Lively dogs and little kids - Peckham Rye Park

[Earl Aelfheah]

Put it this way... if a dog runs up to me and grabs something from my hand I will expect the owner to retrieve said item and apologise. I would also hope they'd take measures to try and train their dog not to keep doing it. That's all.

[Dulwichdarling]

The original post said nothing about a dog taking something....

If someone is walking through the park and a dog is running about it may very well come back when called buy it may not straight away. A bit like human beings really

That's all

[Earl Aelfheah]

Dulwichdarling Wrote:

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> The original post said nothing about a dog taking

> something....

Hmmm... that's wierd, someone else must have added that bit. Still, the point remains. If you're dog has upset a small child by jumping up at him apologise. Don't make silly excuses like 'he's only playing', or 'hes saying 'hello', or whatever. It's pretty simple.

[Dulwichdarling]

Well it doesn't say anything about the dog taking something does it?

Have you actually read it?

And that kind of draws from the point doesn't it, sorry does not seem good enough

[Blah Blah]

It's the shared space thing again isn't it. Shared space needs give and take by everyone using it.

I do think that as a society we've become over protective, of everything from our kids to our rights over others. If the worst that can happen to your child, is a hapless payful dog running about, then you should be thankful imo. Most of the things we fear are learned from our parents/ peers anyway. If a child is frightened by a playful dog, then all the more reason for the child to engage with dogs as soon as possible to overcome the fear.

[Dulwichdarling]

Words of wisdom. Thank you

[Earl Aelfheah]

You're right, that wasn't in the OP. I guess the original story got exaggerated somewhere during the course of the thread. But regardless - If my dog jumped up at a small kid leaving them very upset (whether it's snatched something or not), I'd apologise. You think that's wrong?

[Dulwichdarling]

No I have never said apologising is wrong mate

[Earl Aelfheah]

Blah Blah Wrote:

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> It's the shared space thing again isn't it. Shared

> space needs give and take by everyone using it.

>

> I do think that as a society we've become over

> protective, of everything from our kids to our

> rights over others. If the worst that can happen

> to your child, is a hapless payful dog running

> about, then you should be thankful imo. Most of

> the things we fear are learned from our parents/

> peers anyway. If a child is frightened by a

> playful dog, then all the more reason for the

> child to engage with dogs as soon as possible to

> overcome the fear.

But maybe the kid doesn't wish to engage with a 'playful' dog at that particular moment. Why should it be forced to? Maybe you should train your dog not to jump up at people when it's out and about - or maybe if you see it running towards someone you should recall it? A lot of dogs are molly coddled in my opinion and that's part of the problem.

[Blah Blah]

Well read the op again and then ask who is reinforcing the child's fear there?

The answer is the parent by picking the child up and isolating it from the dog. The result is that the child learns that every dog the runs towards him is a threat.

Edited to say, so I would question the parents fear/ attitude towards dogs, before that of the child.

[MissMadMoo]

A lot of kids are molly coddled in my opinion and that's part of the problem.

[dwe]

A Rottweiler bounded up to one of ours when he was on his tricycle and to be honest I grabbed him off the trike and had a go at the owner when he finally caught up with his dog. As the owner suggested to me the dog was harmless I guess I overreacted.

I didn't try and pet the dog either.

What about this then Blah Blah (I posted it earlier)?

[Dulwichdarling]

What has grabbing your kid up from a harmless Rottweiler got to do with anything?

[Blah Blah]

I agree MadMoo, and they then take their cues from that over protectiveness, and the result is an exaggerated fear of all sorts of things.

For example, in the same scenario as the OP, I would grab the dog (if it has a collar), and play with it. Then the child learns instead that the dog wants to play, and not harm him. Not always possible I know, but I've done that before.

We seem to have this impression that the country is full of unruly man eating dogs and bad owners. It's not. The overwhelming majoirty of dogs are properly socialised.

[Earl Aelfheah]

So a dog twice the kids size bounds up and jumps all around. Another ?vigorously investigates? his school bag causing him to get scared and run.... and the owner is nowhere to be seen. This is a problem with the child?

[dwe]

Dulwichdarling Wrote:

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> What has grabbing your kid up from a harmless

> Rottweiler got to do with anything?

Yes, my fault. I should have let them "interact" with the owner nowhere about.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Here's what I take from this - Whilst out in public, try and keep your dog under control. If he gets out of control and upsets someone, don't make excuses by personifying your dogs actions 'he's playing... he's saying "hello" etc. Just apologise. It's simple.

[Blah Blah]

No but the reaction is not the best reaction for dealing with percieved fear. That's my point.

Dogs often sniff bags because they are looking for food. It's what dogs do. At no point was the dog actually interested in the child clearly. So in that scenario I would still engage with the dog and let the child see there is nothing to be afraid of.

[Dulwichdarling]

Thanks for your insight rahrah but is it not important for the child to know the dog is playing? Therefore showing that there is no need to be scared

[Blah Blah]

I broadly agree with that rahrahrah. Just that the op was asking for more than that from the owner to me.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Dog owners are all so freaking evangelical. Maybe the kid / their parent's don't want to get to know your dog. Or maybe not right at that moment. It's not for you to take responsibility for ensuring the kid is 'properly socialised' with your hound. Just keep your dog under control and don't let it run off, harassing random people.

[MissMadMoo]

I respect a whole load more the parents who approach me to ask if their kids can pet my dog.

The reason they do this?. To avoid exactly the issues the OP has.

Teach your kids how to respect dogs/ animals and interact with them rather than instil unwarranted fear?

[christgill]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> You're right, that wasn't in the OP. I guess the

> original story got exaggerated somewhere during

> the course of the thread...

Does anyone actually read other people's posts?

The "dog taking child's toy" was a post by j9duff yesterday at 8.24pm about separate incidents in the Park - not a case of the tale growing in the telling.

[Blah Blah]

It's about give and take rahrahrah. It's a shared space. Everyone needs to make the best of it. Dogs will run about because they need to exercise. They will occassionally pinch a ball or try to play with others. Dog owners should apologise if offence is caused, but similarly others should stop instilling fear into their kids, when there is no need of such.

[Earl Aelfheah]

MissMadMoo Wrote:

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> I respect a whole load more the parents who

> approach me to ask if their kids can pet my dog.

> The reason they do this?. To avoid exactly the

> issues the OP has.

>

> Teach your kids how to respect dogs/ animals and

> interact with them rather than instil unwarranted

> fear?

You think it's a parents responsibility to introduce their children to your dog in a controlled manner? I'm sure they'll be over the moon that they have your respect. Presumably the ones introduced to an out of control dog, which is running out of sight of it's owner, at a time not of their choosing, should have done more to prepare themselves?