I was badly savaged by a red setter when I was a toddler. My mother's reaction was priceless ... I got a slap on the legs, told to shut up and stop that awful noise, it was completely my fault for touching the dog when she had a bone and not doing what I was told!! As a consequence, I wanted a dog of my own even more - whereas her actions were a bit OTT, and it was certainly HER fault for leaving me alone with a dog eating its bone, her down to earth, practical attitude to life has made me the totally barking, insane horse and dog-mad person that I am today!!

My sister is terrified of dogs It was me that was savaged by a dog not her and she's petrified...ridiculously so. Consequently her kids are all ridiculously terrifed of dogs....all 5 of them. I now cannot get my dogs out of the car when at my parents when my sister is there.
She has no reason to be scared as nothing has happened to her...it was me...and I have 5 dogs!!
As for the stuffed dog comment......I cannot say what I'd like to say on here!

What a weird comment. And I'm sure her kids would LOVE Louie! Hahaa.

It's one of the reasons why I want my niece to be a dog child. My sister has this thing about germs. If Louie licks Maya's sock, it has to be taken off and washed *cuckoo, cuckoo* I mean I don't see the problem, my first kiss was off an OES and I wasn't much older than Maya is now (5 months)

My mum always encouraged me to ask the owner if I could stroke the dog. I think the only time I ran away from a dog was when there were two Dallies at a friend from nursery - I wasn't keen on them back then. But then I was fine.

My brother is scared off dogs, he was terrified of Sadie at first, then of Benjie and he was never scared of Louie (who would be )

How odd of her...

That is exactly what my parents would have done if that had happened to me

The thing is that dogs don't bite unless they are upset so consequently a child who isn't allowed to touch dogs stands a far better chance of one day being bitten because they don't know how to act around dogs It is madness It is like parents who are scared of their children drowning so they don't teach them to swim as they don't want them to go in the water!!

I often tell my children that if a dog bites them, our own dogs included, then it is because they have upset them and it is their fault and not the dogs.

It's so sad when parents instil such unnecessary fear in their children (& why I'm afraid of spiders).

By all means children should be taught respect for their pet & how to behave around dogs ~ but to potentially miss out on that lovely bond & friendship, & learning how to look after a dog, is to miss out part of childhood IMO.

I've sometimes met parents that drag their kids away fro my dogs. But provided the child looks curious/apprehensive rather scared **itless, the I tend to talk to the child, & ask if he/she wants to say hello to the dogs. I tell the parents that the dogs are calm & friendly & like children. I show the children the dogs' "tricks" (sit, paw, turn round, etc) & ask if they would like to give the dog a biscuit (mine are very gentle). I've had some great experiences doing this & it often ends with mum/dad saying thanks & I always stress the children should ask the owner before approaching a dog.

Obviously not a method for dealing with some of the numpties described on here though

Blimey! So many people having similar experiences! I agree, it's the parents letting their fears pass down the generations...so so sad
It always makes me happy to see when they have a positive experience...so far Axel is doing well at changing views

I once had the exact same experience and I told the woman her children were in much more danger from having her as a Mother than ever they would be from my dogs

Ha ha ha !! Well said, that's brilliant

Why can't your sister keep her children in the car?? It's HER who has the problem, so SHE can keep her wimpy kids in her car, surely?

I told the mother of a child we passed by on the beach in North Devon who was absolutely terrified of Gucci (weighing 2 kilos!!) when he trotted up to say hello to him "why bring your child on to a beach on a lovely sunny day where there are almost more dogs than people if your son is so terrified of dogs that you want everyone to keep their dogs on a lead just to please you and pander to his ridiculous fears??" Her ghastly son was screaming so much I couldn't hear her reply, and just shrugged my shoulders and walked away. There is no helping some people. Then you get the sensible parents, whose kids are a wee bit frightened of our large dogs, but you gently point out to them how soft they are, like cuddly teddy bears and before you know it, they allow their kids to stroke their fur and cuddle them.

If anything is going to inspire a dog to bite it's a petrified child running screaming.These idiotic mothers are increasing their child's chances of having a nasty encounter when coming across a loose dog 1000%
I've come across this sort of mother too but only in cities.
Has anyone ever seen a FATHER act this way?