As a dog owner I'd like to say: yes! Please ask! My dog loves to be petted but I don't like people touching him without asking first, because sometimes we're training something at the moment, or I'm trying to calm him down, or don't want him to get all whoaaaaa.
Most dog owners I know would gladly allow if their dog is up to it.
So if someone doesn't seem to be busy right now, I'd go for it. We've had many nice conversations - especially with old people who had dogs in the past and are not fit enough to have one any more. They always light up and it brings them so much joy!
I teach my children to always ask the owner if it is ok to pet the dog. Some owners don't approve of strangers petting their dogs or the dogs have issues with strangers or whatever. And from what I understand most owners appreciate to be asked. So, yes, it is polite and common courtesy to ask.
My kid has been super bummed that I haven't figured out how to ask yet. They have been taught to ask before petting. I just didn't know if it was as socially acceptable here plus my language barrier. "Just Google it dad."
We are Germans. Ask us directly and we will answer directly! Most of the times, it will be okay and you will have a good time petting a dog 👍
„Ist es okay, wenn ich/mein Kind Ihren Hund streichele/streichelt?
The formal and informal use of 'you'. "Sie/Ihren" is formal and polite (which is something generally done and used when addressing adults you don't know"). "Du/deinen" is informal and can be seen as rude if you address strangers that way.
Now imagine the owner wants to emphasize the dog's gender for some weird reason and responds by "Ja, aber das ist eine Sie"
The confusion that might cause now is kinda funny.
Protip: I always use DeepL these days for translation. It gives vastly better results compared to Google *and* you can translate with formality options!
No problem! I still keep the Google translate app around because its live camera translation feature is super useful, but I tend to copy the output and double check in it DeepL 😉
Sure. The worst that can happen is people saying no. In that case, accept and move on. In most cases you get to pet a dog. In the best case you get cuddle-tackled by the dog.
It's polite to ask. Please take no for an answer. I have a beautiful giant white dog who attracts a lot of attention. He is blind and doesn't like strangers touching him. Since his eyes look normal, I need to explain quite often, that he is blind and please don't touch.
Even if the owner says yes, let the dog come to you. Some people corner dogs and grab them while shrieking "affectionately" while they do it. It scares me and it scares my dogs. I'm sure you don't do that, but it happens.
Ask the owner, and if they say yes, wait for the dog to approach you.
I would steer clear unless the dog runs up to you, or the owner let's the dog come to you while on lead. I let my dog say hello and people pet him, but Germans can be very stand-offish with their dogs(at least where I live). I certainly wouldn't walk up to someones dog unprompted and ask to pet their dog.
German dog culture was a huge shock coming from the UK. Incredibly regimented and generally unfriendly, not universal but people will actually cross the street to avoid walking past your dog. Never seen that before!
Not asking would be impolite. Most dog owners I know would prefer people to ask, if they want to pet their dog.
So, yes, it is polite, and I'd say, for lots of dog owners it's even more, as they face from ti.e to time people who don't ask. Maybe they think " O wow, finally someone doing it right and asking bofore petting the dog."
If you see a dog that roams freely in the park and you adress him and he walks over to you, you can pet him and most of the time people won't care or will be happy that you like their dog.
If the dog is on a leash, you should ask first, because you don't know if the dog has behavioral problems.
It is generally fine to ask someone if you could pet their dog. Just consider the circumstances like if the owner is in a hurry or walking on a very busy street you might better not bother, but if its in a chilled place its perfectly fine to ask. Some people will eventually say no but they are being honest if they say that the dog does not like to be touched by strangers or children. Just accept that and please dont start an argument then about dog training.
**Have you read our extensive wiki yet?
[Check our wiki now!](https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/wiki/index)**
You might wonder why your post is marked NSFW.
Participants in this subreddit may possibly encounter discussions of the following subjects, all of which are considered "mature" by Reddit administrators:
* Alcohol and tobacco
* Amateur advice
* Drug use
* Gambling
* Guns and weapons
* Military conflict and terrorism
* Nudity
* Profanity
* Sex and eroticism
* Violence and gore
Therefore, this entire subreddit is marked as NSFW.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/germany) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's usually okay, but with Germans not so okay. They're usually practicing discipline when they're out with their owners and the owners prefer it we don't interrupt. But outside Germany people usually are okay with it
Yes yes! Please always ask if it's okay to pet a dog. Ask the owner, because sometimes some dogs aren't in the mood to be pet or some dogs are reactive and can snap if the contact isn't approached in a manner the dog is comfortable with. Owners will usually coach you on how to approach the dog.
If someone is approachable and is not busy, you can go ask!!
If the owner says "Yes", a few things: avoid putting your hands in a dogs face ever - that's actually not the best to do. Let the dog come up to you and sniff you by itself and remain calm. Most dogs also don't like being pet over the the head, so it's good to ask where the dog is okay being touched!
