A bit of venting

[greykyttyn]

venting because Facebook people would never understand.

I lost my best friend of 25 yrs today. I lost her because of a neighbors dog that I am not siding with her on what happened. While waiting for the school bus this morning my best friends niece who is like 12 months or so was bit by a neighbors dog. The neighbors dog was on a leash and got loose. Its one of those little yippy things that can be nippy at children as well, not sure of the breed since its kinda a mixed breed. They rushed in & called animal control because they wanted the dog shot immediately. She posted all over facebook about it, all upset because animal control said since its a first time thing and the dog is always on a leash except for this morning when it broke loose that as long as its on a leash they will not do anything about it. The dog ran away after biting the little girl and animal control went after it to retrieve it for the lady. Now I know there are TONS of details left out here. First off it was 23 degrees this morning so a child that small should have been IN the house with her Uncle not out waiting for the school bus. Second, who in their right mind lets a child pet a strange dog that just wanders up that early in the morning!

They are watching for this dog so they can steal it & kill it since it hurt a child. I know these people very well. they do not control their children, they are all talk and very loud at that. Its drama, drama, drama constantly and any little thing happening to one of their kids means the world is ending and someone must go to jail or die. She is no longer talking to me because I jumped her case for not having the child restrained at the bus stop (which is dangerous too) and allowing her to pet a dog they had no clue who it was.

This is a huge issue with me, I teach my kids to ask first and have taught them how to approach any animal if they are allowed to pet it. I don't know how many times we go to a local petstore who has obedience classes allows people to walk their pets around the store to "socialize & train them to behave", I have no problem with this. We have taken Chewie to the store many times. The problem i have is every time i get fussed at by workers because I don't let my kids run up & pet the dogs. They have to look at the dog, access how the dog is acting, then ask me, then ask the owner. They keep complaining that its the best way to socialize a dog. I am sorry, letting little kids run up & maul a dog with loves, rough petting and squishing of its space is not being nice to the dog! We always look at the animal first, are the ears up & happy looking, does the dog look scared, nervous or is giving its owners problems on the leash. Is its tail wagging, is the dog stepping towards you to sniff you. Depending on the answers depends on whether I allow them to approach or we give the animal space but maybe compliment the animal to its owner as we pass by. Only exception was my 18 month old was walking on his own one weekend in there with my husband, normally in the cart but they were short on carts. A great Dane rounded the corner and my husband didn't have ahold of Jaden's hand for some reason. Suddenly we had one slobbery headed child. He was the perfect height for kisses and snuggles from the 10 yr old Great Dane. It was immediately apparent he loved children. Jaden loved him instantly. Stood talking to the owners for a few minutes while allowing our darling to soak up snuggles and drool that not even wet wipes would clean up. Are we completely wrong to train our children this way? I wouldn't' want anyone just running up to my dogs without permission. They have space issues the same as people!

I am of the opinion that it was partly my friends fault her niece was bit. She wasn't watching her and allowed her to pet (maul most likely) a small cute dog they didnt know. The owner always has the dog on the leash and accidents happen. Maybe this dog doesn't like kids. It isn't totally the owners fault if she's always kept it on a leash & away from children in the complex. It is not totally the dogs fault either it didn't ask for the child to squish it & pet it.

sigh... thanks, venting over.

 

[greykyttyn]

sorry for some type o's posting from kindle and it doesn't like me

 

[musicdeb]

One word, WOW! Too more words, WTF???? I agree with animal control. I hope they do not kill the dog. Does the dog's owner know this?

 

[ruthcatrin]

You are TOTALLY correct to train your children that way. And THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH for doing so.

Assuming that this really was the first incident (off-leash or aggressive) with the dog, then yes, animal control was correct IMO. Its horrible when a child gets bitten, but not all dogs are friendly, and accidents DO happen. Assuming the owner is appropriately responsible with their dog from now on....

