attacked by a child

Aren't dogs so much easier than kids?!?!  I was walking Rose and Colton on a coupler a couple of weeks ago, actually, the morning of the day she had her puppies.  This little boy about 2 ran up to them pushing a stroller and Rose was in a very protective mood growling and barking.  I don't blame her one bit!  But the boy ran right up to them and tried to pet them both.  I made Rose sit right between my legs and held her while he tried to pet Colton.  I tried to get away, but the kid kept running up to us.  The mother just stood there and watched.  I told the little boy about asking, but he couldn't understand and the mother did nothing.  I finally just stayed there with Rose sitting and Colton licking the boy to death.  Since when I tried to move and he just followed, Rose just got upset again.  And normally, she loves kids...its those mommy hormones!

Oh dear God, you see what could have gone wrong and who would of gotten the blame! Poor Sunny, he must be so disappointed in crazy, irratic humans! Man, good boy Sunny!

Urg[:@] This topic just gets to me. Kids walk through my yard all the time. A couple of times I've caught them teasing Joey (making faces at him, throwing sticks at him). Now Joey is on a tieout out side. One with a steak in the ground and a steel line coated in plastic. He isn't an outside dog, but I tie him up to go potty.

What scares me is if one of these kids get bitten. They walk through my yard, they tease my dog, and I am the one that will have to pay for the child's medical expenses if it gets bit.

Now the couple times I have seen these kids interact with my dog, they are walking through my yard, Joey barks like he's going to kill them, but when they get close enough to him he runs away. If children are in his house or he is at a park and child appproaches, he automatically sits before they pet him, but it's different in his territory.

I am just so frustrated because I felt like we were making progress with socialization with children and now a setback. I just cannot believe how stupid some parents are. And Jojo, those kids who are running thru your yard sound old enough to know better. If I were you I would pop out and surprise them and give them a lecture. I would even consider calling their parents if you know who they are although I hate doing things like that! I would never have taunted a dog as a child; I knew better. Ugh.

When I was a kid, we had two options. We could treat a dog with respect and care, or we could get a butt-whoopin'. I got a couple in one day for one infraction. The lesson stuck with me. I was 5 and kicked a dog. Got spanked by the babysitter, who owned the dog. Got spanked by my mother. I believe it was a result of acting out against stress from the babysitter. I had asthma as a child and the babysitter's husband, on broken english, was trying to tell me how my asthma was my fault. Anyway, the result of the discpline was that I was not to abuse animals, regardless of what my problems were. And that's an important lesson, indeed. And yes, when my mother learned of the bs the husband was trying to lay on me, she let them have it with all of her claws and fangs, too. And we went to another babysitter. My mother's saying, if you crossed her? "You will wish to God you had never met me." And she wasn't exaggerating. When she was done with you, you did wish to God you had never met her, even if you weren't religious. She could stare down a charging momma bear, if she had to.
 
But nevertheless, whether a parent uses spankings or time-outs or whatever, they should see to it that their children behave properly.
 

it was simple with us growing up....back in the day when parents had enough guts to control their children and I thank them for that - no dog until we could prove to my parents we could help care for it. Both of my parents worked and my mother wasn't going to be 100% of the caregiver for a dog - so no dog until we could all help out. And help we did....got our father drunk one Sat. when my mother was working and talked him into going to the shelter LOL was my mother MAD!!!!
And I taught my sons the same way - if a kid doesn't respect the living creatures around them they have little respect for themselves.
I always told my sons "want respect when you are an adult? Show respect to others when you are a kid and you'll understand what I'm saying"
Includes animals

Hmm...does anyone here have kids?
 
I have 3 and they all know how to treat dogs well...even my 3 year old.  Where was the parent of this child?  Sounds like someone hasn't taught them manners.  At 3 the world is a bit different then an older child doing something like that.  3 is still a toddler.  I am not saying what happened was right but there needs to be a bit of understanding on everyone's part.  I am always aware of who is around when I have my dog and I am walking him.  You cannot prevent all situations you have to hope that your dog has been socialized and trained well enough.

what a good boy sunny! i don't dislike most children, i do however get annoyed with them, but for that i blame the parents, especially for the actions of children that young. that was very cool of you to try to give the boy an idea of how dogs are supposed to be interacted with, i could only hope to be so level-headed in that situation.
 

