Too overprotective - not letting my kids pet neighbor's pit bull?

Question

My kids are 7 and 3. One of my neighbors has a pit bull and we see her walking the dog alot. We were outside yesterday and the neighbor happen to be walking her dog. My kids asked if they could go over and pet the dog and I told them no. My neighbor said it's ok - the dog's very friendly. I told her I just wasn't comfortable with my kids around pit bulls. She seemed a little annoyed - but that was the end of it.

Was I being too overprotective? I know pit bull owners always say the dogs are so friendly. What do you think?

Answer 1

When my daughter was a baby her uncle brought over his "friendly" pit bull. I insisted she go outside. Immediately she killed all our chickens. Could have been my baby,

Answer 2

I think you should go over and meet the pit bull yourself. See how you feel about the dog. Pit Bulls can sometimes be hyper, like labs. They might accidentally knock down a little child. But if the dog seems very gentle when you meet him, then I would let your kids pet the dog. I have a pit bull who is wonderful with children. She is very friendly, and when kids want to pet her she knows they are fagile, and she lays down, she knows not to jump or play. But if you meet the dog, and you are still not comfortable, then don't take the chance. Don't worry if the owner gets upset or annoyed. Good Luck, I hope this helps...

Answer 3

Our home was broken into a little over a year ago so I decided we should get a dog to keep inside, my wife and I went to Pet smart we found a really good looking pup, they told us he was a boxer mix, the older he gets the more he looks like a pit bull. He's 10 months old now and he is the most friendly dog I've ever known But if a car pulls into the driveway he will bark his head off. we have 4 children, all girls under the age of 10, He loves them and will protect them I know he would never hurt them. I do not think you were being to overprotective, That dog was not your dog so no I don't blame you at all but I do know that pit bulls have gotten a bad rep, they are not all these monster kid killer dog's people think they are. If you raise a dog nicely he will be nice. But I do believe if someone tried to break into my home again they'd be sorry.

Answer 4

I have two kids - 5 and 2, and I also have an american pit bull. My husband brought her home one day, and I was so upset. So I did my research and found that pit bulls are actually good family dogs and terrible guard dogs. They were actually bred to be agressive towards other dogs but calm towards humans. My kids jump all over her and play with her all day, and she loves it. She is a very calm and loving dog. As long as the dog wasn't trained to fight, it will be a friendly dog.

But even with all that being said, your kids are still your kids, and I would never criticize another parents parenting. If the neighbor got upset because you didn't want your kids to pet the dog, then she needs to get over it because your best intrest is always for your kids.

Answer 5

I don't know the dog your neighbor has, but my son had a pit bull several years ago. He got it as a puppy and it was raised around a lot of kids, both in the family and in the neighborhood, and he was GREAT with kids.

As long as the dog is on a leash and under control, it is probably all right for your kids to pet the dog if the owner says the dog is OK.

I would warn your kids to NEVER pet a dog unless they ask the owner first. And tell them to let the dog smell their fist ( no fingers to chew on!) and then pat the dog on the shoulder or scratch gently under the chin, not on the top of the head. Some dogs see that as a threat.

Most people who walk their dogs know if the dog does not welcome attention and will let you know if it is not all right to pet their dog.

Answer 6

No, no, no, no, NO... you were NOT being overprotective. Pit bulls have been known to bite and chew up family members... Do NOT let your kids pet that dog if you are not comfortable with it. There was a case here last summer... Family had a "friendly, wonderful" pit, it was four years old, they'd had it since it was a puppy. It was outside in the yard with their three year old daughter. A guy driving by on the street saw the dog chewing something, realized it was a CHILD and stopped. He had a pistol in his car and had to kill that dog to get it off the three year old girl. The doctors and animal control all say if that man had not killed that dog he would have killed the child. As it was she required more than 200 stitches and will require YEARS of therapy.

**For Sheila... If your dog is so good and friendly, why don't you let the children pet him if you're standing there and "have him under control"? You JUST said it'd be ok, BUT you won't let any kid outside the family pet YOURS.... You don't want to take the chance, yet you say she can???

Answer 7

As long as the dog wasn't taught to fight, it's fine. I take my toy poodle to the dog park several times a week, and there are pit bulls there who are the biggest babies in the world. They get along just fine. The pit bulls at the dog park are among the calmest dogs there. My little dog sometimes has rule over the pit bulls, and they just cower their heads and tuck their tails between their legs in shame. It's so funny to watch. And all the pit bulls there are wonderful with kids and adults alike. Something else, dogs, any dogs, are more likely to attack when they sense fear, because it puts fear in them.

But do be careful with any dog to make sure your kids don't raise their hand ABOVE it to pet it. Teach them to always reach under, no matter what kind of dog it is. Them reaching above will put fear in the dog, and it will either try and get away, or get aggressive. Also, make sure your kids keep their voices calm. A sudden,"Yeah!" or whatever can startle the dog. Make sure your kids don't run or jump at a dog.

When a dog, any dog, and toy poodles are no exception, kill smaller animals, often they are trying to play. I had a Belgian Sheepdog that killed birds and cats while trying to play with them. I had a Beagle who killed rabbits while trying to play with them. I do believe dogs need to be supervised, just like children. There have been many other breeds that have killed children, but most of the time what they don't tell you on the news is the child was 2 years old, unsupervised while mom was on the phone, watching TV, whatever and didn't care what their kid was up to. So the kid wanders onto the dog's territory, screams, whatever, and that puts fear in the dog. Poodles are no exception to this. Toy poodles probably won't kill a child, but a Standard Poodle can.

This is an add on. I wasn't EVER bit or attacked by "vicious" dogs. Our neighbors had Rottweilers. Biggest babies in the world. When I was a kid, I was attacked by a black lab. As an adult I was bitten by a Chihuahua. Why aren't we banning those breeds? They can be mean.

There's a poster on here who said she'd rather little kids not come around her dog, because too many don't know how to act around one. I'm the same way. I try and tell the kids not to come and corner my dog, try and tell them to reach UNDER, not OVER, etc, not to run at her, etc. Often times they don't listen, and I'd rather them not be around my dog until the CAN listen.

Answer 8

any dog will bite, regardless of breed. a well trained, well behaved dog is less of a risk, but kids can spook dogs easily. But your neighbor is proably not offended, pit owneds should be used to it anyway.

Teach your kids to never approach a strange dog, and if the owner is near to ask if the dog is friendly and pettable. Then ask the owner for how to best approach the dog, some love to be pet, others want to sniff you over first.

Answer 9

if the owner is there watching the dog the kids should be okay. notice how most of the attacks happen when the dog is not supervised and left alone with children or other strangers.

i am a pit bull owner and i do not let any kid not in my family pet him. i just don't like to take chances. my dog is really friendly, lol.

Answer 10

Pitbulls are very friendly dogs as long as they haven't been taught to be violent. This goes for all dogs though. You aren't being over protective because you can't be sure how the dog was raised. Although if your kids are interested in dogs you might think about getting your own a little later when they can understand the responsibility of a pet.

Answer 11

I think I would have made the same decision. Unfortunately, your neighbor was insulted. Whats more important is your kids safety and her reaction can be sorted out with a simple conversation. All dogs have never attacked until the first time and I think that's what dog lovers always overlook.