Running children scaring Precious

[Justicemom]

Adults can be just as bad as children. Once at the dog park, a guy randomly decided to pick up Bailey. Another time at the dog park, some guy just grabbed her face while I was holding her. She is a timid dog, but thankfully has never snapped or growled at anyone. She just backs up and has a look of horror on her face.

Oh my that would have offend Ember greatly. Ember loves her adoring public but no picks her up except me(well Rachel can, but she looks like she is going to die) and even then she jumps in my arms. What is wrong with people.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Bailey loves humans of all sizes and ages. The problem isn't the noise it is the grabbing and pulling of hair and ears. He is sooo patient, but I have to supervise him extra carefully with toddlers and young children because Moms and Dads do not seem to understand the difference between grabbing and holding a stuffed animal and the real thing. My DH is much more patient then I about teaching strangers to approach the dogs correctly, I tend to avoid the experience when I can. I have insisted all the nieces and nephews follow the rules of how to approach dogs. Bailey was the first dog one of my nephews was able to approach after having been attacked by a loose dog. He is good about working with kids, but it is so important to remain vigelent when our dogs are around kids who are not supervised by parents.

Katy never allows adults to get close enough. I am not sure if she will ever be comfortable enough to deal with children.

 

[Pal's Mom]

I thought my dogs would never have any problems like this. My dogs have been in the house with my son and his friends since they were pups. My son was six when the pups came home. No problems with my son or his friends. Last Halloween a toddler ran across the street, about 2 years old, I almost had heart failure and ran to Paladin and grabbed at him, he looked terrified and jumped back about three feet. No snapping or barking. I was very glad for his reaction. Later the same evening another toddler grabbed at Maverick and he could not get away fast enough, he also jumped back. For all the socialization I had tried, I never thought to expose them to toddlers. YES PEOPLE NEED TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN HOW TO BEHAVE AROUND DOGS. I will never tolerate a child abusing my dogs. If the parent will not teach them I will kindly do so!

Donna

 

[Bailey's Mom]

I am amazed parents don't do more to protect their kids and we the dog owners are the ones protecting the dogs and the kids. I have worked hard with the younger family members to make sure they did not pull the dogs ears, tails, hair until they were old enough to understand proper behavior. My relatives often ignored what their kids were doing and it amazed me that they did not understand it wasn't just the dogs at risk, other dogs might bite their children if they pulled the same stunt.

Complaints of "they just want to play" indicated no understanding of the danger their kids were in when they approached strange dogs this way.

 

[PreciousSheltie]

I am amazed parents don't do more to protect their kids and we the dog owners are the ones protecting the dogs and the kids. I have worked hard with the younger family members to make sure they did not pull the dogs ears, tails, hair until they were old enough to understand proper behavior. My relatives often ignored what their kids were doing and it amazed me that they did not understand it wasn't just the dogs at risk, other dogs might bite their children if they pulled the same stunt.

Complaints of "they just want to play" indicated no understanding of the danger their kids were in when they approached strange dogs this way.

100% agree. And on the chance something did go wrong... it really is always the dog to blame, such a shame.. =/

I just read in the paper about a home depot reconsidering their dogs allowed in the store policy after an employee had her nose bitten by a small maltese. But just by the sound of the report on news, they had said that the women had her dog in the cart and was doing her shopping alone when this dumb employee, instead of doing her job came to her and leaned IN to the shopping cart, saying everything had happened so fast (most likely didn't even ask the owner and the owner wasn't even aware her dog was being petted). What's worse is that the employee is now screaming to get the dog euthanized and the owner to be sued. I dont know why though, this case really made me feel the opposite and FEEL for the owner (maybe because of this rant) but this just speaks to the idiotic people that think dogs are just fluffy animals that won't do anything and think there are no proper ways to handle. WHY are you going around to dogs in the store instead of doing your job, sticking your hand in and trying to handle them without asking first. I'd understand if the dog had leapt up and wanted to attack her or got loose in the store and she brought an aggressive dog in but why punish a dog that was minding its own business in the cart and a dumb employee decided to get in on its face with no warning. Angers me when it seems no care for the dogs are thought of, as just things you can keep in the house and train or just kill because they were not your expectation. Just like there might be good dog owners and bad dog owners, there ARE also bad unknowledged-about-pet-handling-petters and good experienced petters =(

