I have no problem with letting people pet my dogs so long as they ask first. I can and do take my dogs out just for exercise in public and look at it as a good public relations thing to let people pet my GSD puppy, my greyhounds, and whatever Aussie foster I have at the time. I want people to see how well behaved and well mannered dogs can be. My dogs are so well socialized that they can go through a crowd of people and completely mind their own business, but then sit right down and let anyone, from babies to old people in wheelchairs, pet them when I ask them to. Once the petting is done, my dogs get up and continue ignoring everyone around them.

As for training in public places, by the time my dogs are ready to train in public places, I WANT people to pet them on stays and I will ask people to just get in the way, try and touch them, and toss food at them, as a distraction on all the other exercises. I can't think of a better way to proof my dog during advanced training than this.

I just don't understand the not letting people pet your dog concept, but then I do obedience and not any sort of personal protection. Even so, my GSDs have always been appropriately aggressive when needed and this puppy is no different.

I have one who tolerates but does not like strangers touching him. I see it as part of my job not to subject him to it unnecessarily.

I also have dogs who adore petting, and don't much care who's on the other end of the petting arm.. But either way, I agree with the O.P. who was reacting to a stranger coming up behind the dog and startling him with an unexpected touch, and then complaining that the dog "who doesn't like to petted" should "not be in public."

I do like to do "P.R." for the breed. I admit, though, that I find it a little weird that people assume they can fondle someone else's dog (or baby or child or physical person) without asking.

I've noticed that some dogs just do not like it, no matter how well-trained they are. They seem to have as much individuality around that issue as humans.

 Quote: Elaine Matthys

I have no problem with letting people pet my dogs so long as they ask first. ....

It's amazing how many don't think that asking first is required etiquette.

I can sit Fred Down in the City, like last thursday, the army was putting upa Scaffold Section in the Market Square, They were dropping heavy metal Scafflod Poles on the tarmac but Fred did not take any notice, he does not with Tractors, Motor Cycles, Lorries, nothing bothers him regards noise that is the way i went on with him from a puppy,
they can fire a pistol at the Club two yds away from him he takes no notice.
But i do not like a lot of people petting him, He is a working Dog and as such he will be friendly and take a treat from them but i do not want him looking at people in a way of being petted by them if you get my drift, that is just my way

 Quote: connie sutherland

I've noticed that some dogs just do not like it, no matter how well-trained they are. They seem to have as much individuality around that issue as humans.

I like how you put that Connie!

My dog is pretty aloof to strangers and I like that -- after all isn't that a GSD characteristic?

Then I get someone trying to get her attention and call her to them to pet her -- she basically acts like their not there -- and then I get a question like "she's not friendly?"

Geesh.

I must admit, I'm equally baffled at why some people would want to invite strangers to give treats to their dogs. It has always been a fear of mine that in the attempt to get into my home when I am away that my dog might be persuaded to ignore a possible intrusion with food. I've heard of dogs being thrown poison steaks and such and to think that they are encouraged to take food from strangers sounds odd to me. I would like my dog not to accept food from strangers.

Also, one of the previous posters made the statement that they didn't understand why petting a dog would even be an issue. I believe if a dog is strictly a pet/companion that getting pet and being friendly with others would be desirable. However, if you want a dog that stays focused on his job, i.e. protecting you, you wouldn't want him/her getting distracted with unsolicited attention givers. Makes sense to me. This is why I do not allow men to pet my dog. Only men in our immediate circle are allowed to touch him. Small children are always encouraged to touch him because I would never want him to think a child was a threat. Women primarily don't ask and are content to admire from afar. On occasion if they do ask, I generally will allow it. I would never encourage someone to give my dog food though. JMO.

i knew a man whos dog would not take food unless you gave the secret word,impessive.so that he would not get poisoned

i am fine with people petting my dog,but they should always ask,some dogs are not always so friendly,also think if you went up to someones child and picked them up and said ahh what a cute baby,would not be too cool of a thing

I still don't get why people think that not letting people pet their dogs is a good thing, unless they have a dog that's excessively social and then you wouldn't want to encourage that. I will say that I know absolutely nothing about personal protection dogs, so my opinion on this doesn't include them. I expect my dogs to be well mannered, well behaved, and appropriately aggressive, and that's what I have always gotten and that's good enough for me.

My GSDs have always been naturally aloof dogs and generally "let" people pet them because I want them to. I have had dogs that really didn't care for that, but that's just too bad. They need to be handleable up to a point by other people in real life without causing a problem, like at the vet or dog shows.

For my dogs that didn't like it, I didn't allow hugging by strangers, but would put my dogs in a stay of some sort and then have the people just run their hands down their back and legs and use it as a training exercise. I never found anyone that wouldn't go along with how I wanted them petted and this way my dogs would get the handling they needed without the excessive closeness they didn't want.

I do my advanced obedience training in public using people are distractions so my dogs learn to focus on me and only me. I can't ever remember my dogs ever listening to any sort of command a stranger would give them and can't even imagine why they would.

Fortunately, I haven't had much trouble with people sneaking up behind me to try and pet my dogs, probably because I usually have four of them with me and most people are, to some degree, afraid of that many dogs in one spot and are afraid of GSDs, so most people will ask before they pet.

 Quote: Elaine Matthys

... Fortunately, I haven't had much trouble with people sneaking up behind me to try and pet my dogs, probably because I usually have four of them with me and most people are, to some degree, afraid of that many dogs in one spot and are afraid of GSDs, so most people will ask before they pet.

You have had good experiences.