Strangers giving treats, am I wierd?

[vanillasugar]

Today on our walk with Sierra, we went aside on the path so a man could pass with his dog (Sierra will NOT settle and walk with a dog around, she's somewhat reactive). As he passed, he asked if Sierra could have a treat. I was already giving her treats for focusing on me as the dog passed, talking sweet talk to her, so I said "Oh no thank you, she's got enough here!" (I also was just waiting for him and his dog to move on, so I didn't want him sticking around to chat). He said "Well these are really good treats" and threw her one anyways!!

Matt didn't think there was any problems with this at all, it was nice of the guy to give Sierra a treat (a nice big homemade one that he told us his daughter makes). I was a bit peeved though, I mean I SAID NO! Who is he to throw my dog a treat when he'd asked and been told no!

Would you have been okay with this, or would you have been upset too?

 

[PoodleMommy]

I am wierd too I guess... I dont allow my dogs to take treats from people.

The only person they can have treats from is the guy who owns the pet store I go in because I trust him.

I dont know what this person puts in their treats or where they got them.

This person would have heard ALOT from me if they did this.

 

[Hillside]

I'm fine if they ask, usually, but I've fished food out of Django's mouth before and handed it back to people when they haven't.

 

[vanillasugar]

Ya see I didn't fuss about it at the time since Matt was so nonchalant about it, and didn't seem to mind. I think if I'd been on my own it would have been different.

 

[Southpaw]

It's never happened to me, but I guess I would gladly accept the treat and never give it a second thought. If my dogs had some sort of food allergy then I would decline just because of that. Maybe I just trust people too much, because I would never even think that something would be wrong with the treats.

 

[skittledoo]

I honestly don't feel comfortable with just anyone giving Bamm treats. I'm ok if I know the person and they know the types of food I feed him... but just some random stranger walking down the sidewalk... definitely not... especially in my neighborhood where it could be poison for all you know.

 

[Linds]

I personally don't like it but really haven't told someone no yet, just haven't figured out how to do it without sounding rude. Though if someone did what that guy did I would be really rather annoyed. I usually kinda hesitate and then say it's fine, that is if they bother to ask.

A lot of times though I'll take it away when the person isn't looking or when my dog drops it. Hannah, though isn't food motivated at all and will rarely except a piece of food.

Typically though I'm the one asking if I can give their dog a treat because I cook chicken and cut it up for training, recall, and focusing on walks and at the dog park. So I become the human treat dispenser for other people's dogs.

 

[JennSLK]

as the owner of a dog with a;ergies I would have been pissed

 

[ihartgonzo]

When people want to give Gonzo or Fozzie a treat, I ask them what kind of treats they are! If they reply "Snausages", "Beggin Strips", "Canine Carryouts", "Sugar-packed Fake-plasticy T-bones", etc, I say: "Oh, no thanks, they're allergic!"

I cringe even thinking about feeding the boys those plasticy dyed things, ugha. D:<

If the treat is something even remotely healthy, I say ok, as long as they make them do a trick for it. I wouldn't let a person who didn't have a dog give them treats, though... that would just be creepy.

It is rude to throw a dog a treat without asking, but he probably just thought he was being generous and nice. If you simply say "No, she has enough," or "No thanks, I'm trying to get her to focus," a lot of people won't take that seriously. The best way to go is to specifically tell them that your dog is allergic, or some kind of medical excuse.

What irks me the most is the people at Petco/Petsmart... whenever I bring the dogs, they encourage them to jump up on the counter and give them 25 cookies! Sure, give them one, but at least ask them to sit.

 

[noludoru]

Yes, what he did was VERY rude but I doubt he would see it that way - he probably thought he was being kind. If someone does not want their dog to have a treat from you, you should NOT give their dog a treat. Period. If someone doesn't understand that, replace the word 'dog' with 'child' and people usually get it.

Sometimes I allow people to give Middie treats... depends on the situation. If we are not at the pet store and they don't have a pet, no. If they have their pet with them and it's not a nasty treat and he isn't having digestive issues that week.. sure. At the pet store it's kinda hard to say no if he's behaving well, and you can just tell that nothing will make someone happier than giving him a treat.

