# Wash your hands after handling the dog?



## Lizz1155 (Jun 16, 2013)

My young cousins are over and my mother is downstairs teaching them that "we wash our hands after handling the dog, especially before we eat" :yesnod:. It's got me wondering whether it's just our household which is uber conscious about zoonotics (things which can be passed from animals to humans) ?

In our house Ted isn't allowed in the kitchen, and the area where his food is kept and prepared is completely separate to where any human food is kept (also means his stuff is handwashed and isn't allowed in the dishwasher. And no Kongs in the freezer.) There's also a huge amount of handwashing between handling the dog and doing anything else (which I'm starting to think is a bit pointless since I'm permanently covered in dog hair :001_unsure: ). The neurosis stems from my mother being a GP and me being immunosuppressed; she thinks it's justified to dettol _everything_.

So I'm wondering, what level of hygiene-awareness is normal when living with a dog?


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## cbrookman (Jun 12, 2011)

I wear disposable gloves when handling the raw meat I feed to my dogs. I prepare their food and feed them outside too. I do not wash my hands when I touch the dogs but I always wash my hands before handling food and when I come home from dog walking or picking up the poo from the garden. I do not allow my dogs to lick my face but only one of the three is a licky dog anyway.
The dogs bowls are allowed in the dishwasher occasionally but only if it on a high temperature long cycle wash. Obviously I do not us the same dishcloth as ours to wash the dog bowls but they are washed in my kitchen sink occasionally and wiped out with kitchen roll. The sink is then sprayed with bleach.


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## speug (Nov 1, 2011)

tbh I suspect more problems are caused by lack of germs than exposure to them. My dog sleeps on my bed if he wants to, licks the pans out before they go in the dishwasher etc. and it's not unknown to have to fish dog and cat hairs out of every mug/dish/bowl before use.

I also grew up in the age where we played outside as much as possible, digging holes in mud (archaeology phase), climbing trees, went camping with the guides, built fires, cooked our own food till we decided it was ready (black on the outside and half raw on the inside usually), would occasionally wipe the worst of the grime off our hands (on our trousers) but none of the modern fetish for antibacterial gels or sanitisers and I don't recall anyone ever coming to grief as a result - I think it strengthened our immune systems. 

If people have a compromised immune system to start with then I can see the need for caution but otherwise I think it's not needed and I think it damages your relationship with your dog if you have to keep washing your hands every time he comes over wanting a cuddle, or you won't allow an affectionate lick because of the potential transference of bacteria.


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## Fluffster (Aug 26, 2013)

I'd be forever washing my hands as I'm always touching Daisy, and the cats! We're quite relaxed in this house, obviously hands are washed after handling any raw food but otherwise, we don't do anything special. Pets are allowed in the kitchen, one of the cats is actually fed on the kitchen worktop which I'm sure would make people cringe (although he is an indoor kitty)  But I do wipe down surfaces if I'm going to be putting anything directly on them, more to get rid of the hair than anything, it gets everywhere! 

Bowls etc done in the dishwasher same as normal stuff, same with Kongs etc.

I grew up with animals and we weren't overly hygiene aware, just the obvious stuff. I wasn't a sick kid, never got tummy bugs or anything, so I think a bit of germs is healthy! (Obviously not if you're immuno-suppressed, though!)


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## triggerpuppy (Apr 7, 2014)

I don't wash my hands after touching my puppy - he's one of the family! I do wash them after poo pick-up and before preparing human food though (I'm not a total slut, in the words of Godfrey Bloom )


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## Fluffster (Aug 26, 2013)

speug said:


> not unknown to have to fish dog and cat hairs out of every mug/dish/bowl before use.


This made me laugh! My friend has three labs who shed a LOT. She made cupcakes for us in the office one day. One of the guys was eating one when he pulled out a dog hair from his cake. He looked horrified and said "There's a dog hair in my cake!" and my friend, without missing a beat, said "Well count yourself lucky there's just one" :lol:


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## BessieDog (May 16, 2012)

My thoughts are that you can be too clean, and lay yourself open to infections as your body hasn't built up a natural defence. 

Bess's food is kept in a separate freezer, but is prepared in our kitchen using the same hygiene as I use for our food. (She's raw fed). She eats a lot of her food on a mat in the lounge. Her bowls go in the dishwasher along with any of our plates she's per washed. 

I never wash my hands after cuddling her - seeing as she's on my lap every time I sit down it would be fruitless. And I'm quite happy to eat a packet of crisps while she's lying on me. 

I haven't had a cold for at least two years, and I can't remember the last time I was sick. I did have a cough last year, but I smoke which I think is worse than having a dog. 

So I guess you won't be coming to dinner at my house, then!


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

I rarely even think about it just practice usual hand hygiene - washing before eating or after using the bathroom etc. I love having a good old face wash by my rottie and a cuddle up in bed with the pointers. Their bowls go through the dishwasher a couple of times a week but get a good scrub under running hot water the rest of the time. They can lick our plates too as long as they go in the dishwasher afterwards. Can safely say I've never caught anything from any of my animals


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

I really don't worry about germs from my dog to be honest. I'm far more likely to catch something from another human than from him! He has his own towels and cloth that I wash his bowls with but that's about it. I wash my hands if I pick up after him or if I'm preparing food but that's it. I'll happily share a water bottle with him on walks if I forget mine despite the fact he drinks from the bottle, let him lick plates and stuff like that.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

No.

Do wash them specifically before preparing meals and on returning from walks because of picking up poo.

Otherwise, just the normal day to day habits of general hygiene.

I think research has shown that asthma and eczema is extremely rare in farm children and we are an outdoors family too so have always been exposed to a bit of dirt from an early age.

I think the modern obsession for anti-bacterial sprays and sterilising everything has created more problems than it has solved tbh.


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

There's a lot of evidence that says when we become too clean we get sicker especially autoimmune diseases. 

Plus I'd always be washing my hands, I wash them before preparing food and after handling raw meat but apart from that.


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## Buzzard (Aug 10, 2012)

I can't help wondering that the age we are in of anti bac this and antibac that means we don't get exposed to enough germs and bugs hence the increase in tummy bugs these days. When I was at junior school my mum never recalls me having a tummy bug, despite having two dogs and a cat. Yet these days there is a tummy bug doing the rounds all the time. My own children are encouraged to wash their hands before meals that involve using hands, like sandwiches etc. However, it does not bother me in the slightest them not washing their hands after touching a dog.

Of course I wash hands before preparing food and after handling raw meat and fish.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

I would be washing my hands all day long - OP, does this mean you rarely touch your dog.

I use the kitchen worktop as a grooming table, give it a quick wipe down and then prepare our food. the dogs food (not raw) is often put ready while I am doing our meal.
I am healthy and seldom have any illness - in fact I went years without even a cold.

I cannot think of anything except ringworm that direct contact with a dog is likely to give you anyway and I have never had a dog with ringworm though I have caught it a couple of times from cattle luckily I did not infect my dogs.


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

I really don't care about germs, the boys are allowed everywhere in the house, I never wash my hands after petting them, if I run out of room their food goes in our freezer, there is usually kongs in our freezer anyway.... 

So no I don't care


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## VickynHolly (Jun 23, 2013)

No I don't wash my hands after I have fussed them. I do after picking up poo and when I have finished doing their meals. Bowls are washed in the sink.


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## 2Hounds (Jun 24, 2009)

I don't worry about germs only wash hands if been poop picking or had hand in dogs mouths/been licked etc.

I have separate dog bowl washing brush but not worried about dogs in kitchen.


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## Mrsred (Oct 23, 2013)

Bar after poo picking after playing in the garden and the handling of a raw bone, we are extremely lax about hand washing regarding Shadow (my non doggy parents secretly view her as disease laden and sneak off to sterilise their hands after a cursory pet). Shadow also gets to lick the remnants of yoghurt, potatoes and what have you out of our bowls and they are just washed in the sink along with everything else. 

I have always been a great believer in the old saying 'clean dirt' which basically means you need some level of dirt to build up resistance to nasties - although having immunity issues would obviously mean higher precautions.

