To expect parents to teach their little children not to approach my dog?

[joystir59]

It happens all the time- young child screams "Little doggie" and reaches towards Dog with outstretched hands. My dog hates little children doing this and would probably snap at them if they managed to actually get their hands on him. Why don't parents teach their children to ignore strange dogs?

Yanbu and it's one of the reasons I won't get a dog.

YANBU OP. I don’t get it. I’m both a parent and a dog owner and to me it’s a rule as basic as washing hands after going to the loo or looking both ways before you cross the road. Don’t approach a dog you don’t know. Always ask the owner before petting a dog.

I agree parents should train their kids not to touch, grab at or get too close to strange dogs. However your dog needs to be muzzled if he can't be trusted not to snap. Imagine there's an incident when a child or just walking toddler grabs him and he bites- if it's in a public place you are liable to be prosecuted and your dog seized and destroyed. You can't always predict how young kids will be around animals, or if you or the parent are distracted. The muzzle is for your dog's safety as much as the child's.

I trained my DD a bit too well not to approach strange dogs, she now has a fear of dogs and won't go near unless it's one she knows. Some owners find it offensive when she shrinks away from their fluffy pet, they stop and tell her he loves kids and seem upset when she won't touch him or get within snapping distance!

Two way street I think. I’ve been out with my mum and her dog before when kids have come up and she’s said ‘don’t stroke him just now he’s very interested in his walk’ and the kids have persisted to the point she’s had to stop the walk and get him to sit and pay attention so he’s not alarmed when the kids go for him (he’s a jack russell so although great with known people and children, she’d just never risk him being alarmed).

Equally (live in a very doggy area) I see so many big dogs bounding up to kids ‘oh he’s friendly’ is my pet peeve!

I don’t know how anyone could do 100% trust a dog, known or not and both owners and adults/kids should be taught to be cautious.

You need to keep your dog out of grabbing distance of young children or anyone else that might not understand they shouldn't grab.
I've had owners let their dogs come right up to my son who from his behaviour has obvious learning disabilities and then be put out when I have told them to move it before he grabs it or kicks it because it is in his space.

THankfully is a dog attacks a child the law deems it the fault of the dog and the owner.

Not actually true.

a very excitable 18 month old is not going to have the vocab to ask or capacity to stay away from dangers.

Reins.

I agree with you OP, and I’m not keen on dogs in general.
Children should be taught not to touch, to ask permission and be careful, and if they are too small , the adult with them should keep them safe.
Responsible ownership all round.

Your dog shouldn’t be snapping at young children. Buy a muzzle if attempts to correct this have failed.

Yanbu, although I have definitely had people be offended when I've told my child not to approach a dog. I feel like saying, no I don't think your dog looks horrible I just don't know it.

And I've had the converse of that when someone has asked to stroke my dog, and I've said "Sorry - she's very shy and not comfortable with strangers."

It's amazing how many people are offended by this. And even more amazing what a large proportion think that they should be the exception that's allowed to touch her.

Don’t approach a dog you don’t know. Always ask the owner before petting a dog.

To this I would add

Never tease a dog with food

Never wake a sleeping dog (there is a reason for the proverb)

Never sneak up on a dog - I've seen children who are old enough to know much better deliberately creeping up on animals then suddenly pouncing and shouting 'RAARGH!" and they think it's hilarious - little bastards! Any dog which bit in a situation like that would be totally justified, and I would be a witness for the defence.

TBH - recently I have seen a massive increase in the number of children who do ask. It's an absolute delight and I always compliment them on their good sense and good manners.

I think perhaps awareness of dog etiquette is just seeping through. When Was a child, people let their dogs out during the day and they just roamed the streets - there were quite literally packs of dogs around (and a horrible amount of poo!). Children either instinctively knew not to p
approach them, or like me, had been taught to respect a dog's space.

When I was young, if I had rushed up to a dog and got nipped, my parents would have said "It's your own fault - how often have we told you?" And they would have been right. And children very rarely got bitten because we knew how to treat dogs.

Nobody seems to take any responsibility for their own or their children's safety these days - it's always the other person who is at fault. This applies not just to dogs, but to railway lines, building sites etc - all of these dangerous things are magnets to kids, and as has been said - you can't watch them all of the time.

Accept then, that if something happens it may be your child's fault, or no-one's fault. If he/she, breaks through the fence onto a railway line, sneaks through onto a building site - hurts a strange dog - there may be tragedy.

None of us wants this to happen -our children are precious - so it ays us ALL to take as many precautions as we can regarding our child's safety - and that includes not approaching strange dogs.

This. No matter what the circumstances, if a dog bites a child it will always be deemed the owner's fault

As has been said before, will that really make you feel better when your child is screaming because it's been frightened or knocked over or bitten by said dog? It being "the owners fault" won't stop your child being injured or frightened or scared will it?

