I like dogs. If I’m out somewhere and a boisterous, friendly pup bounds up to me, I will give his fur a ruffle. Good boy, etc.
But I am an adult who is used to having dogs around. A boisterous, friendly pup looks very different when you’re a small child. I was reminded of that over the weekend, when a dog terrified my son and ruined his day out.
I was taking my kids for a bit of a hike, somewhere a long way from our suburban home. There were a few people walking their dogs along the track, mostly on leashes. We stopped occasionally so my kids could pat the dogs and chat to the owners. My kids like dogs, generally.
Then we came across a group of people walking their dogs off-leash. One of the dogs, a smallish terrier type, was obviously still a bit of a puppy. He ran up to each of us, jumping up on us playfully.
My older kid was fine, but my younger one was terrified when he saw the dog bounding towards him. He turned and ran. The dog clearly thought he was playing and chased him.
“Stand still!” I called out to my kid. “It’s okay – he won’t hurt you!”
fOf course my kid slipped on the loose stones underfoot and fell over, grazing his hands and knees.
I picked him up, dusted him off, and told him that running away from a dog wasn’t a good idea. I tried to explain that the dog would just follow him, and the dog could run faster. Then the owner strolled over.
“He was just being playful,” she told my son. “He was wagging his tail. You shouldn’t have run away.”
We all went our separate ways. But the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Was it really my son’s own fault he’d got fallen over and grazed himself, or was it the dog owner’s fault? Is it okay for an owner to let a dog run around off-leash when she knows he’s going to run up to people and jump on them?
I think not.
I started to remember back to when I was a kid and I felt scared of boisterous pups. It didn’t matter how small they were. I could feel the fear kicking in as they bounded in my direction. I remember turning and running, and I remember people laughing at me as they assured me that their dog was friendly and just wanted to play. How could I possibly be scared of their adorable Fluffy?
I’d almost forgotten those feelings until my son turned and ran.
The truth is that a lot of people feel uncomfortable around dogs. More and more kids are growing up in apartments and don’t have any pets at all. And it’s not just kids. Nowadays, there are plenty of adults who’ve never lived with dogs and don’t know how to tell whether they’re being friendly or unfriendly.
Dog owners, I don’t care how small and fluffy your dog is. I don’t care how adorably playful it is. I don’t care if you know for certain that it wouldn’t hurt a fly. You need to remember that one person’s lovably bouncy pup is another (small) person’s terrifying beast.
If your idea of a friendly dog is one that runs up to people and jumps on them, then please keep your “friendly” dog away from my kid.
Do you think dog owners should keep their dogs away from children? Tell us in the comments.
Top Comments
The onice is on both sides. I am a dog owner and the disregard I see from other dog owners astounds me sometimes. As recent as yesterday, a dog bolted toward my dog and came up to her growling. I called out to the dog's owner who was a couple hundred meters away be his response was "she's friendly" as if I was overreacting. Anyone can be a dog owner, any one can be a parent. Know your surroundings- better to be safe than sorry- there are idiots everywhere.
How about you keep your little crotch goblin away from my dog? Parents don’t teach children respect or boundaries anymore. Not every dog wants their little grubby hands on them and a lot of the time the dog is more afraid and timid of your precious little billy booger face.
I was bitten twice in the face as a small child by 2 different dogs and both times it was my fault because I didn’t listen to my parents. And before you self ritious martyr mommies open your ridiculous yappers yes, I do have children, step children, and pets. The kids respect the dogs boundaries, they don’t hit, pull ears or tails, or wake the dogs up while they’re sleeping. TEACH your entitled little brats to not run up on dogs or run away from dogs if they’re scared. Also, don’t bring your children to dog parks most have age restrictions on children and most don’t obey them and freak out when a dog approaches their child.
Get over yourselves!
Definitely in a dog park! The dog is king there.
I didn't read anywhere in this story where the children went up to the dog, rather, the exact opposite. No dog should be allowed to approach a child or an adult without permission. This goes both ways.