And regardless the decision by the child's parents to "steal the dog and shoot it" is so totally wrong.....

 

[greykyttyn]

Its how I was raised and I couldn't imagine not raising my children that way unless I was totally wrong. Hopefully something else happens and they move on. I know her parents were going to insist that the dog was put down. I don't know what will happen, the lady claims they don't like her so they were complaining about it more. I hope the lady takes it to the newspaper if they try to put the dog down.

 

[ruby55]

There is no way I would ever let my kids just walk/run up to a strange dog, let alone pet them without permission. I am fully aware of the damage a dog who feels cornered can do, both physically & emotionally. This woman sounds like a nut case, who is doing more harm than good, to her children by always assuming her kids are in the right in any situation. Those kids will grow up to feel they are entitled to anything they want, because they were never permitted to fail. IF they grow up at all.
I'm with you, & even though my kids are grown & my dogs are extremely kid friendly, I always stop children who run up on them, & give them a lesson in doggie manners. I don't care what their parents say or do, those children will learn a lesson about dogs before they get hurt.

 

[greykyttyn]

My kids have seen me collect strays enough, cats & dogs that I think i have finally gotten through to them. At least when the older 4 are in my care. Who know how they act at mom's. It just irritates me that a national pet store we have here jumps my case every time we are there during obedience classes because I don't let my kids run up to a dog they are training. I have seen my share of dogs in there that looked terrified to be there without adding a hyper untrained child to the mix.

Even our 18 month old knows he does not run up to the dogs, even our dogs. He does not flop on them, squish them, slap them, pull on their ears or tails. He approaches them slowly, squats down & holds his hand out for a sniff for our dogs, then pets them on the back gently. I started that at 14 months due to the neighbors Great Dane getting out. First big dog our boy had every seen. Dustin had let the boys walk to the car and he was buckling in our 4 yr old first that day letting Jaden wander a bit to get his energy out. Next thing he heard was excessive giggles, which was odd considering no one was out there with them. He leans out of the car and there is a huge black great dane nuzzling our 14 month olds head and blowing woofs into his hair. The dog even squatted down below Jaden's head for Jaden to pet him. Jaden was very gently rubbing the big guys head and giggling uncontrollably. First time I had seen a Great Dane in person, this boy was 36 inches at the shoulder easily at 8 months old. Huge puppy to me. I was so impressed by how he was treating Jaden. Tried to get in our car to go with us. I walked him home and found out he can open the front door to let himself out. Loves kids and I guess he couldn't resist ours, since he can see them out the front window so he came for a visit. That's when i started training Jaden on how to treat strange dogs and cats. Thankfully he was a nice dog since he came up to Jaden without my husband seeing him. We live in the country so letting the kids wander the yard while you get in the car is not a big deal, its rare a stray dog comes up to you out here but i'd rather he know now.

Ugh don't get me started on entitlement issues. My kids have that horribly because that's how their mom is and how she raised them. I cannot find a way to train it out of them!

 

[whit72]

My stance on the situation is I cant trust parents to educate their children on how to approach a strange dog.

So I teach my dogs that just about any behavior from a child though it may be uncomfortable will be tolerated, they have two choices they can retreat or accept it.

I dont get to back hand a child that runs into me at the park and my dogs are held to the same standards.

My daughter is taught to respect all animals, she is not allowed to approach any strange animals at all. However when Im not looking she may put my dog in a headlock when they are playing or she steals one of her dolls.

Im sorry but that will be tolerated, my dogs are aware that I will dicipline my daugher,they will not ever.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Dude get your nose out of the air and ditch the superiority complex.

Sure in a perfect world all dogs would tolerate rude kids, but in that same perfect world there'd be no rude kids. And this isn't a perfect world. Not all dogs will tolerate children no matter how much they're trained and socialized, and even those who tolerate kids sometimes won't accept being mauled by a strange one. THAT is a fact of life. Its great that you've been able to teach your dog to tolerate being mauled by kids. Instead of being proud of that fact put more work in to making sure your kids don't finally push the boundaries of what your dog will tolerate. Knowing not to approach a strange dog without permission isn't going to help a bit if she pushes your own dog to far.

