I'm totally amazed how scared kids are of dogs!! opinions??

Yes I know what you mean - I saw this when I lived in England too. Perhaps it is because less people have dogs in their lives these days? Or maybe there has been so many dog-attacks highlighted in recent years. I don't know really.

Over here I have never ever seen this happen but then here almost everyone has at least one dog, very often many more than one. My dogs don't go off the farm very often however when I last took the big black shepherd out, she was inundated with children wanting to pat her and cuddle her. Now she is a scary looking dog but they were totally unfazed by her and she absolutely loved all the attention.
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I probably will get banned from ever writing on H and H again, but I feel someone has to bring up what is so obvious to me because I have salukis (originally middle eastern sighthounds) and that includes bringing up religion and that is probably a no no, but sincerely I bring it up only for the sake of education of fellow dog owners who may not be aware of the problems of Muslims and dogs.
In the cases illustrated above, yes, the parents are numbnuts and what can you do, but be aware that if the children involved are of the Muslim faith, they are taught from a very young age to dislike dogs and stay away from them. NOT because they are horrible people, but because they are meant to be clean when they pray and they pray five times per day. This means they must not touch "unclean" things as if they do, they must bathe completely before praying, not just the ritual bath that is usually required. I know we're in England and we should all behave by British standards all the time (I'm from the US and have been put in my place plenty of times over here, believe me lol! And I know all the words to God Save the Queen too!) but we must learn to respect what their religion requires of them, even if it makes no sense to us.
Back in the USA I had Muslim neighbours and a boy from Pakistan came to visit. He was about 7 years old and just as I was leaving with a saluki on lead out my front gate he saw the dog. He took off running and screaming and was later found by the police some 3 hours later. This is a cultural thing.
There was no good me saying but dear, these dogs come from the middle east and they are salukis, they are not kelb(unclean dogs) and even the Prophet said you were allowed to own them. Nope...doesn't do any good at all.
So for the sake of those who would like to live at peace with everyone especially if you own and love dogs as I do, try to be a little sympathetic with some children when they act terrified. Some have been taught that that is the proper thing to be.
I don't agree with it, am not of the Muslim faith, but do love my dogs more than life and will do anything to keep the peace where they are concerned.
Even if it takes being banned from Horse and Hound sniff sniff.....
Love ya
Suzi
 
I used to walk my boxer to pick my little brother up from school every day. However, one mother who used to stand glaring at me and the other people with dogs, complained to the headmistress. Cue a letter going out to all parents / guardians asking them not to bring their dogs to school to pick up children on the grounds of Health and safety etc etc. Furious did not even begin to describe how I felt!!
 
I understand completely.
I HATE the anti-dog thing. I was just trying to explain why SOME people over-react...the rest are just control freaks...on another, but very similar note, when I lived up in Minnisota on a huge farm I used to get up at 5 am to saddle the kids ponies (they were little then one just starting kindergarten the other in second grade) and my gelding and we'd make an adventure of riding down our 2 mile long driveway to catch the school bus. You'd have thought I was a bloody idiot, the way the bus driver reacted because on Jon's (the youngest) first day of school he dismounted and took the "extra time" to turn and kiss his pony on the nose before mounting the bus.
I got a quite nasty letter about it, asking that the kids not be allowed to ride their ponies to the school bus.
Boy don't tell THIS woman what to do! Humph..shot one back and said by law that the bloody busdriver could just come up our driveway and pick the kids up from our front door as he could be forced to do it. Boy did that change his tune! He didn't want an extra 4 miles added to his trip, so from then on kids and ponies were greated as old friends!
Go figure
Love ya
Suzi
 
i havent noticed this yet much ... although am a new dog owner and most of the kids ive encountered have been at my yard who all adore dogs (they dont have much choice really think there must be 15+ lol and thats just the jack russels!!) they all know my dog is a bit shy at first so they get down to his level and take their time with him.

i think its down to parents to socialise kids with all types of animals - just as its down to a puppy owner to socialise their puppy with kids etc!!

my puppy adores children, he bounced over to some young kids in the park - but as he is still quite shy he stopped about 5metres away from them and just watched and wagged his tail - their mother huddled her children away and past them as if he was trying to kill them!! i said its ok all he wanted to do was play!! bearing in mind he's only 10inches tall ?!
over protective parents lead to problem children IMO so i pity the kids in that particuluar situation.

on the other hand i have had people bring their toddlers over and ask to pet my dog "because all the other dogs in the park are too big and boisterous but we want him/her to get used to dogs" ... now that i can understand having just had my titchy pup sat on by an over excited playful labrador and nearly squished !!

all in all it just reminds me why i prefer my horse & dog to kids !! :-)
 
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