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Original poster

What do non dog owners teach their kids about dogs?!!

51 replies

ShaysMummy · 11/03/2006 11:48

This morning, DS and I have been for a delightful walk through our local woods up into the 'Old Town' and we all had a look through the shop windows etc etc.
My dogs are Labs, small, as they are ladies, with stupid looks on their faces, tongues hanging out. I'm not a hard looking woman I don't think and they are VERY well behaved dogs. They don't even sniff people as we pass, they keep on walking.
So my question is this:
Why did every parent with a child under 12 give me a disgusting look then put themself between the chld and the dogs? Or even worse pick up every child they could get their hands on in a 5m radius?
I'm quite surprised at this reaction.
Anyone shed any light?
[confused emoticon]

OP posts:
saadia · 11/03/2006 14:24

I can't bear dogs myself but don't want to pass on that fear to dss, but at the same time I've heard of so many cases of dogs attacking babies/children that I always try to keep a great big distance between us and dogs.

Flossam · 11/03/2006 14:38

I'd be wary if atm I was out in the park with my young toddler and he went running up to a dog. To stop him running up to it, I would pick him up. Nothing wrong with that IMO. DS's head would be at the perfect level for biting if the dog was so inclined. If the owner didn't get all huffy about it, and seemed friendly, as did the dog I would take DS to meet said dog.

At the end of the day, Dogs can be vicious. No way am I going to risk that with a dog I don't know which could potentially harm my baby.

Older children do need to be taught how to behave around dogs, but seeing as ATM I am unable to teach DS not to pick food back out of the bin, something he sees everyday, I think my chances of educating him about dogs right now is going to be a little ineffective!

getbakainyourjimjams · 11/03/2006 14:43

I'm careful with ds1 because I don't trust him to be nice to the dog.

With ds2 and ds3 I'll let them approach but cautiously. If its a dog I know then I'm in there encouraging them, but some dogs aren't friendly and I would rather they learn to be careful aorund strange dogs. I take my cue from the owner tbh- coming out of nursery the other day a dog came over and the owner said she was firendly so I encouraged ds2 and ds3 to stroke her. But not all dog owners want you stroking their dogs.

My friend's dd picked up a dog and ran off with it when she was out with her dad once! (luckily the owners were OK about it, onnce her dad had managed to retrieve the dog.....

sparklymieow · 11/03/2006 16:25

I was attacked by a dog when I was younger (I have no memory of it) and as a result I was terrified of dogs, I would scream and run away. My parents got a puppy when I was 10 and this helped overcome my fear. I now have no fears of dog and we have a staffy pup ourselves. Today while me, Dh, DS and dd2 were out shopping (DD1 at her carers) we met a rottie and a lab, The kids wanted to stroke them, so I made sure that we asked premission from the owner, because I don't want my kids to just go up to any dog and think they can stroke them, and am teaching them that some dogs can be nasty. Both dogs we met today were friendly and the kids did stroke them. I am glad that I was given the chance to get over my fear of dogs when I was younger, as now my kids ahve no fear of any dogs.

MaloryTowers · 11/03/2006 16:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

madmarchhare · 11/03/2006 16:28

Unfortuanately I had a bad experience wuth a dog when I was younger too. As it goes I do love them but get very edgy when DS is near one. Hes still quite young at the moment and I dont want to scare him but I will probably encourage him to never touch a strange dog tbh.

tinyFox · 11/03/2006 16:30

i have a dog, i have always told my kids to ask before stroking dogs.

I think the parents were probably just worried becuase you never know with some dogs, not saying that yours wiould do anything but they might have had experiences before? who knows. My dog is not very well behaved and always move out the way if a kid is on the path my dog wouldnt bite but might jump up,

Kelly1978 · 11/03/2006 16:37

I was brought up with dogs, although I wouldn't keep one yself. I tell my kids not to touch strange dogs as they might not like it. dd tends to avoid them simply because she hates being licked! My parents keep labs and they tend to lick a lot, so she expects this.

