Dog just knocked DS 3 off his scooter

[smearedinfood]

He was petrified and it was right in front of the house so I just got him inside ASAP.

It happened 5 metres in front of me and the owner pulled the dog off him. DS hasn't been bitten but was already scared of dogs so this won't help.

I'm not familiar with dog laws, should the dog have been on a lead in residential area?

I don't know of any requirement to be on lead but someone else might. What happened, did the dog run up to him or did he collide with it? Hope he and dog are both ok!

They're supposed to be under the owners control in public places

www.gov.uk/control-dog-public

We were on the way home from nursery the dog chased DS, didn't see him coming and then got excited and pushed him down off the scooter in front of our house.
Owner pulled the dog off and I ran over (I'm pregnant and not so fast). Then got DS straight inside the door as he was screaming.
Told the owner DS is really scared of dogs and this won't help.

Just wondered if I should have done more.

Thanks Bump now I definitely know he was in the wrong. Probably to late to report it.

But if I see him again grrrr.

Hope he's feeling better today. Can you find someone with a friendly dog to start getting him over his fear of dogs? Reacting badly to them being around usually causes the dog to react, and reinforces the fear so it might help to break the cycle.

Dogs only have to be on leads if the council has passed a bye law under recent legislation and if there are also lots of signs up on lampposts informing people of that law. If there are no signs, then the dog does not have to be on a lead. Near livestock, a dog has to be under "close" control. In other places, a dog simply had to be "under control" ie not "out of control".

I am never one to advocate escalation. First you need to be objective: - Does the dog concerned pose a general threat to people or children? eg Did the dog attack your DS in any way, or did it jump up excitedly or did it come up in a friendly way, albeit one that worried your DS, at which point your DS panicked and fell off his scooter? They are all quite different situations. Only the first one (aggressive dog) warrants taking this further with some sort of complaint.

I hope your DS is now ok. Accidents happen and it is how we react to them positively that determines how we fare in life. Please don't over react if the situation does not warrant it.

Really! Pulls up sleeves ready for flaming.

If something the size of a horse chased me down the street then pushed me down on the ground then barked at me. I'm quite sure that I might just scream/flip out a little.

The owner should have been on it quickly. End of.

If I'm quite sure a dog is safe, then I'll introduce it to DS at a pace he's ok with. Thanks.

But I suppose that is the point - DID the dog chase your DS down the street and then push him over? If so, then def take this further as that sounds like a dangerous dog. If, OTOH, the dog was simply trotting down the street in the same direction as your DS, happily wagging his tail, and your DS took fright, wobbled and fell, then that is something completely different.

Incidentally, I agree that the owner should have been straight there and sorting it out whatever the scenario as your lad was upset and had fallen, but I thought that is exactly what did happen from your first post? Sorry if I misunderstood.

Sorry too. The dog chased him and pushed him over and it gave 'me' nightmares. So yeah I was feeling emotive about it all.

Ah well, if the dog chased him and pushed him over then certainly taking some action would seem like a good idea. That is definitely not acceptable. If you have the tact to achieve a positive result rather than an argument, I would have a talk with the owner and see if they will agree that in future their dog should be on a lead when walking along the pavement. I hope you have stopped having nightmares. Is it of any comfort to note that HAD the dog wanted to cause your son harm then he would have bitten him. Since he didn't bite, he was probably trying to be friendly - not that it would have seemed that way to your poor DS.

Thanks Prof.