dogs at school gates again

[nikkershaw]

fgs can people not keep them a little away from the entrance, it's not alot to ask for? we don't all want to pet your pongy pooch and i'm sick of detouring around them.

thank you

There is usually 4 or 5 big dogs outside our school, oh and one in the playground today

Dog-petting has become "normalised" to the extent that people who have no desire to stroke the manky, flea-ridden fur of a slavering hound, nor to have their trouser-leg covered in its filthy drool, are somehow seen as the weirdos... It's a funny old world.

And CLEAN UP THEIR FILTH. I have no desire to tread in yet another reeking, squashy pile of canine crap on my way up to school, thank you.

Midori i do agree, I've been bitten alot. The last time was a few weeks ago, when an overly friendly lab kept jumping up at me on a walk along the lane, a neighbours dog who wasn't on a lead and normally walks to heal. He bit me just behind the knee when i turned to move away as he was getting too boisturous against my bump, I had 8 stitches. He didn't mean to bite me, and thinking back, I think he must have liked the tail of my scarf. The most innocent of dogs can make a mistake, I wouldn't want him muzzled because of it or put down. I still talk to him if he's in the lane when I am.

My sister was attacked on the street when she was a toddler, by a dog we knew well and had stopped and petted many times. She was eating something at the time, sweetie or crisp and the dog took a bite, but he also took a large chunk off her face, cheek, nose and top lip were left loose. He was an old dog and never ever bitten anyone, he didn't mean to, he didn't want to, but he did. My family didn't call to have him put down, as owners of dogs we knew that accidents happen, however locals who got the wrong end of the stick threatened the elderly owner of the dog and so he was put down [the dog, not the owner] and that was unfair.

Neither of us are scared of dogs, my sister works with dogs and has one of her own. It was a random attack that's scarred her for life, but she doesn't let it stop her enjoyment of dogs.

There are places that you expect dogs to be, parks and open areas [fields and the like]. Children need to know how to respond to a dog. Shrieking and running around is a game to a dog and more likely to barrel off after you [my MiL did this and doesn't understand why her response is wrong] If you don't like dogs, the best thing a child can do, is return to their parent/carer in a calm way. Picking the child up can help, as it makes the dog less 'scary' to the child.

I don't have a dog myself, I don't mind other people's dogs, I wouldn't go out of my way to pet them, and depending on the dogs/footwear/legwear I may avoid them. Nothing pleasant about a cold snuffly nose on the back of your thigh.

I do find it a bit rude that some people decide to walk in the park [which is popular with children and families] when we live in a small village that's surrounded by fields, woodland, footpaths etc. I know dog's need to be exercised, but they can still get their daily exercise when on a lead. My sister has a route that works for her and she prefers to let off steam in a quite place she also thinks it's unfair to let a dog off the lead if you know that there are families/children playing nearby. A football can tempt even the best intentioned dog.

There was A SBT right outside the school gate at our school. Dd1 asked politely if she coud stroke him. The man agreed. And guess what? He never bit her or any other child that passed by

There was also a little lab puppy, who was very bouncy, but I expect that from puppies. The owner had told me this morning that she is walking/training him every school run, to socialise him properly.

Actually I dont think that dogs who are trained to avoid people need muddling. I am also not scared of dogs, nor are my children. I am cautious though and resent having to be.

I think if you are convinced your dog is safe, then that's fine. Unmuzzle them at home and campaign for dog only areas to play fetch in, but how on earth do I know that your dog isn't snappy and untrained? They're animals and I think it's daft to trust any animal to behave 100 %.

I am sure it can't have been one of those scary looking SBT's you saw outside the gate Shiny, that would have been sure to have bitten your child...

And yes, socialising a puppy outside a school is a great idea, done well it hugely reduces he risk of the later on adult dog biting a child.

Riven, I am not tyring to paint everyone as dog haters at all. I do think there is unecessary hysteria surrounding dogs and their potential to bite though.

I actually quite like this thread. It just reminds me of why I actually prefer dogs to most people...

Wahwah, I don;t have to 'unmuzzle my dogs at home and campaign for dog only areas to play fetch in' as last time I checked it was perfectly legal to take my dogs out wherever I like with no muzzle on.

My dogs wouldn't be anywhere near you (or anyone else) if I was out walking them, and if they were they would be on a lead and under my control, so why would there be any concerns over snappyness? Unless my dogs can bite from 50 metres.

People shouldn't allow their dogs to approach stangers. If this cannot be done whilst the dog is off lead, the dog should be on a lead, whether the dog is likely to bite or not. However, just because some dog owners are twats it doesn't mean they all are and I don't see why my well trained and behaved dogs (or me) should suffer because of idiots?

I agree, Midori. My last post may have been confused due to my iPhone, but it said 'unmuzzled'. However I do think dogs need regulation, licensing ( sorry if wrong spelling) and training should be mandatory,

midori1999 - Just because some dog owners are thoughtful and sensible it doesn't mean everyone else has to suffer from dog owners who are twats.

