While out today

I saw two boys (9 years old max) walking a adult Rodesian Ridgeback bitch.

The dog looked very well behaved and was walking on completely loose lead (a hot pink lead and collar!), but i wondered if such young children should be walking such a powerful dog.

When i was a child of a similar age my friend and i would walk our dogs, both of whom were the size of Golden retrievers, but now as an adult i won't let my boyfriends children walk Tonks without us.

Maybe that is because they are not my children or are not as confident with dogs as i was as a child, or because Tonks is a staffy. There are so many reasons why i wouldn't want them to walk her alone!

What are other people's views on this? Should such young children be walking such a dog, even though she was obviously very well behaved?

i think i walked ours at that age.. although they're not as big as an RR and i probably didn't take them far..

Maybe i am just paranoid.

No way ! I agree with you! RR's are very powerful dogs, she decided to take off and they wouldn't have been able to do much. No matter how well a dog is trained it is still an animal and has instincts. I would never let a child that young walk a dog that size without supervision.

Yes that's what i think too. It was also on a main road, yes a main road in the suburbs, but still a busy road. My friend and i used to cross this road with our dogs, but they were half the size of a RR.

I still can't bring myself to let my OH's children walk Tonks. Maybe when she is a bit older, but i'm not sure. I would be concerned incase anything happened and the children didn't know how to react or if someone tried to take her from them.

Maybe i am over protective of her....she's only a tiny baby still though!

No I think you're right, and taking a responsible attitude. Better safe than sorry! Well done!

Thank you!

I will join you in paranoia land then. I have Foster Kids asking to walk ours, but I'm a meanie and say no. Don't know what might happen and ours are only medium size. But best to be safe than sorry thats my excuse

I have two working cockers and a lab and I let my kids (10 & 12yrs) walk a dog each but ONLY when I am with them too never let them take any of my dogs out on their own

I don't think you are being paranoid at all

I don't think it matters how well behaved the Dog being walked is, if that Dog is attacked, will a Child be able to deal with that situation.