 

[HopeShelties]

Unfortunately, and I hate to say this, a LOT of pet people are truly idiots when it comes to really understanding how to handle dogs. That used to annoy me when bringing Aurora or Ember in. It's not just that though either. Watch them bring their own dogs in. Dogs who haul at the end of the leash, barking, whining, and lunging at anything and everything because they are so poorly trained. My Ember was supposedly shy because she didn't just bound up to some idiots dog who wanted to be all over her. She politely sat at my side, as she was trained to do. She is friendly, but well trained, and will not self release. And needless to say, I wasn't about to release her to visit with that. My dogs don't care for interacting with pushy dogs OR pushy children.

 

[corbinam]

Unfortunately, and I hate to say this, a LOT of pet people are truly idiots when it comes to really understanding how to handle dogs. That used to annoy me when bringing Aurora or Ember in. It's not just that though either. Watch them bring their own dogs in. Dogs who haul at the end of the leash, barking, whining, and lunging at anything and everything because they are so poorly trained. My Ember was supposedly shy because she didn't just bound up to some idiots dog who wanted to be all over her. She politely sat at my side, as she was trained to do. She is friendly, but well trained, and will not self release. And needless to say, I wasn't about to release her to visit with that. My dogs don't care for interacting with pushy dogs OR pushy children.

That's a good point, too. People think my dogs are unfriendly because they aren't jumping all over or whining to meet new people. It's true that they are a little standoffish (they are shelties, after all!) but they also have been trained that jumping on or at new people is not acceptable.

Last night we were teaching a new group of agility classes and this woman thought it was great when her dog jumped all over (scratching my arms and legs) because she was "being so friendly".

 

[danisgoat]

100% agree. And on the chance something did go wrong... it really is always the dog to blame, such a shame.. =/

It's a shame, but that unfortunately is the way it is. You bring your dog to a public place, the dog is your responsibility.

It is always good to remember that both dogs (and children), no matter how much training they may have, can be unpredictable.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

It's a shame, but that unfortunately is the way it is. You bring your dog to a public place, the dog is your responsibility.

It is always good to remember that both dogs (and children), no matter how much training they may have, can be unpredictable.

The problem is you can't control other people's children. Last summer we did not have Katy so we just had Bailey when we went out places and he is wonderful in public. You can teach your dog not to jump on people, not to approach strangers, etc. Unfortunatly you can't control attack children. When children rush up and grab your dogs whiskers, tail, ears, etc. parents actually get angry when you remove them from your dog. In our society it is very tricky to deal with other people's children even when you are doing it to protect your dog.

I expect to keep my dog under control at all times. I understand other dog owners will be irresponsible and we are careful when dogs approach. However, regardless of whether your dog attacks the child or the child attacks your dog, you are responsible for the child's safty and that is challenging when you have parents who won't control their child, but expect everyone to tolerate their bad behavior. They need to stop their child from pulling the dog's tail or accept that the dog's owner will remove the tail and the dog from the child's grasp.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

What I do like:

Parents that are with their kids and teach/demonstrate how to approach and ask if they can pet. While this thread has had me focusing on the negatives Bailey loves kids and he has made some wonderful friends when people are willing to listen.

People who listen. Owners have different levels of comfort. What your neighbor lets you do to her dog may not be OK with mine.

People who stay with their kids and monitor their behavior so I can focus on my dogs. You don't have to have ever owned a dog to recognize some of the most dangerous behaviours between child and dog. Parents who control their kids are on my parent of the year nominations.

People who don't just give treats, but ask. We have a no human food rule and I LOVE people who ask before giving treats.

People who say nice things in appropriate voices to the dogs. Bailey is an attention hound and Katy is working on her shyness. It is nice when parents help kids understand the words are not nearly as important as the tone. Kind tones will have Bailey melting in a puddle at your feet and Katy might actually forget to ignore you.