Enid · 11/03/2006 16:52

because dogs are totally unpredictable and any breed of dog can bite a child badly?

I have taught mine NEVER to touch a dog unless the owner says it is OK.

Greensleeves · 11/03/2006 17:10

I have taught mine never to approach any dog. I avoid eye contact with strange dogs if I can avoid it. I get very annoyed with the fact that I can't let my children loose in the local park because it is overrun with boisterous dogs whose owners think nothing of allowing them to career up to strangers, including small children, slobbering, barking, jumping up and spreading mud everywhere. Not to mention the aggressive, growling hostile ones whose owners insist they "wouldn't hurt a fly" (cue patronising sneer).

And that's quite apart from the fact that many dog owners still seem to think that it is perfectly acceptable to treat our streets/beaches/public parks like dog latrines, causing a nuisance which is not only disgusting but a real health hazard, particularly to small children. My 3yo regales me every morning on the way to nursery with "there's some dog poo mummy" and "there's some more mummy". It's foul (pardon the pun:))

Nothing annoys me more than pig ignorant dog owners, who sneer when I instinctively place myself between my children and their dogs.

lockets · 11/03/2006 17:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ScummyMummy · 11/03/2006 17:18

Wouldn't give you a dirty look but would and do warn my kids that not all dogs are friendly and to ask the owners as others have said.

TinyGang · 11/03/2006 18:06

I agree about erring on the side of caution around dogs - I teach my children the same.

On another note, we've had some depressingly regular incidents with the children getting dog mess all over them. I realise this doesn't mean all dog owners, but the last session with the scrubbing brush was only yesterday. It doesn't half make me angry.Angry

brimfull · 11/03/2006 18:19

aswell as being cautious because dogs are an unknown quantitiy,my ds is allergic to dog saliva.It makes hom comes out in hives almost instantly and he's a real sight!

We have a dog and people do look at me as if I'm mad when I prevent dogs licking ds. My dog has learnt not to lick ds.

GDG · 11/03/2006 18:27

Coppertop 'Luckily it only licked his face '??? OMG, I'd go ballistic if a dog licked my childs face! Vile!

Agree with Enid and WWB - ds2 is only 3 and has had 2 bad experiences with dogs. Understandably he is now quite frightened of them. I always reassure him but I'd never encourage them to go and stroke or pat a dog - they are yukky and smelly and sniff other dogs' bottoms for a start! Bleurgh!

mrspitt · 11/03/2006 18:33

I don't have any pets and don't really like dogs eitherBlush but have never said this or shown it in front of my kids.
Ds now 4 was playing in the garden aged 2.5 when an alsatian type dog jumped the wall which is 6ft on our side and ran for him , i've never heard him scream so loud.
From that point on he has been terrified of ANY dog. Every time he seems to be getting better he has another bad experience with a dog.
I only ever say positive things to him about animals and especially dogs because i don't want him to have this fear but he's now passing it onto dd1 aged 2.
So even 1 bad experience can have a huge effect.

JennyLee · 11/03/2006 18:59

I like to look at dogs and appreciate they are nice but I have always discouraged my ds from touching them as they smell and then I have to wash his hands and if they were to lick him I'd be horrified I see then as huge biting barking bags of germs that poo all over the street for kids to step in it. so me and my son walk on the other side of the path if people with dogs go by and I hate him to touch them, some people take them up to the school against the rules on the school run and that bugs me too.

My dh hates them. I don't but I don't go and pet them and would avoid them at all costs. ds has a healthy hesitancy towards them and I have am glad.
Also there are always stories in the paper about them biting or eating kids.

