Very sad - child screaming and running when out with my dog.

[YNK]

I have a very soft staffie x and there is a patch of grassland next to a pavement and postbox where we go for a run about.

Two little girls were walking on to the postbox when one started to scream and flap her arms and grapple with the other. My dog loves kids and ran in her direction at which point she started running and screaming even louder so Rita picked up pace. I called to her and she stopped.

Every time I called Rita she stopped running but this little girl became hysterical. I had to put Rita's lead on because the little girl didn't seem able to control herself and Rita thought it was a game.

I called the little girl over to see if she was ok (Rita was on the lead at that point) but she screamed louder when I started to walk towards her. The two girls ran off like lightning screaming their heads off.

At no point did Rita touch the children and she stopped everytime I called her but I'm so upset seeing this child so distressed. This has really shaken me up.

[Pagwatch]

Pictish

Maybe she doesn't. Maybe her parents were trying to give her a little bit of independence and didn't allow for ger meeting a dog. Maybe she has been fine before but saw something that associated this dog with fear.
My eldest son was scratched a lot by DS 2 in the early years. DS2 would have meltdowns 10 -15 times a day.
But the alternative of shutting a child indoors is not especially helpful. And the alternative of approaching to try and explain is not helpful either tbh.

[pictish]

What?

Perhaps she was on a rare outing to the post box because she doesn't get out much owing to her SN.

What?

[MamaMaiasaura]

pag xpost again. I'm fairly new to the whole SN and already seeing world from whole new perspective.

[Pagwatch]

This thread is baffling on many many levels.

[MamaMaiasaura]

pictish what wasn't clear?

[MamaMaiasaura]

I meant getting out without parents, perhaps she is gaining some independence, and this is new for her. It's all hypothetical of course.

[Aboutlastnight]

I don't get all this ' maybe she has SN and had just been allowed out to the post box' stuff.

FGS some children ate scared of dogs, especially Staffies, for good reason. I know a friend's little girl who would have acted like this.

[MamaMaiasaura]

I think because for me, it could have been my ds2. I guess you relate to own experience/knowledge.

[YNK]

The field is used by lots of dog owners so If this was the parents idea of giving a dog phobic child some independence it was a bad idea as it is a place where dogs are commonly having a run.

Again - it's a decent sized field, we were not near the girls or awARE OF THEM WHEN THE SCREAMING STARTED (oops sorry caps lock!). I did not 'try' to stop my dog, I stopped her well before she went near the girls!
She also came back to be put on her lead immediately when told.

I was left shaken by this experience, not because my dog might have done something wrong, but because i like children and do not want to see one this distressed. I have taken on board that there may have been some special needs involved.
I am not an irresponsible dog owner - when I take my other dog out he is kept on a retractable lead as his recall is not so good.
I'm not sure why people are trying to make out that I have done something wrong here but this is an example of why I worry that a child could say me and my dog were at fault when clearly we were not.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Agreed. In this case the SN is irrelevant. The OP was unable to effectively recall her dog which was chasing a terrified child. The fault was entirely the OPs. It is not fair to expect a (terrified) child to stand still and not scream or flap when a dog comes barrelling towards them out of control.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

OP, your earlier post says you had to call your dog off three times, and then she chased again. That is not coming back to you immediately. And then you took your dog towards the girl.

Interesting that the patch of grassland has become a field.

If your dog is not completely under your control off leash, you should keep it leashed when in public.

People have the right to walk in public areas without being molested/intimidated by other peoples dogs.

Dog owners have the privilege of being able to walk their dogs in public places. Privileges can and should be revoked when they are negatively impacting on those that have rights.

[YNK]

The girls were not molested in any way by me or my dog. Rita stopped immediately each time she was told and I hoped this would stop the girl screaming. I did not have to call her off as she was never near the girl.
I called her to me and leashed her when I realised we would have to go home. the child was running backwards and forwards along the pavement and the other child was getting hurt trying to stop her. At no time did Rita leave the field/grass area and go near the pavement.
Pictish, I would not take the responsibility for taking this wee girl out. It would have been beyond my ability to manage her in the state she was in.

