children that are firghtened of dogs and how i find some parents are encouraging their fear

[haychee]

I have 2 medium to large dogs and i get so cross when i come accross children that just lose the plot if the dogs go near them. I can understand that they are frightened and i call the dogs away from the child instantly. But what makes me cross is the parents responses, "that dog should be on a lead" or i just get looks that could kill you dead. My arguement is, that if the child is that frightened then why would you take him or her to a place where dogs are everywhere in a dog walking area. Why do parents encourage their childrens fear by making these comments? what good does it do for the child? I actually saw one mother once who picked her child up every time the dog was anywhere close (like 4-5meters away). The child got increasingly anxious and the mother ended up having a go at me. I know and fully appreciate that some dogs are dangerous but mine arent and i think that when parents react like this infront of their children the message they are displaying is that its ok to be this frightened of dogs.

My daughter was once frightened of thunder so i purposely sat up with her watching a storm and saying things like "wow, that one was very loud" and " cor, look at that lightening isnt it beautiful". Because of this time i spent with her and the way we watched it together has dulled her fear - infact she gets quite excited if there is a storm brewing now.
Any one else feel the same or can understand where im coming from? or maybe your one of these types of parents that react like this? I would like to discuss the issue if anyone has any comments?

If they chase children haychee then you should train them not to or keep them away from other people. If you choose to carry on letting your revolting smelly pets harass other people and frighten children, don't be surprised when someone eventually delivers a good hefty kick. I certainly would. Which is a shame really, because it's not the dog that deserves a boot up the arse, it's you.

I have a big bouncing happy dog who LOVES kids and would happily lick them silly...

...FOR THAT VERY REASON I KEEP HIM ON A LEAD WHEN THERE ARE LARGE NUMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AROUND - ESPECIALLY CHILDREN

... sorry had to shout!

It makes sense though doesn't it? I would actually feel very if he jumped up and licked a small child who had been happily minding it's own business and playing...

... it's just good manners isn't it?

... the flip side is that if we are somewhere such as heathland/commonland/woodland and there are fewer people/more dog walkers... that's where he can run free. If kids approach on bikes etc I call him back and he comes...

... if someone had a go at me in that situation I may feel more justified in being annoyed at other mothers condemning me for being a dog owner.

Fair enough KM, but to tar all dog owners with the same brush and to say that all dogs owners say that their dog wouldn't hurt anyone, is wrong. Not all dog owners say that. But I appreciate that there are a lot of dog owners out there who do.
These are somewhat irrisponsible owners.

It always get me when I hear an owner saying 'he wouldn't hurt a fly'
I feel like saying, no he probably wouldn't hurt you, but what about people the dog doesn't know???

My sister is a vet and she would NEVER leave her dog unattended with any of my children or let it off the lead in a public place (as would most responsible dog-owners). This is despite the fact that they are not frightened of dogs and that her dog is of a seemingly very docile nature. She has also told me that some breeds in particular find it difficult to recognise a small children in the pecking order and will see them as sub-ordinate to them (therefore difficult to judge the dog's behaviour in these circumstances).

haychee. Your dogs may not be vicious , but a child that has had a bad experience ,will not understand that they only want to play.
I may be wrong ,so don't shoot me down in flames, I thought that you were supposed not to tease dogs in such a way that they think its ok to chase people/other animals.

Plus if you are ever going to educate kids to NOT be scared of dogs it needs to be done in a controlled environment with the dog safely on a lead... not "chasing" the children at "play"...

But what is your response to the screaming sp ? Im not sure 3yo ca n't be taught to be quiet and calm in certain situations.DS 's first response was to bound up to dogs I have taught him to be more cautious. He is 3.Have your child(ren) had a bad experience?

Absolutely totally agree children are the priority. My issue is with those parents who go to a large park and or playing field where dogs are allowed to run freely and then scowl and rant at dog owners for doing just this. I would not dream of purposely scaring a child and allowing my dogs to be too close for their comfort. Im always keeping a very close watch on where my dogs are and what they are up to.

i pull my dd away from any large dog, you dont know what they are going to do, how many times have i heard "he wont hurt her" only for the slobbering dog lunges, i hate them and the dog shit they leave in the park for all and sundry to step in. also annoys me when they come over when you have a picnic.why do people have them in citys?

haychee, I think you are being a "bubble merchant" about your dogs

To flip this thread on its head ,how do we stop our children "screaming " when they see a dog as I have tried everything I know and my DD is still a quivering wreck with a dog no nearer than 50metres away??
I don't want condem dog owners ,but I need to be able to go for a walk in a relaxed manner.PLEASE

Naughtymummy, my DTS first experience of a dog was age 2yo when we were ambling in a park (owners requested to keep dogs on leads) and an unleashed pitbull appeared from nowhere, knocked DT2 to the ground, hovered over him and snarled/growled/barked at him ferociously. I was trying to rescue him at the same time as holding DT1 with both of them screaming blue murder. The owner finally ambled up, called his dog and walked off without apologising. I was so terrified about what had happened, I could not even raise my voice to remonstrate with the moron.

I did not instil fear of dogs into my twins who are now 3yo. The dog owner did that.

KM I never said you were stupid
I implied you were being hysterical

How old is dd flossie ? could you take her to a pet shop with some puppies behind glass so she could see them but they couldn't get close to her. I guess you've tried pictures or videos of dogs already

OMG speedymama that sounds terrifying

It was Greengotts, I still shake when I think about. So you can appreciate why I do not want dogs around my children.

littlelupin
my dogs dont chase every child they see. They only chase if at all the kids that scream and run because they think its a game. I always call them back and control them i dont allow it to continue. I am responsible. They dont make a beeline for any child that happens to be running around its the squealing and running (usually in fear) that initiates the game.
Anyway this isnt the topic i wanted to discuss its the way that i find some parents encourage their childrens fear of dogs by commenting or having a go at all dog owners who have their dogs off a lead. If these people chose to visit a different park where dogs MUST stay on leads then they would be much happier.

Not everybody lives near a dog-free park.

How awful for you all, i thought it was illegal to keep pitbulls now . No wonder your DTs are terrified in this situation it is of course natural for them to scream when they see a dog. I was just making the point that if you have a blank canvas so as to speak then it is better to teach children to be calm around animals. I have freinds whose kids have no such bad experiences but therre mother shreiks when ever therre is a dog off a lead in the park so now they are also screaming with fear when they see a dog

Long thread. Have skimmed only. Sorry if this has already been asked and answered.

If your dog is running free in a park, how do you make sure you have cleaned up all its crap? Or do you not bother?

speedymama
That is exactly the type of dog owner that not only should have the dog put down but the owner too! That owner has now made it virtually impossible for me to walk my 2 highly trained dogs to walk and run at the local park without having to have an arguement with a parent.
What a total fecking wonker! Did you report the incident to anyone?

naughymummy
My point exactly! Its those parents that encourage the fear that is really frustrating for us very responsible owners.

haychee

In an ideal world people would not be scared of dogs. All parents would educate their children about how to approach/interact with dogs. All dog owners would train their pets properly.

But this is NOT the case! your OP makes it very clear that you KNOW many children are frightened of dogs. Yes, in some cases it's probably down to the parents. But many have been genuinely traumatised. Read some of the horror stories on this thread alone. Until then, your choice to exercise your dogs unrestrained in an area where children play is SELFISH.

But you have shown time and time again that you are not prepared to listen to anyone whose views differ from yours, so I imagine I am wasting my breath.