AIBU not to pay for decapitated teddy bear

[RestlessTraveller]

So I have a rescue dog who is lovely but has suffered appalling treatment in the past.
He loves meeting people but is very excitable so I am very careful when he is around people. Today I was sat outside a coffee shop and he was being extremely well behaving sitting beside my chair, a woman with a boy aged about 3 came
and sat at the table next to me. The little
boy asked if he could stroke the dog and I explained it was best not to as he might jump up at him. Cue an almighty tantrum, with him screaming "I want to stroke the puppy", his mother told him not to because the dog was obviously "vicious". I explained that he wasn't vicious just excitable. To which point the child yelled "nasty doggy" and kicked out at him missing my my dog, but very close by. I told him not to do it again and to go back and sit with his mother which he did but minutes later he threw his teddy bear at him at which point my dog looked at this soft toy on the ground, picked it up and promptly ripped it's head off. Whilst trying not to die of embarrassment I apologised but the mother completely flipped out, telling me that it was a dangerous dog and should be put to sleep. She then demanded that I pay for the toy. I told her that if he child hadn't thrown it the dog would never have got his paws on it and walked off. I don't think I was BU but my friend thinks I should have coffed up. What do you think?

I believe it happened, but I think you probably didn't do very much to stop your dog getting the teddy. But if the child was only 6 inches behind the dog and not in fact sitting at the table with his mother, given that the child had already kicked your dog and the fact that your dog is unpredictable then you should have had the dog on a very short lead and between your legs to prevent harm to either of them. Your dog was not in enough control if it could get the object, your just lucky it was a teddy bear and not the face of the child that was standing 6 inches away!

Caipira
Your dog was not in enough control if it could get the object

What a stupid comment!

If something is thrown into an animal's face (or yours, for that matter) it is close enough to be grabbed.

Have to say if a 3 year old kicked my dog randomly out of temper he would have been shouted at and frightened. He needs to learn a lesson. The wrong dog could have bitten him.

And if a child could throw an object into my dog's face after previously kicking my dog then I would not be protecting/holding my dog close enough. The teddy hit the dog and presumably bounced off because it landed on the ground. A child standing 6 inches from my dog and chucking something at it would have made me move with lightening speed to get my dog either out of harms way or before it reacted.

Caipira I have already explained that my dog was under control. He was under the table. I had already asked the child to return back to his mother but he insisted on coming back and standing just behind a sleeping dog. I have explained that the toy was destroyed in an instant. What else do you need to know?

What if the child had reached for the teddy at the same time as the dog? The OP would have a serious problem, coffee shops full of people in close proximity are not the best/kindest places for unpredictable rescue dogs. The child kicked your dog op, sitting enjoying a coffee while he continued to stand 6 inches away was unfair on your dog. I would have told his mother to remove him from the table as I wouldn't want to be forced to sit with my dog between my legs. But between my legs or on my lap is exactly where my dogs would have been until the child either left or was removed. None of my dog's are aggressive but they're dogs. Dogs can reacut to situations in ways you sometimes do not expect.

This thread has moved on a lot since I first saw it, I would like to just add this, having skipped the last few pages so do not know if anyone has mentioned it.

One of these would make it clear to people that could read English whether or not it is a dog that should be approached. www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=colour+coded+dog+collars&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=87657082578&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8099601773734284968&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=kwd-84908989377&ref=pd_sl_89miruio7o_b

Also I have already explained that I have never said that my dog is unpredictable, the very fact that I can predict exactly what his behaviour will be is exactly why I asked the child to stay away and why I know exactly how to keep him from upsetting anyone.

Caipira

There is not always the room to move "with lightening speed" to "get out of harm's way" when you are indoors in somewhere like a coffee shop.

Most of these places welcome "well-behaved dogs", but few place such strictures on the visiting children.

Most dogs just want to be left alone. Children need to be taught (for their own sakes) to leave them alone.

You are right that the child could have been hurt, but it would not have been the fault of the dog, nor of the owner - it would have been the fault of the PARENT who did not ensure that the child didn't torment the animal.

FFS Capiria READ THE FUCKING THREAD.

user1474907171

The Dog's Trust sells bandanas, coats etc on their "Yellow Dog" scheme. These are to warn people that the dog should not be approached either by people or other dogs. They re not just for "unpredictable" or "aggressive" dogs, but also for shy dogs, nervous dogs, and dogs which are ill or have had surgery or for any other reason can't be bothered. Even if OP had had all of these things on her dog, I doubt if this particular parent would have had a different attitude.

You know what? If the child HAD got bitten, it would have been unfortunate, but that is why we as parents are supposed to keep OUR OWN children out of the way of a dog where the owner is either not present OR who has said the dog should not be approached

Had the child been bitten, it would be due to the neglect of his mother.

I got bitten a lot as a kid, learned that dogs if hot can be grouchy, small dogs can be snappy and that I must always ask if it's ok to stroke a dog, to make sure the dog knows I'm there and don't surprise it.

This flaming cotton wool generation will be the death of civilisation.

This drives me bonkers.

Children seem to think my dogs are toys and parents pander to their whims.
I know the dogs are gentle and perfectly behaved but I don't want them harassed. I've had parents getting arsey after I've asked them nicely to leave the dogs alone.

Having said that, I probably would have paid for the blasted teddy just to shut the mother and the little horror up. But then I'm a bit of a coward and I do think the child and mother were completely out of order.

Unfortunately for most dog owners it doesn't matter if it was the child's fault. If a dog bites a child then the dog can be seized and destroyed. Personally I have witnessed two dog attacks, one mild one on a friends child that resulted in both her child and mine developing a severe dog phobia and last year when we lost a calf to a moronic dog owner. I would not risk a dog attack regardless of how much of a brat the child is. If this happens to your dog again then get hold of your dog, put them safely between your legs until the tormentor has gone. Hopefully there will not be a next time.

It is a shame the professionally outraged always show up on these threads

Op, just stop, you can repeat yourself yet some people just won't rtft, or will read what they want.

Got it yet op? Put the dog between your legs ( even though you did) or under something ( even though you did) you were wrong!

Capitia One more time, just for you.

The dog was asleep. It is not unpredictable. It is not aggressive.

I explained to the child and mother why it was not a good idea to touch him.

The child kicked out at the dog, who was still asleep.

I asked the child (loud enough for the mother to hear) to return to the table.

I moved the dog under my table out of harms way.

The child in full view of the mother came back and stood behind the dog who had gone back to sleep.

Apart from physically removing the child myself which I understand is frowned upon what else should I have done?

Sorry Kali I live in hope!

And I'm done now. I promise

And as a thanks to all the dog lovers, and even those who aren't. Here is the rampaging, teddy-decapitating beast. (If this outs me please be nice)

I want your dog!!

He is a cutie!

I take it all back! That dog is evidently vicious!

I have never before seen an animal so criminally depraved that it physically takes a club and beats the brains out of an innocent giraffe.

And hold his collar. But now you say you had the dog between your legs and yet he was asleep on the floor. That's not between your legs. Between your legs is where you have control and hold of your dog.

A child that can neither throw something at nor kick a dog that is sitting between your legs and under the table. That is physically impossible.