Would you allow a 6 year old to go out alone?

[tonari]

Almost 7.

To walk around the block with (very) small placid dog. Takes less than 5 mins.

Small, quiet village.

No definitely not

No. Not before 8/9 if kid is mature that is.

Not with a dog. But on his own? Yes. Maybe to post a letter…

Not in a million years

Why would you need to? They have plenty of opportunities to be independent once they're a bit older, why the rush? I would say 9+

No, how would they cope if they met a larger aggressive dog?

No. Not even on their scooter around the block. Out the front where I could see them (here, not necessarily in all areas, yes, but not out of sight. By next summer, probably around the block (if no roads to cross) but these days not with a dog. Too many untrained ones, I'd be worried might attack ours, with the child scared & out at risk.

many years ago my friend was walking their small timid dog (she was about 7) and another dog attacked & killed her dog, she's in her 60's now & the trauma (understandably) never left her.

Explsin to your child that other people's dogs are too much of a risk, if she's pestering you to be allowed to do this alone.

Have you considered allowing her to do a class for some kind of training, or even just encouraging her to teach the dog to do a truck ir two? I presume you already allow her to hold the lead when you take the dog for a walk?!

or are you the one wanting her to do this so you don't need to go?

No

With a dog? No
With an actual parent? Yes

Not in charge of a dog, no.

With a friend, with me watching at the door for them coming back round the block?
Probably.

I did this when my daughter was that age, and they were delivering Christmas cards to neighbours. I could see them to the end of one street, they had a couple of mins on their own, then they came into sight again.

Never in charge of a dog ever. You can’t control what other dogs and owners do, no matter how placid your dog is. I would let DD1 (6) walk to her friend’s house further down our street as an example but would watch her the whole way till she went into their house. If she would be out of line of sight then I wouldn’t let her go solo.

Absolutely NO !!!!!!!

Obviously not.

Yes in that situation.
I live rurally and my son would walk the dog round the woods opposite our house at that age.
However my daughter is now 7 and I wouldn't let her as the maturity isn't quite there yet. But my son was fine at that age. He would have known what to do if there was an issue and more importantly had the confidence. My daughter is 7 but she would just panic if sometjing went wrong (like the dog getting off the lead) It does depend on the kid.
And obviously on the area!!
There's only a few houses on my lane and I know everybody.

No

No, absolutely not. Reverse?

No

No

Absolutely not

You surely knew the response you'd get on MN?

It really depends on the child and your area. In my small, safe village there are always kids that age and younger around. My 5 yo goes up the street to play with the neighbour's kids and we check in periodically if necessary but normally they all ping pong between houses.

My biggest concern would be if he's going to pick up the dog mess.

Absolutely not.

9/10 too young to be walking to school alone, unless with others & it’s only a short distance ..

Or the response from parents who are concerned about their very young children?
No 5 or 6 year old should be wandering about by themselves. Isn’t that just glaringly obvious?

With the dog no, on their own where we live yes, after all children walk to school at that age on their own.

And I forgot to put that it also depends on the dog. This was a small elderly daschund.
And I knew my son would have the understanding and confidence to come straight home and get help rather than try to deal with any issues alone. I'd told him never to run after the dog or try and save the dog in the unlikely event of any drama.. just to drop the lead and come straight to get an adult.
There were never any issues at all.
He's 10 now.