I have a friend who between her and her children are continually sick, they pick up every tummy bug going, colds turn into something more serious, they are ALWAYS ill yet they are obsessive about antibacterial soap, cleaning with antibacterials and disinfectants etc whereas TOUCH WOOD, we only get the occasional cold and even rarer tummy bug and I can't even remember the last I properly antibacced anything!


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## Apollo2012 (Jun 10, 2013)

Im not bothered about germs, Apollo is allowed to lick bowls and plates, I wash his bowls in the sink same as normal washing up and his frozen mince goes in the normal freezer. I only wash my hands after picking up after him, going to the toilet and before and after preparing food. I also only hoover once a week.

But I also barely ever get ill maybe once a year Ive had a sickness bug once in 23 years, everyone else's kids are always getting tummy bugs and things and my LO who is 3 so far has never *touch wood* had any sickness or diarrhoea bugs, has had one ear infection and a cold and cough no more than twice. maybe we as a family just have a very good immune system but I think it's partly down to the fact I don't worry about every bit of dirt etc we come into contact with.

Oh I don't allow face licking though I just find it gross


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## PawsOnMe (Nov 1, 2012)

I'm quite picky about washing my hands and its become a bit of an obsession to use hand sanitiser and wash my hands often. Saying that I don't wash my hands just because I've fussed the dogs. I will if I'm preparing their food or picked up their poo, or after I've walked them. 

It's very rare that I'm ill, I can count on one hand how many colds I've had and I've never had a stomach bug. I was always out playing, camping and walking as a child, climbing trees and finding fruit and plants I knew was edible and playing with Taz. I think all that built me a pretty strong immune system. 

Jasper still licks my face and his Kong's go in the freezer. It's actually doing me good and I'm not as anal or panicky about cleaning my hands as I used to be.


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

speug said:


> tbh I suspect more problems are caused by lack of germs than exposure to them. My dog sleeps on my bed if he wants to, licks the pans out before they go in the dishwasher etc. and it's not unknown to have to fish dog and cat hairs out of every mug/dish/bowl before use.
> 
> I also grew up in the age where we played outside as much as possible, digging holes in mud (archaeology phase), climbing trees, went camping with the guides, built fires, cooked our own food till we decided it was ready (black on the outside and half raw on the inside usually), would occasionally wipe the worst of the grime off our hands (on our trousers) but none of the modern fetish for antibacterial gels or sanitisers and I don't recall anyone ever coming to grief as a result - I think it strengthened our immune systems.
> 
> If people have a compromised immune system to start with then I can see the need for caution but otherwise I think it's not needed and I think it damages your relationship with your dog if you have to keep washing your hands every time he comes over wanting a cuddle, or you won't allow an affectionate lick because of the potential transference of bacteria.


This all over... rubbed in the face and everything! 

My pots are air dried because tea towels are always hiding a hair somewhere. I wash my hands after I've been to the loo, picked up after them or after I've fed them and preparing our food. But thats about it.

Oh I do wash my hands when I get to work (travel on public transport) and after touching a dog at work because I'm not dealing with me and my own there.

I still do most of the above quoted  

My sister used to be very germ concious but she's relaxed a lot these days. She didn't even break out the wipes when Jack gave the kids a lick today!


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## AnimalMad88 (Jan 27, 2014)

Normally, the only dog related activities I do with Muffin where I wash my hands afterwards are after walks/poop scooping and just before preparing food. However, as I'm currently staying with family (parents of my youngest niece, she's 2.) I find myself washing my hands more often as they're very hygiene conscious (1st time parents).


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## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

I'm with Blitz on this one - if I washed my hands every time I handled my cats (or the dog if I'm at my parents) I may as well be chained to the sink. I just can't see how its realistic unless you rarely touch your pets? :confused5:

My cats being 3-dimensional have the run of the house - inc kitchen worktops, bed, table, etc. I prepare their food the same place I do my own, store their raw food in the freezer with mine and defrost it in the same fridge. Everything I eat, wear, or own is already coated in cat hair.

Mum's house is the same where Solo is concerned. She also uses the kitchen worktop as a grooming table; he can go where he wants inc all furniture, and is pretty much constantly on someone's lap.

I guess I'd feel differently if anyone in either household had an immune problem, but otherwise I don't see the big deal.


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## lisablair (Mar 30, 2010)

In our house it's sort of become a competition on who gets the dog hair in there dinner!


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## toffee44 (Oct 21, 2011)

Hangs head in shame as health professional but I have grown up with horses and dogs and if it's just me I don't always wash hands all the time. I wash my hands so much at work though and always have my nails v v short as that's where I get obsessed about germs is under nails and under rings hate hate hate dirty finger nails. 

I wash hands when I get in the house, before food, after loo, but if up the horses or out with dogs then no I don't. If we have boyfriends little girl with us we try to use the sanitizer and I always have some in the car and also baby wipes. Work top gets a spritz of detox/ flash before using.


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## loopylori (Feb 10, 2014)

I wash hands before prepping food, after touching raw meat. After poo patrol, after using toilet. Maybe other times cannot think now. Dogs are allowed in kitchen. Their bowls go in dish washer. I don't let them lick plates.
I think I am clean but not obsessive, I do believe we need some exposure to stuff otherwise how does our immune system get working.
The over the top fussy people I know all get sick more often than me.


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

I do always wash my hands regularly when I have been handling the dogs, and I always wash them before I eat etc.

It's just something I have always done since my Mum is very fastidious about washing hands after handling any pets.


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

I wash my hands before preparing or eating my food - and after preparing their food, doing their medications, grooming them, or after doing any training/walks where I've been handling treats and/or dog toys etc. I don't wash my hands merely after touching them though.

They are never allowed to lick plates and I have a separate sponge and tea-towel for washing and drying their bowls.


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

My friend, pancake day 2013, decided after much jeering from the kids because she was turning the pancakes rather than flipping, decided to flip the last one, her one

She missed and it landed on the dogs head

She applied the 5 second rule:wink5: whipped it off the dogs head and back into the pan

She's still with us


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

I had a problem with fertility treatment that cause an issued with my immune system. My GP was worried when we got a dog but I've been fine. I'd get more problems if I washed my hands constantly as my skin is sensitive and I am reactive to those hand gels. Molly's kongs go in the freezer in their own bag, we wash after poo picking and I don't let her near the dishwasher or in the kitchen very much. I'm alive 

I see worse with the loos at work - that's educated adults for you.


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## Tyton (Mar 9, 2013)

toffee44 said:


> Hangs head in shame as health professional.


......me too, but in my defence, I also had to grow up in the same house (or muddy hole, or tree, or half cremated campfire) as speug 

I wash hands after poo-picking or before handling food. Occasionally at other times if they are visibly dirty. Petting any of our dogs usually involves lots of dog hair and slobber, currently also sand (Tyton) and mud (Beau and Kahn). I do baulk at sharing a glass with them, OH occ lets Tyton have a lick of his beer, but the drool to drink ratio left in the glass turns my stomach, hapy for them to lick hands, face etc though. We tend to have a spare handtowel in each room to remove the worst of the slobber from dogs' faces or human hands and clothes.

Work is different. Very assiduous re handwashing between patients and before/after procedures. However I do also believe one can be too clean, and miss out on strengthening your immune system by not allowing the body to build up resistance.


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## shirleystarr (Mar 22, 2009)

no I don't wash my hands after handling my dogs 
One of my dogs licked the vet on his nose and I said oh sorry about that he just likes people and is a licker The vet then said don't worry about it you can catch more germs from people and supermarket trollies than from a dog


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

The nature of my job means I have to be very fastidious about hand washing/sanitizing. So, I'm pretty good at doing it at home too through pure habit. However, I don't run to the sink after every time I've touched an animal - far from it. But I do wash them after grooming/handling their food/meds/picking up poo (duh!) etc.


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

I don't use gloves to prepare the dog food which is tripe and biscuits. It stinks so afterwards I give my hands a good clean with extra smelly hand wash.

