[David Winners]

This video just came out and it reminded me of yesterday at the park with Valor. We were there watching my grandson play baseball and few kids came up to pet Valor. None of them asked. They just walked right up to him.

They had questions and I started running him through tricks and he grabbed a stick. This turned into a fetch thing. I would down him. Let the kid throw the stick, release him to fetch, out him when he got back, kid grabs stick and dog lays down. Rinse and repeat.

He was on a 6' leash abs the kids were throwing it too far so I walked across the street and put on his harness and long line. Then it got really fun and all the kids who weren't playing baseball were taking turns playing fetch with the nerd.

I just wonder how many GSD owners would trust their dog in this situation with a bunch of yelling kids fighting over a stick that the dog wants to possess.

How do you build that trust without letting the dog experience things?

I know and understand that a lot of people would never put their dog in that situation, and I have no problem with that. I just wonder if some dogs don't develop problems because of owner insecurity.

Is this genetics or foundation training or the massive amount of exposure he had as a pup? I dunno.

I do know that I wouldn't put a kid at risk just to test things with an adult dog, which is why we did this kind of thing when he was a pup. I think Carmen would disagree with how I raised Valor but I'm OK with that. He's a good dog and there are many ways to achieve that goal.

I'm happy that we can play with a dozen amped up kids at the park and that he can control himself in that situation. I agree with Stonnie on this one.

 

[car2ner]

My gal-dog was fine with children as a pup. After her first heat, not so much. My big- boy didn't seek out attention but he was curious about people. If hubby said it was ok for someone to pet him, he was fine too. I guess, as always, it is part teaching and part temperament.
Glad you and the nerd had so much fun. Stonnie's example reminds me of when we were in DC. We had walked around the mall and my gal-dog was very tired. A little girl came running over to pet her but I had to be the boundary person. The little girl almost cried. So I pointed to my hubby and our big-boy a few feet away. I motioned to my hubby and he let the child know it was OK to come over and visit. It was like the sky turned blue and the sun shined and the world was right again. She got to touch his velvety ears.

 

[Bearshandler]

I don’t agree with him. Something to keep to start with is the qualifying statement he makes. He talks about having a friendly outgoing dog. If I had a dog who wasn’t overly friendly or outgoing I’d try not to put him in positions where these interactions could be forced. There’s also times where I just don’t think an interaction is worth the consequences I think are going to happen. There’s a video that comes to mind of a child hitting a dog with a water bottle. The dog shows a lot of restraint before he reaches his limit. I know how I’d handle that situation and I’d rather not deal with it in the first place. Can I trust my dogs in these situations? Sure. There was a time a group of kids asked to pet Bear. What I ended up with was a bunch of roughly 7-10 year old hugging him. He was perfectly content. At a store once a 7ish year old boy asked to pet Cion. He proceeded to climb in his back like a horse. He was fine. His grandad came around the corner and yelled at him to get down. Generally when people aske to meet my dogs, sometimes it’s yes, sometimes no. Depends on what’s going on. Sometimes I just flat out want to be left alone. Uncontrolled interactions happen. That’s just the nature of things when you take your dog in public places around people, especially lots of people. I don’t panic, I just read the situation and step in when I feel it might go sideways. As for kids with a stick, they’d be fine with 2 of the 3. Cion is too pushy with strangers for that. Putting them in a down first is different.

 

[selzer]

I agree. Who wants a dog who is looking at their face all the time? Why go away from home, if you do not want any encounters? There was a guy who did a short u-tube whose theme was, "getch yer own dog!" And people got on his bandwagon. I was like, many folks are in no position to own a dog. They are college students, they are working parents with a bunch of small children, they are sick or elderly without the energy to raise and train a puppy, they are kids living at home with a parent or parents that are not open to owning a dog, they are folks that maybe have financial or mental/emotional issues that having a dog might be disasterous for the dog. And maybe petting your dog puts a smile on their face. It is a moment out of your life.

If you are unsure about how your dog will behave, then by all means put up the stop sign, don't let a kid get bit. If a kid is rushing up to your dog without listening or asking permission, then probably giving them a learning experience by showing your boundaries, might be the way to go. But allowing folks to pet your dog when you are in public should be the norm, not the exception.

On the other hand, I probably wouldn't hand the leash off to a total stranger-child and tell her to go take the dog around, particularly if other dogs are roaming about. Some things you can't take back. Kids get bit during dog fights. And a dog that might be perfectly fine with you in charge, may be in a whole other place with a child they do not know in charge of the leash. They may know that you will protect them, and not have that trust in a child in the face of another dog. My guess is the guy knew the child and the other dogs in the vacinity and no children or dogs were in danger of being injured.

