more weird women in the park!

[cory]

Though there's no nakedness in this story and no drink

Dh took dd and ds on Saturday. Dd sat on the swing while ds (8) was kicking his ball on the grass a short distance away. Bearing in mind that I have only ds's version to go on as dh was talking to dd and missed all the excitement, this is what happened:

an elderly couple walk by with a terrier, not on the leash. Dog shows an interest in ds.

'It's all right', says the woman. 'She won't jump'.

At which the dog promptly jumps up and bites ds on the back of the leg. Not badly, you understand, just enough to cause a small mark, enough to be still visible when I turned up an hour or so later, and still hurting according to ds. Also a small tear in his football trousers.

At this point wouldn't you expect them to address ds in some way? To ask if he'd been hurt? If he was upset? Maybe even see if there was a grownup with him that you could talk to?

'Oh, it's all right' says the woman to her partner, 'she only bit his trousers'. And off they both go without saying a word to ds.

OK, so ds is not badly hurt and not even traumatised, he will not have a dog phobia forever after. But am I OTT in feeling that there has been some sort of breach of etiquette here? Is this really how responsible people behave

Even if it was only his trousers, wouldn't you feel it was your responsibility to investigate any damage done?

Do people feel that small boys are fair game? That it doesn't matter if you hurt or scare them or let their property be damaged?

The rather scruffy young man whose dog sniffed my picknick basked later that day pulled her away and apologised profusely.

Not appropriate at all. If my dog had done that I would have apologised profusely, checked he was fine and offered to pay for new trousers.

YANBU.

I'd have apologised profusely, asked how he was, offered to pay for new trousers and taken my dog to a dog trainer asap because even though the damage was slight, the point is he still attacked your ds.

That's awfu, people like these give dog owners such a bad name, and really put children off dogs. My dd1 is still afraid of dogs having had one jump up at her and nip her face last year - in fact that incident has put me totally off dogs as well! Again, the owner didn't apologise, but did make a rather sharp getaway.

what imnotmamag said.

aunt's dog did this to ds - except it was his shoulder.

Apparently it was ds and my fault (ds for his mere presence making dog overexcited nad mine for not keeping better eye on my child).

Ds not playing with dog at time (had back towards it). He had little more than a graze, but dog had to be pulled off him and it did hurt ds.

I tried to get advice from dog warden at council, but because dog actually bit child they won't without taking full details of owner. That's how seriously they take it.

The owners need to understand that just cos it is a small dog (aunt's was diff breed but similar size) doesn't mean it can't do damage especially to a child as they are often of similar weight/size to dog. Also it's a case of if it happens once it is likely to happen again, and be worse.

They are not responsible people. And YANBU.

I have a horrible feeling that they felt they could get away with it because he was a boy playing on his own without an adult visibly hovering over him. And that really gets my goat! Suspect that their response would have been different if it had happened when we were all having the family picknick an hour later. Or if the dog had bitten dd.

A neighbours dog did this to DS a few months ago. There was a mark, but he was not traumatised, she stopped, and apologised and said that he would be a different dog, she would get him trained, he would no longer be allowed out in the front porch to watch and bark continuously at the world going by.

A couple of months go by and he is the same dog, and still out in the porch barking and jumping at everything. I am not sure whether to say anything. When it happened, she was at my front door crying and begging me not to report her.

Did your DS recognise the owners?

I would probably report it actually

I would report it - she was just paying lip service...

Cory, that is awful. Thank goodness the dog didn't do any more damage. I am at the attitude of the owners.

Having said that, my dad was out with dd in the pushchair a few months ago. A golden retriever leapt up towards the pushchair straight at dd's face so my dad kicked the dog. I know that this was not really the thing to do, but he was really concerned that the dog was going to bite her.
The owner became abusive towards my dad saying that the dog was only playing, and would not even entertain the fact that a baby (she was about 10 months at the time) would perhaps be a bit scared of the fact that a big dog was leaping towards her face.

Totally irresponsible of the owners imo, I have a dog myself and would never allow him off the lead in a busy place like a park. If he did do anything to anyone I would absolutely mortified and apologetic.

Difficult to report as he had never seen these people before and had no idea who they were. And they shot off before he could get his Dad.

get flamed for this, and I apologise to responsible dog owners in advance.

as much as there are many parents whose vile children can do no wrong, many pet owners are the same.
And yes, that wouldn't have happend like that had there been an adult present with your son,
sometimes the old & eldrerly literally get away with anything

Dogs in parks should be on a leash, unless in a designated area.
It makes me really cross whhentheu are just allowed to run free in parks where children are playing