Roared at a child today...

[fackingsnowballz]

Questioning now whether I may have overreacted or not...

I’ve namechanged as I don’t want it linked to previous posts.

Interested to get opinions and a bit too scared to try AIBU..

So, I have a dog approaching old age, she is partially sighted but no one would know that to look at her.

I took her out for a walk today, she was on lead and a child, I’d estimate maybe 7, ran towards her and the parents called the child back.
I carried on walking and the child ran at my dog again, this time with a handful of snow and tried to get at her mouth.

I assumed the child was maybe trying to feed her snow and carried on walking away only to have said child follow us again and then quite violently hit her with the snow.
It got her shoulder but I think the child was aiming for her face.

Well, I screamed at the child not to dare do that to her and the mum came running over and grabbed her child.
I was absolutely frothing but she didn’t say anything and neither did I, just walked off absolutely raging.

But a small part of me is wondering if I did overreact a bit?
As in throwing snowballs, I suppose, is quite a normal thing for a child to do.
The child isn’t to know she is partially sighted.
Not the child’s fault if parents can’t control/haven’t taught polite behaviour etc

But then I think the child was more than old enough to know better!
Of course you don’t go throwing snow at random dogs.
And you certainly don’t smash it into them at close range..
She is getting on and doesn’t have full vision.
What if she had panicked?
Snapped even then I’d be blamed for having an out of control dog despite her being on lead and walking away.

What would you have done?

I don't blame you for being angry. I would've shouted "NO!" at the child probably and left it at that.

I wouldn't worry about it OP.

But a small part of me is wondering if I did overreact a bit?

No Op, I don't think you did. You were protecting your Dog and hopefully the child won't do that again. Don't be so hard on yourself

And ignore SundaySleep, you don't sound like a nasty piece of work at all 🙄🙄

You had a shock that's all and hopefully lesson learned for the kid.

@SundaySleep

You sound like a right nasty piece of work OP. It was a CHILD.

Who if she did that to some onlead dogs could have got seriously bitten.

Mine is unlikely to bite, but not all dogs when confronted with a strange child shoving snow in their face would be that restrained. Mine would however bark a lot which I prefer to avoid.

Good behaviour is a social construct, and is expected of people of a certain age. But good behaviour isn't determined by age, it's determined by circumstances. That's why not everyone above a certain age has good behaviour. You screaming at them could have traumatised them. They could remember that for a long time. I hope you're ashamed of yourself. What you did was wrong. And although it's understandable it was unnacceptable. If you came across them again I hope you apologise genuinely.

No, you didn't overreact. The child sounds like a brat, and I'm shocked the parents didn't apologise to you for their child's bad behaviour.

@1950s1

Good. If they remember it for a long time then maybe they will behave in future.

Dogs are living creatures. It is unacceptable to treat them like at and a 7 year old (who isnt a sociopath) should know. They should absolutely remember being shouted at for bullying an innocent animal minding it's own business.

Some people have really funny ideas about not telling children off for anything ever. My boss has a huge problem with telling her children off when they behave poorly in public as she thinks people will judge her.

They probably are, but not for the reason she thinks. They’re judging her because she’s not telling them how to behave.

No wonder the world is full of rude entitled adults doing whatever they like with no care for anyone else.

Good for you! And sorry for your poor lovely dog. The child is clearly not brought up correctly. Probably not treated kindly either. But that’s not your problem today. I would have shouted too. I would also have told the parents off. If there is one thing I would never tolerate it is animal cruelty of any sort. I have told many children and parents off for similar.

I would have absolutely lost my shit if I saw a child of 7 trying to hurt or terrify my cat so YANBU and the mother was also shit if that was my child I would have made her apologise to you. Hope your dog is ok.

OP screaming at them will hopefully make them think twice about letting their child rush at a strange dog and torment it in the future. My rescue dog suffered cruelty from children in the past and if a child rushes up to her, she will snap at it in terror.

You didn't overreact at all. My daughter is 7 and would never behave like this towards animals. And if another child did this to my almost 13 year old dog, I'd be fuming aswell.

@1950s1

Good behaviour is a social construct, and is expected of people of a certain age. But good behaviour isn't determined by age, it's determined by circumstances. That's why not everyone above a certain age has good behaviour. You screaming at them could have traumatised them. They could remember that for a long time. I hope you're ashamed of yourself. What you did was wrong. And although it's understandable it was unnacceptable. If you came across them again I hope you apologise genuinely.

Ha. No wonder we have so many entitled twats in society. Hopefully the child will absolutely remember being shouted at for their nasty behaviour. We are not wrong to protect animals and tell people off for bad behaviour.

Definitely parents fault. I think I would have told parent keep hold of your out of control child.

I remember telling off some kids in the park for throwing stones at some pigeons. The children to their credit did stop doing it. Their parents stepped in and said ‘what’s your problem, they’re only pigeons!’ I said I shall throw some stones at them then, they’re only children. Parents called their kids away shouting back at me for ‘spoiling their fun’

[quote WhereverIGoddamnLike]@1950s1

Good. If they remember it for a long time then maybe they will behave in future.

Dogs are living creatures. It is unacceptable to treat them like at and a 7 year old (who isnt a sociopath) should know. They should absolutely remember being shouted at for bullying an innocent animal minding it's own business.[/quote]
The 7yo's behaviour was also unnaceptable. I'm not trying to imply or say that it's not. But understand that circumstances meant that the 7yo behaved in that way. Just because they're 7yso doesn't automatically mean they know better. They could be delayed and act younger than they are for instace. It was quite disrespectful and hurtful to the 7yo and I think OP should've handled it better.

You've likely saved the child being reckless and bitten in the future.

Child shouldn’t be throwing snowballs at strangers, animal or human.

As an aside, I’d perhaps think about getting some sort of harness or tabard thing for your girl to flag her visual impairment to others. There are a few deaf or blind dogs locally and they have little jackets, bandanas or markers on the harnesses to let us others know. One has, “Be kind, I’m blind” on hers, for example.

@Cissyandflora

Would you say that to my face? Say that to me broadcast on a giant public TV? You're being disrespectful

@1950s1

Good behaviour is a social construct, and is expected of people of a certain age. But good behaviour isn't determined by age, it's determined by circumstances. That's why not everyone above a certain age has good behaviour. You screaming at them could have traumatised them. They could remember that for a long time. I hope you're ashamed of yourself. What you did was wrong. And although it's understandable it was unnacceptable. If you came across them again I hope you apologise genuinely.

I'd like to think they bloody would remember it for a long time