When parents let their children run up to other peoples dogs?

Question

Does this annoy you? it annoys me SO much when parents let their chidren run wild and up to my dog. One day their child is going to get bitten and the poor dog is going to get the blame.

Yeah but what about dogs that have been rescued and are nervous dogs? Parents should teach their children not to run up to a dog without asking the owner first, if the child gets bitten its the parents fault not the dogs.

My dog would never bite, but shes very old and can get very nervous. One time i saw this mother on a mobile phone and her child was running up to a very nervous looking dog and screaming 'WOOF WOOF' the dog was going crazy and getting highly nervous and the stupid mother just sat nthere talking on her phone not even telling her child to stop it.

Answer 1

I was taught as a child to ask the owner if it was OK to stroke their dog and I have always taught my family to do the same thing and never ever approach dogs that they don't know.

The problem is actually worse with children who have their own dog because they think every other dog is going to be solid enough to be pounced on and 'woofed' at.

I walk several dogs and one is not good with children having had a bad experience with a child on his very first outing at 14 weeks. This child knocked my very old, deaf dog over and while I was seeing to the old dog chased my puppy and tried to hit it with a stick. The child's mother didn't do anything to stop her child and when I had a go at her said that he was used to dogs because they had one.

My pet hate is the screamers and runners who rush up to the dogs yelling at the top of their voices like this one did. Unfortunately my old dog didn't see or hear him coming which is how he collided with her and knocked her over. He was obviously used to chasing his own dog around. When she fell over he turned his attention on the pup who had already been startled by him. I had to carry my old dog and try to catch my petrified pup.

I don't blame this very young child for what happened but I do lay all the blame on his parents.

Parents should teach children how to behave around dogs.

Answer 2

I find it more frightening than annoying, in this culture of blame and 'fault' it is always the dog and its owner who come off worse. I have a small rescue terrier who is extremely pretty and is a lovely dog, but gets nervous around small children. On a couple of occasions children have run up to my dog, shouting something like "look at the pretty dog!", trying to pet her. They had no idea that what they were doing was frightening my dog, and were just trying to be friendly but had anything happened it would have been my responsibility.

Children are far more unpredictable than adults, they move quickly, talk loudly and make sudden moves. If a very small child is used to friendly dogs it may assume that all dogs are the same, or if the child has little experience of dogs it may not know how to behave, so it is easy to see how accidents may happen.

When any dog is frightened their immediate instinct is fight or flight, I've done my best to show my dog that when she's scared the best option is flight in my direction.

I have worked extremely hard with my dog, introducing her to quiet, sensible children, and she is now happy to be stroked by anyone, adult or child. However, I would never let her alone or off lead with a child as I don't know her previous history and wouldn't take a risk.

It is the legal responsibility for a dog owner to keep their animal under control in a public place. Parents have a responsibility to their children to make sure that they know not to run up to strange dogs, however this is not law so if anything happens it will always be deemed the fault of the dog owner in the eyes of the law.

These days I am happy for a child to pet my dogs, as long as they listen to what I say and the parents allow me to explain to both them and the child why I am asking for co-operation. I always explain that my dog can get a little scared, it seems to work well and now by making all experiences good my dog seems to love attention from children. I think it is extremely imprtant for my dog to know how to deal with children should anything beyond my control ever happen. However, it is one of my fears that all it takes is one naughty or inconsiderate child to put my dog's life in danger.

Answer 3

It annoys the crap out of me but here is why i think it happens: most people do not take responsibility for anything and even if you tell the child no most of the time they do listen to you. I have even had parents get on my case for saying no and then tell their child I am being selfish. I have run into this situation many times. I foster for GSD rescue and many times I get dogs that are abused or that have had no socialization so now I do not worry about other people or kids feelings in these situations. Why should I have to stay in and not socialize my rescue dogs or my own because others are ignorant.
I have taught my kids to ask the owner before they attempt to touch a dog.

