To not understand what this parent was thinking?

OK. I don’t believe that was her very first thought that’s all. It’s not human nature to think in that manner.

I think you’re portraying it as such in an effort to minimise the situation here, to minimise the potential danger a spooked dog presents to a toddler. Probably because you don’t want to muzzle.

I don’t know why you think I know little about dogs. We have always had dogs, giant breeds too, so I am familiar with caring for large dogs. I don’t have one presently as the kids are allergic unfortunately.

In the moment of time the incident was occurring she was afraid of your dog’s reaction to being spooked, eg by bolting into traffic dragging you with him. Perhaps she was afraid of him snapping too, as dogs can do if they are frightened. I can’t be sure of course, but it seems reasonable to suppose that, because one can never be 100% sure of a terrified animal’s response as you have acknowledged upthread.

In any case her first thought would have been your dog’s potentially negative response to the child, whatever form that might take.

Thoughts on safety in the future (of the toddler with other dogs in this case) come afterwards. It can be shortly afterwards but they’re never the first instinctual response.

Yes you’ve confirmed you haven’t read OP’s posts 👏 👏

I know way too much about anxiety and how it works (for unfortunate reasons I won’t go into here).

Ask your daughter what her first thoughts were when she saw the toddler reach for your dog. Her thoughts at that literal moment in time.
I can guarantee worrying about the toddler’s future safety around other dogs came later.

You are quite right, that child shouldn’t have got anywhere the dog, as their parent or someone responsible should be supervising them!

Her first thought was what if the child goes on to do the same thing to a dog that is not friendly like ours.

That would never be a first thought in a situation like that OP. Not in the moment. It’s something you’d ruminate on and worry about later. Forgive me, but I think you’re trying to rewrite history a bit.

In your first post you said:
DD has anxiety and was really shaken by it, and can't stop thinking about how much worse it could have been if our dog were not friendly, or if the kid had managed to grab the dog's face and spooked/hurt him.

You daughter was clearly afraid of the consequences if the toddler accidentally frightened or hurt your dog. You said that. Even though your dog is generally friendly you have also said he is wary of children and that it is possible he would display aggression in the wrong circumstances (as most dogs could). No doubt your adult daughter was aware of this too.

I’ve lost count of children who have come up and laid their head against my dog’s face, smacked them in the face, slapped them on the back, thrown pebbles etc. My boy dog (a rescue) never reacted but my girl dog (not a rescue) is very wary of children, and I always keep her away from small children. You did everything right, OP, and sadly it’s always the dog’s fault if something happens.

Both needed to be more aware. I’m not condoning the parent’s actions in case you misunderstood that.

Your excessive use of the word literally is literal overkill.

The PARENT should have been more aware. The toddler is HER responsibility. The dog was on a lead, a car or a kid on a scooter etc isn't.

In addition to that she has already explained it was next to a very busy A road, not somewhere that you're looking out for small children (let alone tiny ones) unsupervised.

Her dog does NOT need muzzling.

🤣🤣

I was shocked when I took my latest puppy out for the very first time recently. A woman holding what appeared to be a newborn crouched down to pet my dog, which meant her baby was pretty much dangling in my dog's face

It was fine, and my dog has a great temperament, but she didn't know that - I didn't even know what she'd be like with other people at that point because, as I say, she was a young puppy going out into the world for the first time.

She was very indignant when I gently told her it probably wasn't a good idea to do things like that. Some people have no sense at all when it comes ot papropriate behaviour around dogs.

Well if the dog wasn't going to harm the child why was the OP's daughter so shaken and anxious? Was she perhaps afraid that the toddler would bite the dog?

Have you read OP’s posts? 😵‍💫 At no point has OP said she thinks her dog will bite a child .. literally nowhere. Another poster making stuff up.

Sometimes I actually say Hello Gorgeous out loud, then have to look up and give an apologetic smile at the owner. Who is usually smiling back to be fair!

Toddlers and small children can be unpredictable. If you believe your dog is likely to bite one if it gets too close then perhaps you should muzzle it in public esp somewhere like a pavement of a shopping street or residential area.

Not really relevant to this thread, but okay …..🙄

I dislike dogs but the parent was completely at fault here. Hope your daughter is ok OP.

I see another child has sadly been killed by a dog reported in the news today. I think it’s time a lot more breeds were added to the XL Bully ban.

Im sick of massive dogs bounding up to me and my children and the owners always laughing it off as ‘don’t worry they’re friendly.’ I don’t give a fuck. I don’t want your dog leaping up at me, or knocking my children over.

I was bitten by a dog in the park whilst sat on the floor with my newborn baby. The owner said I shouldn’t have got up as it bounded over as ‘I scared it.’

Dog owners can’t have everything their own way. It’s never their fault

Yep I’d much rather have to deal with a rottie or dobie than a chihuahua or patterdale! Give me a large breed dog any day (except XL’s they are not dogs they are freaks)

The little yappy fuckers are always the worst behaved cos the owners let them off cos they are “cute”. No, they are little shitbags.