My own children and grandchildren play with my dogs all the time, dogs are not allowed where there is carpet and are not allowed on furniture at all....and def no going upstairs. 

Everybody takes shoes off as they walk into my house....unless they come in round the back and into the utility through to the kitchen.....I do live on a farm, it wouldn't just be mud that people would be walking in on their shoes.

If clothing is very dirty, that comes off too and a change is needed. Animals here sleep in barns and stables, I don't want the inside of my house either looking or smelling the same.

I sweep round the kitchen floor most nights before bed, mop it a couple of times a week.

Dog food is kept in its own freezer but thats not for cleanliness, its just so there is no confusion about which is which .

Dog bowls are cleaned in a bowl every night and occasionally I chuck them in the dishwasher for a good hot scrub.

Animals do not eat from our plates. house pets get their bedding cleaned most days, 2 days use at most.

I do not let my pets lick me anywhere, actually, just seeing pets lick other people knocks me sick.


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

I would say I keep on top of cleaning etc in my house without being obsessive. My oldest friend occasionally comes here and it amazes me what a committed townie does and thinks is normal. 

She doesn't mind dogs licking her, doesn't mind dogs on furniture, has her own dogs( 7 altogether) sleeping in baskets in her own bedroom. Loves to feed everything...then scarpers to wash and clean herself.lol.

She loads my dishwasher....after rinsing and cleaning everything first with running water from the kitchen tap....I am on spring water, it runs the risk of running dry.

She has dogs in her bed etc but is queasy about a dirty mark or a hair in my shower and would rather wash herself with a flannel at the sink than go into a bathroom with a hair or 2 in it..would be interesting to see what she would do if she found a slug in there too.lol. and, last year, we had a toad in the shower room that used to hide behind the toilet when anybody went in....also saw a mouse in there....it ran and hid in my wash basket...that really made me mad....all these cats and a mouse in the house?lol


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## Apollo2012 (Jun 10, 2013)

Oh I forgot to add when I worked with horses, I spent everyday covered in horse muck, literally top to toe by lunchtime and we used to drink out the hose and the hose is used for everything from washing horses, washing muck off boots and equipment and filling water buckets. so to me Apollo licking my plate and the cat eating her food on my kitchen counter are nothing :lol:

or maybe I'm just gross


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

Apollo2012 said:


> Oh I forgot to add when I worked with horses, I spent everyday covered in horse muck, literally top to toe by lunchtime and we used to drink out the hose and the hose is used for everything from washing horses, washing muck off boots and equipment and filling water buckets. so to me Apollo licking my plate and the cat eating her food on my kitchen counter are nothing :lol:
> 
> or maybe I'm just gross


lol. But horses are different, aren't they?lol


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## delca1 (Oct 29, 2011)

loopylori said:


> I wash hands before prepping food, after touching raw meat. After poo patrol, after using toilet.


Same as this ^ really.

The hygiene standards with my grandson, 2yrs, is the same. 
People laugh when we tell them he copies Indie a lot...the first time he crawled he ended on the otherside of the room with his back to us sucking on one of Indie's beef rib bones  He grew out of that but still kneels to try and lap water from her bowl, drink from the pond etc. Disgusting to many but it's so funny!!!


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## Apollo2012 (Jun 10, 2013)

lilythepink said:


> lol. But horses are different, aren't they?lol


lol at one point I used to get the bus home when I was studying horses at college and people used to sit as far away from me as they could. I never really noticed the smell though, but love when I go on a yard for the first time in ages and can smell the horses. like I said I think I'm a bit weird :lol:


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## gorgeous (Jan 14, 2009)

We wash our hands before eating and after going to the toilet. Dont wash them after handling the dog...does that make us mingers?  All 4 animals sleep and eat in the kitchen. We are very rarely ill and none of our children suffer from any allergies...asthma or any other related illnesses.


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## Acer (Feb 27, 2014)

We're a bit more hand-washy than lots by the looks of it. 

Leo's my dog and I'm much laxer, I don't wash my hands after I stroke him, but if he's licked my hands or drooled on them, I will wash them afterwards - I know where that tongue's been!!

My mum will wash her hands after stroking him, let alone feeding him and giving treats etc.
I will wash them after feeding lots of treats, grooming him (because my hands get a bit greasy), and walking him.

Bowls can't go in the dishwasher, and I have to keep his dinner fork separate from ours.
Anything in the fridge like food or kongs has to be in a plastic bag. 
So yeah, we sound a bit like a clean-freak over here!


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

Apollo2012 said:


> lol at one point I used to get the bus home when I was studying horses at college and people used to sit as far away from me as they could. I never really noticed the smell though, but love when I go on a yard for the first time in ages and can smell the horses. like I said I think I'm a bit weird :lol:


I love the smell of horse sweat.lol

I get funny looks too if I have been with the horses and then nip to a shop....amazing how the till I use is empty behind me.


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## sianrees1979 (Feb 27, 2009)

TBH if i washed my hands every time i touched the dogs my hands would be always under the tap, i do wash my hands after picking poop up and after doing their food (if it's a raw day)


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

I forgot to add that my dogs live in the kitchen, and their bowls and fork are kept separate to anything else and are never washed with the rest of the pots. From being raw fed they also have their own set of stuff for thawing and cutting.

Basically, everything that belongs to the dogs is kept separate to the humans stuff, nothing is ever shared.


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## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

We are utter mingers!!! I wash my hands before preparing food, after going to the bathroom, or handling raw meat! Cian and cats lick breakfast bowls clean all bowls go in with our dishes and they all eat raw! Cats and dog go in to kitchen cats walk on the sides, I wipe sides down a few times a day but that's not because of the cats that's just habit  Forever being licked by Cian I'm always kissing his face or cuddling him and he's stuck his tongue in my mouth god knows how many times!! Oh and I go to shows handle other dogs and rarely wash my hands before eating usually with my hands!!!!


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Like many of the other answers, I wash my hands when I want to prepare or handle food. Their bowls get cleaned after each use if I use them, or if they get a raw bone, I generally pop round with the hoover and anti bac spray afterwards, otherwise the carpets could get pretty minging fairly quickly! They get to lick yoghurt pots and similar, but not dishes.


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## cravensmum (Jun 28, 2010)

I don't wash my hands after touching the dogs,and I don't feel there is any need to.

I use a poo bag to pick up their poo,so I don't touch the poo and have no need to wash my hands straight after,what happens to those that do when you are on a walk.

I don't have a dish washer and their dishes are washed in the same water after I have done my stuff.

They are allowed to lick my plates and pans.

They are allowed anywhere in the house.

I have a compromised Immune System but I have somehow managed to survive despite all of the above.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

Apollo2012 said:


> lol at one point I used to get the bus home when I was studying horses at college and people used to sit as far away from me as they could. I never really noticed the smell though, but love when I go on a yard for the first time in ages and can smell the horses. like I said I think I'm a bit weird :lol:


I hate the smell of horses on me once I go in somewhere warm. I was in Tesco with a friend and I kept moving away from this awful smell, but it kept following me and I realised it was me! I had to apologise at the till.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

Blitz said:


> I hate the smell of horses on me once I go in somewhere warm. I was in Tesco with a friend and I kept moving away from this awful smell, but it kept following me and I realised it was me! I had to apologise at the till.


You should have been near me when I worked with the pigs


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

We need a group discount on this

it&#39;s not a meal without PET HAIR! Apron | Zazzle.co.uk


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## Sandysmum (Sep 18, 2010)

Jets almost always with me, he sits on the sofa next to me, he sleeps on my bed and he sheds quite a lot. So basically I'd end up washing my hands red raw if I washed them every time I touched him.
I do if he's given them a good licking, coz they end up all slimey. Otherwise it's after poo picking and before preparing food, and normal human hygiene of course.


