This always amazes me, too, when people let their small children wander around in a sea of unleashed dogs that they don't know. Not safe. The dogs are at the dog parks to run around and play and wrestle with each other - not with the humans.

Yeah, LOTS of people don't ask. I find that most of the time, adults do actually read the body language in the cases where they don't ask directly if they can pet him. These are the people who are gentle, and my dog is happy and waggy and wonderful with people who are gentle. On the other hand, he gets freaked out…

I'd had no idea it was uncommon, either (several people in my family are allergic to dogs but not cats, but as an adult tons of people question me on it). I felt weirdly relieved when my allergy tests proved that I was allergic to dogs and not cats because people always seem not to believe it.

Seriously. My dog isn't even a scary looking breed - he's a beagle-lab mix (we think) and looks like a yellow lab puppy who is full-grown at 35 lbs (which I think is part of why kids just always think PUPPY! and run for him all.the.damned.time). But kids who don't know not to run toward dogs + parents who don't get…

Exactly. Our dog isn't even a puppy (but due to his mixed breed he will always look like one) - he's 5 years old now and has gotten better with kids since the assaults haven't happened in a few years now. But he was probably about 2 when they happened, and it was awful. Made me so sad, too, because he adored kids…

As a dog owner (whose dog sheds enough that we could probably build a whole extra dog once or twice a year) and as a person who is also completely allergic to cats, I totally empathize. I've frequently had to leave friends' homes in the middle of parties and gatherings because of their cats, because I was just too…

That's fantastic! Every school should do this.

Well done for teaching your child to be respectful of dogs and to approach them safely!

Ha! I don't mind at all, either, but my dog feels the same way yours does and gives me that sad hurt-feelings look, too, when people pass him by without stopping. He thinks that most of the people we pass when we're out for our walk actually came out just to see him.

Huh. Interesting.

I just read this out loud to my husband and his immediate reaction was to state very firmly: "JWG, you are not buying a waffle iron. I know you, and I know you would present me with a waffle like this so I would get excited and think it's okay, but YOU ARE NOT BUYING A WAFFLE IRON. DON'T GET ANY IDEAS."

Ah. Got the gist but hadn't seen that before. Thanks for clarifying!

YES!!! We call it Peep Wars and do it every year. My husband and I get competitive with peep wars so we buy two different colors of peeps so we can keep track of whose peep wins - makes it easier because our microwave has one of those bottom things that spins. Best game ever.

Wait, I missed the acronym - what's MRA?

Ahhhhh I am 3 1/2 months away from completing the rest of the requirements for my doctorate and your comment just made my day!

OMG that sounds incredible. Wait, can you still buy peeps in the summer? How have I not known this????

I love Peeps and my husband hates them, too, but we solve them thusly: PEEP WARS. I buy two colors of Peeps. We put one of each color in the microwave, facing each other, each armed with a toothpick stuck in its side, pointing at the other peep. Heat them up, watch them expand, and one of them explodes the other…

Just posted this up-thread, too, but:

Also - in addition to the deliciousness - you know about the Washington Post Peeps Diorama Contest, right? You can enter if you're a DC, MD, or VA resident. They display a lot of the entries at Artomatic the last couple of years, so go check those out, too. People get creative and it's pretty hilarious. The…

Thank you so much for the work you do.