Sick of people w/dogs walking them up to and on elementary school property

[Anonymous]

Why wouldn't you just pick your child up if a dog gets too close? Shouldn't you take as much responsibility in keeping your child away from the dog as the dog owner should? The kicking dog posts on here are ridiculous.

I have a very sweet, docile dog who remains leashed and close by my side whenever I am walking her (which is never on or near school grounds). I would never let her get close enough to your children to lick them or jump on them, but I have on many occasions had children approach her (sometimes with their parent's tacit permission, sometimes when the parent is not paying attention, and sometimes despite a parent's weak protests) and in those instances odds are 50-50 that she will then try to lick your child. I can promise you that if you then kicked my dog, you would face a very serious problem.

[Anonymous]

I sense that this issue is getting out of hand.
I am the breeder of Dobermans. Interestingly, I will say that if someone kicked my dog for getting too close to their kid, I would not complain, and I love dogs, but they have their place. My father has kicked our dogs many a time.
That said, I think that dog owners need to be aware that the licking, jumping, and sniffing are not appreciated. I get sick of my own dogs from time to time.
It is all about respect. Dogs are not clean, and can be down right dangerous. No owner can ever be sure what their pooch will do next.
We should be aware that people come first.

[Anonymous]

This thread IS getting out of hand. Of course people come first -- my problem with this thread is the apparent attitude that the responsibility for child-dog interaction is left solely up to the dog owners. Why isn't it just slightly more even? I readily, wholeheartedly agree that I will do my absolute best to keep my dog away from strange children. Shouldn't parents do the same in trying their hardest to keep their children away from dogs -- thus rendering moot the (almost always unnecessary) need to kick them?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread IS getting out of hand. Of course people come first -- my problem with this thread is the apparent attitude that the responsibility for child-dog interaction is left solely up to the dog owners. Why isn't it just slightly more even? I readily, wholeheartedly agree that I will do my absolute best to keep my dog away from strange children. Shouldn't parents do the same in trying their hardest to keep their children away from dogs -- thus rendering moot the (almost always unnecessary) need to kick them?!?

I disagree, since people come first, it should be on the dog owner to keep the dog away from the child.
I say this because I am a breeder, when too many attacks occur, people start talking about banning certain breeds.
No dog is "safe" around kids. That pp who said he would kick the dog has every right to protect his kid if necessary. PC or not. I would do the same.
I was just at a dog show when a 200lb. mastiff attacked a girl. It was as if the child's head was in the dog's mouth. That was totally the fault of the owner (who tried to run away, police got him).

[Anonymous]

I'm just saying the responsibility should not be entirely one-sided and not solely on the dog owner. I am the PP who stated before that I do everything in my power to keep my dog away from strange children. I will also do everything in my power to keep my child away from strange dogs. Some posters on DCUM don't seem to feel the same way in regards to the latter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I disagree, since people come first, it should be on the dog owner to keep the dog away from the child.
I say this because I am a breeder, when too many attacks occur, people start talking about banning certain breeds.
No dog is "safe" around kids. That pp who said he would kick the dog has every right to protect his kid if necessary. PC or not. I would do the same.
I was just at a dog show when a 200lb. mastiff attacked a girl. It was as if the child's head was in the dog's mouth. That was totally the fault of the owner (who tried to run away, police got him).

It was a DOG show. WTF is a parent doing allowing a young child to get in a position of vulnerability in that setting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I disagree, since people come first, it should be on the dog owner to keep the dog away from the child.
I say this because I am a breeder, when too many attacks occur, people start talking about banning certain breeds.
No dog is "safe" around kids. That pp who said he would kick the dog has every right to protect his kid if necessary. PC or not. I would do the same.
I was just at a dog show when a 200lb. mastiff attacked a girl. It was as if the child's head was in the dog's mouth. That was totally the fault of the owner (who tried to run away, police got him).

It was a DOG show. WTF is a parent doing allowing a young child to get in a position of vulnerability in that setting?

Does not matter. Dog show or not. If you have a 200lb. dog, you make sure that that kind of thing never happens. That's why they make muzzles, which I use on my Dobies at times, and my dogs have NEVER even so much as snapped at anyone. I trained then as puppies to accept the muzzle.