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## northnsouth (Nov 17, 2009)

I do not wash my hands every single time I handle my dogs, but always after someone else's, after dog walks and after feeding them and obviously before preparing or eating food. I always use J Clothes. Blue for Bogs, Pink for Pets, Yellow for You!! The dogs are not allowed to lick our faces or hands. And I never allow them to eat from our utensils. Although GSP did steal the WOK from the counter the other day


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## scosha37 (Feb 24, 2008)

I used to think about when i was young with my pets not once did my parents say "wash your hands" after i fed, played with my pets ect even out digging the Dirt & muck for bugs and spiders!  oh the thought now :frown2: anyways i have never caught anything i wasent ill am still living so but i do tend to now but not when am playing or cuddling ect maybe if am cleaning up after them , i just got a phobia of touching door handles and rails and where others touch i allways say to my family "wash your hands" after a day out as people sneeze and pick well you get my drift  and touch :thumbup1:


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## Kinjilabs (Apr 15, 2009)

I think you can be too overboard I dont wash my hands everytime I touch Bertie, well if I did I wouldnt have any skin left but obviously I do wash my hands before preparing food even if I hadnt been fussing him, oh and after the poo picking up routine I scrub my hands


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

I don't wash my hands after touching the dogs.
but I follow sensible hygiene rules.
I wash my hands when I come home, before preparing food and drink, after using the bathroom and cleaning up after the dogs.
The dogs have full run of downstairs including furniture. Fridge and freezer is shared as needed, dogs have their own dishes etc but they all go in the dishwasher with our plates etc.
Dogs are not allowed to lick human mouths/faces.
Due to my work I wash my hands and use alcohol gel alot there but at home I'm more relaxed.
I grew up in a home with the motto -
"My home is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy"


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2014)

speug said:


> tbh I suspect more problems are caused by lack of germs than exposure to them. My dog sleeps on my bed if he wants to, licks the pans out before they go in the dishwasher etc. and it's not unknown to have to fish dog and cat hairs out of every mug/dish/bowl before use.
> 
> I also grew up in the age where we played outside as much as possible, digging holes in mud (archaeology phase), climbing trees, went camping with the guides, built fires, cooked our own food till we decided it was ready (black on the outside and half raw on the inside usually), would occasionally wipe the worst of the grime off our hands (on our trousers) but none of the modern fetish for antibacterial gels or sanitisers and I don't recall anyone ever coming to grief as a result - I think it strengthened our immune systems.
> 
> If people have a compromised immune system to start with then I can see the need for caution but otherwise I think it's not needed and I think it damages your relationship with your dog if you have to keep washing your hands every time he comes over wanting a cuddle, or you won't allow an affectionate lick because of the potential transference of bacteria.


Yep. This 

I grew up eating a sandwich in one hand, shoveling manure with the other. My own kids grew up the same way.

If Im about to eat and there is a sink nearby Ill wash my hands, but Im not going to go hungry for lack of soap & water


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## Frollie (Aug 10, 2013)

Like most people, I follow standard hygiene protocols - before preparing or handling my own food, after handling his, after coming back from walks, after grooming him (this is more for the sake of my allergies than for any real hygiene reasons) other than that I don't bother. My hands wouldn't be able to handle it if I washed them every time I touched Ollie. Recently we've been doing lots of mini training sessions during the day and as we use ZiwiPeak for them, I have to wash my hands every time. They are currently really wrinkly and dry.


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2014)

OMG I cant imagine having to wash my hands with every training session!

Lets see, I usually carry cheese in my mouth that I either spit at the dog, or bite off in to smaller pieces in to my hand that I then hand to the dog. My hand is covered in dog spit and in turn reaching to my own mouth innumerable times during a training session. Hows that for gross? 
I will say, zukes salmon treats smell disgusting and Ive learned to keep my hands away from my face when using those, or at least not breath in when reaching to my face!

On longer runs and hikes the dogs and I also share water. Im not carting extra containers just to avoid dog drool. I just wipe the tip of the squirt container off on my shirt before helping myself.


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

cravensmum said:


> I use a poo bag to pick up their poo,so I don't touch the poo and have no need to wash my hands straight after,what happens to those that do when you are on a walk.


I shower when I get home from a walk with Spen so they get washed then. Having had a few incidents with exploding poo bags or a poo covered long line though I have a bottle of water in my bag and some antibacterial hand gel stuff. Just in case lol.

I wouldn't go hungry for lack of soap and water either Ouesi lol. If I'm out with the dog and have to eat then I eat and to hell with it. At home though it's another matter.


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## Rosie64 (Feb 27, 2014)

I wash my hands after poo picking, using the bathroom and before preparing food but do not do it after touching my dog if I did I would never be away from the sink as he spends every moment he can cuddled up on my lap he is also allowed free roam of my home he sleeps on my bed his food bowl is washed in the same water as my dishes after I have done mine he is always licking me but I do not allow him to lick my plates solely for the reason that I think this encourages him to take from my plate if I am not in the room, I also think that we as a nation are far too clean these days and that is why there are so many problems with allergies and skin problems it is ruining peoples auto immune systems


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## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

Not fussed about germs in the slightest, and I never get ill. With 19 pets in the house, I'd be chained to the sink if I washed my hands each time I touched one!


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## Indiandpuppy (Feb 24, 2013)

in my house we never wash our hands after handling our pets, but always wash them before eating dinner, or handling other animals


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## Indiandpuppy (Feb 24, 2013)

germ exposure increases immune system doesn't it?

'a little bit of dirt does you good'??


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## sailor (Feb 5, 2010)

We have guidelines not rules....

Any encounters with the turd kind - wash your hands, preferably with soap!
If the dog is covered in mud - don't let him on the soft furnishings!
If you really have to let the dog lick your face, let it be in moderation and keep your mouth closed!

I grew up with no end of animals and it was pretty much a free for all. No rules, never once got told to wash my hands etc .... I survived and I rarely got ill as a Child. Think I got a stomach bug once or twice, chicken pox and a mild cold once a year maybe?
I am not as relaxed with my Children as my parents were with me... but I still have never told a Child to wash their hands after fussing a dog. And I don't know anyone who does


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## Roger Downes (Sep 17, 2013)

If I'm poo picking I will wash my hands after, but in general that is about it. After my dinner if there is some food left on my plate which is suitable, I will let him lick it up. And if he licks me in the face I would not go and wash.


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## Howl (Apr 10, 2012)

I wash my hands all day constantly with good reason at work. It destroys my hands so I always give my skin a holiday when I get home. I learnt quickly how bad things got if I didn't. So I used to be a lot more fussy but when you see people who no longer have a sense of personal hygiene and they are not getting ill all the time, in fact the worst offender is nearly 104  your perspective changes. 
I have seen the knock on effect of germ phobia when out camping with young people. Sadly so many don't enjoy themselves and refuse to take part in some activities because they are scared of mud/dirt and live in very tidy clean lives with no messy clothes etc. :confused1:
So no I don't wash my hands after cuddling dogs but I do if I eat, after cleaning, poop cleaning and before I go to bed or leave for work. I change my bedding nearly every day due to the dogs. If I can't wash them I just get on with things.
At the end of the day illness and bacteria from dogs is there but humans also carry bacteria and many more serious human specific viruses etc. It isn't going to stop me kissing and cuddling the grannies at work. :lol:


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

rona said:


> You should have been near me when I worked with the pigs


Pig smell is vile. No amount of washing gets rid of it. I can always tell people that have pigs even though we have had them ourselves.

I think I did the ultimate in lack of hygiene this morning. I went out and dealt with an ill calf, came back in and fed the dogs, had my breakfast and then put my hand to my mouth, for some reason putting the base of my thumb in my mouth. Tasted calf and realised I had not washed my hands. Calf has an e coli infection.

I have to say I am gobsmacked by some of the examples of hygiene on here. I cannot think of one good reason why dog food and dog bowls need to be kept separate from human food and dishes. Unless your dog is kept out in a kennel and you wear protective clothing when handling it what on earth is the point - even supposing something nasty could happen from mixing them, which it cant.


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

I thought about this hand washing stuff over the last couple of days and noticed how many times I do or don't wash hands etc.
I never gave it much thought ever.lol.

I don't wash them very often. I do wash them and make them smell nice after mixing dog tripe.

I don't think I have ever washed after touching dogs.


