to be fed up of other peoples children invading the space of me and my dog !

[Avantia]

Yes all know about dogs jumping and causing nusinace to people but after reading the other AIBU thread about dogs would like to point out my experince over lasts couple of days with others peoples children.

1. Outside school gate , dog lying quietly on floor (getting bored waiting !) young child (reception yr)walks past goes and finds some stick or debris off floor comes back and chucks it at my behaved and nearly asleep dog. Told child not to throw sticks at my dog , mother gives me a look that would kill . luckily dog didn't move .

1. Sitting outside a cafe in park , telling dog to sit ,priasing dog then just see a young child that has run up right behind dog running up right behind dog and screams at it to sit. Then said child runs off - I assume to his mother but couldn't see her.

this is not a mick take of the other thread but showing that not all the time dogs are to blame for lack of harmony between humans and dogs.

So AIBU to expect children not to come up to my dog and interfere with us when going about our own business and invading our space?

and yes, i totally agree about children being taught not to go up to animals without asking first

however, there is overlap here with those dog owners who think it's fine to let their dogs run up to my kids while shouting "it's ok, he's friendly" while DS1 goes into a tear-stricken meltdown because he's so terrified of them.

it has to go both ways. it's very hard to teach children NOT to approach animals when they are often in situations where dogs are just running up to them and they can't stop them

YANBU at all.

amothersplaceisinthewrong "YABVU to have a dog anywhere near a school."
Well you're certainly in the wrong on this one; what a staggeringly ridiculous thing to say. Are you demented?

FWIW I've never taken a dog to school simply because we haven't reached school age yet. Well, I have - just my dd who hasn't. I will be taking my dog with me though, and fully expect to have kids rushing around screaming, possibly forgetting to ask, and I trust the dog fully to behave herself.

There is a world of difference between excited children forgetting to ask you if they can stroke the dog though, and a child deliberately throwing stuff at it - that begins to tip over into malicious, in my book. At 5, they are old enough to know that throwing things hurts and it's not ok. And I would be annoyed.

Would you be annoyed if the dog nipped him yukoncher, or jumped up at him or barked?
If so, then you are being very unfair. Either teach your boy to behave around dogs or keep him under control.

CBear6, wish your son had been about when I met the couple who shared their home with a St Bernard and a Newfoundland. They were out for a walk. My then 18m old son was incoherent with joy when he was permitted to go get slobbered on by them both :o

Vallhalla LOOOL
'Not that I would leave a dog unnattened for too long, far too risky for the dog
Aww, you luv dem doggies XD

I don't go to a few parks as I know there will be owners in the park that don't bother to control their charges, you need to think about where you go and what the consequences will be if you do - yes its sad. I got jumped all over one morning and still had to go into work dressed in trousers with marks down them, I learnt my lesson

yukoncher but what if your son doing that spooked the dog and made it bark, or even nip him out of fright? would that be the dog owner's fault too?

YANBU, dogs at schools if fine by me as long as they are at the gates and don't leave any 'presents'.
DS loves dogs but has been drilled into him since a tiny child to ask permission and read the dogs body language ie if the dog walks away,let it be.Always introduce himself and let the dog come to him.
DD is completely dog phobic!.It's quite sad when a dog comes up with it's tail and ears pricked thinking, "ah small child,I'll get some attention" and she turns on a sixpence.The look of confusion on the dogs face is pitiful.

a CHILD does not necessarily understand these boundaries regarding a dog, and thus needs a bit more leeway

or

a DOG does not necessarily understand these boundaries regarding a CHILD, and thus needs a bit more leeway

works both ways I'm afraid

It's perfectly normal behaviour for my son for example, aged 4, if we're passing, he'd be excited to see the dog, and may well run up to the dog and shout 'sit'.
It may annoy you, but that's what kids do.

No, though, it's not what kids do unless you let them. My 2 yo also loves dogs, even though we have one of our own, and she also wants to stroke every dog we see. She already knows that she must ask the owner before she approaches. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee her safety. I know my dog is a softie, but I do not know the temperament of every dog out there. At 4, your son is more than capable of learning that he must say 'Can I stroke your dog please?' If he loved babies (as my dd also does), would you allow him to run up to a newborn and shout at it and then say to the parent 'It's ok, it's what kids do.' No, you'd prompt him to ask if he could see the baby, or ask on his behalf.