I've had a few situations where I scooped whatever it is he was given right out of his mouth and returned it to the person who gave it to him, though. Most of those incidents were children who were giving him something they picked up off the ground or some really nasty food.

 

[Hillside]

What irks me the most is the people at Petco/Petsmart... whenever I bring the dogs, they encourage them to jump up on the counter and give them 25 cookies! Sure, give them one, but at least ask them to sit.

One of the times I took a treat out of Django's mouth was at Petco. I've worked there before I KNOW that they are ALWAYS supposed to ask first, it was covered in the training videos. Well one of the times the cashier, who is also that stores dog trainer (AKA my replacement lol) just gave him a cookie. I grabbed it from him, handed it back to her and said that I'd rather he didn't have it. She said "well you should have said something." My response "Well YOU could have asked, like you are SUPPOSED to." When I was working there, or at PetSmart, I never gave treats without asking unless it was one of my regulars who I knew well. I also NEVER rewarded bad behaviour, a dog never got a treat in my line unless it was sitting, even if I had to lure them into it.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Seriously! I know how much Petco/Petsmarts vary between locations... some have good trainers, some horrible... some have good groomers, some mess up dogs for life... etc. When they do ask, I say "Sure, but can you tell him to sit first?" and that is usually ignored. Like 90% of the time. In the rare instance that they ask. Now both of my dogs have the habit of jumping on Petco/Petsmart counters, because they're sure they are going to get 50 cookies instantly for it. haha.

I don't care that much... but I don't want people to think my dogs are maniacs who jump up at every counter in sight! At the feed store, they never jump up, because I know everyone there and they come out from behind the counter to greet us.

 

[Kjara]

You have a good point.. Stick to it.. You should said something to that guy.. I would..

 

[Sweet72947]

I actually encourage people to give Daisy treats because I'm trying to teach her that strangers are not horrible scary things. I usually have my own that I give to people to give her though.

I can understand being mad about somebody giving your dog a treat when you told them no. For all they know that treat could cause major tummy problems or something!

 

[DanL]

The only person who gives our dogs treats is the guy we train with, and he always asks first. I don't let them have treats at petsmart or have strangers give them treats.

 

[Suzzie]

yes, i think it was rude. I have three dogs with allergies - one to chicken and dairy, the other to red dye, the third to broccoli and cauliflower (I know, weirdo). I would also have fished it out of their mouths. At the vet's the other day, a man tried to give Popper a treat (Popper was there with colitis and definitely not feeling great). I asked what kind of treat it was and he said Science Diet. I responded NO!! Just pet him instead. The man got mad. I don't really care though.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

One should ALWAYS ASK before offering any dog that is not yours a treat. Some dogs, as mentioned, have allergies, etc, or people are training in a particular way.

In general I don't mind if people treat my dogs as long as they say something beforehand.

 

[Renee750il]

Bimmer is VERY wary of anything from anyone he doesn't know well and is completely comfortable with, Kharma picked that up from him, and I like it that way. Having lost Buffy to poisoning, I'd rather they not take food from anyone else without my approval.

But I don't have a lot of problems with people offering them food. Most people seem to think that they might lose an arm or something

Tallulah isn't stand-offish like the other two, which is good, because neither she nor the breed need to project that image. If someone asks, and it's not something horrible, I'm only too glad to have them "captive" for a moment to give them some variant of the "this is one of those Evil Pit Bulls you hear so much about . . . you can see how viciously friendly she is" conversation But I'm still very wary of who I'll let give her a treat of any kind.

 

[PixieSticksandTricks]

I don't like strangers giving my dog treats either. I just don't trust people I know im paranoid but I just don't. Luckily Maggie has never taken a treat from a stranger who insisted on giving her one. She just sniffs it and leaves it.

 

[bnwalker2]

I would have been mad as well. Whenever we have the dogs in the car with us (especially Thunder) and we go to the bank or McDonalds or anywhere like that, the people at the counter almost always ask if they can give him a treat... they all keep boxes of dog biscuits under the counter. I'm fine with that because I can see what kind of treat it is, and if I think it's okay I can give it to the dog myself.

But I don't like when random people just give my dog treats. The worst has been at an auction where Thunder went with me, people just randomly tossing him bits of hot dogs and hamburgers and chili. Luckily, he knows "leave it" and wouldn't touch them and I was able to just walk away.