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

Blitz said:


> Pig smell is vile. No amount of washing gets rid of it. I can always tell people that have pigs even though we have had them ourselves.
> 
> I think I did the ultimate in lack of hygiene this morning. I went out and dealt with an ill calf, came back in and fed the dogs, had my breakfast and then put my hand to my mouth, for some reason putting the base of my thumb in my mouth. Tasted calf and realised I had not washed my hands. Calf has an e coli infection.
> 
> I have to say I am gobsmacked by some of the examples of hygiene on here. I cannot think of one good reason why dog food and dog bowls need to be kept separate from human food and dishes. Unless your dog is kept out in a kennel and you wear protective clothing when handling it what on earth is the point - even supposing something nasty could happen from mixing them, which it cant.


I keep a freezer just for dog food. Its tripe and any roadkill I can come across. Its just easier to do it this way. I have a meat freezer and a general freezer too.....easier to know exactly where I am up to.If I have no room in the dog freezer and I have a delivery of tripe, I don't see any reason why a box of dog food can't be kept in a human freezer til there is room in its proper place.
I collect pottery. My house pots are too good for someone to put on the floor for a dog to lick and then the next person comes along and stands on the pot or breaks it. Dogs have metal bowls here.


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## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

I'm still a minger lol I was just thinking about cleaning out lines of kennels, vet checking dogs, cleaning dog equipment doing poo patrol, don't ever remember cleaning my hands lol Did the same as Lilythepink and tried to count how often I wash my hands during the day it's not very often at I'm more of a minger than I thought lol


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Heavens, I so couldn't care less! I muck out the horse and pick up stray bits of poo with bare hands then have a cup of tea, eat a carrot, drive home without washing my hands. I think a bit of dirt is super healthy! I'm never sick and the house is a bit of tip, too, usually. Three dogs and stable boots do not make a tidy house.  I use my bare hands to dish up the dogs' raw food....


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## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

Thank gods its not just me! I'm a rare hand washer; definitely not before eating or anything like that.


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

Colette said:


> Thank gods its not just me! I'm a rare hand washer; definitely not before eating or anything like that.


If my grandchildren are here, I always make them wash their hands before they eat.......makes me a bit of a hypocrite.lol. They are never sick either, last sickness they had was earlier this year and it was chicken pox.


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

Blitz said:


> I cannot think of one good reason why dog food and dog bowls need to be kept separate from human food and dishes. Unless your dog is kept out in a kennel and you wear protective clothing when handling it what on earth is the point - even supposing something nasty could happen from mixing them, which it cant.


Separate freezers for dog food and our food here purely so I know where I'm up to with his food and when I need to order more. If something won't fit in his then it goes in ours until there's space though. And vice versa towards the end of the month when I'm due to place a raw order. It's just more convenient to have them separate.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

lilythepink said:


> I keep a freezer just for dog food. Its tripe and any roadkill I can come across. Its just easier to do it this way. I have a meat freezer and a general freezer too.....easier to know exactly where I am up to.If I have no room in the dog freezer and I have a delivery of tripe, I don't see any reason why a box of dog food can't be kept in a human freezer til there is room in its proper place.
> I collect pottery. My house pots are too good for someone to put on the floor for a dog to lick and then the next person comes along and stands on the pot or breaks it. Dogs have metal bowls here.





Sarah1983 said:


> Separate freezers for dog food and our food here purely so I know where I'm up to with his food and when I need to order more. If something won't fit in his then it goes in ours until there's space though. And vice versa towards the end of the month when I'm due to place a raw order. It's just more convenient to have them separate.


oh I definitely see the point of separate freezers if you are freezing enough dog and human food to justify it. I dread to think how many times I would be thawing dog food for us to eat if I had a big freezer full of both. But that is convenience not hygiene.


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## Picklelily (Jan 2, 2013)

Many years ago hospital operating theatres used to have bottles of Dettol in them. Research was done to test the operating theatres for bacterial growth including floors, worktops and the Dettol. It was found that the bottle of Dettol swab grew more bacteria than the floor swab and when wiping down with Dettol the bacteria was spread over the surfaces. Dettol was removed from the theatres. Perhaps the research is now so old its been forgotten?

The best thing to clean with his hot soapy water. I only use other cleaning products if they have a special use. With amphibians in the house all these sprays are really bad for them.

I don't like the dog using human plates and dishes. If I put dog bowls in the dishwasher its a separate wash, which is completely silly but it suits my stupid mind.

Hand washing before food preparation and after. Hand washing after going to the toilet or cleaning up dog poop. Oh and hand washing after gardening or walking the dog.

Other than that we get on with it, I will happily eat crisps with my dog on my knee or I would if she didn't try to pinch them


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## korrok (Sep 4, 2013)

I'm a rare handwasher, I only wash them when making meals for others (..often not myself) and am only scrupulous when baking or cooking for non-direct family. Or ofc after the toilet or picking up dog/cat mess. I grew up not worrying about it and never was it implied to wash hands after handling the cats or dog. I have to say that my immune system is about the healthiest thing about me! My bf (who grew up with no pets) often pick up bugs and I almost never catch them, and if I do I'm over them in 1-2 days while he's sick for a fortnight.


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## JANICE199 (Feb 1, 2008)

*I make a point of washing my hands after using the loo. But apart from that, a bit of sh*t never killed anyone.*


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

Blitz said:


> oh I definitely see the point of separate freezers if you are freezing enough dog and human food to justify it. I dread to think how many times I would be thawing dog food for us to eat if I had a big freezer full of both. But that is convenience not hygiene.


LOL. I have got lamb lungs out before now...so a dog freezer for us ever since.lol


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## StormyThai (Sep 11, 2013)

Well, it looks like it's official. I am a dirty moo 

If my hands feel dirty then I will wash them, or if I am preparing food for other people, but aside from that I'm not really bothered at all.

All the animals bowls are washed in the same sink as ours, the cat has her own fork for her food but that is only because the OH is a little funny about me using ours (god knows why, it's not like I just throw them back in the draw unwashed after feeding her :lol. The freezer always has kongs in and Thai's raw food (any road kill is double bagged before being frozen tho).
Thai isn't allowed to lick plates clean tho, that is too much for the OH so to save any confusion for Thai any food we give from our plates comes from our hands or is put into his bowl.

If Thai slobbers on my hands during training then I just wipe them down my jeans :lol:


But then I'm another horsey chick that used to eat lunch whilst mucking out, drink from the hose if I was thirsty and generally be covered in mud and crap all day long :thumbup1:

I have a compromised immune system and can say I have caught more things from travelling on public transport or waiting in doctors surgeries than any animal I have had lol


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## korrok (Sep 4, 2013)

StormyThai said:


> I have a compromised immune system and can say I have caught more things from travelling on public transport or waiting in doctors surgeries than any animal I have had lol


Haha exactly..all the worst bugs I've had came from going to the supermarket on a weekend afternoon.


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## Phoolf (Jun 13, 2012)

:lol: Call me disgusting but I only wash hands when preparing food at work, or after I go to the toilet. I only wash my hands after handling Kes' raw meat if it's stinky like tripe or liver. Never got ill from it and I rarely if ever get ill.


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## Wilmer (Aug 31, 2012)

I wash my hands after poo-picking, travelling on public transport and the loo. If they look dirty or I'm making food for other people, they get washed. Only time I wash them after touching Betty is if I've just groomed her - I'm slightly allergic to her hair and grooming seems to get my hands more doggy than other forms of contact. I have to wash my hands and face after contact with cats as I am more allergic to them (streaming, golf-ball eyes).

I don't separate Betty's bowls/kongs in the dishwasher - I run it at 60 degrees, so that should keep any dog lergy under control 

To be fair, you can't blame anti-bac for everything, I grew up covered in mud, horse, cat and goodness knows what else, but developed asthma, eczema and allergies in my 20's


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

Yep after catching up with this thread i'm a proper minger 

The boys regularly snog us on the face, and often slip the tongue in 

The boys clean our plates which just go on the floor for them

I will share a fork/spoon with them if eating something appropriate for them

Chance drools all over me almost constantly i just wipe it down my jeans

I've been known to pick up that stray poo pebble bare handed....