This is the point I was trying to make about teaching kids to behave appropriately around animals - it keeps them safe as well as the animals.

I do agree that parents need to keep control of their children as much as dog owners need to keep control of their dogs. If a child is able to gather things and then throw them at a dog then their parent/carer can't be very close by and supervising and a child who is unpredictable enough to do that is unpredictable enough to run into the road.

''It's perfectly normal behaviour for my son for example, aged 4, if we're passing, he'd be excited to see the dog, and may well run up to the dog and shout 'sit'. It may annoy you, but that's what kids do. ''

Its perfectly normal behaviour for dogs to lick , smell and chase things that run (even though we try to train them not to !) So if my dog saw you child running in the park - she may run after him, It may annoy you but thats what dogs do !

so we're saying that a dog and a child are the same and equal???

ooooooook

''I don't go to a few parks as I know there will be owners in the park that don't bother to control their charges, you need to think about where you go and what the consequences will be if you do - yes its sad. I got jumped all over one morning and still had to go into work dressed in trousers with marks down them, I learnt my lesson''

When you mean 'charges ' are you referring to children or dogs ?

CBear6- my DD (nearly9) was walking,chattering away through an underpass on a busy Saturday.She came face-to-face ,totally unexpected in a town centre, with a Great Dane,real life Scooby Doo dog.
It's face was level with hers for a split second. She didn't know whether to run,scream,faint or wee herself! Luckily it was gone just as quick and she kept her composure (and dignity!)

Haven't read any replies yet, but as far as I am concerned YANBU.
My 2YO is never far from my side when we're out so I am well able to teach him NEVER to approach a dog he doesn't know. I really want him to be comfortable with dogs and to respect them so we approach the owner together (unless the dog looks nervous or too jumpy) and we ask whether we can say hello.

By the time my son is old enough to not need me right there by his side I hope he will know how to behave.

At a school I would like to think that only the most placid of dogs are left unattended outside the school gates, but still, the same rules apply.

I don't think you can get too wound up about what children might shout at your dog, but certainly I think it's reasonable not to expect any child to approach your dog.

Running up and screaming behind a dog is not really a good idea in my mind.

LordoftheFlies, my daughter saw a great dane when she was about two. She swore blind it wad a donkey, until it woofed :o

Avantia I will let you decide what you think might come under the clause of charges as it doesn't really matter the fact is the owner of the charge should be in control whatever the charge is

The fact that they are not in charge spoils the area for others who have every right to be there and end up not going as it causes to many problems

so we're saying that a dog and a child are the same and equal???

No, I don't think so. A few tongue in cheek comments maybe...!
But a child must know how to behave around a dog (and other animals) - if they are too little, they need supervising and teaching, as you would round traffic.
If they are big enough to be running around on their own, because you trust them not to run into a road, then they are also big enough to have learnt not to approach without asking, and definitely not to throw things at, a dog.

The dog can be the best behaved dog in the world, be on a lead, and under control, but if a child runs up to them and screams and kicks them, the dog is likely to react, and the dog will be blamed. Surely it's like everything else - children are likely to come across dogs, therefore you teach them what is safe and appropriate. And as a dog owner, I will be annoyed if someone treats my dog badly, provokes a reaction from her, and then blames me for having her where they can get to her.

No we are not saying children and dogs are equal. a 4-year old little HUMAN should be way smarter than a dog. But for some reason he can do whatever he wants, because "that's what kids do" and of course parents cannot be expected to discipline or control the said child. But I must control my 1-year old dog and I cannot say that "well yes he might lick, jump or bite a bit, this is what dogs do.
Funny, this kind of logic, isn't it?

thisisyesterday - you really need to train your 4 yr old not to run up to dogs . You obviously allow this behaviour - your son would getting a telling off from me if he did it to my dog .

YANBU.

I can't stand the way some (old enough to know better) behave around my dog. Apparently it's ok to scream and throw things at her. The gormelous parents just stand there.

Some people are totally thick and shouldn't be trusted around animals.