How do you defend your toddlers from dogs not on leads?

[Flatearthersphere]

I have 3 children 3 and under, we often go to the park, on walks to different places, our local reservoir with a play area, picnics etc etc..
Anywsy all these areas say dogs should be on leads but they aren't I would say about 50 percent of the time, not exaggerating but just seems the norm round here.

Anyway I am guessing most people could pick up their toddler if a dog came bounding up to them but I have 3, usually 2 in the pushchair and one walking. I thought this would be OK but I was in a situation a few days ago which scared me.

I had 2 in the pushchair, an elderly woman had a big collie which bounded up to us, on one of those extendable leads and she just let it run up to us, I shouted "please pull your dog away" and picked up my eldest but she just said "don't be silly he's being friendly" and I said "I Dont care pull it away" but she refused and it jumped up into my pushchair and scratched all my sons legs even though I was trying to push it away because I was holding a child.

This isn't the first time I've been in this situation, even me and my husband have struggled when we've been holding hands with all 3 and there was a big pit bull cross or something which knocked one of our toddlers clean off his feet.

Genuinely, how do other people deal with these situations? I feel like I can't ever take the children out on my own and like we have to keep them in the pushchair all the time even if there is 2 of us. I'm finding I am avoiding going out now and it's getting depressing.

Sounds as if you are frightened of dogs and this is making it worse. Dogs can knock children over in their general enthusiasm. I have even had this happen to me as a friendly Newfoundland belted towards me. The owners were very apologetic. However, in general I have found most owners are usually considerate and aware that their dogs advances are not welcome. Then a lot of children love stroking dogs if the dogs are well behaved. What you experienced was really unfortunate and I would have been really annoyed at the owners attitude.

I don’t think it’s her that’s coming across as the twat...

Agree MsAdorabelle. It's all these keyboard warriors that are coming across as twats with their increasingly bizarre ways of harming dogs and the relish they seem to take in the idea of harming another living thing. Most unpleasant.

I give them warning for the safety of their dogs, not because I've encouraged ds to kick dogs, he's autistic, dogs jumping or bounding over off lead means he meltdowns, you literally can not reason with a child that is having a full meltdown, if I, as an adult, know to stay out of the way of his limbs but still occasionally gets caught, what chance does a poor dog have?! My phone deleted the autistic word out of my previous post, for that I do apologise

Walkingdeadfangirl the reviews are a bit mixed about the device....I wouldn't want it not to work when a snarling rottweiler is running at me!
There is something called Bite Back which is a type of spray that doesn't cause any long term damage to a dog that is about to attack.

This is a matter for the RSPCA. To which I may say I have also reported this thread.

😂

I have even had this happen to me as a friendly Newfoundland belted towards me

I am absolutely convinced Newfoundlands are bears and owners are in on some scam to trick everyone into accepting them as dogs..

Gorgeous bears though

My parents have a lovely friendly dog - he wouldn’t hurt a fly.
However, we had a door to door salesman come and he was being really pushy and wouldn’t leave - the dog obviously sensed it and came to mums feet and growled and bared it’s teeth - it’s the only time we’ve seen our dog being aggressive - as an owner you need to know that if your dog perceived a threat to it’s owner it will likely try to protect you - if that threat is a terrified screaming kid, there is a chance your dog will turn.
Just keep em on a leash in public

@Mum4Blake

Just keep em on a leash in public.

The dogs or the kids?

As someone who's lived their whole life in the US, Kursk is totally incorrect. As people here have stated in outrage before, Americans don't have insurance for their dogs, buy and sell them on Facebook pages, don't believe they need to be walked every day, etc etc. Why would you think you could SHOOT A PERSON over one and have it be okay?

I love dogs but it's unheard of in my area to walk around with one not on a leash and I'd take a very dim view of someone doing it. Running amok in a field is different.

I am always very vigilant over my boisterous dog I would be mortified if she knocked over a toddler and would hate it if the child would start to be afraid of dogs none of this tosh oh shes just being friendly

Whosafriaid, thats the setter in the 'doghouse' for the evening xxx hope you enjoyed your cereal for dinner

We had our dog on a lead when a woman with 2 giant old English sheep dogs ran up to us growling one pounded all over me and I was pregnant and the other one was trying to get to our dog which my partner picked up, the woman was talking to another dog walker further down and shouted down they are friendly... in the end my partner had to put our dog down to try and get the other dog off of me.. when they started properly snarling at each other the dogs.. she came running down only after the woman she was speaking to shouted I think you need to go get you

Posted too soon 😒 she said I think you need to get your dogs by that time I was covered in mud, the dog was traumatised and all she said was sorry they're usually friendly that's not happened before.. partner said they need to be on a lead.. she put them on a lead walked a bit further down the lane and let them off again! I was so scared for the first time by dogs like that.. baby was fine also and our dog!