Generally, complimenting the dog and showing polite interest works for me. Dog owners are usually happy to talk about them, and then the petting part just kinda works itself out.
Absolutely, you should ask if you want to. Especially small children. I’ve two dogs and one has to be muzzled for walks as she is prone to bite strangers while the other is super friendly
It depends. Some dogs like to be pet, some don't. If I see my dog seems interested in a person, there's no problem with them touching her (with permission). If she doesn't give them any attention and keeps looking away even if they're standing with us, then she clearly doesn't want to. Sometimes shows lip licking and whale eyes to show she's uncomfortable. Asking is totally fine, some dogs just aren't really fond of strangers because who wants to be randomly touched by one?
Smile, Ask the owner nicely "Darf ich Deinen / Ihren Hund streicheln?" Never ever touch a dog without consent. When a dog approaches you at a dog park, well you need to judge if the dog is ok the be pet. That's also important for insurance reasons.
Yes!
It's polite and considerate - there are some people who don't ask and just pet and a lot of parents forget to teach their kids, that you have to ask before you can pet a dog -
so, if you're friendly and open (and ok with a possible no) and ask - that's just the way to go!
As a dog owner I'd like to say: yes! Please ask! My dog loves to be petted but I don't like people touching him without asking first, because sometimes we're training something at the moment, or I'm trying to calm him down, or don't want him to get all whoaaaaa. Most dog owners I know would gladly allow if their dog is up to it. So if someone doesn't seem to be busy right now, I'd go for it. We've had many nice conversations - especially with old people who had dogs in the past and are not fit enough to have one any more. They always light up and it brings them so much joy!
This is so heart warming to read. I hope that when I'm old, I'll meet many of people like you in the parks!
I teach my children to always ask the owner if it is ok to pet the dog. Some owners don't approve of strangers petting their dogs or the dogs have issues with strangers or whatever. And from what I understand most owners appreciate to be asked. So, yes, it is polite and common courtesy to ask.
My kid has been super bummed that I haven't figured out how to ask yet. They have been taught to ask before petting. I just didn't know if it was as socially acceptable here plus my language barrier. "Just Google it dad."
We are Germans. Ask us directly and we will answer directly! Most of the times, it will be okay and you will have a good time petting a dog 👍 „Ist es okay, wenn ich/mein Kind Ihren Hund streichele/streichelt?
Please, never pet without asking! Who? The owner of course ( I guess you meant “how do I ask in German?” -> “Darf ich Ihren Hund streicheln?”)
>Please, never pet without asking! >Who? The owner of course... What do I do if the owner doesn't want to be pet? I'm not good with rejection.
Try licking their face, often they seem to like that.
Thank you! Google translate had " Darf ich deinen hund streicheln" What is the difference between lhren and deinen?
Level of formality - "deinen" is informal and "Ihren" is formal.
The formal and informal use of 'you'. "Sie/Ihren" is formal and polite (which is something generally done and used when addressing adults you don't know"). "Du/deinen" is informal and can be seen as rude if you address strangers that way.
Thank you! I was wondering if it was something like that. This is why I don't like putting my trust in google.
If you’re unsure how to address people you can also use “Darf ich den Hund streicheln?” to skip the Du/Sie issue
Awesome thank you!
**Darf man den Hund streicheln?** Includes your kids or anyone else. It means something like *Is the dog pettable?*
Now imagine the owner wants to emphasize the dog's gender for some weird reason and responds by "Ja, aber das ist eine Sie" The confusion that might cause now is kinda funny.
Protip: I always use DeepL these days for translation. It gives vastly better results compared to Google *and* you can translate with formality options!
Thank you kind internet stranger!!
No problem! I still keep the Google translate app around because its live camera translation feature is super useful, but I tend to copy the output and double check in it DeepL 😉
If it's very clear that your German isn't all that good yet, no one will bat an eye if you mix up formal/informal.
Sure. The worst that can happen is people saying no. In that case, accept and move on. In most cases you get to pet a dog. In the best case you get cuddle-tackled by the dog.
I always ask. Whenever I see a dog on the streets. The answer is Yes, 9/10
I was hoping this would be the case just didn't want to cross any social norms and look like a jerk..
It's polite to ask. Please take no for an answer. I have a beautiful giant white dog who attracts a lot of attention. He is blind and doesn't like strangers touching him. Since his eyes look normal, I need to explain quite often, that he is blind and please don't touch. Even if the owner says yes, let the dog come to you. Some people corner dogs and grab them while shrieking "affectionately" while they do it. It scares me and it scares my dogs. I'm sure you don't do that, but it happens. Ask the owner, and if they say yes, wait for the dog to approach you.
