other. There are literally hermits out there and people that are inable to be alone and everything in between.
You have people that love to socialise but just with their family members and close friends. You have people that love going for coffee. You have people that love to go nightclubbing.
We are not all the same. Dogs are also NOT all the same. Stop expecting everyone and everydog to live the same life as your dog and just. RESPECT. EACH OTHERS. SPACE.
Thats all we ask. Surely that's not too much?
Watch more on this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlWf02MHKCo&ab_channel=TheCompleteCanine
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