To think children should ask before running up and stroking a dog?!

[lovetheskinyourein]

I have a dog who is great with children, she loves them and would never do anything untoward to a child who comes up and says hello... HOWEVER after being in the park Saturday, I had 6 (!!) different children just come up and stroke my dog. (we were sat having a coffee and my dog was sitting behind my chair in the shade so very easy to sneak up behind me and say hello!)
It's all very well for a dog like mine- however I've had rescues before who may not have been so happy about it, and to be honest, ANY dog could snap if taken by surprise?!
AIBU to think that you should teach children to ask if it's ok before going full steam ahead and stroking a strangers dog?!

Beautiful dog SuitedandBooted. Am I right in thinking she's a Keeshond?

Looks like a much bigger version of my dog (also Spitz type, but small).

I had a child run up and fling their arms around my large dogs neck. He’s a rescue with nerve issues. Thankfully I have a three year old who he adores and has been around since he was born he’s good with kids. But the child and parents didn’t know that.

I agree. I've taught mine never to touch or stroke dogs without permission, and not to run or shout near them.

But I also think a dog who can't be trusted around children should ALWAYS be muzzled in public. There will always be kids who stroke them without asking, you can't control that. Then there are kids who trip over them or step on paws or startle them. You can't control other people's kids but you can elimate the risk of your dog biting.

Children take priority over pets. A dog who bites a child in a public place can be seized by police and put down, the owner fined and/or jailed.

Yes 1000% OP! I have a very cute dog that is like catnap for small children so I always have to anticipate a child running up to touch (whack!) him. I don't know why it doesn't occur to some parents to teach their kids about dogs, they teach their children how to cross the road safely, not to touch a hot stove etc... I even had a whole class of small children from a local kindergarten race over and surround my dog at the park once while the teachers stood by with dopey smiles on their faces!

To be honest I mostly dislike that I have to be the "grumpy" lady who tells children that they should ask first before petting a dog and never to pat a dog on the head as they don't like it, while the parent does nothing. It's not the child's fault of course.

My dog is unusually cute (aren't they all!) and people like to pet him. I keep a close eye and I thank children who ask if it is OK first. What makes my teeth itch is the bloody parents who encourage their children to get in his face.

I had to speak sharply to Yummy Mummy who had surrounded him with her family and was sticking her hand in his face "so he could sniff." She was sulky and defensive. Silly cow.

I agree completely.

I also have a child friendly dog, and am very happy for children to pet her. In fact, I am happy to see children that havent been conditioned to be afraid of dogs. So many parents pass their own dog phobias onto their children.

I know not all dogs are child friendly though, and teach my children to ask permission first.

My 3yo is obsessed with stroking dogs. I've drummed it into her so often that I'm sick of the sound of my own voice that you always always ask for permission. We were out walking round a fairly busy event the other week and I turned to look at DD1. When I turned back DD2 was merrily chatting away to a lady and having a fuss with her dog. I started to do the whole "oh no I'm so sorry, dd you know you mustn't touch dogs without asking blah blah" and the woman said no it's fine, she did ask very politely!
So all those hundreds of times repeating myself have actually sunk in.
We've had people say no a couple of times which I'm glad of- I don't want her to think that just because she's asked that automatically makes it ok- she needs to listen to the answer.
I'm now working really hard to get her to understand about offering a fist for the dog to sniff first/not throwing your hand over the dogs head etc. She's getting there...
DD1 is fairly uninterested in dogs so I only had to tell her a couple of times when she was that age.

Oh and we did have one person say yes it was fine then when we got closer the dog started to bark. We backed off, chatted to the owner a bit then went on our merry way. Saw the owner again later and he apologised and hoped the encounter hadn't put her off dogs. I was pleased to be able to report that we had literally walked 20ft down the road from barking dog and dd had found another dog, asked the owner and had a fuss with the dog!

one step I agree with you that an unpredictable dog should be muzzled in public. Sadly there are a lot of irresponsible owners who do properly socialise their pets, then do not muzzle them. It is parents' responsibility to keep their children safe.

