mbc1963 Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 Didn't want to hijack the original thread (about the biting 7-month-old BC), but this quote from Ejano struck home for me: I also have a few things to say about parents/caregivers that let a small child wander up to an unfamiliar dog, allow it to be bitten then scream for a lawyer...but I'm sure you'd all agree and think the same thing . Hoo, boy, yeah. I had Buddy on a narrow trail at the park yesterday, and a couple youngish (20s) guys were walking in with about 6 or 7 young (7, 8, or 9) boys. It was obvious that these were kids from some kind of "special" class - developmentally delayed in some way. The first one was obviously scared of the dog, so I put Buddy in a lie down while the kids passed. The second kid asked if he could pat Buddy, and I had him give a treat, instead, explaining that the dog was scared. The third, largish kid approached quickly and roughly, and I had to physically use my arm to prevent him from getting right in Buddy's face and scaring him. Buddy cringed and tried to move away, and I had to restrain the kid again. Fortunately for me, these guys were obviously used to physically handling the kids, and were unconcerned about my touching the boy. Unfortunately, they clearly had no sense about reading doggie body language and preventing bites. I wanted to give them a lecture about, "Do you know how hard this kid's parents could sue you if you let him get bitten by a dog!?" but I figured their youth would write me off as an old crank. ::Sigh:: Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildFlower Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 I also have a problem with Daisy and kids. It is so bizarre to me because sometimes she could care less that there are kids whizzing by on bikes or running in the park and other times she growls and barks and clearly does not like them (or is unure/scared of them). This is something that I am really going to put a lot of effort into this summer. She is not safe with kids at this point - way to unpredictable. We have never have had an incident and I don't want one. I have no small children in my family and my friends don't either. So, I am sure that she is just not used to them. But, I have to agree with you Mary, that most people do not take the time to teach their kids to not approach strange dogs without asking the owners or just to not approach them period. I run into this at the park all the time. Here comes a 7 year old-ish boy running at Daisy full blast and I have to yell "STOP!" and tell them that they are not allowed to pet my dog. I hate correcting other people's kids. But I try to tell them that they should never approach someone else's dog without asking and that they should never run at the dog. I am sure it falls on deaf ears but at least I try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 Here's my particularly Socal version. Little boys of that certain age -- 9 or 10, say -- are normally very popular with my dogs. Heck, who is better for throwing balls and frisbees forever? But what's with the swooping right close by on a skateboard??!! Daisy just hunkers down, but Juno goes into full barkdown. Jeez. I hope it doesn't turn into an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sluj Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 Here's my particularly Socal version. Little boys of that certain age -- 9 or 10, say -- are normally very popular with my dogs. Heck, who is better for throwing balls and frisbees forever? But what's with the swooping right close by on a skateboard??!! Daisy just hunkers down, but Juno goes into full barkdown. Jeez. I hope it doesn't turn into an issue. Unfortunately we have lots of twenty-somethings who do the same thing I also had a guy encouraging his toddler to try to pet my dog through a knothole in the fence. I'd have had a stern talk with him, but he left quite abruptly as soon as I made my presence known. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertranger Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 Them problem here is "Your dog is so dog gone cute" and they reach without asking. I've been teaching Jin about kids and my granddaughter is perfect for him to play with. Still there are those, including adults, who just reach for him. Over the head here it comes. Most doghs don't like that. Even when Ihave Jin dressed in a service vest and patch that says he's an SDIT people want to pet him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 But what's with the swooping right close by on a skateboard??!! Our dog park is situated in a deep run-off area (as are virtually all parks around us), so the pathway down from the car park to the off-leash area is an attraction for skateboarders and a nightmare for reactive dog owners. Naturally, I prefer to walk down on the grass, but even so, to get to the gate we have to walk the last bit on the concrete path. It's routine for me to watch very carefully for any wheeled traffic before stepping onto the path, but even so, we've had a few scary episodes, including one where a young boy (8-9 yrs, maybe) approaching us at high speed, jumped off his skateboard as Senneca attempted to lunge towards him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.L. Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 I've had to teach all the kids in my neighborhood how to approach my dogs. They all love throwing the ball or frisbee, and they mean well, but their parents just let them run wild. Luckily, all the kids have been pretty well behaved after talking to them and demonstrating how to act around dogs. There is one five year old that is just adorable, though. She knows each of my dogs by name and before she goes near them she reiterates all the rules about that particular dog to me. "This is Willow. She's shy. I have to be gentle. Blah, blah, blah. This is Bailey. He doesn't like to be pet or hugged. I can throw the ball for him. I can't tease him. Blah, blah, blah. This is Ginger. She gets scared if I run around and act crazy. She doesn't like it if I stomp my feet. I should pet her on her chest and let her sniff my hand first. Blah, blah, blah." The kid is quite cute and extremely smart for a five year old. She even makes them sit, down or stay before she'll throw the ball - using our hand signals with the word. She started doing that on her own after watching me. It happens all the time when I volunteer, too. Kids running up to unfamiliar dogs, trying to hug them. Sticking their fingers in cages. Sometimes the adults are just as bad! I've watched people continue to do whatever they are doing, even after a dog has given a warning growl or snapped at them. Then it's the dog's fault when it bites. Or they punish the dog. I think the majority of kids are pretty thoughtful, once you explain and show them how to behave around dogs. Maybe that's just because I teach and I tend to have more patience with the kiddos than the average person. You really have to be angry at the parents and just try to teach the kids what their parents failed to teach them - including proper behavior around dogs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 I always praise a kid and their parents for asking first if they could pet one of my dogs. If a kid asks to pet one of the dogs, I'll reply to go ask their mom and dad if it's OK, and if it's OK with the parents, it's fine with me. And then I thank them and tell them what a wise thing they did. OTOH, sometimes the most dangerous thing for a kid is the parents. I was waiting by the exit inside a dog park, waiting for a friend. I had 4 of my dogs leashed together. Each of those dogs I had that day was pretty much bomb proof with kids. Still, I want people to ask before they touch one of my dogs. So, while I'm waiting, a family consisting of mom, dad, grandma and less than year old baby in a stroller --- no dog, come into the dog park to "see the doggies", I guess. The mother took the kid out of the stroller and when she saw my dogs, she thrust the baby, holding it under the arms, face first into my dogs "see the doggies" she said. My dogs were fine, happy to see a kid, but I told the woman that what she did was dangerous because while my dogs are OK, a lot of dogs aren't, that if she'd done this with the wrong dog, the results could have been tragic. Yeh --- sometimes the most dangerous thing for a kid is the parent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Parents who let their kids approach dogs at random bothers the heck out of me. One day last summer I was out with my dogs and they all ran to the fence barking. That's not unusual - they do that if a buggy or a large piece of farm equipment goes by. But it went on longer than usual and they were all gathered at one corner of the fence. I looked over to see a toddler merrily tripping toward the fence, arms outstretched. I ran down to the fence and told the child, in no uncertain terms, to stop. At first the child ignored me, but I said it again, and she stopped, looking confused and upset. The parents, strolling down the road about 20 feet behind the kid (who was running loose in the street), looked at me like I was insane for not allowing their toddler to go up to a fence behind which were four completely strange dogs. I doubt any of my dogs would bite a child, but one scratch is all it takes for lawsuits to start flying. Doesn't matter that the kid is tresspassing on my property and sticking her fingers through my fence without my permission, nor that her parents were completely clueless. I told them that I was sorry but that the law is not o my dog's side and to please remove their child. They did, but they never spoke a word to me, nor gave any indication that they understood that letting a child approach strange dogs like that is not a great idea. Parents should know better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerfulgazelle Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Yup. As the parent of a very gregarious six yr old daughter/"dog magnet", sometimes I feel like the majority of the words she hears out of my mouth every evening are either, "You may ask if it's okay to say hi to the dog" or "No, let the dog enjoy his walk". At least, we finally have it drilled into her head to ask first. We walk most evenings in one of our county parks (for the humans' wellbeing...dogs have already had their walk someplace less dog-populated due to Kip's reactivity)...and there are always scads and scads of dogs on the path. Now, she most times just calls out, "I like your dog!!" as we pass. She also likes to play "dog trivia" and see if she can name the breed/mix, as in, "I like your dog! Is she a Bichon?" And honestly, my assessment includes whether the human on the other end of the leash looks like they have a clue. Recent peeve in addition to poorly-managed children: Runners who do not observe trail etiquette. Most of our trails are multiuse (walking, running, biking, blading). I usually walk Kip on my left, with the wrist loop on my right hand and with my left hand on the traffic loop, we don't use a Flexi or anything. Seems to me, back in the day when I ran, it was accepted etiquette for the runners/bikers/bladers to call out, "On your left!" as they approached from behind to pass a walker, to give the person an opportunity to move to the right, since most of the trails are very narrow. We've been "buzzed" by runners passing very near from behind (brushing my left sleeve even) with no warning and therefore no opportunity to pull Kip over to the right. He almost got a woman yesterday who ran up in stealth mode and passed so close I think she clipped his tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