I don't wear gloves to dish up their food

Same sponge to wash their bowls and ours...

Am surprised we aren't dead yet..........


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## LottieLab (Jan 2, 2012)

I only generally wash my hands after handling dogs if I'm just about to do something food-related. Otherwise, I don't really bother .


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

I just discovered one reason for keeping dog and human dishes separate. I was getting their meal and our meal ready. Laid out 2 plates and 2 dog bowls on the work top. Put Candy's food on a plate and cut it up neatly.


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## shadowmare (Jul 7, 2013)

Nope. Axel's coat is really clean and doesn't have the dirty/ greasy feeling to it so I don't feel the actual need to wash my hands every time I touch him. I wash them after coming back from the walk and before cooking. 
I do handle his raw with disposable gloves, because honestly, I'm quite squeamish and hate touching raw meat with bare hands (I know this is pathetic!!). His bowls go into the dishwasher. He is allowed everywhere except for the bedroom (although sometimes I make an exception when I feel lonely in bed) because my OH has allergies.


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

If I washed my hands after touching the dogs they'd be forever wet, the only time I do is before I prepare food, whether I've touched the dog or not and of course after picking up poo. 
Having once watched a panorama programme on the spread of MRSA, it makes me laugh how some people worry more about touching an animal than what we can (and do) catch off of people. MRSA was shown to be on pedestrian traffic light buttons, supermarket trolley handles, shop door handles and even money - so of the very few things that you can actually catch from a dog, I'm certainly not worried. Saw a guy recently sneeze into his hand and put it straight back on the trolley handle and when someone coughs behind me in the supermarket queue I actually hold my breath for a while, I remember seeing droplets spread in the atmosphere as far as ten feet, on a programme called Take Another Look. 
I'll take any risk with animals over and above people any day, since we carry more diseases than any other species.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Wilmer said:


> I don't separate Betty's bowls/kongs in the dishwasher - I run it at 60 degrees, so that should keep any dog lergy under control


A scientist friend says you need to have above 130 degrees centigrade to get rid of some bugs. 60 won't touch most bugs!


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## Goldstar (Nov 12, 2011)

Lucky licks our empty bowls/saucepans, her kongs and raw food go in our freezer (she has her own freezer drawer but usually ends up using ours), she wanders all over the house including kitchen area, I am always petting her without washing my hands and hand feed her things whilst I am eating. I very very rarely get ill (watch now I'll be ill tomorrow )
I wash my hands after poop picking .

I am more concerned about touching people than my dog. I've come across some nasty things in my role.


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## piggybaker (Feb 10, 2009)

Never wash my hands after touching my dogs would constantly be washing if I did.. Cats are fed on their section of the kitchen counter, built pacifically for them, dogs fed on kitchen floor, alway wash my hands before preparing food, 
My girls are no longer allowed upstairs and I don't let them lick my face but my feet MMmm bliss


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

I rarely worry about these sort of things. I probably should wash my hands more than I do but I never remember


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## Wilmer (Aug 31, 2012)

> A scientist friend says you need to have above 130 degrees centigrade to get rid of some bugs. 60 won't touch most bugs!


For bugs, I agree, but have these scientists ever studied the lurgy?


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## lisaslovelys (Jun 7, 2013)

I wash my hands before eating and cooking and the dogs bowls are washed seperatley in the sink but I do not do anything different really !! Honey is raw fed so I wash my hands after handling meat but then I would if I was preparing dinner as well so I don't make a huge effort where germs are concerned now I have a dog I am pretty much the same I just use common sense and wash after picking up poo but not when I touch her cos I am always touching her !!


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## JessIncaFCR (Oct 1, 2012)

If I am going to prepare/eat food or something similar or am picking up poop I will definitely wash my hands after handling the dogs. But normally, I don't (unless I am having to get something out of their mouth or something!) because I would be forever washing my hands and would never get anything done


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

cinnamontoast said:


> A scientist friend says you need to have above 130 degrees centigrade to get rid of some bugs. 60 won't touch most bugs!


So the hospital toilet tap water that is set to an exact temperature is nowhere near then, I think that's 37? But then I guess you got the handwash too.

Oh and in response to the thread, I don't wash my hands after touching my dog no. I'm always touching him, I'd have no skin left lol.

I wash my hands after poo picking and before preparing food (and after going to the toilet, so I think that's enough!)
His bowl and kong is washed in the same washing up sink as ours and put on the drainer with our plates.
His Kong goes in our freezer in a food bag (only to stop any leaks before it's frozen).

If I am stroking a dog that leaves that greasy film on your hands, then yes I do wash my hands. As I wonder if they have a skin condition.


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

I wash my hands after picking up poo or before cooking / eating but that is about it in terms of hygiene considerations.

Funnily enough I am a compulsive hand washer but touching the dogs doesn't start it all off!!


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

Lizz1155 said:


> My young cousins are over and my mother is downstairs teaching them that "we wash our hands after handling the dog, especially before we eat" :yesnod:. It's got me wondering whether it's just our household which is uber conscious about zoonotics (things which can be passed from animals to humans) ?
> 
> In our house Ted isn't allowed in the kitchen, and the area where his food is kept and prepared is completely separate to where any human food is kept (also means his stuff is handwashed and isn't allowed in the dishwasher. And no Kongs in the freezer.) There's also a huge amount of handwashing between handling the dog and doing anything else (which I'm starting to think is a bit pointless since I'm permanently covered in dog hair :001_unsure: ). The neurosis stems from my mother being a GP and me being immunosuppressed; she thinks it's justified to dettol _everything_.
> 
> So I'm wondering, what level of hygiene-awareness is normal when living with a dog?


Absolutely none. If I am going to catch anything it is far more likely to be from a human than an animal. As to washing hands every time I touch the dogs, that would be unachievable since I am always touching them, stroking them, kissing them, cuddling them. When my children were little I went to pick my daughter up from horseriding and there was this mother collecting her children. They dismounted and one of them scratched her face; the mother freaked out! 'Don't touch your face! Don't touch your face until you've washed your hands!' I felt really sorry for those kids.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Dont own dettol - hands are washed after poo picking

Dog sleeps in the bed, can go anywhere in the house, licks my face, all his stuff is bunged in the dishwasher, he rolls in mud, lays in minging water, most things are covered in dog hair, hoover more regularly when hes about.

Believe sterile environments are to blame for all the allergies etc we see nowadays.


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## cheekyscrip (Feb 8, 2010)

I wash hands before cooking, all wash hands before eating...cat is being shooed from kitchen top ..dog is never allowed on the table...
they are discouraged from licking the plates...


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## SingingWhippet (Feb 25, 2015)

Dogless said:


> I wash my hands after picking up poo or before cooking / eating but that is about it in terms of hygiene considerations.
> 
> Funnily enough I am a compulsive hand washer but touching the dogs doesn't start it all off!!


I could have written this word for word!!

I'm paranoid about catching things from other people (especially children, little germ factories that they are) but then I'm perfectly happy to share my bed with the dogs, let them lick my face, put human plates down on the floor for them to clean crumbs off and put their dishes in the dishwasher with our stuff.


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## foxiesummer (Feb 4, 2009)

I use a knife and fork to eat my meal, saves washing hands.


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## Goldstar (Nov 12, 2011)

I wash my hands after picking up poop but that's it where Lucky is concerned. I would never think of washing my hands after just touching her, what would be the point?


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## shirleystarr (Mar 22, 2009)

I wash my hands after picking up poo and before I eat and after the loo
I don't wash my hands after touching my dogs 
One of my dogs once licked the vets face as he was trying to look at her cataracts I said oh sorry he said don't worry I am more likely to pick up germs from a human than I am from any animal


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2015)

Apollo2012 said:


> Oh I forgot to add when I worked with horses, I spent everyday covered in horse muck, literally top to toe by lunchtime and we used to drink out the hose and the hose is used for everything from washing horses, washing muck off boots and equipment and filling water buckets. so to me Apollo licking my plate and the cat eating her food on my kitchen counter are nothing :lol:
> 
> or maybe I'm just gross


Horse people are special 
I'm the same way about horse muck. Muck a stall, eat a sandwich, no washing in between.

