to have kicked off at another mother for confirming her child's fear of dogs!

[MrJugsMummy]

Just taken my DS and our 1 year old springer spaniel for a walk in our local park. He was running off his lead as he always does and a toddler walked around the corner without her mother. Our spaniel is quite a caring dog and loves children and often tends to mother them somewhat (he worried himself senseless when my DS was ill last week slept on the sofa next to him and woke every time he so much as sniffed!) so he went up to the child the child screamed I called Brian away and said to the little girl "it's fine he won't hurt you he just wants to say hi", the kids mother then decided to make an appearance and pick up the child and had a go at me saying that I shouldn't let my dog off of his lead! She then turned to the child and said "Did he bite you?" to watch the child now upping the screaming and crying actually said "No" she then turned to me and said my dog was a menace and shouldn't be allowed near children!

I snapped at this point and said "My dog was concerned about the fact your child was seemingly by itself in a park, he simply went up to her to check she was ok, he didn't even jump up at her let alone bite her" she then started saying again that he shouldn't be off his lead!
I really got riled up then and shouted "My 5 year old son is here right next to me, I would have no qualms about leaving him alone in a room with my dog as he is well trained and good tempered and adores him, if I had any doubts about his behaviour I would not have him as a family pet and if I had any concerns about his behaviour around children do you seriously I would let him off his lead in a park after school with loads of children around!" I then stormed off and muttered that she was a stupid bitch!

I get so annoyed at parents who do this if your child doesn't like dogs don't take them to places where dogs are, I get that all children are scared of things but why confirm the fear?! If my DS ever shows fear about something I either reassure him that nothing will hurt him or tell him how to avoid being hurt.

Grr rant over

You were both a bit unreasonable. My 3yo is very scared of dogs, so if any come running up to us and look like they might jump up I always pick her up. However I also try to allay her fears by saying 'look, it's a friendly dog, it's just saying hello'.

However I hate it when I am not close enough to pick her up and a dog jumps up at her, or comes legging it across the field towards us and the owner says 'it's ok, he won't hurt you' while she is screaming and getting licked all over her face. Dog owners should teach their dogs not to jump up at strangers, or keep them on a lead.

Is this a wind up? I'd have yelled at you too - some unknown dog scampering up to my child, seemingly out of control. You might think he's friendly, I'd say all dogs have the potential to be dangerous.

If your dog went up to the child then he was not well controlled. When it snowed I took my DC for a walk in the woods. We got surrounded by 3 dogs who were all off lead and who were circling us. It was fucking petrifying. I didn't visibly react for the DCs' sake but DD was very unnerved and I wish I'd confronted the owner. Those dogs could have been wanting to play or whatever but I'm not a canine mind reader and neither are my kids. How was the little girl suppposed to know why Brian the superdog was all over her?

YABtotallyU

I hope that's a dog biscuit, Coupon!

I get so annoyed at parents who do this if your child doesn't like dogs don't take them to places where dogs are

Er no......dont take your uncontrollable dog to a place where children are, eg a PARK.

YABVU

Is my dog was the type that would run up to strangers, I would not let him run around off the lead when children were present.

You know that your dog is, as far as you're aware, harmless - the stranger does not.

I don't understand why everyone is ridiculing the OP saying My dog was concerned about the fact your child was seemingly by itself in a park, he simply went up to her to check she was ok.

Have none of you ever watched Lassie? Is it because its a springer spaniel and not a collie?

Points those people are arseholes. A German Sheperd compared to a 3 year old must be comparable to an adult and a hippo or something?!

Don't get me wrong, I own a dog (a v small one), I let her off lead when appropriate but the only time I have said "she's friendly" is when children have come and asked to pet her. This happens often because I guess to small children she looks a more agreeable size than most.

If she ever runs up to people I apologise - even if they seem quite happy about it and put her back on the lead. This doesn't happen often at all but it's something I don't want her to do so I manage it.