painted_ponies Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 I have one dog who's fearful of children - Faith - but somehow even the tiniest tot understands that the feral-looking beast with her hackles raised three feet in the air is not amenable to petting. So it's not a problem. Amazingly, some brave children will still ask "Can I pet your dog?" and still more amazingly Faith seems ok with those kids. She'll allow them to approach her, anyway, and will sometimes let them stroke her. I guess Faith figures if the kid has enough manners to ask then maybe it's not actually a mutant canine-ivorous Martian midget. Scot, my BC/maremma cross, loves children. Vigorously. I'm still trying to teach him he's supposed to ask the parent if he can play with their child before picking it up and slobbering all over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerfulgazelle Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Scot, my BC/maremma cross, loves children. Vigorously. I'm still trying to teach him he's supposed to ask the parent if he can play with their child before picking it up and slobbering all over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 It happens all the time when I volunteer, too. Kids running up to unfamiliar dogs, trying to hug them. Sticking their fingers in cages. Sometimes the adults are just as bad! I've watched people continue to do whatever they are doing, even after a dog has given a warning growl or snapped at them. Then it's the dog's fault when it bites. Or they punish the dog. I was helping with SAR demo once when a reporter walked right up to the back of my car and stuck his fingers through Kipp's crate to pet him. Sheesh!! We put up police tape after that. Seemed to do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivia Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 It's not just dogs. I used to work at the barns at the college I attended. We had 75+ horses, combo of riding mares and geldings, broodmares, and babies from just weaned to unbroke 2 year olds. The barns are open to the public and we welcomed people new to the college to walk around and enjoy the beautiful scenery. One day we had the babies in the barn while they were being weaned. I came down the barn aisle and found a young couple (early 20s), very well dressed, reaching over the front of the stall to sit their toddler on the back of a weanling! Who had never felt weight on her! And then the parents let go of the child to take a picture of 'baby riding the pony'. No idea what they were doing. That child could have been killed. I walked up calmly, trying not to spook the filly, and told the woman to grab her child. I explained what they had just done and how lucky they were that that specific filly was very easy going and didn't throw their child and step on him. They never got it, they were convinced that the 'baby horse' would never hurt their precious baby. I finally had to ask them to leave and they stomped off in a huff. Olivia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 I must have been lucky, or maybe it's a Seattle thing, because the one and only time I had Lu (the mutt) at a park in the city, each and every parent of a small child asked if it was okay for them to pet her. It was the middle of the day, and so most of the kids were very young toddlers, unable to ask for themselves. Lu, who generally ignores strangers and lives in her own little world, pretty much laid there and ignored the kids. One kid smiled and said, "This is my favourite dog!" Then there's Nick... I usually have to stop him from approaching kids! He loves kids, especially babies & toddlers. He's totally friendly, but his ever-moving tongue overwhelms a lot of people! Olivia, I don't even want to think about how many times I've grimaced at people-horse interactions! At fair one year, we finally resorted to tying one mare to the inside corner of her stall because even the TWO extra metal stall gates we brought to hang up didn't dissuade people. Neither did the "This Horse Bites" signs. It was awful. We always made sure to reserve a stall on the inside of a closed-off barn for her in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertranger Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 It seems these days I spend as much time being an instructor to people on how to act around a dogs as I am an trainer for my dogs. The other day a girl in her late teens, early 20s came into the pet store saw Jin and made a beeline straight for him kneeling down to pet and hug him. If people only knew most dogs don't like being patted or hugged. That girl was very lucky that Jin's a people dog. Another dog might have reacted by taking her face off had she been approached like that. Jin attracts everybody so you have no idea how glad I am he's not reactive toward people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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