love'laska
New Member
Hi everyone!
Alaska and I have just moved into my college dorm over the weekend and she's getting quite a lot of attention here. For those of you who have been keeping up, she is my emotional support animal for my anxiety and PTSD. Within two years, I would like to have her Therapy Dog Certified.
I don't really mind the attention she's getting in the dorm building with my fellow students and peers, mostly because this is an environment in which I feel safe and comfortable and know most of the people. However, Alaska and I spend a lot of time hanging around outside our building, either by taking a walk or just standing on the grass patch right outside (as we must, since this is where Alaska potties and gets walks for exercise), so many people stop to pet her. I was so shocked to find that about 70% of these strangers DON'T EVEN ASK IF THEY CAN PET HER!!! A few people have even tried to pet her while she was pooping!
Two examples from when I took her outside ten minutes ago. We weren't even walking anywhere. We were standing on the green space outside of the building entrance, which is where I've been teaching Alaska she should potty before and after walks. I was also talking on the phone to my mom as there has been a family emergency at home. (Alaska was on a very very short leash- maybe 3-4 feet and I kept my eyes glued on her). Right before I took out my phone to dial, a girl walked up to me and asked if she could pet Alaska. I said yes, because at that moment, all my attention was focused on my dog as I hadn't yet made my phone call. Then she asked if she could pick her up. Shocked, I said no. Then she started petting her, put her hands around her as if to pick her up and asked again saying "I really want to hold her". I said absolutely not, incredibly pissed off. Then, after she left and I was on the phone, one girl walked up, bent down, and just started petting her while I was talking on the phone. She didn't even say a word to me. I was astonished and glared at her before leading Alaska away.
It's so infuriating, and after only five days of living here, I'm so so sick of it. I don't even want to take her out anymore because of the attention she is getting. I understand that she's a puppy and will draw a lot of attention, but she's also my dog IN TRAINING and most people aren't grasping that. It makes my anxiety unusually high because it forces me to have to find a way to ask people to stop touching my dog, when I hate confrontation. Alaska LOVES the attention and is very friendly to strangers, but someone stopping randomly to pet her is incredibly distracting to the task at hand- usually using the bathroom or focusing on me during a walk. I wouldn't mind if they asked because I know when the appropriate times for my dog to be touched are, and in the middle of using the bathroom is not.
Several times, we've spent twenty or thirty minutes outside with a ton of people stopping to pet her, which makes Alaska tired and lay down (usually her sign that we can go inside now), only to pee in the dorm once we get back. I can't help but attribute this to so many people distracting her since she was perfectly potty trained in my backyard before moving here.
I'm at my wits end. I'm incredibly stressed out by the number of people touching her right now. She's only 10 weeks old and I need her attention to be geared towards me so I can keep her well trained. I know she socializes well, and in the future that will come in handy. Right now, however, I need people to give her space and they aren't.
I was wondering if any of you had any suggestions as to what I should do to handle this. I've already mentioned that confrontation makes my anxiety high. Should I get her an emotional support animal badge to go on her harness, so people will maybe think twice? Or are there any badges or harnesses that would suggest my dog should not be approached?
I honestly have no idea what to do. I'm losing it.
Alaska and I have just moved into my college dorm over the weekend and she's getting quite a lot of attention here. For those of you who have been keeping up, she is my emotional support animal for my anxiety and PTSD. Within two years, I would like to have her Therapy Dog Certified.
I don't really mind the attention she's getting in the dorm building with my fellow students and peers, mostly because this is an environment in which I feel safe and comfortable and know most of the people. However, Alaska and I spend a lot of time hanging around outside our building, either by taking a walk or just standing on the grass patch right outside (as we must, since this is where Alaska potties and gets walks for exercise), so many people stop to pet her. I was so shocked to find that about 70% of these strangers DON'T EVEN ASK IF THEY CAN PET HER!!! A few people have even tried to pet her while she was pooping!
Two examples from when I took her outside ten minutes ago. We weren't even walking anywhere. We were standing on the green space outside of the building entrance, which is where I've been teaching Alaska she should potty before and after walks. I was also talking on the phone to my mom as there has been a family emergency at home. (Alaska was on a very very short leash- maybe 3-4 feet and I kept my eyes glued on her). Right before I took out my phone to dial, a girl walked up to me and asked if she could pet Alaska. I said yes, because at that moment, all my attention was focused on my dog as I hadn't yet made my phone call. Then she asked if she could pick her up. Shocked, I said no. Then she started petting her, put her hands around her as if to pick her up and asked again saying "I really want to hold her". I said absolutely not, incredibly pissed off. Then, after she left and I was on the phone, one girl walked up, bent down, and just started petting her while I was talking on the phone. She didn't even say a word to me. I was astonished and glared at her before leading Alaska away.
It's so infuriating, and after only five days of living here, I'm so so sick of it. I don't even want to take her out anymore because of the attention she is getting. I understand that she's a puppy and will draw a lot of attention, but she's also my dog IN TRAINING and most people aren't grasping that. It makes my anxiety unusually high because it forces me to have to find a way to ask people to stop touching my dog, when I hate confrontation. Alaska LOVES the attention and is very friendly to strangers, but someone stopping randomly to pet her is incredibly distracting to the task at hand- usually using the bathroom or focusing on me during a walk. I wouldn't mind if they asked because I know when the appropriate times for my dog to be touched are, and in the middle of using the bathroom is not.
Several times, we've spent twenty or thirty minutes outside with a ton of people stopping to pet her, which makes Alaska tired and lay down (usually her sign that we can go inside now), only to pee in the dorm once we get back. I can't help but attribute this to so many people distracting her since she was perfectly potty trained in my backyard before moving here.
I'm at my wits end. I'm incredibly stressed out by the number of people touching her right now. She's only 10 weeks old and I need her attention to be geared towards me so I can keep her well trained. I know she socializes well, and in the future that will come in handy. Right now, however, I need people to give her space and they aren't.
I was wondering if any of you had any suggestions as to what I should do to handle this. I've already mentioned that confrontation makes my anxiety high. Should I get her an emotional support animal badge to go on her harness, so people will maybe think twice? Or are there any badges or harnesses that would suggest my dog should not be approached?
I honestly have no idea what to do. I'm losing it.
