I FEEL that Singaporeans should be a lot better educated on dogs, and know the etiquette concerning dogs, before we call for more dog-friendly places.

My family has a small dog and we used to take him regularly to the Botanic Gardens for walks.

We have stopped doing so because of the behaviour of some ungracious, ignorant people.

They would whistle at, or call out to our dog. Pardon me, but is it not rude to try and call somebody else's pet over?

Also, many children would rush over and try to pat our dog, and some would even provoke him.

While our dog is small and likes children, this is not always the case with other dogs.

Many of them dislike being patted by strangers and might growl or bite.

And if a dog bites a child or another person, who gets into trouble? Both the dog owner and the dog get the blame, even though it was no fault of theirs in the first place.

If you see a cute child along the street, you would not go up to him or her and pinch his cheeks.

I have very rarely seen any Singaporean parent teaching his child to ask the owner's permission to give a dog a pat.

In fact, these parents laugh and think that their child is doing something delightful when the latter rushes forward to interact with a dog without seeking the owner's consent.

Nicola Wong