Walkers with toddlers

Molly'sMama

Molly'sMama

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I had a lovely walk with my JRT today and on the way home, passed a lady with a small child- three years old maybe?
Anyhow,the child was very excited and wanted to approach my dog rather pointedly.
Here I was thinking : oh God,another walker who won't tell their child not to grab at unknown dogs, resulting in a frightened growly old dog and a scared toddler.,

I was pleasantly surprised;she did tell her kid to stop and ask me whether she could or not,and listened politely, explaining to her kid that - no, she couldn't stroke the little dog as she was frightened of new people.
So,thank you random walker ,for having manners like that :)

Is it something that affects you when you go out?
How do you stop someone's child touching unfriendly dogs?
; thought for a minute I'd have to pick her up. Zig would never bite anyone, she just growls like a blooming tiger or something, and it really stresses my dog out. Thanks. MM
 
Yes, I've had a dog with a dodgy ear grabbed...on the ear...very luckily he sat there and took it!

My young dog, in the past few weeks has been approached by children on several occasions.
The first, the child ran up to him shouting with his arms outstretched to hug him, dog was on a lead, I called out to the mother and her friend and said, 'be careful, I have a big dog here' and they got the child back. The second, I was doing a bit of training with him, I was aware of someone beside me and there was a small child petting the dog's back!! But he didn't bat an eyelid, was too busy thinking about the food in my hand. And a couple of days ago two small girls were right up next to his kennel but he didn't seem bothered. If they had been adults he would have been barking his head off.

So anyway, while my dog seems quite neutral with kids and was raised in a house with a baby and I doubt he'd do anything, he doesn't live in a house with them now and I prefer not to let a situation occur, prevention is better than cure and all that, so I call out to approaching parents or children and ask them to keep their distance, politely and I always do thank parents who ask first.
 
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Our bichon does not like kids, but is cute and fluffy. If a child approaches her (which isn't that often to be fair), I tell them not to touch her. Simple as that really.
 
I just ask people not to stroke if they're on lead, only cos Zak is very headshy and may snap. The others are used as stooge dogs to encourage shy children, they like to lean against kids for strokes. Offlead, they're non stop blurs, so not an issue. :)
 
Luckily Betsy is fantastic with small children, she is regularly grabbed at shows etc. It is rare that a child or parent will ask if it is ok.
 
Mine is one of the no fear 3 year olds that given the chance will run up to any dog when we are out and want to say hello and have a stroke - I always tell her to stop and ask the owners nicely though beforehand. It's great to see children that are not terrified of dogs but totally agree that you cannot be too careful! Plus it's courtesy too
 
I have the opposite problem my bichon cross loves kids (its my nephews fault) and he really doesn't understand when they don't want to Stroke and play with him. I really hate seeing kids terrified of dogs he is tiny I had words with a mother the other week as her child was so scared and she started screaming even when I had my dog under control
 
Well today I had an interesting experience. We've got a 13wk old pup, Willow, plus Bracken (aged 2).

I always walk them well out the way of anyone else as Bracken is obsessed with other dogs *rolls eyes*. We were on our walk, Bracken on the extendable lead and Willow loose but by my feet cos he's a proper scaredy cat.

Walking home, a group of young children (8/9year olds) coming the opposite way to us. I pulled Bracken right in so he was by my side and called Willow to me. The kids walked past, I smiled (because at least I was well brought up!), and before I knew it the kids had got in between me and Bracken, and Willow. I called Willow to me, at which point the children started taking the pee out of me and so calling Willow to them, trying to grab him, lunging at him etc. I'm continuing to call Willow in as calm a voice as I can because I don't want him to be scared, when one of them barks at Willow! Willow then weed with fear :( and started screaming for me, but the slightly concerning thing that Bracken, who up until this point had been in 'down' by my side, went absolutely cuckoo: hackles up, growling and snarling and barking his big, deep dog barks, and straining on the lead (though not lunging, he's not that kind of dog).

Anyway, the kids clearly thought my 35kg pure muscle black lab was scary enough to stop harassing Willow so they scarpered... And Wills came flying back to me.

*old person voice* no respect, these kids of today!

Will take Willow to the school gates with me tomorrow to let some nice children play with him there. Idiots :@
 
It's not something I have a problem with because my collie loves little kids and will pretty much put up with anything - I feel where you're coming from tho. We were always taught as kids that we couldn't speak to any dogs without their owners permission - the sad thing is that it's the dog that gets the blame when an unknown kid grabs it.
 
i think its so important that kids learn they cant approach a dog they dont know. i was at a local country park yesterday with my three dogs and Joey my newish 15 month old rescue is nervous of children and does a lot of barking when he sees one. A young child (4/5?) jumped out of a car parked next to our camper and ran up to him, bouncing and waving her cuddly toy dog! Luckily I had hold of him and a handful of treats and we escaped with just a few nervous barks!
 
