I must be very dumb as I can’t come up with any good reason a dog should not be touched other than the dog is dangerous or is in training to be a service animal.
@MaterS , as a dyed-in-the-wool dog person, the only non-temperament reason I’ve ever heard involves a dog with some kind of pain issue.
Note we are talking touching, not mauling, hugging, etc. Kids need to be taught how to approach animals with respect.
It’s not just little kids.
I was at a wholesale club where a lady had a tiny dog in her cart (which I hate but she did provide a barrier and it was very little and well behaved). Another lady runs up and literally sticks her nose in the dog’s face all the while proclaiming how cute he was! The dog’s owner was not amused in the least and I could envision the intruder getting her nose bitten off immediately. (I think the owner did too.)
Why in the world do people assume their dog is so sweet it “wouldn’t hurt a flea” and why do people assume a strange dog won’t bite them (out of fear if nothing else)? I know people that would bite you if you get in their space.
I’d put touching another persons dog without permission in the same category as touching their kid or their handbag or their possessions. It doesn’t belong to you and asking is a sign of respect. Kids need to be taught this. In addition, any animal, even a highly trained one, is capable of behaving unpredictably or biting, especially if it feels threatened, and small kids behave unpredictably, especially from the point of view of the dog. This is exactly why proper service animals are so highly trained—-it reduces the number of unpredictable situations for the dog because he has already encountered many situations in its training.
There should be vigilance on the part of dog owners, and parents, especially in public places.
I hope all the recent attention will result in some sensible new rules to protect those who need a service animal, and minimize the people trying to game the system. I think it would be a good start to require dogs traveling as ESAs on planes to have Canine Good Citizen certification.
Why someone might say no to touching a dog—“traveling is stressful and I’m trying to keep my dog’s stress to a minimum”
I find this rationale amusing "Why someone might say no to touching a dog—“traveling is stressful and I’m trying to keep my dog’s stress to a minimum” Isn’t it kind of counter intuitive that the owner is worried about the stress of the animal when that animal is being presented as the stress reliever for the human? Seems like a codependency loop where neither side is ever going to be comfortable.
“Why someone might say no to touching a dog—“traveling is stressful and I’m trying to keep my dog’s stress to a minimum””
A very ironic reply to someone who is traveling with a pet that is supposedly there to relieve THEIR stress.
If only all ESAs were as suited to the role as Daniel the duck!
My daughter transported her cat back to her apartment from our home. We paid for it, and we tranquilized him. She said you never would have known he was there, he was just chilled out in his carrier. If you’re worried about your dog being stressed on the plane, or biting, etc., why aren’t these people giving their pets a mild sedative?
As cute as Daniel the Duck is, I have a feeling if he could talk that he’d express displeasure at having to wear shoes and a diaper.
^ There are probably many toddlers and perhaps geriatrics that would feel the same way about shoes and diapers 
No dog that would bite - even under stress of new sounds or children - has ANY business on an airplane. If it is not a SERVICE animal, highly trained to do a specific job, leave it at home. Period.
Anyone that excuses a dog for biting a child clearly doesn’t have a child.
When I am out with my dog in a busy area I expect her to keep her focus on me and my cues to her. I cannot trust that strangers know how to interact with a dog.
I have also been out with a friend and her dog and held the lead outside while she popped into a shop. That is always a reason to not let a stranger touch a dog.
We used to have a dog who was pretty timid and shy. Strangers petting her stressed her out.
If people asked to pet her, I generally said no. I never anticipated that she’d bite, and in 14 years she never did. But I had good reasons for not wanting strangers to touch her.
Mater S–you do realize we’re not talking about shopping on a street?
We’re talking about close quarters on a plane with limited options where people pay hundreds of dollars for their seat?
And shouldn’t have to worry about a random animal? Especially with an owner who thinks their animal is “golden”?
It’s called “courtesy” and sorely lacking.
Even on the street and shopping, if your pet is prone to nip or attack anyone touching it, leave it at home. It would be happier there anyway if strangers stress it out.
Yes, all parents should teach their children to ask before touching an animal and model and practice the appropriate behavior but the onus falls on the pet owner to train their pet or leave it at home.
I’ve actually noticed parents and kids are way better at asking then the people who actually work in Petco. I’m trying to train my puppy to be able to be out in public and we’ve done a lot at home first. The darn workers there sit there whistling, calling to her from across the store and squeezing toys for her. She won’t get better if she isn’t exposed and socialized, but I wish the workers had a little more common sense.
I don’t know what the conventional wisdom is now, but back in the day it was considered that a dog’s reaction to a sedative could be difficult to predict and not necessarily as desired. And since in those days dogs were expected to travel in baggage, anything that might depress their breathing could be a problem.
I can “excuse” a dog for biting a child, depending on the circumstances. And I definitely have a child. Just like I can excuse a child for pulling a dog’s tail or otherwise bothering them. Both need to be protected from the situation by the adults in charge. That’s where I place the blame.
@1or2Musicians what you describe is something that I think falls under “temperament issues.” I said OTHER THAN temperament issues.
And yeah, I think the fearful dog needs to be protected by its person.
I have a close friend whose dog was abused as a puppy and as a result has a very questionable temperament. When you gain her trust and she gets to know you, you can see that her behavior stems from genuine fear. But in the meantime, she has and will bite. Although she likes me, I would NEVER try to pick her up, for example. He doesn’t let children try to pet her, although she is impossibly adorable.
She needs to be protected. She is the way she is because of people. It is not her fault.
If an ESA is sedated then how is it any different than a stuffed animal or a safety blanket?
Why aren’t these people taking a mild sedative? ;0