I used to babysit a toddler for a gal that ran a barn. This toddler thought stray turds were great - I mean, they do look like perfect toddler sized play balls really. Every day he'd pick one up and every day we'd take the "toy" from him, brush his hands off, and call it good 



Lizz1155 said:


> In our house Ted isn't allowed in the kitchen,


The only way our kitchen floor stays somewhat clean is the four legged clean up crew that comes in after each meal preparation. Without dogs I might have to mop or something!


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## Paula07 (Aug 23, 2010)

My house is clean and tidy but we don't bother about dog germs. We don't wash our hands after touching them, kongs go in the freezer and my OH's little one is forever rolling about on the dog beds and getting licked to death!


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

ouesi said:


> Horse people are special
> I'm the same way about horse muck. Muck a stall, eat a sandwich, no washing in between.
> 
> *I used to be the same, but with cars, sandwich resting on the side of engine bay with some black finger smudges on it.* :lol:
> ...


:laugh: I love my fluffy lil vacuum cleaner, he saves me a lot of time. He cleans up under the table area then follows me as I wipe down the worktops, so he can get the crumbs :thumbup1:


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## Rahoulb (Dec 17, 2013)

foxiesummer said:


> I use a knife and fork to eat my meal, saves washing hands.


I don't - well not for curry anyway (I'm from an Indian family).

I wash before eating/food preparation and after poo pickup. The dog licks my face, he licks the plates before they go in the dishwasher and sleeps on the bed (only when invited).

We're very rarely ill (and my eldest child used to eat any old stuff off the floor, she was as bad as the dog is now). Entirely unscientific, but I'm convinced these facts are related.


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## Pupcakes (Jun 20, 2011)

Naaaaaaaah!


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## Clare7435 (Dec 17, 2009)

If I washed my hands every time I handled my dogs I would be washing them literally every few mins because I'm always touching them..they're always rubbing at me licking me etc...also they often go to my almost 3 yr old granddaughter for a fuss which she is happy to oblige and she throws their toys for them and they kiss her to say thank you and we have never once been ill as a result....years ago I used to nap with my childhood dog and as a kid I was never ill aside the usual childhood things like measles mumps etc ...lots of folk overdo it with the whole clinical clean thing imo...kids need a bit of muck and dog spit or they'll never build up an immune system


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## Reverie (Mar 26, 2012)

I only wash them after I come back from walks (picking up poo etc) and before making food, as well as all the other normal times one washes their hands obviously  I'm pretty relaxed about it. If I washed them after every time I touched the dogs I would have no hands left. :biggrin:


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

never. I muck out horses and usually have some chocolate in my pocket when I am doing it...and eat as I muck.lol.


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## Sparkle22 (Oct 26, 2013)

Hmm, my dog is raw fed and I don't always wash my hands after handling it.
I don't wash my hands every time I stroke her or before eating either.
I don't have a dishwasher and wash dogs and cats bowl in the sink with the same dishcloth everyone else's crockery gets. 
I'm still alive...


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

I had a muslim pupil once who asked me if I showered the dogs before I let them in the house! That would just make them all the dirtier with all that fur. Another one stopped the car, got out her wet wipes and proceeded to wipe everything, the steering wheel, gear lever, handbrake, the lot, all because I had touched a hat the dog had chewed then handed her the keys. She was not impressed when I told her I kiss my dogs goodbye before I go and meet her and I don't wash in between. :frown2:


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## springfieldbean (Sep 13, 2010)

I also tend to think that the more exposure the better really! Unless your immune system's already compromised, of course.

I'd be wasting days of my life if I washed every time I touched the dogs or cat. Dog kongs, dog/cat food and treats all go in our fridge and freezer next to our own food; we wash their bowls up with our stuff; Sherlock sleeps in our bed; he licks our faces and hands a lot, and I'm always stroking and hugging them - I just don't think about their germs or whatever at all. Every now and then Sherl manages to lick me on the lips and I find myself wondering what he'd been licking before me, but that way madness lies!

I do remember before I had Sherlock that I really wanted to wash my hands after touching certain dogs, but that was because I could smell/feel the grease on my hands. There used to be some dogs that would leave black grease on my hands after stroking them   I haven't experienced that for a while (have dogs just got generally cleaner?) and luckily Sherlock, Bron and Kinvara are all non-greasy!


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## karmacookie (Nov 9, 2014)

When my Granddaughter started crawling she would go over to the dog and lick the dogs face 

Dog and child still alive


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## Apollo2012 (Jun 10, 2013)

ouesi said:


> Horse people are special
> I'm the same way about horse muck. *Muck a stall, eat a sandwich, no washing in between.*
> 
> I used to babysit a toddler for a gal that ran a barn. This toddler thought stray turds were great - I mean, they do look like perfect toddler sized play balls really. Every day he'd pick one up and every day we'd take the "toy" from him, brush his hands off, and call it good
> ...


Give the horse half your lunch too or pack some fruit especially :lol: . I used to to walk around still doing things while eating and I would always give my favourite horse a bit of most of the stuff I ate :lol:


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## dorrit (Sep 13, 2011)

OH moans that I kiss the dog too often , I say at least I know where his mouth has been..


Seriously, after being outside or to the loo or inbetween tasks I wash hands. Before cooking I wash hands and I often wear an apron.

But I will often share fruit with the dogs breaking a bit off for them and handing it to them ..

Not too worried about germs from dogs..Theres much worse stuff around.
We used to call my inlaws Sam and Ella (salmonella) because of his allergy to soap and water and her habit of wiping everything with the same cloth (alzhiemers)..


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## mylesaminute (Jan 11, 2015)

Sam lives in my house, if I'm going to catch something from her then I'm going to catch it regardless of how many times I wash my hands LOL.


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## eoj89 (Feb 12, 2015)

I only really wash my hands after 'handling' Murphy if I'm about to eat something, or if he's slobbered all over them/something along those disgusting lines.

I always wash my hands after stroking someone else's dog though if I've got access to a sink. Nothing against the dog but it's just something I've always done.


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## steveshanks (Feb 19, 2015)

I wash my hands BEFORE i touch the dog because i'm a caretaker in a first school......I do wash my hands after touching the dog if i am going to feed or handle my birds, just in case......Steve


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

Not mine but:






 sums up my opinion.

Generally wash hands after visiting the bathroom and before eating.


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## Rott lover (Jan 2, 2015)

speug said:


> tbh I suspect more problems are caused by lack of germs than exposure to them. My dog sleeps on my bed if he wants to, licks the pans out before they go in the dishwasher etc. and it's not unknown to have to fish dog and cat hairs out of every mug/dish/bowl before use.
> 
> I also grew up in the age where we played outside as much as possible, digging holes in mud (archaeology phase), climbing trees, went camping with the guides, built fires, cooked our own food till we decided it was ready (black on the outside and half raw on the inside usually), would occasionally wipe the worst of the grime off our hands (on our trousers) but none of the modern fetish for antibacterial gels or sanitisers and I don't recall anyone ever coming to grief as a result - I think it strengthened our immune systems.
> 
> If people have a compromised immune system to start with then I can see the need for caution but otherwise I think it's not needed and I think it damages your relationship with your dog if you have to keep washing your hands every time he comes over wanting a cuddle, or you won't allow an affectionate lick because of the potential transference of bacteria.


Pretty much the same here.Oliver is kibble fed and yes i know where he licks himself.He also gets to lick my face as long as it is not around my mouth.As does he lick any skin exposed.He licks dishes and shares his dishes with ours and they all get washed together.He sleeps on the couch and yes occasionally i have to wipe kibble crumbs off the couch.If you dont like hair in food and drinks then be sure to wipe everything out or off.