 

[musicdeb]

I agree Ruth. I read the post, scratched my head and said, "what?"

 

[cayeesmom]

I also agree 100% with Ruth, What happens when the child has the dog cornered and it can not retreat.........

 

[greykyttyn]

A vet tech at our vet actually suggested to me that we train the dogs to allow ears to be gently pulled, tailed pulled, feet messed with and to tollerate someone leaning on them gently to hold them down. Said it was a type of training that protected to a point, not all the way but helped out when children were around plus it helps out the vets when they need to work on a dog. But she stressed to continue to train the children as well. Just that it helped to have a dog that was use to that when an vet appointment came up. Especially with large breeds who generally out weigh the vet. He had seen with his people who did this their dogs didn't stress or panic as much at the vet. I still think people including adults who act like kids around animals and don't respect them need to be taught to remember that just like humans there is only so much annoying, obnoxious or uncomfortable behavior an animal will accept. Be it a dog, cat, rabbit, horse ect.

 

[fizzed]

A whole load of text but in the end I hope the dog does not fall into the hands of the kids parents - they sound hell bent on revenge when it is so inappropriate

 

[ruthcatrin]

A vet tech at our vet actually suggested to me that we train the dogs to allow ears to be gently pulled, tailed pulled, feet messed with and to tollerate someone leaning on them gently to hold them down. Said it was a type of training that protected to a point, not all the way but helped out when children were around plus it helps out the vets when they need to work on a dog. But she stressed to continue to train the children as well. Just that it helped to have a dog that was use to that when an vet appointment came up. Especially with large breeds who generally out weigh the vet. He had seen with his people who did this their dogs didn't stress or panic as much at the vet. I still think people including adults who act like kids around animals and don't respect them need to be taught to remember that just like humans there is only so much annoying, obnoxious or uncomfortable behavior an animal will accept. Be it a dog, cat, rabbit, horse ect.

Oh definetly. Especially if you're starting out with a puppy. Handle the feet and the ears and do your best to get them used to it. Its as much for your dog's sake as any childs....

 

[musicdeb]

Oh definetly. Especially if you're starting out with a puppy. Handle the feet and the ears and do your best to get them used to it. Its as much for your dog's sake as any childs....

I wish Titan would have had this as a puppy. He hates the vet and has to be muzzled each time we go.

 

[cinnamon roll]

First off let me say I am sorry that you have lost your friend over this. Hopefully she will come to her senses after she calms down.

I do not allow my children to pet animals without asking for permission it is unfortunate that all kids are not taught this. When I bring a pup home I do mess with the ears, tails etc to get them use to it as I too believe that it does help desensitize the animal.

I would of called animal control to report a dog bite also as I am sure many of us would do. I call on my neighbors all the time cause their dog CONSTANTLY gets out of the yard and runs away.

Without knowing exactly what happened it is hard to put the blame on any one person for this unfortunate incident.

Just because it was cold outside she should not of had the girl out there? I don't understand that statement. It sounds like you are faulting her for bringing the child out. Or maybe I am reading it wrong.

As you stated in the great dane incident accidents can happen and kids can get away from you.

venting because Facebook people would never understand.

I lost my best friend of 25 yrs today. I lost her because of a neighbors dog that I am not siding with her on what happened. While waiting for the school bus this morning my best friends niece who is like 12 months or so was bit by a neighbors dog. The neighbors dog was on a leash and got loose. Its one of those little yippy things that can be nippy at children as well, not sure of the breed since its kinda a mixed breed. They rushed in & called animal control because they wanted the dog shot immediately. She posted all over facebook about it, all upset because animal control said since its a first time thing and the dog is always on a leash except for this morning when it broke loose that as long as its on a leash they will not do anything about it. The dog ran away after biting the little girl and animal control went after it to retrieve it for the lady. Now I know there are TONS of details left out here. First off it was 23 degrees this morning so a child that small should have been IN the house with her Uncle not out waiting for the school bus. Second, who in their right mind lets a child pet a strange dog that just wanders up that early in the morning!