[MamaMaiasaura]

[BBQJuly]

Unfortunately, there are so many owners who think it's fine to let their dog run at young children, and even jump up at them, in the park. It really happens quite a lot and sadly many owners don't even apologise or see the problem. This of course will make children - and parents - wary of dogs. Even if the dog is "just being friendly" it can still be intimidating and a nuisance.

[Pagwatch]

well fortunate then that the 'wee girl' is not yours.
My son was exactly like that. I took him out because the alternative was not much fun for him.

I am still not getting the point of the thread. Maybe there isn't one which is fine. But 'child screamed when approached by my dog so i took my dog away' is it really. Unless I am missing something

[RedwingWinter]

I'm a bit amazed by the resurrection of this thread. The OP was clearly shaken by the incident, did her best, and can be proud of her dog because it came back three times. I'm not sure if mine would have. The incident obviously unfolded over time and it's easy to say with hindsight that the dog should have gone on its lead right at the beginning, but the OP didn't know the girl was going to keep screaming. Hand-flapping, while unfortunately not the right thing to do around a dog, is what some SN kids do, especially when they are distressed. It sounds difficult all round.

[AgentSmith]

Your dog chased a child, and you're surprised the child was scared?

Put the dog on a lead.

AmberLeaf is right. You don't get to be annoyed when other people's children don't obey your commands - their parents would have every right to ask the police to have the dog put down, as it's clearly scaring local kids.

If you can't control your dog - and you obviously can't - then you shouldn't keep it.

[Cazzymaddy]

Poor child! Why was your dog not on a lead anyway when there were children about? My DD does not have special needs but does not like dog especially ones who pull on their leads towards her or try to jump up, and that's just passing them in the street!

[Cazzymaddy]

Sorry just saw it was an area near the postbox where lots of dog owners go! But obviously a postbox will attract humans to this dog paradise. It doesnt really sound like an area where dogs should be running loose anyway, I'm assuming its near a road if there is a pavement. Poor girls wanting to post a letter- I would have run a mile too if I'd seen a loose Staffie- where we live usually accompanied by the people that you read about in the newspaper after they have mauled a child saying "they wouldn't hurt a fly".

[AgentSmith]

Apparently it's the child's fault somehow, or the parent's, or anyone's but the dog owner's.

[Cheddars]

Perhaps you should read the thread properly Agentsmith. Just a suggestion.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

I think she has read the thread properly. How on earth can it possibly be thought to be the childs fault?

[YNK]

FFS my dog did not chase a child!!!

I was in control of my dog!!!

It was a council maintained grassed area with no play equipment - the only sign is 'no ball games'. There are bins at both ends (presumably for dog waste).

I was exercising my dog in a responsible manner. I was alarmed by the childs exreme reaction and worried that someone hearing this would get the idea that my dog had touched the child (she didn't).

Is it any wonder I was alarmed, FFS one poster is saying my dog should be pts!!!!

[3duracellbunnies]

We have to walk to school along a stretch of path at the begining of a wood popular with dog walkers. It is the only walking route to school. It is unfortunate as it is when dogs have just jumped out of the 4x4 and so are excited. Dd2(5) does get scared, usually she cowers behind me, I'm not scared of dogs, but I can see from her perspective that if a dog I didn't know and was over 5ft (the equivalent as she is the same height as lots of the dogs) came running up to me barking excitedly and trying to sniff me, I might be a bit scared.

Hopefully she will grow out of it, and we do try to say hello to friendly dogs we know, but in the meanwhile I do appreciate dog owners who have them on a lead for the 25m that the school run and dog walking route overlap.

[YNK]

In what way was I at fault AgentSmith?