Hmm...does anyone here have kids? 
 

 
yup, you can see pictures of my dog and my almost 3 yo in the pics forum. in the pics she has her face in his and is hugging him, but she knows this is appropriate to do with our dog only, and that she must stop if he wants to walk away. she will be 3 in 5 days and has never had a problem with respecting dogs, even as an infant, but thats because she was lucky enough to grow up in a home with one.
 
not all kids have that oppertunity, they cannot just know how to interact with animals anymore than they can just know their abc's, they must be taught. people who don't own dogs, often don't realize or think that their kid needs socialized with animals, because they don't have any. a responsible child owner at some point, pets or not, should realize that they need to teach their child how to interact with animals, not just to appease dog owners like us, but for the safety of their own child. but it is also the responsibility of dog owners to properly socialize their dogs with children, which i think all too often doesnt happen either. if i have a dog, and i know i'm going to want to take it around young kids, which is pretty much any public place, i should be wise enough to know that their are plenty more unruly kids out there than dog-social ones and should take time with my dog to prepare him for that. dogs and kids will never live in perfect harmony in this world, but one must realize there are 2 ends to this spectrum and do their best to hold up their end.

This is why I am so frustrated--I am hypervigilant when kids are around and I am trying to be a good owner and socialize Sunny with kids. When you get a rescue dog with a lot of fear issues you do the best you can. She may never tolerate small kids very well but she has just as much a right to walk thru an apartment lobby as a child does. Anyway, the problem in my situation was the absent parent. I would still love to give that person a piece of my mind.

Kids and dogs are both unpredictable creatures. For every kid that runs at, hits or other wise is inappropriate around dogs, there are way more dogs that jump, scratch or are inappropriate around kids. Both owners and parents must be overly cautious when the two are around each other.

Yes, but in this case the child's mother was no where to be found!  Letting her kid roam free to create havoc wherever it wanted.

The owner of the dog did not allow her dog to roam free unattended. 
 
Who leaves a 2 -3 year old unattended, in a public place, at this day and age?  Are people crazy or what? 

Every try to keep a 2-3 year old at your side?  Have you ever had kids?
 
Let me tell ya it is rough trying to keep them out of stuff and it can be a battle.  The child is not the one totally at fault.  There are several parties that have a bit of blame.
 
I should feel safe walking with my three year old holding my hand and not have to worry about someone's leashed dog either.  I know that the owner had their dog leashed...maybe they should have leash laws for kids too? ROFL

So many parents are to "me, what i want, I don't have the time".  And I have seen this going on for several years.  Once when my boys were playing Little League Foot ball (some of us stayed for work outs every day, chatting, having a good time), this one pulled up just behind me, the boy got out and the Mom said 'Tell the red headed coach to bring you home" and took off.  Well, it so happens the red headed coach was a college student who had played LL ball at that park and was enjoying helping---and he rode a bicycle to workout, didn't have a car.
 
Another time during baseball season a very sudden and severe storm came up just about the time the first round of games were to be played.  Bad lightning, etc.  We all fled home.  A few days later the president of the Optimist Club (which sponserd the teams, took care of the fields, etc) posted a letter in the glass cased box on the side of the concession stand.  It was from a very irrate Mom because the games had not been called off early in the afternoon (the storm was very unexpected).  She had been in south Austin (and we were in north east austin) playing bridge and her son had been left at the park.  Mr. M also posted his return letter--it was the parents responsibily to see their children got to and from practice and game, not the Optimist Club or other parents.  Had anyone known the child didn't have a way home, they would have gladly taken him home.  And more to the point, why wasn't she there to watch her child play ball instead of being on the other side of town playing cards.
 
Several years ago my middle brother & wife adopted a baby and when she was about  2 1/2 they came for a visit.  She kept kicking Boots, my Irish Setter.  My brother and sister-in-lw would just say 'No No, sweetie, that isn't nice to kick the doggy." while watching her watch them and continue kicking.  Well, hubby finally had enought and told her "You kick my dog one more time and i am going to pick you up and bust your ass.:"  Now at 14 that girl rules the house,  and what she says goes.  They adopted another girl, 4 years young and she stays bruised from the older one (built like a tank where the younger is a match stick) thumbs her, knckles her, steps on her, etc.  The younger one is told to just stay away from the other one.  I gotta say if that older one was mine, I probably would be in jail for whipping her daily.  But i do have to say, she is very good to their animals, has rescued dogs and cats (2 of their 3 dogs are ones she found and brought home.)
 
Goodness, i have gone on, but you get my drift. To many parents are letting their kids run the show, are to busy to try to teach them manners or how to treat other kids or pets.

ORIGINAL: Firestorm

Every try to keep a 2-3 year old at your side?  Have you ever had kids?

Let me tell ya it is rough trying to keep them out of stuff and it can be a battle.  The child is not the one totally at fault.  There are several parties that have a bit of blame.

I should feel safe walking with my three year old holding my hand and not have to worry about someone's leashed dog either.  I know that the owner had their dog leashed...maybe they should have leash laws for kids too? ROFL

 
In  a public place, my mom held my hand until I was like, 8 or 9.  A stunt like that would have earned me a smack on the butt.
 
Forget the dog, the kid could have been grabbed by some pervert.