[Anonymous]

That pp who said he would kick the dog has every right to protect his kid if necessary.

Actually, I think both of the PPs who posted about kicking dogs were just talking about when a dog got too close to their child and I would guess that in most instances when a dog gets too close, it isn't actually posing any harm. Would I kick a dog that was biting or mauling or threatening my child? Absolutely. Would I kick a dog that got too close and was just licking him? Absolutely not.

[Anonymous]

I would "shove" a dog who licked my child. Some would call it a kick b/c it would be with my foot or leg. I would do the same to a human who licked my child.

[Anonymous]

(I'm the 20:15 PP -- just to clarify -- I wouldn't just stand there and let the dog keep licking my child, either. I just wouldn't kick or otherwise harm the dog; I'd pick my child up or get in between them or something else calm and not hurtful. I just have visions of some awful DCUM kicking my sweet dog because the DCUM's kid ran up to my properly restrained and well-behaved dog, and that makes me mad!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That pp who said he would kick the dog has every right to protect his kid if necessary.

Actually, I think both of the PPs who posted about kicking dogs were just talking about when a dog got too close to their child and I would guess that in most instances when a dog gets too close, it isn't actually posing any harm. Would I kick a dog that was biting or mauling or threatening my child? Absolutely. Would I kick a dog that got too close and was just licking him? Absolutely not.

18:34 poster here...I have been in several instances where my DD who is afraid of dogs, has screamed and hid for cover behind me when dogs (restained or not) have failed to be pulled back/moved away from my daughter. The owners often say, "oh, he/she is friendly and won't bite, try to per her/him...," instead of doing something about it. Insane. My DD does not feel safe around them and it is pretty noticeable. This is where the Nike's come in handy...the dog can try to lick those. I have not yet kicked a dog because of this, but will do so, starting today. I think we all should in these situations...whether you wear Nike's, Addidas, Reebocks, Rockports, or Crocs.

I feel this behavior and sense of dog entitlement is unacceptable. As the doberman breeder has stated (and I agree), people come first.

I'm sure that not all dog owners behave this way, and hopefully this thread will make those that do think about these situations.

[Anonymous]

Obviously the dog owners in those instances are being thoughtless. I never, ever try to encourage a child (any child, much less a frightened child) to approach my dog, at all.

It's probably unnecessary to kick the dog, though. Why don't you just pick your daughter up or otherwise lead her quickly away or speak sharply to the dog owner? It's not the dog's fault that its owner is behaving badly. Chances are good that the owner is right and the dog is harmless, though I totally agree that makes little difference for your DD's sake -- just saying there's no reason to hurt the dog over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obviously the dog owners in those instances are being thoughtless. I never, ever try to encourage a child (any child, much less a frightened child) to approach my dog, at all.

It's probably unnecessary to kick the dog, though. Why don't you just pick your daughter up or otherwise lead her quickly away or speak sharply to the dog owner? It's not the dog's fault that its owner is behaving badly. Chances are good that the owner is right and the dog is harmless, though I totally agree that makes little difference for your DD's sake -- just saying there's no reason to hurt the dog over it.

Yes, it is the owner's fault. But you go to jail if you push the owner, rather than the dog.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure where all you people live/work/play that there are so many threatening dogs and combative dog owners. I don't often come into contact with dog owners who wouldn't respond to a loud, "GET YOUR DOG AWAY FROM MY CHILD" such that any physical struggle, with owner or dog, would be necessary.

[Anonymous]

Amen! People do come first, but we all need to take responsibility for both our dogs AND our children. That means being aware of your children and where they are at any time. You are just as responsible for keeping your kid out of the street where he/she could be hit by a car as you are for keeping your kid out of the way of strange dogs.

I want to know where all of these dog abusers live? I keep my dog well under control and I go out of my way to keep my dog away from children or people I don't know, even though my dog is very well behaved and is very docile. If your child wants to approach my dog, please ask first and I will hold my dog while your child gently puts his/her hand out for my dog to smell. This is the appropriate way for someone to interact with a strange dog. If you see us on the street and call out, "Do you mind keeping your dog away from us?", I will gladly take the warning and follow the direction!

If you kick my dog without provocation, I will report you to the police for animal cruelty!