To think parents should teach their children how to behave round dogs

[Xihha]

There have been a few posts lately about people needing to control their dogs more (and I agree, if you cant control our dog and clean up after it then you shouldn't have a dog imo), but is it unreasonable to expect parents to teach children to be a bit more careful round dogs?

Whilst walking my dog (on his lead) a child who looked about 10 ran up and stuck his head in my dogs face to make a fuss of him whilst i was picking up doggys poo, without checking if it was ok, there have been other times kids have just walked up and started pulling doggy around, this sort of thing happens a lot, especially in the summer when there are more kids out playing and the parents rarely say anything about it.

It's not really an issue with my great soppy lump of a dog because he loves kids and will put up with anything for a bit of fuss but shouldn't these kids know that you should check with the owners before approaching strange dogs and that even a nice dog can get pissed of if you start pulling it around?

In all my dog owning years I have never been bitten by a dog. I did however, manage to dislocate my thumb on a slide!

Finally we are getting to a point! Yes, tell your DD to stay away from dogs if this makes you both feel safe. No one says you MUST pet dogs. But if your DD wants to pet a dog then all we ask is that she asked the owner first. It's not all about safety, it's also about manners.

I won't let my dogs bother you. That is also rude and selfish. Can't we all agree to be nice to eachother?

I let DD pet dogs because she asks to. I'm not forcing her into it.

It's called having a balanced sense of risk.

I simply don't understand why someone would artificially create a fear of something, which is what you do by constantly saying "keep away - it may bite!"

We run MuttDog alongside the beach ponies when we are at our caravan - but you know what, whe had to TEACH her not to get too close or she would get kicked.

Funny huh?

There are advantages to dogs.

That's why they invite them into hospitals for patients to pet them.

It's why people who lives in homes that have them tend to be healthier, happier, fitter people.

I read a statistics thing a while ago that said on average 1 child per year will be killed by a dog but 52 children per year will be killed by an adult, usually an adult that they know.

On average about 6,000 people were bitten or 'struck' by a dog, and 'struck' includes incidents like the time I was too busy staring at my food as I carried it to the table wasn't looking where I was going and fell over one of ours. Not the dogs fault, but accident involved a dog so went down on the records.

And last year there were apparently 1754 people killed by cars, 23,039 people seriously injured by them and 193,784 people slightly injured by them.

Most recent figures I can find for playground injuries is 9564 children per year, so again, more than are injured by dogs in a year.

I'm not sure how the dangers or the enhancements between dog and car are comparable.

Incidentally with traffic, drownings and falls causing more deaths than dogs or horses I think you're possibly worrying about the wrong things on the list.

I can't see that a single dog owner is going to complain about a child being kept away from a dog. Although like soupy having had a child with an extreme fear of dogs I'm not sure why you would encourage it. It really did cause him a lot of problems socially.

'I 'd rather stick to 'stay the fuck away from dogs'. It is a simple straight forward message with no obvious downside.'

Well the obvious downside is that it can create a fear of something that you can't completely avoid.

I see lots of children that are terrified of dogs, it makes no difference to me other than possibly changing my route slightly, but I still think it's sad that me being 25 feet away with a dog walking to heel on a lead has just ruined their trip to the park as they descend into hysterics.

Dogs are lovely

Owners all become a little loopy regarding them
(this is true and we all know it)

Children are lovely

Parents all become a little loopy regarding them
(this is true and we all know it)

Basket muzzle all dogs in public and then all the little Jimmy and Jemima's will not be savaged for their appalling bad manners

Basket muzzle all dogs in public and then all the little Jimmy and Jemima's will not be savaged for their appalling bad manners

I can see advantages of muzzling certain children TBH

They'd still need to be taught not to stick their fingers in the muzzle though. All a muzzle does is top them sticking more of their hand in a mouth, and where my dog currently goes aha a hand in my mouth, it must want licked...I have no idea how he would react to being poked while wearing a muzzle.

@ SoupDragon

DS has never been bitten by a dog.

He has been bitten, badly, by two different children. And he didn't even run up to them first.

You might have a point.

Afternoon.

