To ask dog owners to be extra vigilant around younger children?

[ponderingthisthing]

At the weekend, we were out in the meadows and having our family photos taken by a professional photographer.

A dog came near us and started jumping on the DC, who are 2 and 4. DH tried to fend it off until the owner came and dragged the dog away with some difficulty. By this time both children were extremely scared and upset and were screaming and crying. The owner may have muttered a quiet "sorry" before leaving quickly. No genuine apology or word to check if DC were OK, even though they were obviously extremely disturbed at that point with tears flooding down their faces. She just didn't seem to care.

For us though, it really put a damper on things and unsurprisingly the photography session did not go well. Both children felt unsafe following this (there were other dogs around, many not on lead) and clung to us.

It's not the first time that it's happened, DD was already afraid of dogs due to similar episodes in the past. We try to reassure her that dogs don't normally harm people and that she should just behave normally around them, but I wonder if we should also think more now about safety. Just yesterday, I came across a photo on social media of a little girl who was mauled in the face by a dog. Of course no physical harm came of this episode involving DC, thank goodness, and the dog was probably just over excited. However, the incident is making me feel somewhat uneasy about taking DC to places where dogs can run free.

AIBU to ask that dog owners be extra vigilant with small children around? And obviously, if the dogs are likely to jump up at people, to keep them on lead around small children in public places?

Where do all you people that get mugged by dogs go? I bloody love dogs, never get them bounding over to me uninvited but incredibly welcome at the same time 😭

Where I live dogs always run and jump at me on land owned by the parish council, that has signs everywhere saying dogs must be kept on a lead. The reason given is always that "he's friendly" and I get sneered at for being unhappy with dogs barking in my face and putting dirty paws all down my clothes.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect dogs to be on leads. I once nearly got knocked over by someone's dog jumping at me. She just said "he's being friendly". It was a labrador type thing; so not small. I wonder if she'd say the same thing if I was a small child or elderly?

That's unfair.

The irresponsible dog owners think their "furry babies" rights are the same as theirs.

Responsible dog owners realise that humans come before dogs.

Luckily where I live there are more of the latter rather than the former. They have no issue telling off the former, which means I've only had to tell off one dog owner in over a decade.

No not unreasonable, I have a dog and don't allow him to run up to young children as not all like dogs , tbf mines not really interested in kids either just his ball and focuses on that
Sometimes children will ask if they can throw the ball and then we let then and watch closely etc
Too many times dogs come running up to mine when out and hes not keen either

@feelingsareweird yes there is this side as well
Last year we were in a pub garden and a couple had there dog on lead at the the table and a lady asked could they stroke dog , they said yes gently etc but then the kid just kept running up every couple minutes then started grabbing dog , owners asked him to stop but he just was relentless and mum ignored
The dog was looking uncomfortable and showing subtle wArning signs and owners upped and left incl drinks

Rubbish. A well trained dog with a responsible owner us perfectly fine off lead almost anywhere

@LoveSpringDaffs "Rubbish. A well trained dog with a responsible owner us perfectly fine off lead almost anywhere"

What utter shite. Why are columns full of reports of dogs and aggressive behaviour, plus police reports of people and children being bitten. Usual dog owner naivety

@ObjectionHearsay

Any chance of a photo of your beautiful big boy? St Bernard? Newfoundland?

Does he need an Auntie Daffs in his huge life??

I'm going to my friends tomorrow, she knows it's only really to see her Rottie!! 😂all 23 stone of him will come and sit on me 😂

Dogs near children are just a big no no. Their owners who let them run loose need castrating then the dogs should be dealt with.

Any dog that harasses my child will just be kicked away as hard as possible. Simple as.

How many of those are strangers to the child? How many of those are outside?
hiw many of those are strangers outside???

Why do you have to point out that humans come before dogs? It happens every time on these dog/dog owner bashing threads. Give me a dog over a miserable human being, every day of the week.

yep in fact give me most animals over a miserable human being

well, thankfully people like you don't get to make the rules.

Bingo!

I Keep my dog in a lead when walking him and do not let him approach anyone. However if we are on a large field I would let him off to chase ball and keep an eye out for others. (He's a pup so recall is a work in progress) I think on a field it's reasonable that dogs may be off lead (as long as they are not aggressive) but the owner should have been watching the dog better.

Also if he has a disobedient dog he wouldn't hang around to chat as the dog may continue with disobedience!

Oh great, I'm glad you posted this, we haven't had a dog bashing thread on MN for at least half an hour 👍

Of course dogs shouldn't jump up at strangers - but people should ask before touching dogs and you'd be shocked how often it doesn't happen. I've even had people encourage their toddler to touch my dog. In one case I told them not to, they let their child do it anyway, and at that point I pointed out DDog had just rolled in a maggot infested dead rat.

Genuinely, if I touched their child the way some people touch my dog (without consent from either of us), they'd be calling the police, and rightly so.

(For clarity, mine isn't bitey, he just prefers to have a small social circle of humans)

Even the best trained dog has their off day though. They have the cognition of a 3-4 year old child, and I'll bet every 3-4 year old child has their off days too, no matter how good the parenting.

Its not clear where you were, but in a meadow with birds etc I imagine the dog should have been on a lead

More, made up, rubbish.

Fat fingers!! 13 stone (& that's plenty!!)

YABU for having a cheesy professional photoshoot out in public. Cringing just thinking about it and I imagine the dog was too which is why it tried to break it all up.

@Zeus44 then you will be prosecuted simple as that as its illegal to kick an animal just like that

@BogRollBOGOF I think you are over interpreting what constitutes a dog "making someone afraid they may hurt them".

One of my siblings is terrified of dogs. All dogs in all situations. The dogs aren't making her think they will hurt her, it's her catastrophic fear that's doing it.

If people and their children are scared of dogs then they would be well advised to stick to the many parks and outdoor spaces which insist dogs are kept on lead or where they are not allowed.

It's not too difficult.