Dog barked at my child

[Kitchendrama1]

We were at the park and two year old was having a moment so sat down on the pavement. Dog came over and barked at him. Dog went away. It felt ok and I was looking out.

We started to do a lap of the oval and big again started to stare and bark from us at a distance and wasn’t looking at the other dog he was playing with, or his owner. Dog was getting closer (but also stopped). I grabbed kid and went.

Was the kid in danger?

Yes the woman didn’t apologise or put the dog on the lead….
You originally said they did put it on a lead and now, after PP brought up leads, you’ve decided they didn’t.

@TwooThirty

Yes the woman didn’t apologise or put the dog on the lead…. You originally said they did put it on a lead and now, after PP brought up leads, you’ve decided they didn’t.

They only put on the lead at the end…. When the dog eventually came to her and I scoped up the child in my arms and walked away in the opposite direction and occasionally looking back (not walking too fast and not making eye contact).

@RobinPenguins

I keep him under control but it always saddens me when the child shrinks back in fear

He wants to lick etc., and play

Why does it make you sad that children don’t want to be licked by your dog that two minutes earlier has probably been licking another dog’s arsehole or sniffing some shit?

Or some people just don’t care for animals lol

🤣

I understand fully about the licking, although my dog has almost no contact with other dogs and as he is on a lead I don't let him unless the person he is greeting likes it.

What makes me sad is children missing out on the lovely companionship and friendship of a properly trained dog. There is a reason why service dogs for children with various challenges, including autism, are becoming so popular.

If you really dislike dogs, it might not interest you, but there is a series on Netflix called "Dogs." I think there is a newer one, but I think the first is better.

As I recall the first segment is about a young girl with severe seizures who gets a service dog who can warn her family of a seizure coming. There is also a segment about an Italian fisherman on a huge lake and his dog.

Shows the lovely side of dogs.

Dogs are just not big germy bitey barking creatures, honest.

My dog only barks at small children as a warning.

If the tantrum run continues longer than a couple of minutes, he will eat them, which actually gives him terrible wind.

My guess is,you did grow up in a country where pets are never or very rarely part of a family.I think, it would hugely help you and your childrden to become a bit more comfortable with dogs.Dogs bark when they are excited or anxious.sometimes dogs pick up human's anxiety.

There is a reason why service dogs for children with various challenges, including autism, are becoming so popular

I'm familiar with this as my non verbal daughter with a learning disability attends a day centre where they bring service dogs in to 'pet'. It's about 50/50, some customers want to stroke them but others don't want dogs anywhere near them. You can't force it. A lot of the customers are unable to understand how to behave around dogs as well, so it can be stressful even though the dogs are trained.

@OrangutanLibrarian

Next time go somewhere that isn't a dog's playground

Where exactly can I find one of those? There are dogs EVERYWHERE. The whole world is a dog’s playground.

Go to Burnley, dogs were banned from all but one park in the 1970s. One woman spent a week in Holloway for walking her dog.

academic.oup.com/tcbh/article/28/2/239/2888520

@Sommernacht89

My guess is,you did grow up in a country where pets are never or very rarely part of a family.I think, it would hugely help you and your childrden to become a bit more comfortable with dogs.Dogs bark when they are excited or anxious.sometimes dogs pick up human's anxiety.

That’s a good point. Some friends I have from countries such as Romania and India are quite wary of dogs due to the high number of street dogs over there that can be very dangerous and carry diseases such as Rabies. They are taught from a young age that dogs should be avoided. A friend of DS from Libya was convinced that our dogs only goal in life was to bite him, it took time but eventually the boy came to really him

I wouldn’t expect to be barked at and to have a 2 year old barked at is very unsafe IMO

What exactly is unsafe about it though? That's why we are taking the piss out of you. Nothing happened and it sounds like nothing was ever going to happen.

thisplaceisweird

What exactly is unsafe about it though? That's why we are taking the piss out of you. Nothing happened and it sounds like nothing was ever going to happen.

Firstly, you can’t know that nothing was ever going to happen. All animals, including humans, can be unpredictable. A dog staring and barking at a toddler could absolutely be dangerous. Chances are not, but with risk you have take into account both the likelihood and severity. Whilst unlikely the dog would have done anything further, if it did, the consequences could be horrific. The OP acted sensibly IMO. Dog bites are increasing. It certainly wasn’t irrational to pick up a toddler where a dog is staring and barking at him/her.

Secondly, taking the piss out of someone who is coming on a forum for advice is pretty unkind and not in keeping with the aims of MN, regardless of how silly or irrational you think someone behaved. Judging isn’t the best way of convincing someone of your point of view either. The only thing you might achieve is sounding like an unkind person and potentially causing upset. Why do that?

The only thing you might achieve is sounding like an unkind person and potentially causing upset. Why do that?

It makes them feel superior.

God no wonder dog attacks are on the rise. This thread is a real eye opener about how clueless people are.

@Signalbox

God no wonder dog attacks are on the rise. This thread is a real eye opener about how clueless people are.

My dog barks at my kids if they stop throwing his ball. He isn't going to attack them as a consequence if they decide not to throw it again.

If the owner had no control over the dog that's wrong. And to allow the dog to approach others without their permission is also wrong. No one is defending that

to allow the dog to approach others without their permission is also wrong. No one is defending that

@LST, unfortunately the majority of the posters on here are defending it, thinking it's no big deal for a dog to approach strangers, including a small child, and bark.

@CandidaAlbicans2

to allow the dog to approach others without their permission is also wrong. No one is defending that

@LST, unfortunately the majority of the posters on here are defending it, thinking it's no big deal for a dog to approach strangers, including a small child, and bark.

No people are just reacting to the none event that if it was. No where has anyone said it was fine.

I have 2 little dogs who love children.Barking is communicating.They want to be friends is all

Was the dog on a lead? Was the owner close by (eg not extended lead)? Dogs are very intuitive to noise and activity

Dog was prob unsettled so had a bark?
Anyone bitten? No
Please don't pass on your fear to your child
I've got a massive dog who I have full control of when we're walking and have had kids and adults do the dance of fear....in other words jumping around on the spot accompanied by squealing/shrieking/shouting/crying, majorly sets my boy off so not only have I got a 47kg dog to handle I've got some cockwomble screaming and not just walking away as it's a non issue
Put it down to experience

Your thread title says "my child"...

No

No.

When the dog eventually came to her and I scoped up the child in my arms and walked away in the opposite direction and occasionally looking back (not walking too fast and not making eye contact).

Oh bless you. I'm howling at this. Do not look the dog in the eye and do not run!

Was it the enormous dog guarding the Philosopher's Stone? Such dramatics.