Just a quick post to remind you of our lovely talk guidelines

MNHQ

Yes, I could muzzle my dogs and would do if I thought they might bite anyone, however doing so would not stop me being harassed by strange children thinking it is okay to just drop to the floor and start hugging my dog while I am trying to walk. As much as your children have a right to be in the park without being bitten, I have a right to walk my dogs without being harassed by other people's children. It is a matter of respect and basic manners.

I often consider muzzles for children

Or cages/crates

A nipped or bitten finger on a spoiled little toad is much better than another option....

I really don't understand why we can't all muzzle.

I muzzled as my dogs were beautiful (of course) but not inspired by being grabbed pulled patted etc

Little darlings, of both flavours, are too quick to make their moves and I wanted to protect my lovely boys

I don't have dogs who would willingly bite but I do have 3 dalmatians who seem to attract adults and children where ever we go.

I say please don't stroke them

Random person/child - Oh don't worry just a little stroke won't hurt/take long/ or completely ignores and strokes anyway

Look they really don't want to be stroked

Random people - of course they do...

Spotty boy dog - Who are these non family members touching me? I know I'll pee up their leg :)

Me - Dies of shame I did warm you not to stroke them...

Random person - squeal/runs off to parents/is generally not very impressed

Well I don't muzzle mine because I don't see any need to...he doesn't bite even when he's been grabbed, licked, had a hand stuck in his mouth...I can't be bothered spending the time training him to accept a muzzle when I can spend it training him to do something more important and I walk my dog for his enjoyment, how would he stick his nose in things and catch a ball with a muzzle on?

Bear in mind that the DDA counts a dog as being in public anywhere outside of its own home, in woodland, in parks, in your car...where do you draw the line impinging on your enjoyment of your dog doing dog things because of other people's children being rude?

What I worry about with children is that he's big and playful, if I'm not asked if they can touch him and I don't spot them coming then he could knock them over in response to their approach without actually trying to hurt them - a muzzle isn't going to stop that.

Arf at Lacking's boy's dirty protest

LackingEnergy an Akita once pee'd up dd2's leg. She had asked if she could stroke him, the owner said yes, she then asked if he liked being hugged (she is aware some dogs do but most don't) the owner said yes, but not too hard. The dog clearly liked being a hugged a little bit too much and promptly marked dd2 as his by cocking his leg up her tights.

Dd1 and I were in stitches, dd2 less so The owner was very ashamed and relieved that I saw the funny side and offered to pay for new tights (not necessary, they wash). Of course because I had allowed dd2 to ask if she could pet the dog, even if had been annoyed, I wouldn't really have right to complain, would I?

She doesn't hug Akitas anymore now.

Obviously a muzzle would have stopped this or not allowing dd2 to approach him in the first place if I would be annoyed about a dog doing what dogs do

My gm's v v soppy staffy ( do.not.ask ) is muzzled also to protect him

Yes, but Ronald, you are missing the point. A muzzle will not prevent unknown children rudely interrupting our walks and manhandling our dogs without our permission. It will not prevent our dogs being injured by ott children and does not negate the parent's obligation to parent their bloody child.

cats can give the benefits of pet ownership without the risk of killing children....at least I haven't heard of a cat killing a toddler...but maybe I haven't been paying enough attention..

But cats are so boring.

I've long had a problem with dogs, I was attacked as a child. I am now better around dogs but will never be comfortable with them.

However, I have taught our DCs to ask politely before approaching a dog, and never to approach a dog without the owner being present.

But of course, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. It doesn't negate all the stupid owners who have no control of dogs they let off lead.

We all need to respect each other more.

ICBINEG

cats can give the benefits of pet ownership without the risk of killing children....at least I haven't heard of a cat killing a toddler...but maybe I haven't been paying enough attention..

Clearly you have never owned (been owned by) a cat

-I'll just wrap myself around your legs as you walk down stairs
-I need to dive in front of you for some reason only known to cats
-What are you doing flat on your back? I only clawed my way up your leg

There are several youtube vids where cats launch themselves from bushes and 'attack' small children ;-)

Oh, and you still have the problem with unwanted children stroking and bothering your cat on the street

Yes my cat will lure your child in to giving a tummy rub and will them commence operation 'hand savage' biting and scratching until you manage to escape