There's responsibilities on both sides. My dc (4 & 2), both know to only wave (calmly and at a distance), at dogs unless the owner says they can be stroked. Same for any dog we see in the park, they have to wait until we see the owner if they are off the lead.

I've also taught my dc to stand still if a dog comes up to them, and that the dog is only saying hello. There have been a few occasions where, for example an Alsatian has come right up to ds2's face and the owner is nowhere to be seen. Thankfully he's not scared of dogs but this dog towered over him.

But I agree OP, YANBU.

I agree and always tell my children to ask first and then to let the dog sniff their hand before stroking

My dog wouldn't touch a fly (actually scrap that, he eats flies and spiders) but he is the most friendly, socialised dog because we worked very had when we got him at 9 weeks to introduce him to a wide range of noises, sights and people. I don't mind kids petting him without asking because I know he won't touch them but I do always say 'my dog is very friendly but not all dogs are and you should ask the owner before stroking them'. I do think that some people with snappy dogs are a little bit complacent about them. We had a dog growing up that we would muzzle when out because he ate EVERYTHING off the ground and he was making himself sick! That kept people away!! Even though he was super friendly. I do think that more people should muzzle their dogs if they have a change of biting. In Prague dogs are allowed on the subway (underground) and public transport but they must be muzzled, I think this is a very sensible approach. It means that lots of people's dogs are muzzle trained and they can take their dogs all over the city with them

Left our dog tied to railings a little way away from school at pick up time once, in view of me waiting for my ds. After I greeted him I turned round to see a 5 year old boy trying to SIT ON my poor dog. No parent in sight! I was so angry. Never took her to pick up time again😟

Not having a bad day chitoffashovel just pisses me off that there are dog owners out there who can have such a stupid and irresponsible attitude that they shouldn't have to be responsible with what position they put their dog in because other people shouldn't touch them! I'm fucking gobsmacked at that from grown ups. How thick can you be?! Kids wander out of parents' physical reach, dogs don't. And apart from kids there are people with physical disabilities who can make unpredictable noises and movements in an uncontrolled way which could mean they touch and surprise your dog as they go past, there are people with learning disabilities who don't have the capacity to understand that not all dogs are OK to stroke. As a dog owner it is your responsibility to make sure your dog doesn't ever get put in a position that it could hurt these people. That means making a sensible judgement about where you take the dog. You can't just take a reactive dog into a busy town shop or similar and rely on other people not touching the dog.

I honestly think there should be a test for dog owners "is it your job to make sure your dog doesn't bite anyone?" "Yes" - OK you can have a dog. "no, people shouldn't touch my dog and if it bites them it's their fault for getting too close" = No you are too thick/irresponsible for a dog. If you already have a dog, immediately find someone with a brain (that works) and hand over the dog before someone gets hurt and the dog gets put down. Stupidity on that level is a fucking emergency tbh.

pigsDOfly
She is similar, but is actually a Eurasier. She weighs 26kg now, so not to be messed with. DH wanted to call her Cindel, after one of the Star Wars Ewoks!

I'll never forget the time me and my nan were returning home from a holiday in Cornwall.

We stopped at a service station as I was desperate for a wee, and we took both dogs with us to walk afterwards.

She waited outside with them and when I came back she was furious.

A man had plonked a small toddler around 18 months old in front of the dogs and then walked off chattering on his phone.

Luckily my dog, an elderly jrt wasn't the least bit interested and her dog, a yorkie cross shihtzu, was patient enough to tolerate the child but it could have gone so wrong.

She bollocked the man when he came back and he told her to shut up, it was his kid and his kid liked dogs.

I don't get people sometimes

SuitedandBooted. Ah okay. Yes I could see from your first photo that she's not quite as heavily coated as a keeshond so that's why I wondered about her.

She's rather bigger than my dog, she weighs 6kg, but they really look very similar in all other respects.

I've never heard of an Eurasier so I googled it, gorgeous dogs. And your puppy picture; so much fluff, just adorable and very ewok like .