FFS how ridiculous. Plenty of people take their dogs to my son's school on the school run and noone says a word. And treat my dog like a peanut???? so zazen you walk peanuts on leads do you??????? And if you've got a problem say something, don't be a blooming wimp and go home and rant on here. Be brave, go confront that dog owner. If you dare....................... Yesterday my husband was taking our puppy out for his second walk and trying to train him and kids were running around them shouting sit and confusing the dog. Why don't you keep your kids away from our dogs????? Oh and one more rant, fields and parks weren't invented just for kids you know, dogs are allowed so tough melons! rant over. For now.....

I love dogs and hate the idea of muzzling (something I had never seen until I moved to the UK btw).

But agree with Riven: dogs tied up on narrow pavement next to a gate where throngs of passersby have to push past them are not a good idea. And a child who has had bad experiences can get very frightened of having to push past in such a situation.

Though the only dog related thing I find unsettling is the dog owner who stands at a distance and calls out "It's all right, dear, he'd never hurt anyone." Because in my experience, that is when the teeth are about to sink in... The good dog owners are busy calling the dog's name when he bounds towards you, not putting the onus on your child not to be frightened.

blimey if dog owners are as scary as you pinkanimal i think i'm safer ranting on here don't you!

Well you see UQD I think it's the other way round. In my childhood everyone had a dog and no-one was bothered or scared by them It seems a new phenomenon to be scared/annoyed by dogs. But I was brought up in the countryside so maybe I have a skewed view of the past.

there probably weren't so many pit bulls around then either

but i remember people being scared of dogs of course it's not a new thing

There aren't many Pit Bulls around now nikkershaw. There are Staffys and Staffy X's and I can tell you from experinece I'd rather leave my child with a SBT than with a poodle.

I cant take my dog to school gates, she would be scared of all the children

This reminds me of that thread a few days ago about the balloon story where a mother had asked balloons not to be blown as her daughter had a phobia/was scared of them.

Some people seem to think that we should be considerate of other people's phobias and some seem to think that why should the world revolve around one person's phobia/annoyance.

We all get annoyed by other people doing things. We all annoy other people by doing things ourselves. You cant please everyone all of the time.

Im of the 'you cant stop the world just because a few are afraid' side. These dogs need to be walked, to me the school run is the perfect opportunity. The owners are going out anyway, why not kill two birds with one stone and take the dog at the same time? I could understand if they were littering and it was everywhere, or if they were dangerous dogs.

I personally dont like having to walk through a smoke-cloud when I go through the gates, or dont like being stood next to someone smoking when the wind is blowing in my direction, but I dont say anything. Its MY problem, not theirs. Just as people not liking dogs and having to put up with them in the park/tied to the school gates wherever. Its not the dog-owners fault or problem if you dont like it.

I am terrified of the colour purple and demand that all parents who are wearing purple have the decency to change before coming into the playground. It's not much to ask. You can leave your purple jackets in the car where they belong and, if you honestly believe it is harmless, you can put your purple clothing back on in your own homes and in designated purple only areas. I simply don't want to be confronted with your mauve when I have no choice about school pick-up and I am terrified of it. My best friend was run over by a purple car :-( so you can see how awful it was for me when one parent hung her purple scarf on the school gate post once where I simply could not avoid it.

Seriously, where, oh where, will this kind of mindset end?

wtf? i am so sorry but i still think they should be kept at least a little bit away from the entrance and i dont think its too much to ask really

and the colour purple can't bite you on the arse can it

How many people actually bear the scars of strange purple scarves that have jumped up and bitten them while the owner stood at a comfortable distance calling out reassuringly, it's all right dear, he won't hurt you? Just asking out of interest really.

I enjoy seeing dogs out and about, I just think people should be a little considerate about where they tie them up and leave them outside schools. In the same way as they should be considerate about how they park. Often just moving a few yards down would make all the difference.

I don't hate cars (well, not very much any way). But I don't want to see them parked on the school level crossing or on the pavement, getting in the way of children coming out of school.

I don't care about cars dogs TA's smoking on the job fruit shoots babies in McDonalds tattoos Greggs sausage rolls piercing babies ears or children wearing tracksuits 24/7. I don't care if an adult says talk to the hand cos the face ain't listening. I don't give a rats behind about the taxpayer either TBH.

Cory, I couldn't agree more about cars! Many more children are killed/ injured by cars than dogs and an awful lot of bad driving happening around schools is by parents parking and unparking with no consideration for pedestrians and cyclists. Most of those arriving with dogs will have walked which is much better for all concerned.

In the interests of balance, I also believe that any owner of a dog that they are worried about not being 100% reliable being petted and stroked and surrounded by excited children, should be keeping their dog well away. But it is fair to assume that someone who ties their dog up at the school gate knows that their dog is fine with it.

Oh, I also agree with the previous poster about waiting in clouds of other people's smoke....most unpleasant but we all need to be tolerant.

Roffle at tolerant.

Yup it is.

And the anti dog threads go on and on and on.

The OP hasn't even said the dogs are tied up at the gate, or that the owners aren't with them, just that the dogs are there.

Of course we should be considerate of other people's fears and phobias, but that doesn't mean the whole world should revolve around them.

Last time I looked, the colour purple didn't try to sniff my crotch with its disgusting wet nostrils, bare its savage fangs at my children or defecate on the pavement. Of course, we may move in different circles.