Dog attacking child - not stopping to help

[Idioticparents]

So, I’m walking my dogs on the beach. See a border collie on a lead being walked by what I presume is mum, dad and child. No problem - my dogs are trained to come to me whenever they see another dog (not that they go far tbh).

BC is clearly not friendly. It’s frozen. Stiff. Licking its lips as I go by. No issue. Give it a wide birth (10 or so meters given the tide is high) keep half an eye on it. Owners don’t real it in and keep it on the log line (full length stretched with dog nearly choking itself).

Child (about 8/9) walks up to dog as parents watch and wraps its arms around the dogs neck from behind. Obviously the dog attacks child. Parents wrestle dog off child.

Now, here is my am I being unreasonable - I didn’t stop. I just kept walking. Kid had two parents with him and I had my dogs nearby waiting to walk on. As I walked away I got a tonne of abuse for not stopping. But why would I? IMO the dog had attack its owners child and if it’s going to do that then I am not going near it. Partner says IWU not to help.

For those of you interested - I saw them again Sunday (without their child but with the dog). Beach was busier this time and the dog was still on a long line but still unmuzzled.

They spotted me and the man came over. Long story short, he apologised for their behaviour and said they were scared of my dogs, reacted poorly and were stressed and so their dog must have picked up on their stress and reacted because of that. Then he said that my dogs should be on leads because of their breed(?!) and muzzled and then things like this wouldn’t have happened. Meanwhile in the background his dog continued to strain at the end of the lead that his wife/partner/sister/whoever she is is holding and barking and snarling…

Sigh. There’s no helping some people, is there?

Just wondering what breed are your dogs? I've checked back and can't see this?

How interesting. I suppose they didn't know how well trained your dogs were. But also they don't know how to train and Control theirs !

I think you should have taken a zoomed in picture of it to provide to police as well. Unfortunately these sorts of idiots are likely to make up another story if their child needs medical attention - I’ve experienced this when it’s obviously a dog attack and parents saying otherwise. They don’t want their dog to be seen for what it is and have to deal with that. If police have evidence there is a (admittedly very small) chance of them putting 2 and 2 together if they are alerted if they are able to piece your evidence with it.

Malinois - ex-service (retired). So I imagine to many people that they are intimidating to look at.

It’s partly why I didn’t want to be involved in helping the child in the first place - as I said, not because I don’t trust my dogs but rather because I don’t trust other people not to try and claim did something wrong just because of their breed. That and the child had two parents!

He knew he was in the wrong as he apologised, instead of avoiding you. But had to still blame you, for his badly behaved dog?! He actually wanted you to muzzle yours, but not his who actually bites?! What a plonker!

So your dog gets a muzzle put in it and there bitey dog gets to continue biting?

He does realise that a muzzle won't make another DOG feel better dogs don't know what a muzzle is or does? They are clever but not that clever

Your dog breed look beautiful but yes I'd be wary of them off the lead, you said previously you have 'several' so I assume more than two? You couldn't have helped with the incident but as a nervous person around dogs (even though I've had dogs) I think it's good to be aware of how you may be perceived as you seem to be. I am getting to a firmer stance that dogs should be in a lead in public.

I agree in theory that all dogs should be on the lead in public but with dogs like mine if they can’t run for miles then they do display bad behaviour (particularly ex service ones). So even enclosed (dog walking) fields aren’t enough for them.

That being said, when I see people not walking their dog on leads on
pavements or in carperks etc and just relying on good recall, I despair. I’d never walk mine off the lead along a pavement or the sea front. Mostly for their own safety, but also other peoples - I’ve seen people so scared of dogs that they literally fling themselves into the road to get away from a dog nearby.

From experience - people are more worried about a muzzled dog… I mean, it makes no sense, but, they are.

@Idioticparents

Malinois - ex-service (retired). So I imagine to many people that they are intimidating to look at.

What beautiful, intelligent looking dogs! 🌹

The black ones look like Anubis in the flesh!

They are lovely - very hard work though! I'd never get one from a puppy...

Some people put muzzles on their dogs to stop them eating every thing they find on a walk. Typical idiots trying to look for a scrape goat for their failings. If they were so scared of your dogs, why did they not walk in the opposite direction to you? Their kid should have been kept away from their dog assuming they knew how their dog would behave. The dog should be muzzled because its dog aggression. The kid got in the way , and the aggression was redirected. A muzzle is to stop the dog been able to bite, or not to eat garbage .

I agree with @Idioticparents not trying to help. And the colour and breed has nothing to do with dogs biting. Its the fx idiots who don't train their dogs!

Some people put muzzles on their dogs to stop them eating every thing they find on a walk. Typical idiots trying to look for a scrape goat for their failings.

@dawngreen I thought "what on earth is a scrape goat that dogs try to eat?" before realising you meant scapegoat about the idiots with the dog! 😄 (Predictive text, such a waste of time.)