Tips to avoid a #MeToo moment when petting my dog 10


Let’s talk about a sensitive issue. This is going to touch on a #MeToo topic, but don’t think you’re so insulated that it couldn’t apply to you. It’s about a situation that anyone can encounter in everyday life, service dog user or not.

There is a great post out there from another blogger about how you should treat service dogs like you treat boobies (or “breasts”, for those who don’t like the vernacular).  That blogger recommends replacing the words “service dog” with “boobies”/”boobs”, and then see if it’s appropriate to say or do.  For example,

“AAAAHHH!!!! BOOBS!!!!! “GET THOSE BOOBS AWAY FROM ME!!!!!”

“Look at that girl’s boobs! *points* Hey, everybody! That girl has boobs!”

http://thegirl-upstairs.blogspot.com/2014/05/service-dogs-and-boobs-complete-guide_25.html

In addition to treating service dogs as if they were boobs, can we please talk about little dogs being carried and being pet by the public?

If I am holding my service dog in my arms or in a pouch, if you pet my dog, you are likely going to brush my boobs with your hands if you’re not conscientious about avoiding this.  It’s probably unintentional for most people, but some (guys especially) will repeatedly graze your boob with their hand while they are petting.

It seems like when you have a dog in your arms, people just don’t notice the parts of your body they are touching!

For some of us, it’s just gross. For others, it feels like sexual assault, and that’s a totally valid feeling. And totally not okay.

So in addition to thinking of service dogs like boobs to guide how you interact with them, please also remember that a dog being held by someone with boobs is likely to be next to boobs.  So petting a dog in someone’s arms or a pouch, service dog or not, you are likely going to be petting a boob unless you are proactive.

So what can you do, those of you who wish to do the right thing and not pet the boobage?

First, as with any dog—even if you know the person—always get clear permission before petting.  You should not only get clear and present consent to the question “Is now an okay time for me to pet your dog, or would later be better?”, you should try to assess whether the person’s actually comfortable or whether they’re uncomfortable, but trying not to cause a fuss. Notice the way I phrased the question allows more of an out than just asking “Can I pet your dog?”.

Next, be aware of where your hands are touching the person (if at all), consciously avoiding the boob area. You can try to pet just the dog’s head that is sticking out, or just the side of the dog farther from the person’s body.

Finally, don’t kiss the dog because that is really close to kissing my boob. Awkward! Even if you are not that close to actually kissing my chest, it’s way too intimate to have someone other than my romantic partner putting their head in that area to kiss something attached to me.

Remember, it doesn’t have to feel weird to you for you to respect that it feels weird to someone else—and why chance disrespecting someone and making them feel horrible when all you’re doing is satisfying your desire for a doggie fix? There’s really no good reason to risk this.

I’ll post some pictures below of times when people have been close to my boobs while petting my service dog.  Thanks in advance to everyone who is now not going to be petting my boobs—or others’—when it’s very probably not wanted!

Playing in a fountain, Veronica, wearing a brown dress, holds Hestia. A woman pets Hestia and is probably 4 inches from my boob.

Playing in a fountain, Veronica, wearing a brown dress, holds Hestia. A woman pets Hestia and is probably 4 inches from my boob.

At the Equality March, Veronica in a brown dress holding Hestia, a small black and white dog. A person is petting Hestia and is literally an inch from my boob.

At the Equality March, Veronica in a brown dress holding Hestia, a small black and white dog. A person is petting Hestia and is literally an inch from my boob.

Even horses get in on the boobage action! Veronica in an orange and pink dress and straw hat holding Hestia, while a horse sniffs Hestia and my boob!

Even horses get in on the boobage action! Veronica in an orange and pink dress and straw hat holding Hestia, while a horse sniffs Hestia and my boob!

At Charlotte Pride, Veronica wearing her blue butterfly dress and Hestia in a rainbow pouch. Hestia is being kissed by a stranger, who is dangerously close to kissing my boobs!

At Charlotte Pride, Veronica wearing her blue butterfly dress and Hestia in a rainbow pouch. Hestia is being kissed by a stranger, who feels dangerously close to kissing my boobs!

Do you have any stories, advice, or feelings about, um, “heavy petting”? Let me know in the comments.

Credit given to Brad Morris for his invaluable help writing this entry.


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10 thoughts on “Tips to avoid a #MeToo moment when petting my dog

  • Danny and Sheldon

    Oh my gosh, I never thought of that being an issue, since my service dog is so huge, he’s always on the ground! I thought drive by pettings with my dog were awkward, but this is a whole ‘nother level of bad!

    I feel like a lot of times, people don’t seem to recognize us as humans, just because we have a service dog. It’s like they think we’re a mobile dog petting unit or something, conveniently delivering a dog for them to pet in non-dog environments. I’m sorry people are so into ignoring our needs as handlers that they inappropriately touch some of us! Thanks for being brave enough to put this story out there, Veronica!

  • Deb and Dakota

    Having had a large GSD as my Partner meaning peeps have to bend over to pet her & giving me time to move their hand away, I’m pretty ignorant of the special “needs” in regards to small PSDs. Not allowing anyone to touch me anywhere by another human being is a major trigger for me.

    Having an adorable small dog in your arms is gonna bring even more peeps wanting to pet your PSD – whether they ask first or not.

    Besides an outright verbal “Please Do Not Pet My Service Dog because you are distracting her from her SD works”, the only thing I can think of is to put the small dog down on the ground first before letting anyone pet them. But, that would be contingent on their having ASKED to pet FIRST.

    Being a Sagittarian, I have no tact. If I had a small PSD in my arms and someone asked to pet it, depending on my condition, I would thank them for asking first then: 1) put the PSD on the ground for a greeting, 2) explain the PSD is working and cannot be distracted at this time, or 3) flat out tell them the PSD is in such a position that “your petting my PSD would put your hand too close to my body and I’m very uncomfortable with that.”

    V, I don’t know if I’d go nuclear, go insane, turn and run away, or rudely tell them NO! I do not envy your having a small PSD – you have a lot of different challenges than having a large PSD…

    • Veronica Morris Post author

      Yeah, usually I don’t allow people to pet her, but they don’t ask and do it anyway. I haven’t figured out a good way of telling them to stop yet without making me feel like a big old meanie, though.