Children and dogs

I have just come back from taking my two dogs to the local park, just as I started to throw the ball for them a young couple and a toddler came into the park, next thing I knew the toddler was running towards my dogs arms outstretched wanting to throw his arms around them, his parents were no where near.Both my dogs are rescue dogs, neither of them have issues with kids, although the child did startle Betty and she shied away, Brinley just stood looking at him.I said to the parents when they eventually arrived, you really shouldn't let your child run up to strange dogs like that you don't know how the dogs will react, I said as it happens both mine are fine but you never know.They looked at me like I was speaking Swahili and didn't say a word just picked the child up and took him to the children's play area.I'm not really questioning myself as potentially the consequences for both child and dog could have been catastrophic, what does anyone else think ?

hate people that do that!!! grrrr

some little todler came running upto millie the other day (shes getting bettter with kids but she scared of them) - and i shouted millie to me.... the mother went "no,,, ask first!" which i said was fine and sent nick over.....

i hate parents which let their kids run upto dogs,, really irrisponsible - but i guess we are more educated about this types of things tbh..... either that or they were just stupid lol!

I think the parents got away lightly, I would like to think you have made them a bit more aware for the future but........................

I completely agree. This frightens me so much. Ivan is very used to children I have a 16 year old a 7 year old and a 4 year old. However I have always taught my children the appropriate way to behave around dogs, never to approach a strange dog without the owners permission. You did the right thing they should be told even if they didn't listen!

yep - agree completely

as the mother of a toddler who adores dogs and would do just that if I let him, you have to teach them from a very young age to ask first.

Luca thinks that all dogs are like our Bruno thus meaning he can use him as a cuddling machine. If i let him he would genuinely run to every dog in the park. i always make sure i ask first before he touches.

I also always ask kids when I am out with Bruno when they come up if they would like to touch him. I do get instances when kids run up, but to be fair they are few and far between - i get more people pulling their kids away cos he is a staffie. However when they do this I always ask if they are scared of dogs, and if they say no then I will say well would your children like to pat him as he loves kids.

Thats the only way to change these peoples minds. And then you get the people who you get who will just let their kids wander. And they would be the first to kick off if your dog did bite or growl at them !!!

ggrrrr

I think it is a serious problem myself. On Sunday after our walk over Sutton park, we had a similar thing, only the two children in question were about 3 and 18months, I think the 3 year old was looking after the smaller one, and they were heading towards the bouncy castle, when the 18 month old changed his mind, bearing in mind we have three dogs he ran straight between them....running as fast as his little legs could carry him, then suddenly doubled back to 'plonk' a kiss on Bruce's head fortunately Bruce was really pleased to recieve such a gift, but it made me cringe not because Bruce would of done anything but three things sprang to mind.,

1) Where were the parents

2) Have children never been supervised/educated regards running through the middle of dogs.

3) Have children never been educated/supervised about ''kissing'' strange dogs.

It could of been a different matter all together, I may of owned dogs that thought.......''give chase that's running/prey/hunt''

or as the child's eye/face etc met the dogs face it could of resulted in the childs face being torn open.

As for the parents they were sat in the car in the car park, which left the children running back and forth.
Howver had things transpired differently then I am sure people would of pointed the finger at me and my dogs.........

Thanks, they totally didn't listen, and left me thinking did I overreact, but I know I didn't Brinley is a Staffie Collie x and not a small dog, also what they don't know is he does bark at strangers sometimes if they get too close to him , something I am very aware of when taking him for walks, thankfully he is good with children, but when the child appeared it went through my head, what if he barks, I expect if he had the parents might have found their voices then ! Because they would have thought he was in the wrong !

You were totally right!!

Growing up with a dog my daughter loves them all and if she sees a dog, she wants to make a fuss of it, even being a dog owner I have always taught her, you do not go up to a strange dog to stroke it without first asking the owner, surely in this day and age that should be common sense!!

They were very lucky in this instance, they might not be so lucky next time!

You did the right thing!

Mum to Many - i don;t think you overreacted at all and yes i think you are 100% right. No one, adult or child should ever approach a dog without asking if it is ok to do so. We seem to have a whole generation of kids whose parents aren't teaching them how to behave around animals. You either get the laissez faire attitude that you have seen or the absolutely paranoid screaming frenzy of picking your kids up and running in the opposite direction at the merest mention of a dog! Neither of which are good or healthy attitudes to take.

IMO it's poor parenting on a couple of other levels though - what was the child doing out of their sight/control? It only takes a second of lapsed concentration for that kid to have drowned in a puddle let alone get in trouble with some dogs!
TBH they were probably quiet because they were quite ashamed - at least you didn't get a moutful back from them telling you to f*** off which i have come across in the past in a similar situation!

Yes I agree, but I do have some sympathy with the non-doggy people.

We all have dogs and know how to behave around them, but not everyone is lucky enough to have experienced that. We also have to get the balance right with the warnings so as not to make children & their parents scared of dogs.

So whilst it does worry me, particularly as I have a nervous rescue and don't know how she would react, I think I would still rather children were like that than running away terrifed and screaming at the mere sight of a dog. You have far more chance of educating people on how to behave when they like dogs than when they don't.

And realistically, how reliable is a toddlers training - no matter how many times you tell a toddler not to do something, can you guarantee that they won't?


Ultimately it is my responsibility to make sure my dogs don't get into situations which may put them at risk.