I’m okay being “uptight” about dog ownership

Some people think I’m uptight about dog ownership. (It’s cool, I’m not offended 😉) . A few years back I’d have said the same thing!

I have high standards for my personal dog, especially when we’re in public.

We spend a lot of time practicing being polite, I think it’s rude for dogs to greet strangers (human or canine) without permission, and I often say “no” when someone asks if they can pet her.

I know my standards can seem extreme

The way I view dog ownership can feel over the top. A lot of us are used to a world of “dog lovers” — people who:

• Want to say hi to our dogs
• Consider the day a win if they pet a pupper
• Can’t wait to tell Fido he’s the “goodest boy”
• Don’t mind being jumped on or licked
• Have only had good experiences with canines
• Are otherwise happy to be around dogs

As time has gone on, I’ve grown to appreciate another side of the coin, though.

Not everyone is a dog lover

The world seems full of dog lovers — but it’s also full of people who are afraid of dogs. Or indifferent towards dogs. Or just appreciative of personal space.

And it’s also full of dogs themselves who’d rather not greet every member of their species.

Imagine being a dog out in public

Dogs aren’t humans, so analogies pretty much always fall short — but I still find this one helpful.

Close your eyes. Picture walking into a public place and having half the people there fixate on you. They’re staring. Approaching to get a closer look. Some are even trying to get all the way in your face while speaking high-pitched words in a language you don’t know. Others are shouting.

Even if they were all “friendly”, you’d be pretty uncomfortable, right? I know I would be.

But does not wanting to hug strangers mean I don’t deserve to enjoy being in public?

It sounds absurd. We’d never say that only the most tolerant, social humans should go out and about. So why do we expect our dogs to want to greet everyone?

We shouldn’t have to always “say hi”

Why do we think it’s okay to let them stare and approach people and dogs without permission?

Why do the words “dog friendly” mean that every creature who enters that space needs to be comfortable being sniffed or jumped on without warning?

I’ve become more “uptight” about dog ownership and training to be in public because I care about being respectful.

I don’t know what anyone else I meet has gone through — and I don’t want to be the reason they have a bad experience.

Everyone perceives things differently

What to me looks like an innocent desire to say hello could be terrifying to someone else. An unsolicited approach could set another owner back months in training their own dog. The person at the table next to me might have been bitten before.

Dog-friendly businesses shouldn’t be free-for-all dog parks — and I don’t think it’s fair to other patrons to bring a completely untrained dog to them.

I’m proud to be an “uptight” dog owner. I won’t give up on doing my small part to change the norms of how dogs and owners should act in public.

Together, we can improve everyone’s enjoyment while out and about!