I LOVE IT when people keep their rug rats away from my dog...I actually have fantasies about it happening more often. I don't care WHY they do it, I'm just grateful when it happens.

My dog isn't the least bit aggressive or snappy, but he prefers to avoid physical contact from strangers, kids included. I get really annoyed on a regular basis by parents who let their kids actually RUN up to my "doggie" for pats. These same parents are generally put out when I won't allow the onslaught.

I have trained mostly GSDs as guide and servce dogs, with occasionally other breeds. One advantage with GSDs is that there are less children, teens, and adults maulings of the dog. Not to say there are none, but considerably less than with retrievers.

Protecting a retriever from the public is hard work. There are the sneak in from behind while we are walking type. And not just to touch or pet, but to pull hair or tail. (Children and teens are the worst for the pulling hair or tails, but all ages for the petting and touching.) There are the bark at the dog types, or get on knees andcrawl while barking. (The crawling kind are usually kids.) There are the ones who whistle or snap fingers, or wave their hands right in front of the dog's nose. (Mostly adults.) There are the kids who run up at full tilt and slam into the dog, or jump on him if he is lying down. There are the poke the dog in the eyes or nose type. (Young children mostly.) There are the insistant petters who have to be physically restrained or threatened. Many times they do this AS they are saying I know I'm not supposed to pet a working dog, but... (Adults almost exclusively.) And then there are the ones who hit the dog with objects or try to run carts into them in stores. (Again, almost exclusively adults.)

GSDs get some of this treatment, but both less frequently and less severely. Their image of a police dog stands them well in this regard!