threenorns
Well-Known Member
okay, to clarify one thing: hubbie, for as long as anybody has known him, has hated dogs and is very very afraid of them. he's okay (ish) with dandy but dandy still frightens him when he gets into one of his hyper states.
today, though, we were walking along the sidewalk and a couple was there with their two miniature poodles. ganesh not only did not walk off the sidewalk and halfway across the road to pass, but he even bent down and gave one of them a quick pat.
it really broke my heart to tell him it's not a good idea to pat a dog, esp a micromutt, from behind when they're not even aware you're there because they've been focussing on their owner.
i tried to be positive about it: "i was really happy when i saw you sneak that pat! that's amazing! and i know you liked how soft that dog's fur is.... just... next time you want to pat a dog, it's a good idea to kind of let it become aware of your presence instead of just sort of swooping down on them like that. eagles, you know."
today, though, we were walking along the sidewalk and a couple was there with their two miniature poodles. ganesh not only did not walk off the sidewalk and halfway across the road to pass, but he even bent down and gave one of them a quick pat.
it really broke my heart to tell him it's not a good idea to pat a dog, esp a micromutt, from behind when they're not even aware you're there because they've been focussing on their owner.
i tried to be positive about it: "i was really happy when i saw you sneak that pat! that's amazing! and i know you liked how soft that dog's fur is.... just... next time you want to pat a dog, it's a good idea to kind of let it become aware of your presence instead of just sort of swooping down on them like that. eagles, you know."