To not understand what this parent was thinking?

The parent was lucky it only ran up to a dog, presumably it could just as easily have run into a road.

If you have a kid with you, you are responsible for keeping it safe. Which means keep it away from possible hazards.

If your dog cannot handle a toddler coming up to it in public, it should be muzzled. Sometimes things happen, sometimes children are runners, sometimes they have SEN. In the same way owners can’t have eyes in the back of their head, sometimes parents mess up too.

If you’re not sure or have any doubt of the dogs reaction, then muzzle. Then your DD would not need to worry about it biting someone.

In her last post OP said:
“Usually, people cross the road to avoid getting close to him.”

OP, I do admire your perseverance in trying to engage those who are determinedly and perversely’misunderstanding’ your entirely clear posts. It must be a slow news day out there!

Where have you made that up from?
Who is crossing the road to avoid this very average looking black and tan crossbreed dog?
OP does not even know if has Rottie in it, it is her vet that has decided this.

@Frequency next time you post about your dog, call it a Beagle X, the part you know about. It won't get rid of all the frothing anti dog venom, but it might restrict some of the knee jerk 'dangerous breed' posters.

Yes. OP was wrong too though.

All dogs could/may bite if approached unexpectedly by an unknown small child, or in fact by anyone they don’t know and are startled by.

The parent was in the wrong here for not supervising their child.

You have a dog that people cross the road to avoid

You need to be responsible for your dog. If it could/may bite then it needs to be muzzled.

Then the chihuahua needs muzzling too if he 'will bite'. More and more you sound like you are unfit to own a dog safely. You are putting everyone in harm's way.

Someone in our family has a small-breed which we occasionally dog-sit., Parents are forever encouraging their kids to come and say hello to it without bothering to acknowledge our presence, let alone ask if the dog is ok with screechy small humans grabbing it. It is very bad parenting.

The dog in this situation is not aggressive, and it was because OP was paying attention to the dog that she didn’t see an unsupervised toddler approach. How is she responsible for minding her dog AND other people’s children?

No, it's from what you've said. You said he was nervous, you said he was not socialised well with children, you said he was a rescue so you can't know his background. You said all of those things, many times!

If you don't think he'd attack a child, even one right in his face, then you carry on. But why would you take that risk? I've had dogs all my life, I have always taking the stance that I'd much rather have belt and braces to keep my dogs safe than think oh it'll be OK and blame other people. I love my dogs too much to threaten their well-being.

You weren't paying as much attention as you should have been. This is on you.

Obviously it’s common sense but common sense is not very common.

And why do people keep asking why he isn't good with children?! Unless dogs are raised with or used to being around kids - and even then it's not a given - then you absolutely should be wary about them interacting!

We have two dogs who I absolutely wouldn't trust around children as they are rescues and can be very nervous / overwhelmed. All it would take is a child screaming or pulling their ear and they may well turn and snap. I don't know this for definite. But I certainly wouldn't risk it!

Wow. What a stupid comment. Maybe because he was a rescue and needed a home, just like the smaller and less "intimidating looking" dogs.

My husband "looks intimidating" to people who don't know him. Ex-army, well built, covered in tattoos... He's the loveliest, kindest and most mild mannered person you could meet. Far more so than me 😂

There is a Border collie on our street who literally everyone with dogs avoids due to the fact he's massively aggressive. Appearances can be deciving.

I love dogs and have two myself, but I don't think you should have a dog that's aggressive/ wary towards children anywhere children are likely to be. You also weren't paying attention to your dog otherwise you would have seen a toddler approach it's face.

These foreign rescues are notorious for having skitty dogs who are often bred just for people in the UK to 'rescue'

I said posters 'like yourself'. That doesn't mean you, and doesn't weaken the facts. If you've run out of defence for your argument then just say that - veiling it with 'you simply don't understaaaaaaaand' is juvenile.

@Rotundra I don’t actually know what he looks like so haven’t commented on his appearance at all.

If you’re not reading what I’m saying there’s no point replying. Have the day you deserve.

My 'insistence' that she should muzzle him is taken directly from the evidence: a nervous, poorly-socialised dog with an unknown background. It's only 'continued' because posters like yourself are 'continually' trying to argue that because he looks so fluffy-wuffy how could anything bad ever happen and are erroneously asserting that OP is completely in control and innocent.

Unfortunately, it's totally reasonable for me to defend a point, even if it doesn't agree with yours. I get the impression you don't like to consider others, or facts, once you have decided how you'd like something to be. However, the reality is - not my opinion, not oh but look at his ears - the REALITY is that if the dog attacks a child, it will most likely be destroyed, provocation or not.

So if you are responsible dog owner who doesn't want that to happen then YOU take measures to stop your dog ever being in a situation like this - you and you alone. You can't control other's behaviour, only your own. Pay attention, take necessary steps, however aggrieved you feel that it's everyone else who is the problem. Protect your dog, that's really all there is to it.

The dog is in a head harness, from what I understand, so she is in control. I agree that muzzles can be helpful, and no dog is safe unsupervised around children imo. But your continued insistence that she ‘should’ muzzle him smacks more of wanting to be right than of anything actually useful. The dog doesn’t have a history of aggression, any dog would be startled by a person bounding up to them, and nothing actually happened.

I don’t ’want’ the mother to pay attention by the way - my life will be unaffected if her child is run over or bitten or drowns or any of the other terrible things that happen in school holidays when fuckwits take their eyes off their kids. But I can see the balance here. OP had control of her dog, the mother didn’t have control of either of her children. A muzzle might help OP, but it doesn’t negate the need for people to behave appropriately in public.