to flinch when a big alsatian sticks its face into my toddler's face while he's sitting in the buggy, even though it "would never hurt"

[emkana]

I feel a rant about dog owners coming on again....

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarg

The woman looked at me as if I was totally out of my mind when I flinched. After she said "she would never hurt" I said "yes but I'm very nervous of dogs" she shook her head and walked away...

YANBU it is very annoying and a bit scary. Totally unacceptable to let a dog near a small child. BUT it has happened to me i am embarrased to say - my little terrier pup did go charging up to someone's child once,lick lick lick, jump jump jump, child in tears, i was mortified. I tend to take my dog out and let him off at a time when 99 times out of 100 there is no one about and if there is, only other dog walkers. You know, freezing cold beach, biting winds. But not on this day, someone had decided to go for a walk with what looked like their GC at about 8 am and i didnt see them til it was too late. NO EXCUSE Though and i apologised profusely and made a hasty exit. I do still let my dog off the lead when im sure no one is around and he is getting older now so his training is improving. So my dog is on the lead now pretty much most of the time when people are around as they are still a novelty to him and he thinks everyone loves him. They plainly don't. I can usually tell if people are wanting to say hello or not, and i pull him away if i can see they are not interested. I would never let him go up to a child, unless the child showed an interest and the parents are ok with it. THEN i say, oh dont worry, he wont hurt but please let me get hold of him properly as he still jumps up.

I have had rotweillers in the past, my first i would have trusted as much as any other dog (not 100%!) and would let children pet him, if, and im not sure if ever happened, he went barging up to peoples children i would have said don't worry he wont hurt, not to be blaze about the dog in anyway, but so they parents were not shitting themselves, as i said, it never happened as he was such a good dog that he would sit whenever i told him to and wait for me to go and put him on the lead. But some children used to enjoy petting him and he rather enjoyed it too. My second dog (a rescue) was a very different matter and he was on a lead (and possibly even muzzled) if there was even the slightest chance of encountering a child.

YANBU - I am a big dog lover, have always had one but I do feel that if a dog looks big and scary then should be on a lead even if it "would never hurt anyone". How does anyone really know that? Have a small terrier dog and I am 99.9% sure he would never hurt anyone - he is amazing with my DC 4 and 1 YO but you can never be too careful. If you are feeling scared and having to flinch away from a dog whatever size then that dog should be on a lead and under control.

i love dogs but they are animals and would not completly trust one with my ds yanbu