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.

I really couldn't imagine walking off if a child had been attacked by a god. I really hope this is made up because you sound like the victim here and no concern for the child at all. Likely more to it than you've let on

The op says she had her own dogs with her.

Not sure what she could've done against a dog with dogs with her without making the situation even worse.

Interesting typo though, maybe against a god OP would've had different options lol

It is possible that the Collie was reacting to OP's dogs and then redirected to the child.
If so then the best thing for Op to do was to get away asap.

Ahaha! Yeah she did but she didn't even look back or show even a little bit of interest/ concern. Very weird!
Attacked by a god 😂

I would’ve been out of there with my dog in a flash. No thanks!!!!

CSI Mumsnet.

They are obviously trash OP. Think nothing more if it, you did nothing wrong and were totally correct in removing your dogs from the situation.

I’m confused

their dog attacked their child so their responsibility to sort presumably

i would have called the police but not intervened further

I would have called the police from a safe distance and videoed the incident because I think the parents need dealing with if they are putting their own child in danger from their own pet.

If OP helped then her dogs would have had to go with her. The aggressive dog would have likely gone for her dogs.

OP is neither the owner of the aggressive dog or the parents of the child who hugged the aggressive dog, so I am unsure why she is getting any grief here.

You did the right thing.

Bringing yourself and your dogs closer would likely have made the collie react even more. It would not have helped the parents free their child and calm their dog.

However it would have given them more opportunity to put blame on you and your dogs for the attack. Which dog actually bit the child could have seemed in doubt if you had gone in. No wonder they wanted you back!

For those thinking you unreasonable: How would getting the biting collie even more wound-up have helped the distressed child or the parent/owners ? (Even well-trained dogs are likely to come to the aid of their owner if another dog seems to threaten her. This could have ended up quite a fight.)

I know very little about dogs and so I may be totally wrong here but… if there was any possibility that my own dogs might also become involved, when seeing their owner (and I presume pack leader) entangled with a strange vicious other dog, I would stay well clear. For everyone’s sake.

And besides, it’s totally their problem.

I was attacked by a dog as a child and nobody stepped in to help at all. I was at the park without an adult (it was the 80s) and I was bitten on the neck, arm and back by a dog I couldn’t identify. Even with this in mind, I still wouldn’t intervene.

I read it as the child’s parents were the dog owners

This adding my dogs to the mix would have added to the NC stress

Ton if abuse from who, the parents?. They are mad!

Why?
There's 2 adults there almost certainly with phones.
Enough cooks for that shit show of a kitchen

OP did not need to risk her or her dogs for those morons.

Whatever happened and the consequence of that event are solely on the parents to manage.

I think it would have been a very different scenario if it had attacked a stranger's child, but with two parents there and their dog attacking their own child, I would have stayed well out of it.

She doesn't actually need to have concern for the child.
It's not her circus or her monkey

Typical dog owners always trying to blame other people for problems caused by their dog.
A little while ago I was cycling in a cycle lane, a woman's dog ran out in front of me (nearly had me off my bike) she tried to tell ME off for not helping her catch her dog🤬
The owners were embarrassed because they were in the wrong and and someone witnessed it, this was a DARVO (deny accuse reverse victim and offender) they can't accept that they're wrong so they lashed out at you.

See and that's what's apparently wrong with the world.
She should have been concerned for the child. She should have shown some concern or compassion for them.
I'm not saying it's not the parents fault but the lack of compassion makes me feel sick.

YANBU.
Dog owner should have had dog on closer lead.
Guardian of child should teach them/prevent them from touching random dogs.

No.
Patents and owners like that are what's wrong.

People have the right to not want to deal with shit, drama and Jeremy Kyle rejects that they have no business with.

I wouldn’t have stopped if I was with my dog. He can be reactive to aggressive dogs and bringing him into the situation would have made everything worse. I also wouldn’t have wanted him to get hurt. I don’t think it was your responsibility to stop.

So their dog attacked their child and it’s your fault because you were walking past? If they can’t control their dogs or their children then they don’t deserve either.

You haven't understood correctly.