I was out walking my dog earlier. We were waiting for traffic lights to change to cross a busy road. Dog is on his lead, sitting down at my feet. I had wound the lead around my hand so it was very short.
While we were waiting a mum with a young boy (not really sure how old he was, but was wearing local primary school uniform, so at least 4/5) were walking along the road, when suddenly the boy runs ahead and just flings his arms around my dog's neck.
Dog is very friendly and loves children, but it did make him jump. Dog kind of stands up and looks around, resulting in a bit of a bump of heads and the boy ended up on his bottom.
I immediately apologised, explained that it was an accidental bump of heads. The mum was furious, said that her son was only playing, that he absolutely loved dogs and just wanted to stroke him. I said that my dog was fine with it (at this point my dog was calmly sitting while her son stroked him) but not all dogs would be. She just ranted that my dog should be wearing a muzzle, that it should be expected that children would want to stroke him and that he shouldn't be out if he was going to attack.
Dog didn't attack anyone, it was a total accident. I appreciate it gave her a fright, but we've drummed into our kids that they should never stroke or touch dogs (let along fling themselves round their necks) they don't know without asking the owner.
Frightened the life out of me too.
AIBU?
about children being allowed to run at dogs they don't know?
Ellybellyboo · 31/03/2017 11:00
She sounds crazy! And blind, if she thought that was an attack 
I had a similar experience the other day, though not quite as bad! Was manhandling DS's pushchair into the playground with dog (dogs are allowed onto our village play area) and a father let his son pelt all the way across the field to stroke my dog. The father was nowhere near enough to even make eye contact with me, let alone ask if it was ok and the little lad (who was 6, I know because he insisted I guess his age 
) just dived right in.
I'm afraid I went into dog trainer mode and gave him a swift lesson in how to approach unknown dogs and about asking first. Goodness knows if it sunk in. Luckily my dog is ok, as a rule. But how silly of the father just to assume he would be! We ended up only staying a few minutes, it was too stressful looking out for DS and dog while this little lad was around, I was worried he might pull the dog's ears or something while I was stopping DS from falling over.
I shouted at a woman on the tube once as she let her toddler run up to my puppy.
Puppy licked kids hand and she said 'it was a disgusting dog and had spread germs to her child'
I yelled 'then stop letting your kid run up to dogs if you're scared of germs'
Silly cow
YANBU
Though as an owner of children my experience is of off lead dogs running up to children - on beaches in particular dog owners seem to think this is absolutely not their problem
You sound like a good and responsible owner and the mother was totally wrong.
If you can be bothered and have the time it might actually be worth emailing the local school and asking them to put something in the newsletter and talk about safety around dogs in assembly, as you recognised the uniform and have had the same problem more than once.
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