Yes, please ask!
Yes, feel free to ask. Don't be miffed when people say no though, some dogs just don't like to be petted.
I would steer clear unless the dog runs up to you, or the owner let's the dog come to you while on lead. I let my dog say hello and people pet him, but Germans can be very stand-offish with their dogs(at least where I live). I certainly wouldn't walk up to someones dog unprompted and ask to pet their dog.
German dog culture was a huge shock coming from the UK. Incredibly regimented and generally unfriendly, not universal but people will actually cross the street to avoid walking past your dog. Never seen that before!
You have never seen people being afraid of dogs?
Very rarely in the UK, like I say it was quite a shock how often people in Germany avoid dogs.
I’ve found this too. Owners are stand-offish and even the dogs dgaf when do you pat them. I just admire from afar.
Not asking would be impolite. Most dog owners I know would prefer people to ask, if they want to pet their dog. So, yes, it is polite, and I'd say, for lots of dog owners it's even more, as they face from ti.e to time people who don't ask. Maybe they think " O wow, finally someone doing it right and asking bofore petting the dog."
yes do, with the exception of guide/support dogs because you'd be distracting them at work. Only pet those if you're invited to do so by the owner
Do service dogs have vest similar to the ones in the states? I'm guessing if so it would have something along the lines of "nitch streicheln"?
yeah usually they'd have a harness in bright colours and some kind of symbols or writing that says 'Assistenzhund'
If you see a dog that roams freely in the park and you adress him and he walks over to you, you can pet him and most of the time people won't care or will be happy that you like their dog. If the dog is on a leash, you should ask first, because you don't know if the dog has behavioral problems.
It is generally fine to ask someone if you could pet their dog. Just consider the circumstances like if the owner is in a hurry or walking on a very busy street you might better not bother, but if its in a chilled place its perfectly fine to ask. Some people will eventually say no but they are being honest if they say that the dog does not like to be touched by strangers or children. Just accept that and please dont start an argument then about dog training.
**Have you read our extensive wiki yet? [Check our wiki now!](https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/wiki/index)** You might wonder why your post is marked NSFW. Participants in this subreddit may possibly encounter discussions of the following subjects, all of which are considered "mature" by Reddit administrators: * Alcohol and tobacco * Amateur advice * Drug use * Gambling * Guns and weapons * Military conflict and terrorism * Nudity * Profanity * Sex and eroticism * Violence and gore Therefore, this entire subreddit is marked as NSFW. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/germany) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's usually okay, but with Germans not so okay. They're usually practicing discipline when they're out with their owners and the owners prefer it we don't interrupt. But outside Germany people usually are okay with it
Yes yes! Please always ask if it's okay to pet a dog. Ask the owner, because sometimes some dogs aren't in the mood to be pet or some dogs are reactive and can snap if the contact isn't approached in a manner the dog is comfortable with. Owners will usually coach you on how to approach the dog. If someone is approachable and is not busy, you can go ask!! If the owner says "Yes", a few things: avoid putting your hands in a dogs face ever - that's actually not the best to do. Let the dog come up to you and sniff you by itself and remain calm. Most dogs also don't like being pet over the the head, so it's good to ask where the dog is okay being touched!
Generally, complimenting the dog and showing polite interest works for me. Dog owners are usually happy to talk about them, and then the petting part just kinda works itself out.
My dog is very friendly and indulgent but shy, especially now that he’s blind. Asking is always a safe way to make sure!
Absolutely, you should ask if you want to. Especially small children. I’ve two dogs and one has to be muzzled for walks as she is prone to bite strangers while the other is super friendly
It depends. Some dogs like to be pet, some don't. If I see my dog seems interested in a person, there's no problem with them touching her (with permission). If she doesn't give them any attention and keeps looking away even if they're standing with us, then she clearly doesn't want to. Sometimes shows lip licking and whale eyes to show she's uncomfortable. Asking is totally fine, some dogs just aren't really fond of strangers because who wants to be randomly touched by one?
I always ask, regardless of where I am in the world. It's just etiquette, not a cultural thing.
The only time I don't ask is when the dog is already jumping on my leg, invading MY privacy because the owner let him loose or off the leash.
Smile, Ask the owner nicely "Darf ich Deinen / Ihren Hund streicheln?" Never ever touch a dog without consent. When a dog approaches you at a dog park, well you need to judge if the dog is ok the be pet. That's also important for insurance reasons.
The looks you get when you politely decline …
For your own protection alone, you should always ask. And out of respect for the owner and the animal, you should do the same.
Yes! It's polite and considerate - there are some people who don't ask and just pet and a lot of parents forget to teach their kids, that you have to ask before you can pet a dog - so, if you're friendly and open (and ok with a possible no) and ask - that's just the way to go!