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Original poster

Keep your kids under control!

36 replies

bookworm44 · 09/06/2023 08:27

Soooo many people on here love to hate dogs, but I am sure many dog owners would agree with me that people aren't raising their children to give dogs any respect at all. I took my two dogs for their lunchtime walk yesterday. One is off lead as very well behaved and perfect recall and likes everybody, the other is on lead as no recall and also really does not like small children. He is a rescue dog and I have no idea of his past experiences. Two adults were on the field I was walking on, I would assume Nan and Mum with two pre school aged children. I kept my on lead dog close to me and walked past them quickly. I thought that it was fairly obvious my dog was uncomfortable. I don't trust him not to bite if he is stressed and anxious although it has never come to that as I always have him under control. We got halfway across the field and one of the children proceeded to chase us. Neither of the adults did anything, despite me keep looking back at them (slightly stressed by now) until I called them to let them know that my dog does not like small children in his face and would probably bite them if they got close enough!

OP posts:

HandbagsnGladrags · 09/06/2023 08:33

Completely agree. Fed up of my dog having a snotty finger poked in his face. Luckily he's fairly placid but one of these days he'll bite the bugger.

freespirit333 · 09/06/2023 08:36

Dog walkers get on my wick as a runner as you wouldn’t believe the number of inconsiderate ones I come across.

But YADNBU. Very irresponsible of the parents with the child. I would assume a dog off the lead like your other one is safe to approach, although I still don’t let my DC approach without asking. But a dog clearly being held away by its owner, on a lead, that’s just daft.

Sirzy · 09/06/2023 08:36

Parents should control children.

dog owners should control dogs.

both should be common sense but it’s sadly lacking.

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Dogs

GreenWheat · 09/06/2023 08:41

I thought that it was fairly obvious my dog was uncomfortable.

It probably wasn't, except to you. Dog owners often assume a level of familiarity with dogs that other people don't have. But as a PP said, both dogs and toddlers need proper supervision when out in public.

BreathesOutSlowly · 09/06/2023 08:41

The answer of course is legally mandated, embodied in statute, child and dog walking periods of the day when neither come in to contact with each other for fear of prosecution....

And in the real world a bit more live and let live. An acceptance that no one is perfect but that most try their best.

The exception is dog walkers who do not clear up after their dog or child walkers who do not clear up after their child . Straight to jail for them.

HandbagsnGladrags · 09/06/2023 08:45

Ah but if they're doing baby led weaning (a concept I'd only heard about on here) then surely parents have license to let their baby fling food all over the pub/restaurant and leave it for the staff to clear up?

BreathesOutSlowly · 09/06/2023 08:51

HandbagsnGladrags · 09/06/2023 08:45

Prepared to turn the key myself for that lot

caringcarer · 09/06/2023 09:40

Sirzy · 09/06/2023 08:36

Parents should control children.

dog owners should control dogs.

both should be common sense but it’s sadly lacking.

So very true. My dogs bark a lot. They are always on a lead out of our own garden. Because they are small/medium dogs the number of children who run up and just stroke them is ridiculous. They like children fussing them but they really should ask first.

KitchenSinkLlama · 09/06/2023 10:14

Agreed. When my girl was a young dog, we were in a pub garden in our village. She was on a lead, asleep at our feet. A delightful child, whose parents were ignoring him and getting through the champagne reserves of the pub, came up to her and spat on her.

The parents didn't give a damn. I'm still Cross years later.

AuntieJune · 09/06/2023 10:40

If you think your dog might bite a child that comes close, in all honesty it should be pts or at least muzzled in public.

I agree kids should learn how to be safe around dogs, but child running in a field is hardly crime of the century. I teach my kids to observe animals they see, watch out for signs that they don't want attention, only touch dogs if owners say it's ok first.

But you shouldn't be out walking a dog that is likely to bite a child if a child does what a child is likely to do, in a place where children go. I'm pretty sure an insurer would see it that way too.

Aria20 · 09/06/2023 10:42

I was standing outside my daughters school waiting away from the gate with our dog for her to come out. Dog is small, friendly and well behaved, loves children etc but I stand further away in case any children are scared/allergic etc. Last week a boy who looked about 8 walked over to us smiling - I assumed he was going to come over to ask to stroke the dog like many others had... but he came over and deliberately trod on her tail, while looking me in the eye and smiling and then ran off!!! Unbelievable!

Luckily dog just looked a bit shocked but didn't react, if he'd trod on another bigger dog or a dog that was tied up on its own (some are!) he could have been bitten! His mum didn't even look up from her phone.

whoruntheworldgirls · 09/06/2023 11:06

YANBU, we've always taught our 6yr old to never approach a dog they don't know and if in say a pub garden always ask the owner if they can stroke the dog (happened recently at our village pub and the owners thanked us for telling her to ask first as they get kids just coming up and trying to stoke the dog regularly)

febrezeme · 09/06/2023 11:19

My 2 year old twins have been taught not to approach dogs and/or to wait until the owner has said they can stroke. A lot is to do with parenting but other times it only takes a second for a child to leg it across a field in which case if you aren't confident with how your dog reacts then they should be restrained appropriately. Have to say my kids won't often approach but the amount of dogs that approach my kids only for the owner to say don't touch 🤔

FrostyFifi · 09/06/2023 11:23

he came over and deliberately trod on her tail, while looking me in the eye and smiling and then ran off!!!

Next time you see him, stamp on his foot whilst smiling beautifically. Then deny all knowledge - it's not like useless mum with her face in her phone will have seen.

Maverickess · 09/06/2023 11:44

Used to get it a lot with my horse. He's nearly 17hh and built like a brick shithouse. He's broken my toes just standing on them by accident, stamping his leg to get rid of a fly.

