To think that it isn't safe for one man to be responsible for 8 dogs and a toddler all at the same time?

[MrsBennetsPoorNerves]

Just that, really. Walking in a local beauty spot with lots of uneven terrain and plenty of open water. Saw a man with 8 medium-sized dogs, all on leads, followed by a small child, who was probably around 3yo. I presume he must have been a professional dog walker or similar.

AIBU to think that no single adult can safely take responsibility for that many dogs and a small child all at the same time?

The chances of 8 perfectly behaved dogs with no prey drive and reliable recall in all circumstances, and a perfectly biddable 3 yo are zero.

Much more likely that he's struggling for money and childcare and is compromising the care of both dogs and child to solve that. It's just dangerous.

I think it depends on the dogs. Also 8 of your own dogs that you know very well and know eachother, is much different to 8 dogs that you don't live with and aren't used to eachother.

I used to know a lady with 10 Afghan hounds and I always loved seeing her walk the magestic beasts, it was like something from a fantasy film. She was also very very rich, well dressed and a bit mad, which added to the eccentricity of the interactions.

The chances of 8 perfectly behaved dogs with no prey drive and reliable recall in all circumstances, and a perfectly biddable 3 yo are zero.

Doesn't even make any difference if all his charges do fit this bill - he's out in public, with no knowledge of what other factors there are. If some other dogs attack his, he's buggered to even cope with the dogs, let alone keep the toddler safe.

Just dangerous and irresponsible, too much of a risk with 8 dogs but another level with a toddler in the mix.

I'd not be happy about the 8 dogs to 1 human ratio - without the toddler involved.

Dogs can be as well trained as you like, but even if these dogs all live together as a group and know one another very well, it takes VERY little to rock that dynamic and cause a problem - an over friendly labrador bouncing into the middle of it - someone decides to walk their cat on a lead close by - a squirrel falls out of a tree squealing (happened to us, think it had a heart attack, I know I nearly did!) and then everything can go to shit in a second.

The chances are though that these dogs do not all live together, and the sense of calm and control is false, that many of them are suppressing emotions/behaviour because they are in close confinement with relative strangers and are on leads.. and so some pretty minor catalyst could cause a catastrophe.