Argument with husband about protecting dog

[rankings]

My husband and me had a situation on the beach yesterday where he was wearing our 5 month old baby in the carrier, and a staffie off a lead ran up to our dog. We didn't know if the staffie was friendly or not but the owners were frantically calling it back so the atmosphere quickly turned panicked and I grabbed my 3 year old and dragged him away from the our dog and the staffie. My logic always being to create distance between the dog and my children. Of course I would absolutely hate to see my lovely dog hurt or killed, and please can no one imply different, but I also would never be able to risk my kids for any dog, no matter how much I love them. Anyway my husband who was wearing our baby tan towards our dog and the staffie and was trying to pick our dog up. I was furious as not only the act of bending down trying to pick up our dog could of led to the staffie being able to reach and bite my baby, picking up the dog could also lead to the other dog jumping up to try and get to him and the baby getting caught in the middle. I think he massively put our baby at risk. The staffie thankfully did nothing other than jump up and scare us/our dog but it's more what could of happened

It led to a conversation about what would happen in future when out with kids and dog and my husband said he would never be able to walk away and leave our dog to be attacked but this just makes me feel terrified to let him go out with the dog and the kids together especially without me there.

AIBU to expect him to prioritise the kids and put distance between him and the dogs both ours and the one potentially posing a threat?! I really do love our dog but I won't risk my kids lives over my dog potentially living another 5/6 if we're lucky

Before anyone starts that Staffies are gentle or whatever it's more just about that situation of what to do. Would have same reaction if it was a JR or a XL and want to create distance

This is why if I have kids I’d never leave them with a dog owner. So many - not all- are bonkers. To even think of risking your child to protect your dog is wild.

@tidalway
But there was no need to run. OP was making a fuss about nothing simply because she saw a staffy on the beach . It was excitable and ether then aggressive - no, I wasn't there - but that comes out of her OP. Run, and an excited dog will chase - he thinks you're playing .

Honestly 🙄

Again (I know I mentioned this already): as someone who's dog was near killed in such an attack - my experience tells me that very few people really have any clue how they would behave.

It is all rather surreal and terrifying and both lasts forever and is over too quickly for a rational response. And the noise my dog made - the screaming noise - I will never forget that as long as I live. Nor will I forget carrying her home with half her skin torn off.

I'm not an inexperienced dog owner, have broken up a few dog fights in my time (every day fights between known dogs) but an out-of-the-blue proper attack by a strange dog... in my experience, that's something else entirely.

So all the tooing and froing in the world about how you might behave... I honestly don't think you know until you face it.

If you run the dogs will think this is an amazing game.

Surely, you've learnt not to run from a dog. Just stand still.

I couldn't personally leave my dog to be attacked and would have helped her. If that was my husband he would handed me the baby and got our dog or i would have grabbed her. But we consider our dog part of the family.

I think you missed that that was a follow up post from one where I’d said that in general sort the children out first, because dogs are more capable of defending themselves than children.

And this post was in response to the OP’s over dramatic statement about not risking her life breaking up a dog fight.

Also, run is terrible advice... even if the other dog doesn’t go, ooh running, your own dog would naturally follow you anyway.

You were the one in the wrong here OP. You should have stayed to sort your dog out. Your husband would then have been able to take both children away.

I agree with this.

And if there’s only one adult, you don’t take the children and dogs out together because you couldn’t possibly be in control.

She didn't know that though did she? Hindsightisxa wonderful thing.