Dogs outside shops

When we were in Halesworth in Suffolk on Saturday, as well as meeting the man who was arguing with me about his Standard Schnauzer being registered with the Kennel Clun as a terrier we also met someone else who was acting a bit silly.

We were standing outside a butcher's shop chatting to a man who had another Standard Schnauzer (they seem to be like buses-you wait ages to see one and then 2 come along at once!) and a large Labrador, and I had Izzy and Jamie had Parker. We were then joined by a large, exuberant, English Springer spaniel who was towing a child along behind him. He excitedly sniffed all the dogs and she couldn't hold him at all but was hanging on to the lead for dear life!

I thought blimey-this would be a different scenario had Cherry been alive and with us as she would not have tolerated a large excitable dog all over her butt!
I asked the child where her Mother/Father was and she said in another shop so I took the lead from her as she couldn't stop the dog from being all over Parker, and took it (boy was it strong!) to a fruit and vegetable shop a few shops down the high street. The lady was inside completely oblivious to the fact that her daughter and dog had disappeared from outside the shop. I called out to her (she was in the back of the shop) and just said that I thought it was a bad idea to leave a child in charge of such a strong dog as it had just got in the middle of 4 dogs and if one of them had been aggressive to strange dogs her child could have been caught right in the middle of a dog fight.

I think Jamie thought I was just being bossy (he wasn't happy with me not backing down with the other Standard Schnauzer owner about his dog not being a terrier but part of the utility group) but I think it is better to be warned about something potentially going wrong than waiting for it to happen and being oblivious to the risks.

My great-niece Abra is 11 and I would guess the little girl with the ESS was about 8 or 9 but I wouldn't leave Abra with Izzy or Parker outside a shop and they are not as strong as the ESS. I don't think I'm paranoid!

Like you I too have been horrified at seeing young children left in charge of dogs too strong for them, with the possibility of them being pulling into the road, caught up in a fight, or whatever

I find it astonishing that their parents are either oblivious, or uncaring, about the risk.

Recently in the park a 4 year old boy was holding a JRT on a flexilead. The dog came rushing over to mine and pulled the flexi out of the little boy's hand as it did so.

Fortunately mine are ok with other dogs, and at that point the father came running over, calling the JRT who was taking no notice of him, as I caught the handle of the flexi and handed it back to him, but had mine not liked being "mugged" by this dog, or been dog aggressive, the result might have been different.

I have not that uncommonly seen 8-9 year olds, by themselves, in sole charge of GSDs, a bull mastiff and labradors, to name but a few

Mind you I always was a "what if" worryguts .

No doubt if a fight had broken out and the child had to bitten you guys would have got the blame!!!

Some parents have no clue when it comes to children and dog sadly

I dont agree with any child under 16 handling any dog TBH. You never know what might happen! My nephews (age 7& 8 )are always asking can they take my dogs out. The answer will always be no.

Oh that would scare me seeing young children in charge of such large dogs as Bullmastiffs etc! I'm worrying I am getting like my Mum though as she always thinks of the worst possible scenario in any given situation!

No just a bit unthinking I'm afraid.

No, I think you are sensible especially as you have powerful, strong breeds of dogs. You could have the best trained dog in the world but a child handling it would probably not know what to do if another poorly trained/poor temperament dog came over to it.

I agree - I allow my kids to hold the lead lower down but I've always got hold of the handle

Absolutely.

However good or well trained your own dog, you have very, very limited control over anyone else's, nor knowledge of their possible behaviour or responses.

my nephew who is 6 likes to walk the dog (gsd) but he has his own lead and my brother also has one so the dogs going nowhere but gives my nephew the little buzz of walking the dog. i would never trust a dog atall with a child even a small dog as it may not pull them over but the child wont understand other things such as other dogs ect.

parents do it at work, i alwasy take the dog off them and walk them down to car myself if parents dont - im not having some child dragged across carpark on my watch

I was in town heading home one evening when I caught site of a kid and a sbt which had not been trained and the child who was no more then 13 by the looks of it was being dragged down the street almost o.0

i couldnt help but feel that was an accident waiting to happen i could not see anyone going to help nor could i see any parents preasent either. Imagine allowing a young teen walking down a high street with a very strong Staff in toe???

Tragicly something happened a year a go my dad was in his taxi when he had to stop suddenly this kid had a labrador which got loose and ran head long into his car while he had a passenger and the dog got up and ran off, fortunately the genetlemen behind was kind enough to stop and offered himself as a witness but nothing ever came of it both child and dog had ran off and dissapeared.

I would never leave a child alone with a strong or large dog unsupervised and would definately not allow them lead ever. I think it highly irraspsonsible of parents who should know better.