To think that if your child is scared of dogs you should encourage them not to scre and wail if my dog is 300 ft away...

[Beccadugs]

Walking my dog today, she was of lead, about 10ft ahea of me waiting for me to chuck the ball. A child cycled towards us, saw my dog (who is half toy poodle so tiny) and started screaming. My dog just looked at her and then carried on our walk, if she was the type to run up to strangers/kids she wouldn't be off the lead. However, when she was a puppy and less well trained this screaming was an invitation (in her mind) to investigate.

While I accept that some children are scared of dogs, and that is fine. I would have thought that if there is a dog in the general vicinity encouraging your DC not to scream is probably for the best when the dog is ignoring you completely. AIBU, we all want to use the local facilities happily.

Bloody hell. I can't understand how anyone can say that. How awful. And what utterly awful people you must work with.

I would always save a stranger - they are someones Mum, Dad, daughter, son, granny, grandfather, aunt etc

your pet is an animal, and most likely would have a better survival instinct tHan you (unless it was caged, then why have it?)

How very, very odd that somebody would save a dog over a child/baby/adult. Honestly

We're all vile obviously!

I was walking on the short pavement to the dog walk fields/tracks one day when reaching the narrow bridge I saw a boy about 3 standing rigid with fear as far away as he could from my tiny ball of fluff. He was silent and did not move and I recognised his fear. Little dog was on the lead and took no notice of him and I moved by as quickly as possible.

I don't think a parent can stop a child screaming but this little boy did not and the parents on the bridge took no notice either.

There is an enclosed childrens play ground at the entrance to the playing fields in which no dogs are allowed so the children are used to seeing dogs pass by.

I wouldn't take your straw poll of seven as being representative of wider society.

Of course children shouldn't be encouraged to scream if they see a dog. My Mum wasn't keen on dogs and said don't touch that dog it will bite you. Hence I am wary of dogs even ones belonging to friends. I just am not keen on dogs. So I suppose it's learned behaviour. But on the other hand I don't think children should be encouraged to go up to strange dogs. Because dogs do bite people.

My dm, db and dp now also..

I'm not saying it is wider society I just think if you ask about you'd find yourself very shocked

You wonder why i might think to save my dog?

Here's why:

I have raised her since she was a tiny puppy, getting up during the night to her when she was crying and need to go out.

I have cared for her, trained her and nurtured her.

When she injured herself i rushed her to the vets for treatment. When she got herself lost i was beside my self (as were the rest of my family - yes i have family - i even have children!).

In return she offers me unconditional companionship. She makes me go out the house and interact with the world when i am feeling low. She doesn't judge or criticise.

I have a very real emotional investment in my dog. The whole family does.

"I have a very real emotional investment in my dog. The whole family does."

And? Why does this make your dog more important than somebody's mother or father?

Somebody else's mother or father play no part in my life though

LST Exactly!

curlew I am really not a horrible person but i don't think you can understand what a dog can mean to a family who have undergone trauma like you cannot imagine. She has brought something to our family which i thought we would never have again and all members of the family (grandparents included) would be heartbroken if something happened to her.

When the dog or stranger scenario was mooted i posted what my first thought was. That is not to say if faced with this scenario what i wouldn't save the person. Who knows what i would do, I certainly don't.

My reaction was based on how i feel about my dog (who is real) rather than how i feel about a faceless, nameless non-person in a hypothetical scenario.

You say it so much better than me little! !

or rather you say it so much better than I could.

well thats ok lst because they can get a dog to help them through tHe trauma

My cats are pretty good too.

Maybe I should post it as a new AIBU and get the general consensus .....

Wouldn't a pet be easier to save anyway ? I could probably grab one of the kids and the dog to be fair

Indeed.

My dog is gangly enough to hang around my shoulders so I'd have two arms free

I am taken aback by posters saying they would rescue their dog before a human being. How would you explain that to the human being's mother or orphaned child? And how would you feel if your DM was left to burn to death at her care home because the staff chose to rescue the home's dogs/gerbils/pot plants instead? Luckily I don't think you really would behave like that in real life. I refuse to believe that people care only for things that belong to them rather than human life. I speak as someone who cares deeply about animals and their suffering which is why I am vegetarian but I am finding this thread simply astonishing.

LST I am assuming that you are someone that is quite headstrong so that your colleagues all feel they have to go along with you or else that you work for the RSPCA (although I suspect RSPCA worker are a little more level headed than that actually).

england is a strange land where we love animals more than humans

I don't have to read the latest updates, but I saw this and thought of this thread.

It occured to me this afternoon that there is a better way of expressing the idea I was attempting to convey earlier:

Animals are not less important that humans.

An individual human life is (generally considered to be) worth more than an individual animal life.

I don't believe that humans as a species have a right to existence or happiness above any other species. I believe that we should preserve the welfare of other species in so far as is possible, and as such, I don't agree with sweeping ideas about all dogs on leads or muzzled in all public places.

I do, however, agree that one ought to rescue the human from the burning building. I expect I would actually liberate my dog first as he's smaller, easier to lug around and more likely to take himself out without needing assistance than a human, but I reckon that's not a very defensible moral position!

I would save (in most circumstances ) any human over any animal.
When we (the country) run out of food I think dogs will be among the first to cop it (probably after guinea pigs and rabbits.)
Anyone who would genuinely rescue a dog above a child might perhaps be best pplpaced out of general circulation IMHO.