I KNOW this is irrational, I know other feel the same too and we are from some crazy planet! I know your dogs are probably none of the above, it is the bad owners that give them all a bad name, and round my area you have to step very carefully, and people have those rottweilers etc a lot. god this post has made me realise have a completly crazy attitude to dogs, had never given it much thought. sorry all you responsible dogs owners, its not you...its me

Ladymai · 11/03/2006 20:03

Parents are naturally wary I think. Until recently we had two whippets, lovely mild mannered wouldn't hurt a fly, until ms DS started showing an interest in them, then the dog bit him, not bad but enough to scare the sh*t out of me. He did it three times, each one got progressively worse and we had to make the awful decision of getting rid of them, it broke my heart but it would have broken my heart even more if I'd found DS mauled.

Now though when we meet dogs I tell him what it is and if they look ok I ask if DS can stroke it. I have to say if its a massive dog or a little jappy thing I avoid them for fear of being eaten alive! I also have a fear of really big dogs myself as I've been bitten by one but wouldn't want to pass this onto DS so when he's older, 15mths now, I'll explain about not to trust dogs but don't have to be afraid.

Passionflower · 11/03/2006 20:25

I teach them that dogs are nice but some dogs are dangerous and you must never go to pet a do without asking the owner first. TBH if I'd come accross you I'd have probably asked if it was OK for the DD's to pet, but then I'm a wannabe dog owner Smile.

Passionflower · 11/03/2006 20:26

dog obviously - keyboard not working v well.

magnolia1 · 12/03/2006 12:42

We have 2 dogs one is a puppy and she has jumped up when muddy Blush it was an adult although I was still so embarrassed. Thank goodness her recall is now great and she comes back immediatley when called but there are people who encourage her to come to them which makes it harder for me Angry

My girls know not to touch any dog they do not know and I always ask parents if their child wants to stroke the dogs if the child looks like they want to.

We had a lady walking along the road the other day with her toddler and she stopped us and asked if her child could stroke the dogs. The dogs loved the attention and so did the little boy. If every dog owner was in complete control of their dogs and parents of their children there wouldn't be this problem but sadly some owners don't train their dogs or clean up after them Angry AND some parents do not teach their children to ask before touching a dog Sad

We have an area near the school which is fenced of so the parents can tie their dogs up safely and there is a large sign which says please do not pet the dogs. Every day some kids come out of school WITH THEIR PARENTS and are all over the dogs. Angry

I personally don't take mine very often as they bark when i leave them Blush

wannaBe1974 · 14/03/2006 21:12

I think it's a real shame that so many people have such a bad attitude to dogs. I do appreciate though that not all dog owners are good dog owners, but not all are bad either. I actually get the opposite approach ...

I have a yellow lab, and she's a guide dog. So needless to say she's like a magnet to young children. If ever I'm at the park with DS, they come up to stroke her, I see numerous kids in shops who want to stroke her, I used to go to toddler groups and the kids there loved her, the kids at preschool all love her, and i've had numerous comments from parents when, after a couple of weeks when their child refused to go near my dog because of a fear gained from a bad experience, they gradually gain the confidence to stroke her, telling me how good it is that she's there and how she's helped their child overcome their fear of dogs. I do warn my DS though that not all dogs are as friendly as ours, and that he should never just go up and stroke a dog if he doesn't know it. Generally the parents who don't want their kids stroking my dog, think that they're not allowed to because she might be working, generally I'll always drop the handle then and tell them the kids can stroke her, as I think that she's a good ambasadur for nice dogs.

FioFio · 14/03/2006 21:13

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crazydazy · 14/03/2006 21:18

I don't like dogs at all and made it clear to DP that we would never have a dog, I think they are smelly and hate it when they lick you. DP loves dogs and so do his parents and so my kids quite like dogs too. They don't go up to them and stroke them though, thank god. There is a dog that wanders our estate and it looks at us menacingly so we just get away from it as quick as possible.

Hate the dog mess everywhere too. Angry

galaxy · 14/03/2006 21:42

My dh is allergic to dogs so steers clear whenever one comes near. There is a dog at dd's nursery on some days and dh can't step inside the building or he'll get an asthma attack.

I personally don't like dogs - dd was licked from head to toe once by a labrador when she was in her cot and I was buying some veg at the market. The owner just stood and watched her stinking hound do it!