If dog owners are expected to control their dogs (and on a lead being held by the owner is under control) then parents should control their children and stop them wandering up to strange dogs. You have no idea of the dogs health or history - are they a rescue, have they just had surgery, have they been hurt by a child in the past? Are they in pain or hot perhaps? Why would you risk your child getting hurt by allowing it to go and touch a dog you know nothing about?

I have two massive dogs, a great pyr and her half husky son. Sometimes people with kids ask if they can pet them, and we say yes. Nobody has ever tried to pet them without asking, most of the time people cross to the other side of the street to walk past us. Or little kids scream "the wolf wants to eat us!" Many grown adults act terrified hust seeing our two beautiful, but large dogs. It makes me sad as in our last area dogs were adored and everyone would have been clamouring to pay them attention. I can see how they might seem scary though.

YANBU OP.

Mine isn't prone to biting, but he just isn't keen on being touched by strangers and tends to blank them and walk off (personally, I'd take a dim view of strangers touching me in the street, so DDog has a point). He's also prone to barking and lunging at his trigger, which would be a bit of a shock to anyone trying to stroke him.

He's off lead in the park (trigger won't appear there and he never approaches people) but when he's on lead he wears one of these, which has been far more effective than I'd hoped
www.saintroch.co.uk/ask-before-stroking-lead-cover-/-slip-p421.html

I would be fascinated to know how parents would react if I touched their child in the way some of them allow their child to touch my dog.

I suspect they'd call the police.

I love how parents will mind their child and stop them running into the road, jumping in the river, picking up dog poo and eating it, keep them out the way of teens going to the skate park, mind them around hot drinks, keep them away from strangers, keep their child away from games of football in the park and so on... But keeping an eye on their child to prevent them approaching a dog is just far far too much to ask because their child is curious, children are unpredictable, you should have your dog under control

It's not difficult to ask

Dog owners need to have their dogs under control, yes no dog is ever 100% because they could always feel threatened but there needs to be good control..
Some parents need to stop thinking every doggie is a personal petting zoo for their kids and apply the tiniest bit of common sense.

And I'm a dog owner now who was previously so scared of dogs I would freeze and not move.

I have the opposite problem. I am trying to teach my daughter not to approach dogs and certainly not to constantly bother them.
The owners though, just keep saying "oh its okay", "she's fine don't worry". Hmm yes, thanks for undermining me!

Those lead slips are a great idea Avocados

Hiding - I can see your point, but I think that the owners are probably trying to let your DD know tht it's all right to ask if you can approach a dog. But I agree with you that to err on the side of caution (without installing a phobia) is a better way to go.

hiding
I would imagine rather than undermining you, they're letting you know it's ok if you're happy for your child to approach.

I walk my dog off lead in some areas but if I see a dog on lead then i call my dog to me and either wait until the dog on lead has gone past, walk mine to heel or will put their lead on depending on the dog's body language.

Probably 80% of the time the dogs aren't nervous or anxious or poorly socialised so the owner will say "don't worry" and so I'm quite happy to keep my dog to heel rather than lead her.

If I hear parents telling their child to stop/wait/ask, I always thank them. It's the right thing to do.

Children shouldn’t be touching your dog. I never allow DD to approach unknown dogs without speaking to the owner first and actually asking if she can pet it. My MIL thinks I am ‘anxious’. I think I have manners and am aware of the potential for dogs to be nervous of strangers and children.

I have a small pretty dog that's looks a bit like a teddy bear and is very very friendly who I doubt would hurt a fly but he has little experience of small children. I live in a village very popular with tourists recently a large group of toddlers (10ish) enjoying a picnic with their parents saw him and stated coming over to see him saying "dodgy" and "teddy bear" etc, I thought he looked slightly worried I felt it was my duty to move him out of the way by walking away from them calmly rather than to expect small children not to touch him.
Usually I avoid the areas tourists go to at weekends etc this and my dogs love of others peoples picnics are the main reasons.

All these people who thinks the dog is completely at fault at daft

You as the parent are in charge of your child.

You keep them safe around cars don’t you?

Then the same rule applies to dogs

Dogs are not robots. The best trained dog in the world can have a bad day and snap

If your child can’t be trusted to not run off after a dog, then reins are required

The dog is under control by being on a lead and next to it’s owner.

How dare they be excited by your dog. Fucking children

Reverse it. Would you be so indignant then?

Laughing myself off my seat with the hypocrisy of some of the "children are unpredictable, you should train your dog better" comments.

Children are FAR more predictable than dogs! There's a shared language and everything. Parents who let their children approach dogs are just as irresponsible as owners who allow their dog to approach another dog they don't know. Train your dogs, and teach your kids.

My two eldest have always been told not to approach animals and touch with out permission.
My youngest (2yrs) is dog mad, he will go straight towards a dog with his hands out making an excited noise ready to throw his arms around poor doggy 🙈 but his still learning and he will always have me or Dad with him, to stop him. The owners usually will then say "it's ok he can smooth" or "actually doggy is a bit nervous" and if it's a nervous dog we just wave from a distance, blow a kiss, say bye and I will take his hand and lead him away. Not hard 🤷🏻‍♀️