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## Rott lover (Jan 2, 2015)

karmacookie said:


> When my Granddaughter started crawling she would go over to the dog and lick the dogs face
> 
> Dog and child still alive


Thank goodness the dog lived through that


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## piggybaker (Feb 10, 2009)

Lizz1155 said:


> My young cousins are over and my mother is downstairs teaching them that "we wash our hands after handling the dog, especially before we eat" :yesnod:. It's got me wondering whether it's just our household which is uber conscious about zoonotics (things which can be passed from animals to humans) ?
> 
> In our house Ted isn't allowed in the kitchen, and the area where his food is kept and prepared is completely separate to where any human food is kept (also means his stuff is handwashed and isn't allowed in the dishwasher. And no Kongs in the freezer.) There's also a huge amount of handwashing between handling the dog and doing anything else (which I'm starting to think is a bit pointless since I'm permanently covered in dog hair :001_unsure: ). The neurosis stems from my mother being a GP and me being immunosuppressed; she thinks it's justified to dettol _everything_.
> 
> So I'm wondering, what level of hygiene-awareness is normal when living with a dog?


I wash my hands more after handling my children than I do my dogs!!! I know where my dogs have been


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

Think I only consciously remember to wash my hands after handling raw chicken and picking up poo (though its in bags and use a long handled pooper scooper) 

Mine don't lick my face Inca's never been a 'licky' dog, though JJ likes to lick my hands all over for some reason! Something he's done from a young age I'd often wake up to him licking my hands, rather methodically.. first one side then the other, then same with the other hand! ..I don't mind as I'm heading for the bathroom anyway as soon as I get out of bed. 

I don't wash my hands everytime I stroke them. I wash their dinner bowls in washing up bowl (no dishwasher) when I'm washing my own plates from dinner, kongs go in fridge and freezer usually inside a freezer bag. Any toy that's had wet food in gets sterilised in boiling water before being refilled including those hollow bones...can't remember last time I was ill from an infection or anything passed onto me from the dogs!


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

I think my dog much cleaner that those I work with. The amount of women I work with who don't wash their hands after the loo is truly shocking. 

I have got more colds from travelling on manky trains (that I'd hesitate to take Molly on as the state of the flooring is highly questionable) than I ever have from my dog.


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## Indiandpuppy (Feb 24, 2013)

When I went to Crufts, when I go riding or to petting zoos etc,c and when I visit other peoples houses I do wash my hands after animal handling but never our own pets


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## Indiandpuppy (Feb 24, 2013)

Just noticed your GP comment OP and LOL-led because my brother who is a GP was the opposite, he was actually quite gross with his gsd x collie, they had baths and showers together, shared water bottles on walks, slept in same bed, had kisses, once he let Sam lick his ice cream cone


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## Indiandpuppy (Feb 24, 2013)

I wear gloves on walks in the winter


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

Not read through the entire thread but if I went through a day with my dogs and washing my hands after touching them, I'd be in the bathroom a lot! I also have cats and I don't wash my hands after touching them. I use common sense and wash hands after handling raw meat for cooking and if wiping up any cat/dog sick, I wash my hands then.


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

If I'm stroking Muttly and then need to eat, I just brush my hands off to make sure there are no hairs.


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## Clare7435 (Dec 17, 2009)

karmacookie said:


> When my Granddaughter started crawling she would go over to the dog and lick the dogs face
> 
> Dog and child still alive


This is my granddaughter all over ., my dogs are kibble fed and she will sit feeding them it out of the bowl one by one, then she will try a crafty munch herself...and as for ice cream van days...it's a lick for her and a lick for the dogs....very cute and a very healthy grandchild lol


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## dorrit (Sep 13, 2011)

My children ( now grown up ) were having a discussion via FB last night about eating out of dog bowls..

I had to remind my son of the time I heard him saying 'one for you , one for me, one for you one for me'.....

I walked into the kitchen and found him sharing dog food with our dog..He was about 4 at the time.

Child grew up healthy and strong, dog ditto!


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## ciarasmum (Aug 21, 2013)

Ah how I wish I could wash my hands the same amount as most of you &#61516;
At the beginning of last year I went through some anxiety which unfortunately manifested itself as a fear of catching something and severe OCD, to the point of having to seek cognitive behaviour therapy. 

I&#8217;m 27 now and before then was very carefree. Now I have to open door handles with my sleeve (outside my own house), hand sanitize after using check outs, touching anything of other people&#8217;s. I have a weird fear of catching a cold sore. Don&#8217;t ask why. I lived with my nan for 4 years until a year ago and she gets them, my dad gets them, my brother gets them. I never batted an eye lid. Now with this weird anxiety I suddenly care??? It&#8217;s odd and to be honest is severely impacting what I will do in everyday life. The ends doesn't match the trouble I go to.

However, I&#8217;m much more relaxed about every other kind of germ. Mud, no issue (apart from having to clean it), Ciara, no problem. She goes everywhere in the house, occasionally gets on the bed with me if the OH is away. I don&#8217;t clean her bowls with the one we wash the pots with, but her kong goes in the freezer in a bag. The only thing that does bother me is if she sniffs a tissue when out and about. Again because of my fear of what&#8217;s on there, but obviously I just carry on, can&#8217;t wash her nose 

I did read somewhere about OCD and how one woman washed her dishes before the dishwasher, in the dishwasher, then again before she used them. But only when her family was there. When she was on her own she didn&#8217;t do all this. I&#8217;m the same, if it was just me I&#8217;d not care about anything one jot, it&#8217;s the thought of passing something on that bothers me.

Sorry for the essay, but I really wish I could go back a year and sort out whatever caused this strange and new bout of anxiety which unfortunately only gets worse over time &#61516;. Unfortunately it seems to be hereditary as both my mum and nan suffer/suffered from anxiety to the point of having to take medication. My mum used to bath in disinfectant, clean under her nails with needles (clean). 

This was all before I was born and so nothing I could have picked up from seeing her. I find new things to worry about.

My hands are dry and sometimes split from washing them, I do it before using the toilet (at work incase I&#8217;ve touched something), after using the toilet, and all the times mentioned above. It&#8217;s exhausting. I have hand sanitizer on me at all times. Aside from today when I&#8217;ve left it in my coat when walking Ciara, it&#8217;s quite refreshing not to do it, but making me very anxious all the same.

So in summary, no I don&#8217;t wash my hands after touching Ciara haha. I hope I haven&#8217;t offended anyone with what I have posted. That&#8217;s the last thing I would ever wish to do.


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## cbcdesign (Jul 3, 2014)

The threads a bit too long to read through so apologies if somebody else has already mentioned this. But there was an interesting article in one of the papers the other day which said that dog owners and their dogs over time acquire identical strains of good bacteria in their stomachs. I though that was quite an interesting discovery and has some connection with this conversation.


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## kare (Sep 8, 2014)

Long thread and I am only on page 3 so far
I don't wash my hands around my dogs, they even sleep next to me whilst I eat.

They are raw fed and we have meat at the bottom of the freezer, below our food, and that days food at the bottom of the fridge below ours to avoid infection
I use a separate area of work top too, which may also get to hold dirty pans before washing up, but never food or drink. I wash their toys in the washing machine as no dish washer here.I would not wash their bowls with ours, or in my washing bowl, and use a separate sponge.

I do often have to wash my hands after touching other dogs though. I seem to react to certain dogs, for example labradors being the worse. I believe it is related to oils in the coat, so oily dogs, older dogs, and shorter haired dogs (where the oils are more distributed across the hair and so higher concentration nearer to the top layer I touch)


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Read the 1st couple of pages - realised it was old & skipped to the end for the new stuff 

I think it's probably a good idea to teach kids to wash their hands before eating - not just if they've touched the dog but generally .....

Dog food & cat food is mixed among mine in the freezer - it's a case of squeeze it in where you can! 

*
ciarasmum* you have my sympathies - I have OCD - thankfully mild and the things i have issues with are cope-able with in everyday life and not too disruptive (more annoying!) BUT I do totally 'get' where you're coming from

I take TNF inhibitor & chemo drugs so am very immune suppressed - I have huge issues with things like cash machines / PIN machines at checkouts .... how often do you think they get a clean :frown5: think of all the people with colds etc  *shudder*

I always have my hand sanitiser too!


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