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The doghouse

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Original poster

Roared at a child today...

214 replies

fackingsnowballz · 24/01/2021 13:38

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?

OP posts:
Topseyt · 24/01/2021 18:14

@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.

Yes, it was necessary. No, it wasn’t at all out of order. The only people who were out of order were the —brat— child and the inept parents.
donewithitalltodayandxmas · 24/01/2021 18:16

Moral of the story is , if you can't control your kids in public and address there behaviour that impacts someone else , then expect that person to.
A good parent would of dealt with it long before the OP had to.

frankie246 · 24/01/2021 18:23

I would of done the same. My 6 year old understands they could never throw anything at a animal, so a 7 year old is old enough to understand.

WunWun · 24/01/2021 18:25

@SundaySleep

You sound like a right nasty piece of work OP. It was a CHILD.
Yes, a seven year old child. Not a toddler.

She would have got more of a mouthful than the OP have her from me. And the parents too.

pilates · 24/01/2021 18:34

I think you were quite tolerant in the circumstances. Hopefully the child will think twice about doing it again. Your dog sounds like she has a good nature but can you imagine if it was a rescue with issues. It could of been a different outcome and of course the poor dog would have been blamed. 😡

cherrypop86 · 24/01/2021 18:40

I don't think you should have roared at the child if that's what you did. I agree what the child did was wrong but you don't "roar" at other people's kids. Some parents would have twatted you.

MessAllOver · 24/01/2021 18:43

Nope you didn't overreact at all... I'm surprised you didn't shout at the parents as well.

My 3yo would never do that to a dog, he knows we treat animals with respect and we don't touch dogs we don't know unless the owner invites us to pet them. He has been able to follow these rules reliably since he was around 2.5.

The parents should be ashamed of having a child that age who mistreats animals. I would have been absolutely mortified in their place.

DeusEx · 24/01/2021 19:04

@Topseyt

You did nothing wrong at all. You gave a horrid brat what they richly deserved. Who cares if said horrid brat is traumatised by it? Maybe they will think twice about trying to abuse an animal the next time the opportunity presents itself.

I once had to tell the mother of a toddler in no uncertain terms to remove him from my labrador, who was just walking nicely beside me on his lead at the time. The toddler had run up behind us on a narrow path, seized my labrador’s tail and was hanging onto it with a vice like grip. It was hurting my dog and all the silly, wishy washy mother could do was plead gently “Oh darling, doggy might not like that!” I shouted at her “Remove him immediately, or I cannot guarantee “doggy’s” continued good behaviour” whilst having to hold my poor labrador in a headlock so that he couldn’t whirl round and tackle the child, who was causing him a lot of pain. She looked horrified, but did retrieve her child. If she didn’t like me for shouting at her, I couldn’t give a shit. I was being a responsible dog owner trying to ensure that the painful provocation from her child did not result in child being bitten.

I smiled at this story - well done you!
lemonjam · 24/01/2021 19:43

My kid could easily have passed for 7 at 3/4 - it’s easy to forget that some children can be a lot bigger or smaller than average.

BUT I don’t think you were unreasonable to shout (and she would never have done that at 3!)

Trinacham · 24/01/2021 20:10

@cherrypop86

I don't think you should have roared at the child if that's what you did. I agree what the child did was wrong but you don't "roar" at other people's kids. Some parents would have twatted you.
You also don't purposefully try to throw something at someone else's pet. Pets are like children for many people who don't have kids! Yes, she's a child.. so she needs to know it's wrong. If something a child does potentially harms something that doesn't belong to them, someone can yell at a child that doesn't belong to them!!
MessAllOver · 24/01/2021 20:23

You also don't purposefully try to throw something at someone else's pet. Pets are like children for many people who don't have kids!

I agree with your point, but I'm not sure the pets being like children has that much to do with it. I would be cross with my DS if he threw something at a wild animal like a rabbit or squirrel, or a farm animal in a field. All sentient beings deserve respect.

SionnachRua · 24/01/2021 20:25

Christ no, you did the correct thing. When a child is running full tilt at your animal you don't have time to stop and hold a hushed circle time with the precious. A good roar should stop them in their tracks and keep them and dog from upset/injury.

If the child and parents don't like it...well there's learning in that for them, isn't there?

Hellothere19999 · 24/01/2021 20:31

I think you’re right, parents obviously cba to teach their child not to do that and also you may have potentially stopped the child doing it again to a dog that would bite!

spaceghetto · 24/01/2021 20:39

I think it's dangerous and disrespectful to let a child behave around animals like this. I don't let my children go near other people's dogs, just wishing that respect would go both ways!

DartmoorDoughnut · 24/01/2021 20:53

OP you did nothing wrong, the child deserved to be shouted at behaving like that. I say that as both a dog owner and the owner of two slightly feral boys I’m blaming lockdown not my parenting

Glad to see 1950s is still around providing entertainment though Hmm Grin

Rainb0wDrops · 24/01/2021 21:13

Not an overreaction. My 3 year old knows to ask the owner before stroking a dog - and I'd hope would never throw something. If that did happen I'd be mortified and apologise profusely and discipline my child.

CheddarGorgeous · 24/01/2021 21:21

@Donann

No.

The mother was to blame. Poor doggie

The child was out walking with his parents but it's only the mother to blame for his behaviour?
CheddarGorgeous · 24/01/2021 21:26

Also, #teamsnowballz

midnightstar66 · 24/01/2021 22:19

The child was out walking with his parents but it's only the mother to blame for his behaviour?

Well it was the mother that initially called and subsequently came to get the child which is why she's specifically been mentioned. No need to make it out to be anything more.

userxx · 24/01/2021 22:29

@cherrypop86

I don't think you should have roared at the child if that's what you did. I agree what the child did was wrong but you don't "roar" at other people's kids. Some parents would have twatted you.

And they'd get twated back.

I'd be fuming too op and probably have snowballed the kid 😏

CheddarGorgeous · 25/01/2021 07:25

@midnightstar66

The child was out walking with his parents but it's only the mother to blame for his behaviour?

Well it was the mother that initially called and subsequently came to get the child which is why she's specifically been mentioned. No need to make it out to be anything more.

So the mother was the only one of the parents to do anything, the father just ignored the situation?

Thermalpants · 25/01/2021 07:38

You didn’t do anything wrong, OP. I would have done the same. It’s incredible that some people think that the child could be left traumatised. The dog is more likely to become reactive towards children after having snow smashed into its face.

midnightstar66 · 25/01/2021 08:50

So the mother was the only one of the parents to do anything, the father just ignored the situation?

We have no idea so it's not really relevant!

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 25/01/2021 10:15

So the mother was the only one of the parents to do anything, the father just ignored the situation?

Probably but I don't see why that's relevant to the OP.

MessAllOver · 25/01/2021 10:21

So the mother was the only one of the parents to do anything, the father just ignored the situation?

Totally usual, I'm afraid. We do have double standards for parenting. Many fathers get away with doing bugger all. It's always the mother to blame.

But it still doesn't make the mother's ineffective parenting acceptable. One parent at least has to step up.