 

[Hopps]

I was in a predicament when I adopted Fern just over a year ago. Since she was an adult dog and I didn't really know about her past, I just never let anyone pet her. Knowing the temperament and understanding dogs to a good level plus lots of training seems to be the premise of the video.

I was at Petco and an 8 year old boy walked up and was gently petted Fern. I did a bit of education and the only thing he said was "I wish my dog was nice like your dog. He can't go to the dog park because he bit a dog and it went to the hospital." After petting Fern he seemed much happier and had a little smile on his face. I don't let adults pet her because she doesn't like them invading her space while outside.

I also make sure I can control the children before allowing them to pet Fern. If it looks like they cannot follow 2 step directions then I don't allow it. Only exceptions are like 18 month old kids or something.

But honestly, most times I just want to be left alone.

 

[Carter Smith]

I would, it happens often, but Ellie is growing up with kids, this is common place for her. Couple weeks ago, we had some people over with kids they put on a show in the basement, lights off flashing strobe lights loud music Ellie is In the middle of it. I watch my youngest play fetch with Ellie, who all of a sudden is very into Ellie, do you think Ellie gets even 1/4 as amped up as she does with me? No.. but I think it’s wrong to make a blanket statement everyone should let people pet their dogs, foundation plays a role.. raise the dog you want, I knew lots of kids would always be part of her life so Ellie has come with me to pick my kids up from school since she was 3 months old. They all come over and say hi, unannounced, from behind. If a kid did something like try and ride her I would intervene.

what’s the comment about Carmen refer to? I’ve told Carmen all the socialization stuff I’ve done and she said it’s overkill I don’t need to, but she fully believes her dogs should be good with kids with right socialization, as you know.

 

[Jenny720]

I would trust my dogs. I know my dogs. So They would enjoy all of it to just not tolerate it. Such strong stable minds they have both been in all kinds of situations - the world is crazy. Max and Luna adore babies, little kids, teenagers. They grew up with them. It would depend on how social and comfortable a dog is in a given situation with a particular people/kids. I would not lump all dogs or situations together at all. Labs are easy going and super social in general. Having little kids and going to the beach with your dogs always attracted kids like a magnet. It is a great place to get your dogs used to all kinds of things if someone does not have any kids or kids in the family. If I felt my Max and Luna where a danger to society I would not have them out in it . You always need room for error . I bring the dogs to work of them to work they watch how I interact with people and follow suit. I bring them into banks to deposit business checks , Dunkin’ Donuts any store if they are with me and it’s to hot to leave them in a car. There was a thread in here I mentioned the dogs were woken up by my kids friends in my own house or something like this and there were comments of how dangerous that could be. I know my dogs and would not have a dog out in the middle of huge gatherings if they could not handle being tripped on, food stolen, toys taken away. If they were not they would be put away and it would be a dog that would not be the right fit. Max will occassionly get shoved away if he is trying to steal someone’s food, my nephews even closed max in the sliding glass door once on accident. My nephew on Mother’s Day - Luna watching him like a mother hen giving him space. The dogs were my nephews best friends yesterday helping him look for bugs, frogs salamanders in the yard. They were his buddies it was really enjoyable to watch. I do owe my nephew a plastic baseball bat - A bunch of screaming teenagers playing volley ball - I’m still forever working on max not steeling the ball. They truly enjoy all it though. Mother’s Day I always enjoy watching how much the dogs enjoy my family. Max did steal a plastic bat and crushed it-Georgie Porgie made the kids cry ( no one cried ) but he loved being chased around playing tug with the bat with my nephew. My nephews calls them the werewolves and dinosaurs - they made it quite a few YouTube videos on their channels. My chihuahua is the same just a cool dog.

just a favorite many years ago - they love going sleddingpulling sledding anything they can be a part of/ whatever it is.

 

[Carter Smith]

Someone around the corner from me before I got Ellie got a beautiful male black bi-color gsd, my daughter and I walked by this pup at maybe 3-4 months this dog went ballistic, it did not look like excitement, couple weeks later same thing only dog had a DD color on and it was used. She explained she had grandkids and the dog needed to be okay with kids, I see this dog from time to time off leash on an e collar, she’s also explained he’s come up the leash, he’s fine has said hi, same dog goes ballistic when it drives by me walking my dogs and he’s in the car.. I’m not sure this is a dog I would blindly trust with kids.. to me it seems like this dog is being managed.. I think this is a case by case situation, I don’t think one answer fits all.. I would bet breeders with the experience of Carmen and Lee would tell you it’s genetics, and you can probably tip the scale.. one way or the other.

 

[519700]

I disagree with the video. Letting random people pets a dog just trains the dog to expect it out and about. Encourages pulling and reactivity. I don’t think he understands the psychology of a dog. If the dog is well trained and is older, then occasionally having a random pet the dog probably isn’t going to do much harm. But I think there is no benefit to the dog and especially the handler in letting people pet my dog.

