Was our dog unreasonable?

[upsideup]

After school today I took the kids and our dog to the park across the road, I left DS(9) with our dog (on a lead) sat on a bench while I took younger DC to the toilet.
Dog is really friendly, well behaved and good with children. DS was sat one side of the bench holding the lead and dog had walked round and was lying down on the other side

One of DS's friends (who is 10) came running over and jumped to sit on the dogs back. DS shouted get off, dog stood up and twisted which meant the girl tripped over him and fell face first into the side of the bench. Her legs were still under the dog and in the lead so she started kicking him, her mum came running over and starting screaming which I heard and rushed out. Dog barked and apparently 'went to bite' but ds pulled him out of the way, DS said he wasn't going to bite and was just giving a warning but I wasn't there and although he has never gone to bite anybody before he has never been sat on, repeatedly kicked and screamed at.

Lots of other parents heard dog barking and the other child/mum screaming so everyone panicked and assumed the dog must be attacking her so there was a bit of a scene. I checked she was okay but didn't apologise and went home, her mum went straight back over to the school to complain.

Do you think that I, our dog or DS was unreasonable in any way?

Poor dog, the child's an idiot.

I also hope this serves as a lesson to her and she got a bloody good fright. Dogs are not toys or objects to be played with/kicked at. They are living creatures who feel fear and pain. Hopefully she will think twice before acting like that again – you've probably done her a favour.

Maybe you should offer the mother a lead for her child?

Far from the dog not under control, the child wasn't under control!

Stupid girl!

Hope your dog and your son are okay. Poor dog.

At 10 years old she should know better than to try to sit on a dog, what the hell was she thinking. She probably really spooked him and could have seriously hurt him.

Sounds like your son handled the situation really well.

Your DS was in control of your dog.
The other parent 'ultimately was not in control of her DC'

Your dog was totally not being unreasonable, and taking into account how frightening it probably was to be sat on and kicked, did well to have shown the control it did.

Bloody stupid kid.

Ok, so dogs make me nervous, I’m not a dog person. But your poor dog and son did nothing wrong!
She went to sit on it? Why?

Poor dog.

Horrid child. Needs some training. Child not dog.

Is the dog OK? Would be tempted to get a vet check and give the bill to the mother.

A 10 year old should know better than to try and sit on a dog. Dog was not at fault and the 10 year old should have got a ticking off for their behaviour, although I suspect that won’t happen.

It was definitely the girl’s own fault but how big is the dog that a 10 year old tried to sit on it? Was your ds in charge of a large dog on a long lead?

That dog was totally under control hence him being pulled out of the way swiftly before an unexpected and shocking situation could escalate further.

Not the dogs fault and well done your ds.

Are you sure this all happened the way it did?

One of DS's friends (who is 10) came running over and jumped to sit on the dogs back. DS shouted get off, dog stood up and twisted which meant the girl tripped over him and fell face first into the side of the bench. Her legs were still under the dog and in the lead so she started kicking him, her mum came running over and starting screaming which I heard and rushed out

You did not see or hear any of this until the girl screamed.

Dog is okay now, so is DS.
I don't think I could have been in any more control than ds was, he is probably just as strong if not stronger than me now.

Poor DDog!

Poor thing didn’t attack, despite a 10 year old trying to sit on him, he just tried to get away

Not DS’s fault either! He had the dog on a lead and pulled him away from the stupid child. Nobody expects a child older than a toddler to try and sit on a dog!

Goah now YADNBU poor Ddog ☹️

Poor DDog! Hope that kid felt some pain to teach it a damn good lesson about respecting animals and not being such a horrendous, sadistic little shit. I'd have told the mother that she ought to teach her kids some respect and manners.

I am someone who often thinks owners should train their dogs better, but crikey, your dog was NOT being unreasonable. No matter how well trained and patient a dog is (or frankly a human) for that matter, any animal being repeatedly attacked will lash out.

The child needs the biggest telling off possible.

I hope your son and dog are okay. What a stupid kid, what the feckin hell was a ten year old doing trying to sit on a dog's back. Obviously the parents have not shown the kid, how to respect and treat animals. If the poor animal, whilst being kicked, bit the little shit, the parents would probably have insisted the poor innocent dog was put to sleep. Again, I hope you are all okay.

Your poor DS. Hope he is OK. And I hope, of course, that your DDog is too. I would have done the same (left my 9 year old with our dog whilst taking his younger sibling to the loo) and no, your dog was not unreasonable, the other child absolutely was.

I would go nuts at the kids mum. The kid was a twat

The dog was not unreasonable. The other mum on the other hand... Should have tought her kid better than to sit on a dog. If they have one I would report to rspca

Poor dog and well done your DS. Other child sounds like a horror

She kicked your dog!!!???

I’d be going in to school to complain about her.

Dog not unreasonable but ultimately you should have all gone to the toilet together - so you could be in charge 100%

You've posted this thread twice btw.

Do people leave 9 yr olds in sole charge of dogs? Not a dog owner, so really don't know if this is usual, but I am genuinely surprised.

It goes without saying that children shouldn't try to sit on dogs, but as PP said, you weren't supervising so didn't see what happened. Is the girl who fell face first into the bench injured?

Why did she go to the school to complain when it was nothing at all to do with them, surely?!

The other child was unreasonable.hope your dog and ds are ok!