Dog nipped child

[Twinkleandstressed]

Dog was tied up outside corner shop - I could see him from the till point. Only picking up one item. Dog is usually friendly and calm. Child darts out of shop with father and runs towards my dog wanting to pet him. My dog reacts my growling and going to bite him. He didn’t thankfully but did hurt his lip by jumping. Dad is useless and just walks on to car. I quickly go outside and go to apologise. Mum who is sitting in the car is consoling child - I ask if he is hurt. She says just a scrape on mouth. I apologise again and explain that my dog must have been startled but I feel terrible and that I cannot trust my dog.

No, the dog is not safe in public and therefore needs to be put to sleep.

@MinnieBalloon but it is shit parenting letting a child run up to a strange dog and many people will judge you for it

Absolutely ridiculous 🙄

It’s expected behaviour. The dog told the child to back off. Wouldn’t have needed to if the child’s dad was able to control them. Step up and stop blaming others for your ineffectiveness as a parent.

When we were children, we were taught to always ask the owners permission before approaching a dog we didn’t know. I think this is a good reminder for parents to do that.

In future, I would try to avoid leaving him unattended. Maybe a muzzle is not needed if you’re always supervising? Only you can make that call really.

The child/parents were in the wrong. You don’t run up to a dog you don’t know. Even a friendly dog can feel threatened when tied up and a stranger approaches.

Your dog was not the problem.

Oh get lost. What a ridiculous thing to say.

Your dog sounds like it has some issues. But yes the child shouldn’t have approached.

is this the first time he has reacted in this way? You said he is “usually” calm. Being tied up probably made him more vulnerable and he went into protecting himself. We can’t trust that’s kids will always ask to pet dogs

I think it’s good to show your willing to be in contact. However I don’t think dogs are immediately PTS in this circumstance. The parents might be worried about SS as they weren’t supervising their child is another way to view.

but you’ve learnt important information about your dog. Growing up the folklore around me was “spaniels can turn and are Schitzy” and I can see where it came from whether it’s true or not

People judge for just about everything. Judgements don’t actually mean anything. A lot of the time they’re wrong, and even if they’re not, so what?

And this is exactly the reason there are so many dog attacks these days.

What? Terrible parents?

The dog was tied up. Not ideal, but the OP has realised this.

It was the parents job to keep the child away from the dog that was tied up. The parent let the child run up to it.

It would be a totally different matter had it been the other way round, if a dog had been lose and run up to a child and bit it.

The parent should have been looking after the child correctly.

A dog tied up outside a shop on its own feels threatened when a stranger approaches. It warned the child and the child continued to advance and ignored the warning (parents fault, not child).
Thats not a dangerous dog attacking for no reason, that’s an anxious dog who has tried to communicate it’s unhappy and been ignored. The parents were at fault for allowing a child to approach it.

You clearly know nothing about canine behaviour.

This was on the op for leaving the dog and shit parenting. Like always, the vast majority of dog attacks happen because of irresponsible owners and/or shit parenting.

This dog nipped at a threat. It didn't attack. It doesn't need to be killed for it.

I would not put this on the police's radar. Sounds like everyone involved has learnt a lesson! Move on, and for his own safety, don't leave the dog unattended in public again.

YABVU for leaving your dog tied up outside a shop in the first place. I will never understand why people do this.

And the parent shouldn't have allowed the child to approach the dog.

The dog didn’t bite the child. The parents are lucky that their lax parenting didn’t result in their child being more seriously hurt.

Anyone that thinks they don’t need to teach children basics such as not to approach strange dogs/touch hot surfaces/run into roads/beware of countless other dangers really shouldn’t have children.

People need to parent their children and stop blaming other people for their own shortcomings.

I do agree op shouldn’t have left her dog unattended, but this incident was primarily a parenting fail.

This also applies to your ridiculous statement that the dog needs to be put to sleep.

Of course it does. And?

The dog didn’t bite anyone.

Not this time.

The dog was threatened, the dog gave a warning growl. That is what dogs are meant to do when threatened.

Of course it doesn't. You berk

Oh dear. It seems you are unable to properly read.

That poster was saying my comment of “people can think what they like, doesn’t make it true” also applies to my statement about the dog needing to be put to sleep.

I agreed, because it does apply.

I mean, the dog does need to be put to sleep anyway, but that’s not what was being referenced.