Contact with dog could be poisonous

Dear Amy: I have a severe general allergy to poison ivy. If the tiniest amount of the poison ivy urushiol oil touches any part of me I will break out with hundreds of small, but itchy, blisters. These blisters cover my body. Without a steroid prescription from my doctor it can take months for a breakout to clear up.

My problem is that I like to hike on trails that have been cleared of poison ivy, but frequently the areas off the side have poison ivy. People love to bring their dogs, and if their dogs go off the trail, come in contact with poison ivy, and then touch me, it results in hundreds of blisters. Because of this, I try to be proactive.

I’ll say: “Please, don’t let your dog touch me, I have allergies.”

They say: “Oh, don’t worry he is friendly.”

I say: “I don’t care. I can’t touch your dog.”

Then the person gets mad or acts insulted — or worse, they let the dog jump all over me.

How would you address this issue? — Allergic

Dear Allergic: I also wonder why some dog owners don’t seem to realize that their beloved family members are actually animals. Dogs are sometimes unpredictable (this is understandable), and dogs can pose a risk to humans.

Just as no parent should assume that every stranger will find their children charming, no dog owner should assume that everyone will want to interact with their dog.

“Oh don’t worry, he is friendly” is not an appropriate answer to a human who can’t have contact with a dog without experiencing extreme consequences. The dog’s friendly nature is not in question.

You should say, “I have extreme allergies and could land in the hospital if I have contact with your dog. I’m going to stay on this side of the trail while you pass by.”