How ridiculous - not letting dog sniff. What would you do?

There are valid reasons why the owner of the dog may ask you do give their dog a wide birth, so not always as ridiculous as it might first appear.

If an owner politely requests that my dog does not approach their dog, I will accede readily to it & recall my dog while we walk by or they do.

After a particularly vicious attack by a dog, a Dobermanns of mine would preempt a further attack by growling & lunging if a dog came towards him . I would ask the owner of the other dog to please recall their dog.

I would respect their wishes.....but I also would have asked first. I have a dog that through years and years of work, I can walk her without too much hassle, but if another dog attempted to sniff her, there may be an attack. You never know what issues the dog may have or what the owner is trying to work on, etc. There may be a reason for it and you have to respect that. If someone didn't respect my wishes regarding my dog aggressive dog, their dog may get hurt.

I also have another dog that while she isn't dog aggressive, she appreciates her personal space and doesn't like a strange dog getting in that personal space....after a few minutes she's fine, but if a dog just runs up and sniffs her, she'd certainly let that dog know that it's too close.

Some dogs are friendly, some aren't.....some dogs like space so I always get permission from dog owners before I approach with my dogs....it's the courteous thing to do.

I agree with the majority of people who said they may be a reason for the person requesting their dog not be sniffed at. When my dog had her leg in a bandage and wasn't to jump or get excited Dogs off the lead would try to play or whatever and I would have to pick her up. The owners wouldn't even apologise.

Unless you were at a dog park where it's expected for the dogs to mingle, this person had every right to ask others to keep their dogs at a distance. Doesn't matter the reason, it's a simple request and not for you to judge. Don't be a fool and send your dog or anyone else's up to a dog whose owner has requested otherwise....you may just find out the hard way exactly WHY the request was made when your dog comes back with a bloody nose. Not all dogs invite contact with other strange dogs. Respect that.

If someone asked me to stop my dog from sniffing another dog, I would honor his or her request. Not that I would ever be in that situation in the first place. I do not approach strange dogs with my dog. I do not allow strange dogs to approach my dog either if I can possibly help it. Too much can go wrong. There is the possibility of fights and even disease to consider. Strange children and strange adults are also banned from touching my dog since she is a rescued fear-aggressive dog that could turn fear-biter in the wrong circumstances.

maybe the dog was in training to be an assistance dog as they are taught to ignore other dogs until the handler allows them to play as the dog needs to remain focused therefore the handler may ask you to stop your dog sniffing because this is unfair on his dog, or the dog may not like other dogs, or the man may be fearful of other dogs, or may simply not want other dogs to go near his dog, you cannot really judge him without knowing the facts

Hey, my Border Collie, as with most herding dogs, have serious personal space issues. If a dog keeps sniffing my Luke (pictured) he'll get defensive of his space. Just keep moving, if owners instruct you to do so. It's not about "sniffing" it's about respecting space and owners wishes.

I would respect their wishes. I always ask before letting my dog greet another, and i've never had anyone just let their dog bother mine. Pass by sniffs are one thing (where both dogs reach out at the same time to sniff noses) but actually greeting sniffs are another.

Maybe her dog wasn't trained well enough to handle a sniff-fest? Maybe her dog had recently been ill and she wasn't supposed to let it around other dogs? Maybe her dog was jumpy, nervous, or could have bitten? Maybe her dog was late on shots?

Point is, you never know. Not all dogs like to be sniffed and not all owners want their dogs to be 100% friendly (IE service dogs, police K9s, etc wouldn't be allowed to sniff either you know!)

I'd make my dog stop sniffing their dog. Especially if they asked calmly and politely. I mean, they have the right to walk their dogs without other dogs coming up and sniffing. Where I live, its common courtesy to ask someone if their dogs can meet each other BEFORE just letting them randomly sniff each other. So what you encountered would be no big deal to me. In fact, I'd feel the need to apologize for not keeping my dog under control while in public.

Who knows.. There may have been a reason he did not want his dog being sniffed. Some dogs get really aggressive or don't like to be sniffed period. He may have just been trying to protect the other dog and for his own liability.

People have their reasons. I would respect their wishes.