 

[dogma13]

I understand Stonnie's point about some owners can create anxious suspicious behavior. All of my dogs over the years except three of them were good with children naturally. The three that weren't didn't learn to be that way from me.

 

[dogfaeries]

None of my dogs will seek out strangers attention, but will accept that attention (briefly) if it’s given. (well, then there’s Nora, but that’s another story, haha). After a few seconds they are completely uninterested in that person, which confuses some people. I think they expect a golden retriever personality.

Kids are a different story. I could drop Scarlet in a group of kids (and have) and she wouldn’t skip a beat. She’s always been that way.

Carly was always a kid magnet wherever we went, and she loved them. She’d get mobbed by kids at dog shows, and they loved that she’d do tricks for them. I didn’t see any reason to tell them they couldn’t play with her.

 

[WNGD]

Stonnie has said in a video that he doesn't take "problem" dogs in, I think it was biters and fighters because he doesn't have to these days. Most of the dogs you see in his pack running around are lab-like fwiw.

I think I have only ever had 1 adult stranger pet my dogs (have never been asked) and it's an older lady we used to meet on walks very regularly. She walked every day with a friend who has passed on. She loved the dogs and Harley loved her. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her this Winter or since and fear for the worst.

Kids are different. If I see little ones who are clearly struggling to ask if they can pet the dogs or they do, I put the boys in a sit and lightly control the head and show them how to pet them correctly and to ask their parents first. It sparks good conversations and PR for the breed. I like seeing little kids eyes light up especially if the parents are nervous.

Rogan is not a dog you stick your hand out to. He doesn't growl or bite but will pull his head back and clearly show he doesn't want to be pet by a stranger.

 

[VTGirlT]

I'm agreeing with a few people here saying that they disagree with him.
Every dog, personality, breed, genetics, environment, etc. will be different in needs.
There are some dog breeds who don't even care for affection from their own people, much less a stranger.
Not everyone wants a dog who loves everyone as much as they love their own person. Although some do for sure and that would make sense for a video like this.

I have a mini poodle, and he loves people. He gets very excited to see someone and wants their attention.
Zelda is fear aggressive, and I will always be that first person. She sits (behind me or next to me), and Frodo my mini poodle can go say hi. That's how I deal with it now since they both have different needs.

So, I don't think it's fair, accurate, or even a good idea to have this perspective for the average dog and dog owner.
Some dogs don't care for affection, and some people and children are unpredictable or don't know how to show affection properly to a dog.
If dogs were community pets and family, then yeah, but I wouldn't force my child to hug a stranger if they didn't want to.

Also, liability-wise.
Even a dog who is friendly could knock over, give your leash to someone for your dog and they hurt themselves somehow, or get scratched by accident, or for the average dog owner (not as trained as he seems most dogs are) jump up and hurt someone.
These days, you have to always be SUPER careful about these things.
Dog parks in general aren't the best place, simply because the average dog owner is okay at best, but there are plenty of bad apples who go, and they can cause huge issues.

So yea, I disagree with him.
His perspective is true of a small number of dogs and dog owners.
People need to learn that dogs are not there for anyone else except for their people, and they are family, an animal with teeth, and need to have a level of respect that is often not given.
I cannot tell you the number of times I said that Zelda is fear-aggressive or that they simply can't pet her. And how pushy they get with the "every dog loves me".
People need to learn to have respect for other people's dogs and their space. Asking is appropriate, but move along and don't feel butthurt if they say no. And we have the responsibility to and need to teach children this too.

Lastly, his comment about dogs experiencing things.
Dogs can experience a lot of things good and bad, last I checked, most dogs aren't bred to be community pets. My mini poodle wouldn't even like that, and he loves everyone.
Dogs can experience things and wonderful things outside of meeting strangers and having strangers interact with them. For some dogs, I'm sure this is a great quality of life boost. But if you rely on this for enhancing your dog's quality of life, I feel like it's a point of view error because not all dogs would enjoy this and maybe some dogs are good with it 99.9% of the time but maybe there is that .1%. Why force things that aren't necessary for their health and well-being? I just felt it to be a weird comment.

 

[TotallyAwesome]

All persons who wish to pet my dog will be subject to strict background checks, including intense scrutiny of social media profiles used for last five years, and music listened to since birth.
Blood samples will be taken, and tested for vitamin deficiencies. Each person will also be made to undergo a fitness test, and recite select songs in atleast two languages of their choice as long as one is elvish and the other is Klingon.

jokes apart. I did not get a dog to meet people, or entertain other persons who do not have dogs. I will let people meet my dog if I feel there is some positive benefit for my dog. Otherwise I decide on a case by case basis.