Still people used to let their children run up to him, front, back, side, wherever really and grab at him. He's a gentle soul with children but he weighs nearly a ton and had metal feet. He wouldn't have needed to be aggressive or spooked to hurt a small child, or even an adult just move a part of his body.

Sometimes they'd have entered his private field to do so first, feeding him all manner of crap at the same time.

But apparently if a child takes a liking to an animal they're supposed to stop being an animal and the owner is supposed to negate any risk present, rather than parents and guardians actually control their children and prevent interaction in the first place, or you know, ask first.

Gsdmama · 09/06/2023 12:07

Yes op! The amount of kids that have just ran up to my dogs. One is really friendly and loves everyone and the other is slightly anxious and does bark if people come too close who she doesn't know. There's no respect for dogs or their boundaries. Most parents dont like random strangers going up to their babies in prams and stroking their cheek or hand so why should dogs! I've had people turning tables on me telling me I shouldn't go out with a reactive dog as kids should beable to stroke them. I've had kids throwing sticks at her to fetch when I've told them leave her alone as she is in training. She's never shown any aggression only bark and if they don't go away she hides behind me and they'll still continue to try and chase her when I've told them not to. My worry is (with any dog) they may snap when pushed too far and then ot becomes their fault and their owners and they're then punished. I learnt the hard way because when I was little I went to a relatives house and their dog was so friendly and never bit anyone and I played with it many times. One day I was trying to get her play when she clearly didn't want to and I kept chasing her to touch her and she snapped and bit my lip and I needed stitches. This was my fault not the dogs. I was told by my parents and relatives to not chase her and leave her alone and I Continued. I never did it again and always gave dogs space and if a dog came to sniff me I'd ask if I can stroke it. Even now I still give dogs space, don't stroke unless I know them and have taught both my children the same thing.

Napmum · 09/06/2023 12:14

Some children walkers are appalling. Luckily, most of the people near me are sensible. Their kids are mostly nice, personally I would have said that the women you came across need to educate themselves. It is like stranger danger. Kids need to be taught it. After all, a lot of us have not got experience of sexual abusers doesn't mean we shouldn't learn how to teach our kids to be safe. Same with dogs. Sounds like this dog is ok to not have a muzzle, it just can't be approached by random people, and you did good OP.

I run, and almost every day, the walker I have come across has ensured that their dog is under control. I always slow down, so I look less exciting and playful and call thank you to the owners.

RightWhereYouLeftMe · 09/06/2023 12:21

I thought that it was fairly obvious my dog was uncomfortable

I think that's probably not true for non-dog owners. There are probably signs of discomfort in dogs that I am totally unaware of.

But I also don't think it's relevant anyway. Obviously a child shouldn't run up to/chase/touch a dog, whether it looks uncomfortable or not.

Both children and dogs should be under control.

Florissante · 09/06/2023 12:32

Sirzy · 09/06/2023 08:36

Parents should control children.

dog owners should control dogs.

both should be common sense but it’s sadly lacking.

Perfectly put.

Goldbar · 09/06/2023 12:51

YANBU. Children should be taught not to approach dogs and to treat any unknown dog as a danger.

My child knows to stop, cross their arms and turn their face away if we come across an unknown dog when out walking. They've been taught that unknown dogs are dangerous and could bite or scratch us. They would never, ever dream of approaching a dog we didn't know. Parents who allow their children to do this and owners who encourage it are putting children (and dogs) at risk.

Original poster

bookworm44 · 09/06/2023 13:19

AuntieJune · 09/06/2023 10:40

If you think your dog might bite a child that comes close, in all honesty it should be pts or at least muzzled in public.

But you shouldn't be out walking a dog that is likely to bite a child if a child does what a child is likely to do, in a place where children go. I'm pretty sure an insurer would see it that way too.

The child was not just running in a field, it was chasing after my dog with a purpose and whilst he has never bitten anybody in 13 years i'm not sire how he would feel, as i'm sure many animals do if he was being poked, prodded or grabbed out. Nobody should feel entitled to do that to him when he's out minding his own business.

OP posts:

Original poster

bookworm44 · 09/06/2023 13:21

Thank you for so many messages of agreement. I would like to clarify that i think my body language and behaviour was what made it clear i was keeping him away rather than his. I am aware it's probably only me that can read him like a book, but i was very obviously not allowing him near the children and deel it should have worked the other way round.

OP posts:

SirChenjins · 09/06/2023 13:31

I agree with you OP. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint) my dog will bark to show he's uncomfortable, so that usually stops approaching children in their tracks.

I also wish all cyclists would slow down on narrow shared woodland paths - if you know it's a path used by adults and children of all abilities and people walking their dog then doing your best impression of a Tour de France participant is just so dangerous. Ditto runners - men running up behind me at speed on a quiet path are going to elicit a bark from my dog who sees it as his job to protect me (with his 10kgs and 1.5 foot height). A bit of consideration from everyone to everyone would make life a lot easier.

Greensleeves · 09/06/2023 13:36

Yes, people absolutely should be training their children to behave safely around dogs. Nobody should be letting their child run up to a strange dog, particularly one on a lead. Chasing a dog (or any creature) is terrible behaviour.

If you don't trust your dog not to bite, though, he should be muzzled in public. For his safety as well as that of members of the public.

Goldbar · 09/06/2023 13:41

It seems quite uncontroversial to me that dog owners should keep their dogs from running up to children and child "owners" should keep their children from running up to dogs. Anyone who doesn't and allows their dog/ child to approach strangers/ unknown animals is in the wrong.

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