Six things that annoy dog owners

Dan and I have had Ted, our cute as a button Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for what feels like a lifetime now, and have had quite a few run ins with the general public. In fact, just about anyone with a cute dog will be the victim of at least one of the heinous crimes I am about to list.

This International Dog Day, I wanted to entertain and educate you by sharing some photos of some of the cutest dogs in the blogosphere, and share the ways that people annoy, aggravate, or frankly piss off, the owner of a cute dog.

A cute dog like Sophie’s Hugo. Look at that face!

Kerb Crawl

The first thing that annoys a cute dog owner is when people decide to pull up alongside them on the street and shout your appreciation. Who doesn’t want to think they’re about to be hurled into the boot of a car while walking a creature dependent on them for safety? What’s worse than a drive by stare and shout though, is when drivers slow their cars to a crawl and drive alongside us. You know we can’t escape while we’re walking on the pavement, so we’ll have to maintain conversation with you until you’re done. Isn’t that fun?

In all honesty, I have had this happen to me no less than six times while I’ve been walking Ted around my local area, and every time has made me almost jump out of my skin.

I’m sure it would make Jenny’s Rory jump too.

Flinch Away

On the other extreme, people who visibly flinch away from our dogs as we pass aren’t in our good books. As everyone knows, all dogs are bound to tear you limb from limb, and you need to stay as far away as possible. They smell fear! But in all seriousness, I understand that some people have genuine phobias of dogs, and don’t want to be near them – that’s fine. What I don’t understand is people who don’t attempt to distance at all until they are two foot from the dog as they pass – it’s dramatic, and a little rude.

This doesn’t happen to me very much, since Ted is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and on the small side at that, but this one is truly a peeve of dog owners with larger breeds, like Huskies or German Shepherds, or Staffies. Yes, I understand the need to stay aware of danger, but surely it’s a bit excessive to jump out of the way when the dog cocks its leg to pee?

Of course Joy’s Captain Hastings Alyosha is the type of dog we all need to run from. Run, run now!

Disrespect Doggy Boundaries

Probably the most common thing that aggravates dog owners is by disrespecting doggy boundaries, especially with your own dog! Please, feel free skip over to every dog you see and give them a good scratch without checking with their owner. Please, bring your anxious dog into my lovely Ted’s face, when you know your dog will snap at mine.

If you know your dog is anxious around other dogs, don’t bring them over and act surprised when they bark at my dog. Likewise, if you don’t know if the dog you’re faced with is anxious around other dogs or people, don’t go over to them and act surprised when you’re barked at. Although socialisation is important, boundaries are far more important – it’s what keeps us and our dogs safe.

Related: A Plea to Big Dog Owners

My Ted is 5kg and loves other dogs, but do you know what he doesn’t love? People bringing their dogs over to see him, and getting snapped at by them for no reason. I don’t love that either.

Clap Their Face

Talking of abusing boundaries, this one really riles up your dog owners. Remember all those times you’ve looked at a cute baby and felt the uncontrollable urge to pat their cheeks and slap them on the nose, but you haven’t because, you know, it’s a human baby. Well, the same applies to a dog!

I have no problem with people giving Ted a little stroke or scratch, but it infuriates me when people in the street come over and clap Ted on the cheeks, especially if they haven’t asked to pet him at all. We’re always taught to keep our hands to ourselves, and really that should extend to dogs too. I wouldn’t like to have my cheeks clapped and pulled, and I’m sure Ted wouldn’t like it either.

How could anyone clap Lucy-Kate’s April’s gorgeous little face?

Pick Them Up

This one is very similar to my previous point, but a little less common. Well, a lot less common, thankfully. Ted’s tiny, so for some reason, people are motivated to grab him off the pavement into the air and give him a cuddle… While you’re at it, when he wriggles to try and escape the clutches of a total stranger, why not just drop him on the floor?

I wince every time someone who isn’t a close member of the family picks Ted up. I almost go HAM when a stranger does it in the street – and it has happened a few times. See above! If you wouldn’t pick up a random person’s child in the street, don’t do it to my damn dog!

Yes, I want to cuddle AnHistorianAboutTown’s Agnes too, but you know what? She belongs on the ground!

Fuss Over Them While I’m Eating

This last one is personal, and truthfully more about me than the well-being of my dog. It drives me up the wall when Ted is finally sitting calmly under our table as we eat, and someone decides to kneel down, coax him out, and give him cuddles. Don’t mind me sitting there, shovelling pizza into my mouth…

I am definitely not made for celebrity status. Interrupting a person’s meal is the rudest thing anyone can do, and it’s my biggest bug bear when people disrupt Ted. What they don’t see when they walk away is my desperate attempt to calm him down and get him to lay down under the table again. Please, just don’t!

Bailey doesn’t want you pestering her mum, Simone, while she eats. She will stare you out if you try it.

BONUS: Tell Them They’re Not Cute

The final way anyone is guaranteed to annoy every cute dog owner in the world is to deny the cuteness of their dog!

So what better way to end this post than with a bombardment of cute dog pictures?

How could anyone deny the cuteness of Vikki Lea’s two cuddle pigs?

Look at the swagger that Michaela’s Pablo has!

Look at that beautiful smile on Tali from TrailTailsUK

These two cuties get to go on adventures with their mum, The Inbetween Traveller.

Shar’s Coda looks like she has a lot on her mind. Still cute though!

Last but not least, Riana’s cutie pie