I will definitely not let some stranger I just met walk my dog. Why? I do not think it’s necessary to explain that.

If I do not let some people meet my dog, my dog wouldn’t care. We meet some people and ignore some. I can tell people no in a gentle way, or in an assertive manner. I do not jump around in an exaggerated manner like he did in his video to say no - I just talk normally, and my dog doesn’t react.

Also, if we’re not meeting people, it doesn’t mean my dog is staring at my face the whole time. He’s sniffing things, looking at birds, animals, exotic poop, replying to his peemail and composing mellifluous melodies while practising his barksmanship. We are roaming around, exploring, going on adventures and playing ball.

 

[LuvShepherds]

I got my dogs to be watch dogs so I encourage natural suspicion. My male is very territorial at home and on leash near our house, but is also very social with people. My tendency is not let strangers pet him, not because I don’t trust him but because I can’t trust someone I don’t know to treat my dog respectfully. I don’t care what breed I have, my dogs aren’t out with me to entertain other people, they are with me for me and for themselves. My female dog doesn’t like strangers. She won’t bite them but she hates being touched by anyone she doesn’t know. She used to go everywhere with me and I didn’t stop people from letting her but she always moved herself out of reach. I didn't have to worry about her because her response made it very clear she didn’t like them. I rescued her as a puppy and she was friendlier but as she hone year, she began to show clear preferences for people. I let my dogs show me what they can handle.

I have a very mixed reaction to Stonnie. There isn’t anyone better to train field dogs. I’ve learned a lot from him that I can use with my GSDs. But he’s said a few very thoughtless and rude things about people which bother me a lot. He’s better with dogs than with humans.

 

[WNGD]

I get what he's trying to say but there's a yawning great chasm between stepping between and stop-signing in a kid's face and saying "hey do you want to pet him?", letting a kid immediately squat down and pet their head while you stand to the side.

No I wouldn't allow that or suggest it as a best practice not would I want it to be the goal. Stonnie (whose lifestyle I love) missed the whole middle ground to make a point imo. I wish he'd shown the correct and safe way to introduce strangers and any dog, friendly or not.

Not many of us buy a GSD to be the neighborhood Golden Retriever.

 

[WNGD]

I got my dogs to be watch dogs so I encourage natural suspicion. My male is very territorial at home and on leash near our house, but is also very social with people. My tendency is not let strangers pet him, not because I don’t trust him but because I can’t trust someone I don’t know to treat my dog respectfully. I don’t care what breed I have, my dogs aren’t out with me to entertain other people, they are with me for me and for themselves. My female dog doesn’t like strangers. She won’t bite them but she hates being touched by anyone she doesn’t know. She used to go everywhere with me and I didn’t stop people from letting her but she always moved herself out of reach. I didn't have to worry about her because her response made it very clear she didn’t like them. I rescued her as a puppy and she was friendlier but as she hone year, she began to show clear preferences for people. I let my dogs show me what they can handle.

I have a very mixed reaction to Stonnie. There isn’t anyone better to train field dogs. I’ve learned a lot from him that I can use with my GSDs. But he’s said a few very thoughtless and rude things about people which bother me a lot. He’s better with dogs than with humans.

i'm not sure exactly what you're referring to (I think I saw a video like that but can't remember the subject) but with popular social media targets these days, it's easy to get tired of the haters and blow a little steam back now and again.

In the case of the video, I can't imagine virtually anyone's goal from this site would be to hand off the leash to a strange kid in the park.

 

[Jorski]

I have always allowed kids to pat my dog. He is indifferent to it. I live in the city (Toronto), and there is always kids and other dogs around.

It seemed to me that there is a lot fewer potential problems with a dog that is prepared for all that they will encounter.

Someone said. " I don't think he (Stonnie) understands dog psychology". I disagree with that;. He has a ton of experience with all breeds. At one time he bred Malinois, and his son George has a Dutch Shepherd.

 

[Bearshandler]

i'm not sure exactly what you're referring to (I think I saw a video like that but can't remember the subject) but with popular social media targets these days, it's easy to get tired of the haters and blow a little steam back now and again.

I know what you’re saying, but that’s not really the case for Stonnie. At best you could write it off as ignorance. I’m not going to derail this thread talking about it. He chose to make light of something, then respond further with “ignorance.” That would be giving him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[WNGD]

I know what you’re saying, but that’s not really the case for Stonnie. At best you could write it off as ignorance. I’m not going to derail this thread talking about it. He chose to make light of something, then respond further with “ignorance.” That would be giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Like I said, I remember reading about the issue but don't remember what it was.
I like his home/set-up and his easy going nature with regards to hanging with a bunch of various dogs. I don't know much about his views on anything else, people or politics.

This is the other video I was referring to; "why I don't train aggressive dogs any more"