I despair of some parents (SBT story).........(and i have a naughty cheeky pup today)

Ok .....first off Tonks was very naughty/cheeky today and stole some children's football..........bad dog! She's only ever done it once before and I always put her on the lead if we see children playing with balls.

As we were getting to the edge of the woods opposite our house Tonks went charging after a bird going back into the woods. I walked to the edge of the park to wait for her to put her on lead.....and in those few seconds she had done an arch.....come out somewhere else (no idea where) and knicked some boys' ball.

Of course both she and i were in the wrong but what has left me gobsmacked is the reactions of the children around...i can only pressume that no one has ever taught them dog safety.


As Tonks ran back into the woods with the ball one of the children (9years old maybe) went after her to get the ball.....he has never met her before ever.

I called to him (apologised for what she had done) and said that he shouldn't go after strange dogs. Unusually for Tonks she would not come back.

This was then made worse by a four year old child (who Tonks has never met either) who proceded to chase her round and round, grab at her legs, try to rugby tackle her etc etc) Of course Tonks felt that was a great game!

His mother was standing thirty foot away talking to her friend. I called to him to stop chasing her and she paid on attention, in the end i shouted "stop chasing her you must never chase a dog especially one you don't know!!) At that point the mother glanced over......nothing else.

After a minute i got my naughty adolesence back on lead and apologised again to the boys and went to get some money to pay for a new ball.

They were really good nice kids and said "oh we know how young dogs are and she is probably over excited with hearing us playing ball etc"

I made sure i explained to them that she was very friendly but that they mustn't ever chase after or try to get a ball off a dog they don't know as they might not be as friendly as Tonks.

I'm gobsmacked!!

People are either over protective of their kids, or don't seem to be bothered at all!

Tilly once stole a golf ball from some kids who were hitting golf balls (illegally) in our park. One lad went to get it out of her mouth I had to shout 'Don't do that, she might bite you!!!!!!!!' He took no notice of me (showing off to his friends). But when she started doing her straight up in the air jump he soon backed off

Bonkers isn't it. I can just see the head lines in the papers quoting the four year old boys mother the next time he tries to do it to a dog less friendly than Tonks.

Thankfully the boys with the ball listened to me and hopefully they will remember what i have told them.

We will have to be extra vigilant with Tonks and footballs now......twice this year is looking too much like a habit developing for my liking!!

Sounds a familiar problem
I had Chip out for the first time with his leg bandaged and a buster collar on when a 2/3 year old came charging up shrieking and grabbing at him. The mother was a mile behind and smiling. Poor Chip couldn't see what was happening so started jumping about and the child darted around and didn't want to let him sniff her. Instead of taking the child away the mother said to her friend 'Just go on she wants to play with the doggy' This was after I'd asked them to leave him alone. In the end I told her he was going to bite and her response was 'Oh she's enjoying herself'

there never seems to be a happy medium does there,

I agree , there never seems to be a happy medium .

lol must be a staffy thing iv had to replace 2 balls stig loves killing them strange thing is iv never given him 1 as a toy had a similar expiriance stig went over to play with some couples pup and they didnt want him to so the woman started to hit him with her bag i wasnt worried for my dog i was worried for the bag lucky for her i called him back or her bag and ervything would have been in a thousand peases stig just thort it was a game crazzy people!

id like to think im a happy medium of a mother

I cant really say i have had a situation with other kids(that i can think of) most kids run away screaming from my dogs thinking they are going to kill them even though they are minding their own busines!!
mind you, yoda does love people and kids so he runs up to people and literally sits in front of them(as in obedience sit) whether they are still walking or stood still lol some people like it and fuss him, and others try and step round him and he then trips them up lol that was more of a prob in my last house when i walked them on playing fields

It is very odd - glad i am not the only one who has experienced it. It does seems to be extremes, people either snatch up their children.......or just expect the dog to let them crawl all over them.............lucky Tonks really couldn't care either way!

its crazy these days I'm only 25 but when i was little i wouldn't dream of approaching a dog i didn't know and would always ask the owners of any dog if it was ok if i stroke there dog my parents would have gone mad if i didn't. im teaching my two the same things, its stupid bloody people and there stupidity agrrrrrrrrr