Answer 4

Yes, this bothers me. Being a dog owner, and having children approach often when out on walks, only 50%, if that, actually ask to pet the dogs. Now my dogs are fine with kids and people and would lick them to bits before ever taking to snapping... but I have seen some pretty ill tempered, improperly socialized dogs in my life and it's just not worth the risk.

We teach our children to always ask before petting a dog they do not know.

I will say tho, that if someone owns a dog that is likely to bite (the owner would know this), I would expect them to at least warn the child and/or parents present, and request they not approach. The way I see it, there is a little responsibility on both parts when it comes to this.

Answer 5

Well said. Whatever the situation, the dog is always blamed and it probably isn't even the dogs' fault. My Staffie loves everyone especially children, my large German Shepherd cross hates just about everyone especially children, but he's a rescue dog and I don't know how badly he's been treated in the past. It's very rare for people to stop their children wanting to pat my dogs when they pass them, and apart from anything else, I'm a stranger to these children, and they shouldn't interact with me through my dogs anyway!
P.S. Why isn't it a legal responsibility for parents to keep their kids under control in a public place??

Answer 6

It is absoloutely disgusting how nowadays parents have no control over their kids..or seem to not want the responsibility. Both my kids are toddlers, but they know that a strange dog could be a dangerous dog.They've been taught this from very young as I am a responsible mother who not only cares about the safety of her children, but also about the poor dogs who have to endure pulling of ears and scratching from un-educated kids and parents. WE have two dogs, but if a child comes running over..I stop them in their tracks and give them a good talking to. I don't care if their parents are near..they should be being watched..its not my job to teach their kids..but if it makes them think twice about doing it again..i do it. My dogs are friendly, but thats not the point. Your right. Kids need to be taught. Dogs aren't toys, they are predators with very sharp teeth!

Answer 7

I would like to know the same thing!

I have stopped taking my dogs to the baseball park partially because kids come running up and corner my dogs. They immediately put their face near the dog's mouth and ask for a kiss. I have to put my dog between my legs (she can be timid, especially when a strange little person comes running at her full speed). So then I have to give a brief lesson in doggie etiquete only to have the parents stand there stupidly smiling and thanking me for allowing their child to pet my dog.

Drives me nuts!! People just don't THINK! And if a child did get bit, it would ultimately be my fault. Therefor the dogs stay home when we go to places where there will be strange kids running around with moronic parents.

Good question!

Answer 8

In a case like this, then yes, its the parents fault. So many dogs get a bad name for biting children that their parents cant be bothered controlling. No child should be in contact with a strange dog EVER!

Answer 9

you get these stories in UK of dogs biting kids n stuff and actually i dont blame em!
if i was a dog and some annoying child was pestering me and wouldnt go away i would do the same.
dogs arent toys and have feelings, they can get scared or intimidated with the noisy kids.
believe me i would kno, i have a 6yr old sister and if i was my dog id have bitten her ages ago.
a dog cannot say im scared of you, or i dont wanna play, and the best way it can do that is through biting.

the edia also rake it out of proportion as they portray the kid as angelic etc, but we dont know that, they sould be little tyrants.
the parents should get the blame as they did not teach their kids properly not to pet strange dogs or be mean to them or scare them to death, i mean cmon, if kids scare me, how does a poor pooch feel???

Answer 10

Yes.

While it is wonderful that children love dogs, dogs ARE animals. No matter how well trained the dog, an out of control child can scare the bejeebers out of some poor dog minding its own business. While we as dog owners are responsible for training our dogs and obeying the local laws, parents are responsible for the safety and well being of their children. Part of that is "training" their "pup" that you do NOT approach a strange dog without finding out FIRST if it is okay to do so; and HOW to approach a dog once permission is given. Here in San Diego, the local t.v. stations are running P.S.A.'s about just this topic. They are in cartoon format and are run during early morning 'toons. In my opinion, I feel parents who do not educate their children in proper etiquette regarding animals are negligent.