Surely the right thing to do is apologise? And in the case of someone, adult or child who is obviously frightened something like "I'm really sorry that happened, he/she is a friendly dog but really I should have controlled him/her better" whilst putting the lead back on? Even if the lead is going to come straight back off, it would show willing.

If you said that to me I would think you were slightly unhinged. The woman had every right to ask her child if the dog had hurt her. And your dog should not have ran up to her. If my dogs had done that I would be apologizing profusely, not ranting at the woman. And come on, you think your 1 yr old dog was concerned about the child being alone? Really? Crikey that really takes it to another level

I was attacked pretty badly by two dogs aged 2 as my heavily pregnant mother ran as fast as she could to try and catch up and rescue me and in my childhood was bitten at least 3 times by other people's 'friendly' dogs.

I totally understand that a slight fear of dogs is probably healthy as you just don't know when a dog approaches what they are like or who owns them. I live in a really dog friendly area and whilst I love dogs, both my kids are nervous around them and we are really working on that. However I really object to people who believe their right to let their dog run free is OK when little kids are around. How are we as parents supposed to know if that dog is OK or not?

On a side note I went for my regular run along the river the other day and got stopped by an Alsation who jumped in my path and growled and was set to jump on me, I tried to go around him but he blocked me every time growling etc. His owners finally arrived after I was screaming to them to call off their dog as I was totally terrified by now and the teenager just ambled up and said, "oh he gets freaked out by anything moving fast". What the actual f**k? Why have him unleashed on a popular running path then - seriously? Anyway, keep them leashed when kids are around and for goodness sake if the approach a child call them off BEFORE they get close and if they don't come when you call them, they need to be on a leash.

Just like the two grizzly dogs that chased my son and nipped at his hands were "just friendly and playful"

Us dog free people need tranquilizer darts, and dog owners need to control their dogs or keep them on a leach if they cant.

Weall Lassie wasn't real

And if Lassie was real, I bet she was more than just a year old

I can imagne OP and brain the wonderdog sitting together on the sofa discussing this matter.

"Howllllllll, woof, lick, woof, sausages."

"I know Brian you are the most empathic animal that has ever lived, you will have to fight this discrimination until you can grow opposable thumbs"

Weall Lassie wasn't real

Alis yes she was (although I do believe she was a he) and she is now retired and living in a little farm somewhere close to all the nice people from Little House on the Prairie

I don't think you're unreasonable - teaching a child fear of dogs is not healthy. People come into contact with them in day to day life - children should be taught to deal with that. Children aren't born with a fear of dogs - they look to an adult/parent to see how they should react. Panicking and asking, 'did it bite you?' - will only teach the child that they should be scared. I believe children should be taught to respect dogs - some bite, some don't.
On the other hand, I don't think your dog really was concerned about the child or that approaching the child was good either. But I don't agree with the mothers reaction.

Lots of excellent posts saying what I was thinking.

As a parent one thing I will say is that I have encountered many dog owners that think their dog is entitled to slobber or sniff at my children based on the grounds that the owner believes its own dog to be harmless.

I beg to differ. If your dog is going to slobber and sniff at my children, please do me the courtesy of checking if I/or my children want that to happen BEFORE it happens. You are not entitled to let your dog do that on the grounds that it "is friendly".

Disclaimer-although this has happened to me many times, I still feel appreciation to vast majority of considerate dog owners who are responsible and kind.

OP you were being unreasonable times a hundred.

Weall I have a springer. In the event of you lying on the ground in flames he might piss on you to put out the fire but that would be about the extent of his 'rescuing'. However he would certainly enthusiastically examine your charred, mangled corpse for any stray dog biscuits you may have had about your person.

That's as far as his "caring" and "worrying" goes, because - newsflash to the OP - he's a DOG and has the instincts and behaviour of a DOG. Not a furry childminder on four legs.

Maybe kicking off was a bit much but I can understand your frustration.

No Ruby, when you are a toddler, dogs looking fucking huge, even spaniels.
Personally I would be scared if a big fluffy thing the size of Red Rum came bounding over to me. Whether or not it was because they were worried I was sad.