'My dog is not public property': Strangers get upset when pupper parent refuses to let them pet his puppy in training, causing a streetside scene

Author image for Blake Seidel
Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Jan 24, 2026 9:00 AM EST

Social media has tricked us into believing every dog you see wants your love. The truth is far from the opposite.

If you've only ever interacted with labradors, golden retrievers, or poodles and their mixes, you have a very sheltered view of the range of dog personalities. All of these dogs have been bred to be friendly to people. Some even say they're overly friendly. These dogs have all been engineered to be the ultimate family dogs. They're good with people, other dogs, kids, and are relatively easy to train and live with. However, not all dogs have the same temperament, and if you treat all dogs the same, you're going to end up with a bite.

There are many, many dogs that do not want a stranger's attention or to play with your dog. These kinds of dogs are typically fearful, and sometimes, what we in the dog world call "reactive". Reactive dogs get pushed to a point of being uncomfortable to resort to their base instincts of fight or flight, and in most scenarios, they choose "fight" to defend themselves. Even if the dog isn't reactive, you still shouldn't disturb a stranger's dog just because it's cute. Just like the puppy below, some parents take their dog's training seriously (in fact, we think more people should take their dog training more seriously) and don't want them disturbed unnecessarily. Always ask before approaching someone's dog, and if they say no, respect their decision. It is their dog after all.

If you're the one who gets upset when a dog owner says you can't touch their dog, you are 100% the problem. Believe us, we know how strong the urge can be to pet a cute dog, but the dog is not public property. Be respectful, that's all we ask.

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  • 01
    Person Touching Golden Retriever including 'People unfortunately have no boundaries around dogs'
    via Alice Castro from Pexels

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Just a vent about people that think they can pet my puppy without asking me, not even acknowledge me. Yes, he is beautiful but you don't know if my puppy likes being pet or not and even if he does I don't want your dirty, greasy hands all over him.
    via chelseamil33
  • 03
    The real reason it bothers me is because he is 8 months old and still training and learning good behavior and people get him all riled up. He is big and strong and can be hard to control if he is over excited. He is calm and well behaved when left alone. No, don't reach out for him, whistle or make noises to get his attention.
    via chelseamil33

  • What people don't see is how long it takes to get your dog back to being calm after interactions like that. Whether they're pawsitive or negative, the dog is thrown off its neutral mental state. Anytime a dog is outside of a calm, collected mental state, they start to act out. It's nearly impawssible to get any significant training done when the dog isn't in the right headspace. Think like you're trying to get a big project done, but your mom keeps calling you to tell you how cute you are. Do you think you're going to make any meaningful progress on your project if she calls you every five minutes? Yeah, we didn't think so.

  • 04
    Also, people who get visible mad when they ask me to pet him and I say no. Some of them have actually said bad things to me in an angry way when I'm telling them a simple: No, he is in training but thank you for asking.
    via chelseamil33
  • 05
    If you want to pet a dog so bad there's many waiting at the shelter!!
    via chelseamil33
  • 06
    Tibetan Terrier Obedience Training Outdoors
    via Lorna Pauli from Pexels

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 07
    79screamingfrogs People unfortunately have no boundaries around dogs.
    via 79screamingfrogs
  • 08
    NobodysLoss1 I'm not disagreeing about entitled people in general (they suck), but I do have a suggestion that might help. It worked for me with my last puppy
    via NobodysLoss1
  • 09
    For over 2 years, when I took him out for leash training, or to practice not reacting to cars/bikes/squirrels etc, I put a bright orange vest on him and I wore a bright yellow T- shirt that said, in big red letters (both front and back): TRAINING. ASK BEFORE PETTING
    via NobodysLoss1
  • 10
    People really responded well to that and a lot ended up participating in the training! For example, puppers would behave as they approached, he'd be rewarded with treats and pets, and I'd give the stranger a treat to step away with, and then we could practice "how to behave when approaching by strangers".
    via NobodysLoss1
  • 11
    Maidenonwarpath This is why we taught our kids to ask first.
    via Maidenonwarpath
  • 12
    Scary-Pressure6158 Thank you for the shelter reminder. Please just stand your ground and continue training. I'm a service dog trainer and owner. One man had the nerve to pet my service dog while she was working. She barked as she should and he said she went after
    via Scary-Pressure6158
  • 13
    me I can have u kicked out of Costco. I said ok let's go look at the security tape if you touching my dog He backed off real quick. Some people have no brains or respect and it shows. Thank you for being an amazing dog parent
    via Scary-Pressure6158
  • 14
    Cute Jack Russell Terrier Wearing Service Dog Vest Outdoors including 'SERVICE DOG'
    via Africa images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 15
    DoctorPainless "Sit. I said SIT!" "I meant you, total stranger. Not my puppy."
    via DoctorPainless
  • 16
    jennypurplethefirst Tell them your dog bites, they'll usually back right off! And if that doesn't work, tell them you bite!
    via jennypurplethefirst
  • 17
    Rainy_Grave When our high energy lab was a puppy I was tempted to carry a rolled up newspaper, issue a firm "Bad person," and smack the grabby idiots across their noses. I didn't do it, but I really wanted to make with the noggin whacking.
    via Rainy_Grave
  • 18
    Brilliant Cattle_602 I ask just about everyone with a dog if I can say hello and pet them (the dog not the person). I have only ever had a few people say no, and I respect that. I do not know the dog, it's training, or it's history. I just assume that there is a good reason to deprive the dog of pets.
    via Brilliant_Cattle_602
  • 19
    exhaustednonbinary I have a senior Chihuahua. She is extremely well behaved and well trained (really!) but she's going deaf/blind and I'm so worried she's going to snap at some stranger getting in her space. And I couldn't even be mad at her for doing it.
    via exhaustednonbinary
  • 20
    I've gotten very comfortable physically blocking people and saying "don't do that." It took a lot of practice! I try not to touch the person if possible and I keep my hands flat and my tone neutral to avoid conflict as much as possible. If people get huffy, I just ignore them but keep my body between them and my dog.
    via exhaustednonbinary
  • 21
    Haunting-Earth-8593 A man once asked me if he could pet my dog. I almost always say yes, as my boy is usually already heading straight for them. This time, for some reason, I looked directly at my dog and didn't say anything. He let out a very soft
    via Haunting-Earth-8593
  • 22
    bark/snort. I immediately told the guy no. It's the only time my dog has ever done that. Then the a That says my dog is mean and scary. Like huh? No, dude. You're just a bad person and my dog knows it.
    via Haunting-Earth-8593
  • 23
    Nina4774 People do the same thing with human twins. Treat them like public property.
    via Nina4774
  • 24
    Maleficentendscurse "A dog is not public property, he's MY dog that I bought and you will ask permission and if I say no respect that" this is a suggestion, Get a vest that says: ASK permission before touching, if owner (ME) says no respect the decision
    via Maleficentendscurse

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dogs pupper puppy public dog parents stranger property animals
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