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?

This child made 3 attempts to harass this dog . OK she wasn't to know she was visually impaired but after the forst time being called back by the Mum she then tried to shove snow in her mouth , then threw snow possibly aiming for her face .
At diiferent points in the walk.

So if the OP had said to the Mum "In what parallel universe is it ok to inflict that three times onto a defenceless animal" what would her answer be?
Because my kids a brat
Because I'm not in control of my child
Because I think it's ok for my child to terrorise random animals

I think you were very restrained in the circumstances and hopefully the child won;t try this with a dog who will retaliate !

I don't think you over reacted and I wouldn't have been annoyed if you'd told my dd off!

Obviously I would have communicated in a calm mannered way with the child as it hurled items at my dog. In the split second I would have understood that the child may be delayed and unable to understand the condequences of their actions.

No I would have also been vocal in the spur of the moment.

I think you overeacted a bit op tbh. I definitely would have told her firmly to please not do it, but I wouldn't have roared. Mainly because it was a child, and just as your dog had a hidden disability, the child may have too. Hindsight is a wonderful thing though and we all overreact sometimes in the stress of the moment.

As soon as the parents clocked the first time what a child was doing, then they should have put a stop to it. And they should have apologized to you.

Tbh, I am always a bit surprised when parents don't forearm their DC with simple info about how to behave when they are: in close proximity to dogs or any animal for that matter, going in to a shop or a cafe, in to a doctor's surgery. How the giddy aunt are young DC supposed to know in advance how to behave if they are not told in advance, or corrected when they do something wrong? It's unfair on them not to do so.

If the kid is traumatised it's the parent's fault. Even if the child had SEN, in fact especially, it's up to the parent to make sure the child is safe, so if a parent knows their child is unpredictable or doesn't always know what's appropriate, they should be extra vigilant. (Speaking as someone with a SEN child before anyone gets up in arms).

[quote 1950s1]**@Fackingsnowballz

You were intimidating, disrespectful, and abusive towards a child. I don't hold you in high regard for that.[/quote]
Why do you think that's of any importance to @Fackingsnowballz ?

I would’ve done exactly the same OP

I regularly walk with a local owner of the same breed I’ve got, a rather unusual breed, and her dog is approaching 14 and is very wobbly. It doesn’t take much for him to fall over. If a child threw something at him it would probably really injure him. With my crew, one is deaf so it would freak her, one is reserved when you first meet him because of a bad experience at the vet, and the other is a show dog and that would potentially completely screw up his chances in the show ring. I would’ve shouted at the parents too.

I hate this whole “he/she can do what they like they are only a child”.

For everyone coming at me (ridiculous).
The OP roared at a child- was that really necessary?! Couldn’t it have been handled better- why didn’t OP speak to the parents rather than the child.

It didn’t need that reaction and you were out of order OP. You are the ADULT- that is a CHILD.

Poor dog, I too would be furious and have three children, none of them would do that to an animal. I hope your poor dog is ok.

Christ on a fucking bike - she told/shouted/screamed at the child not to do it again... that's NOT verbal abuse

Roaring and screaming is not telling (which is what you said happened).

You were dishonestly minimising what happened. I object to that dishonesty and I am unapologetic about that. I am also unapologetic for believing that roaring and screaming at a seven year old is OTT. soeveiving

Again, if I posted I had 'roared and screamed' at a dog owner for how their dog was behaving towards my children, I know very well I would not get the accolades of applause and congratulation that OP has.

@SundaySleep

For everyone coming at me (ridiculous). The OP roared at a child- was that really necessary?! Couldn’t it have been handled better- why didn’t OP speak to the parents rather than the child.

It didn’t need that reaction and you were out of order OP. You are the ADULT- that is a CHILD.

Because the parents obviously didn't give much of a fuck

Don`t worry OP, and it makes zero difference whether the child was delayed, had a hidden disability, had crap parents, insert other factor here. Just because someone may have a reason for their behaviour does not mean we should have to suffer the consequences and turn the other cheek.

As WhereverIGoddamnLike said in their excellent post, we do not exist in a vacuum, if the child cannot be trusted to behave for whatever reason the parents should be keeping a better eye on them.

As for respect, it is earnt, not given regardless. Far too many people have far too little respect for animals, you protected your dog, no sensible adult would fault you for that.

I have a dog and a 7 yet old - he knows better than to throw snow at any animal or another person (unless snowballing with consent) so no I think you were perfectly within your rights. I would have apologised profusely as my son would have been made to under the circumstances.

@coldsunnydays

Christ on a fucking bike - she told/shouted/screamed at the child not to do it again... that's NOT verbal abuse

Roaring and screaming is not telling (which is what you said happened).

You were dishonestly minimising what happened. I object to that dishonesty and I am unapologetic about that. I am also unapologetic for believing that roaring and screaming at a seven year old is OTT. soeveiving

Again, if I posted I had 'roared and screamed' at a dog owner for how their dog was behaving towards my children, I know very well I would not get the accolades of applause and congratulation that OP has.

Toasty feet?

I don't hold you in high regard for that.

Talk about inflated ego!

Since the child's mother failed to intervene, OP had no choice but to put a stop to this child's behaviour. I have a rescue who is very, very nervous of unfamiliar small children, but he looks cute and friendly to young children who aren't able to read his distress. I keep him well away from situations where I'm not able to introduce a child properly. I would definitely shout in similar circumstances, and I think OP did this particular child a favour if it makes them think again about throwing things at another dog.

My ds is 7 and he would never ever dream of doing something like this!! And if he did I would be the one screaming at him before the dog owner even had chance! X

I suppose if OP's dog had bitten the child after being harassed by it that would be OP's fault.

Couldn’t it have been handled better- why didn’t OP speak to the parents rather than the child

1. The parents were not nearby.

We were walking away from them on our way home, the child was following us. The mum ran over when her child got shouted at.

1. If they are such poor parents they can’t stop their child running after random dogs and don’t realise following then smashing snow into random dogs is unacceptable behaviour do you think they’d be open to me telling them how their child should behave?

1. My dog is getting old and cannot see properly.

She does not deserve to have children following her trying to smash snow into her when she’s trying to enjoy a nice walk, i was and am angry and told the child off. While I do feel a bit bad, it’s not like I enjoy shouting at people after all, I do suspect I would do the same again. Though I think in future I'll give other people an even wider berth to hopefully prevent something like this happening again.

While I do feel a bit bad I also do feel like some posters are being a bit ridiculous.
I didn’t touch the child.
I didn’t follow the child.
I didn’t keep on shouting at the child.
I looked the child in the eye and shouted ‘don’t you dare do that to her’ once.
That’s it.

Dog owner and i would go nuts if my child did that. Ditto other way around. Don't worry you did the right thing. Kid won't do it again I hope.

You did the right thing. I'm always worried about parents on mn who brag (?) that they never shout at their little darlings.
The children normally become quite feral and obnoxious. They can grow out of it eventually at around age 20, but in the meantime they're awful to be around.

You did not overreact.

That child is bloody lucky it did it to your dog (as awful as it sounds) and not an aggressive dog. I don't blame the child though. I blame the stupid, entitled parents.

I hope your dog is okay - she deserves to gets lots of hugs and kisses tonight!

I'd have fed that child to the dog

I would have done the same as you, and the mother would have been told to get some control over her child too.