They are watching for this dog so they can steal it & kill it since it hurt a child. I know these people very well. they do not control their children, they are all talk and very loud at that. Its drama, drama, drama constantly and any little thing happening to one of their kids means the world is ending and someone must go to jail or die. She is no longer talking to me because I jumped her case for not having the child restrained at the bus stop (which is dangerous too) and allowing her to pet a dog they had no clue who it was.

This is a huge issue with me, I teach my kids to ask first and have taught them how to approach any animal if they are allowed to pet it. I don't know how many times we go to a local petstore who has obedience classes allows people to walk their pets around the store to "socialize & train them to behave", I have no problem with this. We have taken Chewie to the store many times. The problem i have is every time i get fussed at by workers because I don't let my kids run up & pet the dogs. They have to look at the dog, access how the dog is acting, then ask me, then ask the owner. They keep complaining that its the best way to socialize a dog. I am sorry, letting little kids run up & maul a dog with loves, rough petting and squishing of its space is not being nice to the dog! We always look at the animal first, are the ears up & happy looking, does the dog look scared, nervous or is giving its owners problems on the leash. Is its tail wagging, is the dog stepping towards you to sniff you. Depending on the answers depends on whether I allow them to approach or we give the animal space but maybe compliment the animal to its owner as we pass by. Only exception was my 18 month old was walking on his own one weekend in there with my husband, normally in the cart but they were short on carts. A great Dane rounded the corner and my husband didn't have ahold of Jaden's hand for some reason. Suddenly we had one slobbery headed child. He was the perfect height for kisses and snuggles from the 10 yr old Great Dane. It was immediately apparent he loved children. Jaden loved him instantly. Stood talking to the owners for a few minutes while allowing our darling to soak up snuggles and drool that not even wet wipes would clean up. Are we completely wrong to train our children this way? I wouldn't' want anyone just running up to my dogs without permission. They have space issues the same as people!

I am of the opinion that it was partly my friends fault her niece was bit. She wasn't watching her and allowed her to pet (maul most likely) a small cute dog they didnt know. The owner always has the dog on the leash and accidents happen. Maybe this dog doesn't like kids. It isn't totally the owners fault if she's always kept it on a leash & away from children in the complex. It is not totally the dogs fault either it didn't ask for the child to squish it & pet it.

sigh... thanks, venting over.

 

[taraann81]

What she said^^^....those were my thougths too.

 

[whit72]

Dude get your nose out of the air and ditch the superiority complex.

Sure in a perfect world all dogs would tolerate rude kids, but in that same perfect world there'd be no rude kids. And this isn't a perfect world. Not all dogs will tolerate children no matter how much they're trained and socialized, and even those who tolerate kids sometimes won't accept being mauled by a strange one. THAT is a fact of life. Its great that you've been able to teach your dog to tolerate being mauled by kids. Instead of being proud of that fact put more work in to making sure your kids don't finally push the boundaries of what your dog will tolerate. Knowing not to approach a strange dog without permission isn't going to help a bit if she pushes your own dog to far.

I'm sorry but I don't make excuses for my dogs behaviour they Will conform to the rules of society. I love when people justify dog attacks. Well the child made the dog uncomfortable, or was pulling their tail or sticking fingers in their ears so it's ok. It isn't, ave never Will be because my dogs are raised to be completely tolerant of the behaviors of children. That's isn't superiority it's confirming a dog knows it's place and what's expected of it. I and not allowed violent outburst and niether are my dogs. Now if malice Is present then all bets are off.

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