To think learning how to behave around dogs should be part of the national curriculum

[Itsadogsworld]

I think schools should teach children how to behave around dogs, canine body language and so on. I think it would significantly reduce the number of children that end up in A&E each year due to dogs bites. I’ve seen some dreadful behaviour in my local park where children will run up to my dog and one child was continually trying to bear hug her own dog. Children clearly aren’t being taught this at home so I think they should include it in schools. I welcome your thoughts on this.

And if you are not an irresponsible owner I'd hate to meet someone who was.

Lol. Go on then. Tell me what I've done that's irresponsible

Blinkered view about your dog.
Unwilling to accept you have any responsibility for what your dog does.
Thinking your dog won't ever bite because it's (barf) fluffy and cute.

Yeah you're right. All of my messages saying dog owners and parents both have a responsibility are so blinkered and biased and show that I think dog owners have no responsibility.
I don't know how I didn't see that before.

That is wonderful

There is a dog rescue page I follow on FB, and they regularly take some of the dogs into schools, and teach the kids there about respecting animals etc. Schools also visit them. Sadly, they are in Spain, and not the UK which is a huge shame.

Oh that sounds wonderful! I think it's a great thing for children to learn and great for them to be able to benefit from the joys of being around animals ☺️

I hate dogs and avoid them at all times so no thanks

If people could keep their dogs under control this wouldn’t be an issue. My 4 year old is terrified of dogs. I am trying so hard to work on getting him to stay still and not run away when one is chasing him but he is just too scared. In the last year he has been jumped up on by I’d say at least 10 different dogs. Most of them bigger than him. A few weeks ago he was walking along a footpath with me and a dog ran up and ate his gingerbread man right out of his hands. The owner hooted with laughter, gave us a half arsed apology while still laughing and walked off while my poor little lad was howling, mainly because he thought it was trying to bite him. I don’t know how on earth I can teach him not to be afraid of dogs when there are so many around that are completely out of their owners control and do things that are very scary to a child!

Sorry that happened to your son. Similar thing happened to my friend's child a few years ago - chased by dog, child screamed and ran behind her mum. Owner was cross (although didn't bother to rush over) and said "you should know not to scream when a dog runs at you, it will only make it worse."

Adding to my earlier post on this thread, I took my 2 children to the park for an hour yesterday. It wasn't at all busy there yet in that one hour I saw one dog owner yanking her little fluffy "toy" dog around by its neck, the same dog then went on to lunge at and start yapping and snapping at another mans dog as they walked past. A little way on, in the skate park where several very young children were playing there was a young staffie bounding around off the lead, who then saw another dog walker and bounded over to harass them. The staffie owner continued to stand in the skate park and ineffectually shout at her dog to come back while it completely ignored her. Walking out of the park back towards the car park another dog on a lead lunged at my dog-phobic autistic 9yr old, snapping and snarling. The owner didn't even turn around, try to stop his dog or acknowledge the incident in any way, just carried on talking to his children and ignored his dogs foul behaviour and the distress it caused to my child.

I did not see any children grabbing at/bear-hugging or harassing any dogs in any way, shape or form.

It’s an ok idea. Honestly though I can think of many other things I’d rather we’re included in the National curriculum - things linked to banking/savings etc.

I think dog owners should be forced to take a test to prove they are competent to own a dog. How the dog behaves is entirely up to the owner. Keep your dog away from children if it is a danger to them.

This is absolutely not a schools responsibility and it is utterly ridiculous to think it should be.

Totally agree that the onus is on dog owners to be in control of their dogs. It’s not funny at all for a dog to eat a child’s food out of their hands. Dogs shouldn’t be running up to people full stop unless those people have invited this (and their owner allows it).

Couldn’t have said it better!

Anyone who wants to own a dog should have to
complete a course on the safety of the general public, behaving and obeying the rules in public places an getting their animal yo
behzvf appropriately. They should have to gain pet licences, which should then be revoked if they break the rules.