The kids in my area seem to be well taught by their parents to not touch a strange dog and Poppy adores little people so it's not a huge problem for us but I too find it a shame that there seems to be a lot of kids who are afraid of dogs out there :(
There's been a couple of occassions where (Poppy on the lead) a wee one will curl in on themselves in fear as we approach so it takes a bit of coaxing for them to give her a wee cuddle because she loves the attention.
I don't think it helps that when she sees people she grins like a maniac at them :rolleyes: and a lot of people think she's growling and baring her teeth :cool:
 
Well, I'm a walker with a toddler AND dogs :D My son doesn't stroke other dogs, or even try to touch them, not unless he knows the dog. He's quite a cautious little boy and not half as impulsive as most toddlers, so I suppose I'm lucky.
 
Kids seem to be quite drawn to my 7 month old labradoodle, if one approaches, I just ask them to stay back as she's very bouncy (she is bouncy but I can still control her enough not to flatten a child, but hey its a good excuse!). I dont like strangers full stop coming up to stroke my dog, its weird! And it really bugs me when adults hold out their hands and encouage the dog to jump up - especially when I'm trying to train mine NOT to jump up on people, hate that habit! And I'll say to my dog to get down, and they say "oh its ok" - NOT IT ISNT, ITS MY DOG AND THEREFORE MY DECISION IF ITS OK OR NOT! And you wont be very happy if your kid then approaches and she jumps on them now will you!

My 1yr old is never allowed to go near a strangers dog, and only goes near friends dogs that I trust (and even then I'm right beside him trying to teach him to stroke gently and not tap hard or grab a handful of hair!).
 
I am just used to being the baddy. I have to walk all four on my own a lot of the time and usually do go to quiet lanes and fields. Because of this, I only usually see kids on the way to the fields or back. If they coming running over, I just say, "stay away please, they bite". One of the collies would nip if provoked, then wet himself and cower as he is genuinely scared of screamy children although he is getting better all the time with a lot of hard work.

Parents will regularly say that it's ok, can he or she just stroke the nice ones and I have to explain that it really isn't easy when I have all four and so sorry, but no.

So...fine if you aren't concerned about your childs safety, but don't tell me not to be...I would be mortified if anything ever happened...and it would probably be a very sore face after a wag from the baseball bat tail of my child adoring Rottie x lab.
 
I used to have quite a problem with my daughter as a toddler, she had been brought up in a houseful of GSDs, and attended agility shows nearly every weekend from being a couple of weeks old, and she thought all dogs were wonderful. Even in her pushchair she would stick her hands out into passing dogs faces for a lick, until she was old enough to understand not to go up to every strange dog I just had to keep a very close eye on her. I also had a problem with my dogs who thought every toddler and baby in a pram we met was "theirs" and needed their face washing, which led to a few horrified parents. This was over 20 years ago and I think people were more tolerant, nowadays I would probably have the DDA quoted at me. I do find most people do ask before letting their children approach my dogs (probably because of their breed:() and I do have to watch Freya who thinks little people are wonderful but because we don't meet many she does tend to be a little over exuberant.
Slightly off topic, Cedars I would personally never have a pup of 13 weeks old off lead anywhere but in a secure garden, particularly one who is nervous as you say Willow is. As you found they can often panic when something strange happens, and this can lead to them bolting and getting lost or worse. I am sure you are aware of it but if he is nervous you need to get him out and about (carrying round town etc is good at that age) so that he meets as many people and strange things as possible.
 
My bichon adores kids, loves my nieces and nephew, but guards me and my mum at all times so we have to pick her up for anyone to stroke her. It annoys me that people think she can be man handled because she's little and fluffy, they then get the ump when she doesn't like it!!
 
MM, I don't know if you remember a certain dog called Dangerman, but I always used to make a beeline for him and be scooped away at the last minute, I suppose as a kid I didn't realise that the clue was in the name :o :o :o

Lifting a small dog can help and it cannot - elevating a dog can give it confidence as in the case above or it can de-stabilise it and make it even more insecure/bring it into direct eye contact with the Scary Person.
 
I think lifting her up so she's not being bent over and made to feel trapped is what works for her, but i agree it can make it worse, My friend has a Tipperary terrier who is lovely but if friend picks her up she wont let anyone touch her, or get near her 'mum'
 
My friend's Puli goes mental at people and he lifted her up and she went even more mental.
I mimed what it would look like from her point of view and I think he saw my point!! He's also very tall so I can imagine it would be a bit scary for pup!

Sorry for going OT but just Googled Tipperary terrier, that's a new one on me!!
 
Not many kids want to stroke my dogs which is a shame as the dobie and staffy both love a fuss from little people. They generally only want to fuss the little terriers who aren't to bothered either way.

The last little boy who stroked them had beautiful manners. He came up and asked please may I stroke your dog. I was very impressed.

On another note I always have my puppies off lead on walks. I don't want to it to become a big thing when they are suddenly allowed to do it. So I just let them amble along with the others.
 
Thanks MM :) where I walk is ultimately one huge fenced in area so I am happy for him to be off lead because even if he did run, he would have to stop eventually in a safe place. Obviously out and about he is either in my arms or on the lead :)

We've been all over the place this week, school kicking out time, the pub, we've sat on a bench on a roundabout in rush hour.... Outside Waitrose... All sorts! He is absolutely fine when in my arms, it's just when he's on the floor he likes to stand on my feet or hide behind me *rolls eyes* moron. Though it makes a nice contrast to Mr. Confident and a little too Cocky!
 
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