Rant on people instilling a fear of dogs in their children

[zd262]

This is totally just me venting on something that gets me so upset all of the time. This morning I was at the beach with Bubba, who is 3 months old. Whenever we are out and playing I keep him on a 15ft lead. I leaned down to pull out a crab claw that had gotten stuck in my foot so I wasn't looking when Bubba started to bound in the other direction. Usually I make him sit and then ask "can he say hello?" before approaching. When I looked up, there was a ~12 year old boy smiling at Bubba who was running towards him. His mother looked terrified and grabbed her son away.

Bubba of course didn't even get within 5 feet of them because he was on his lead. Still I yelled out, "Sorry! He's just a puppy he just wants to say hello". The woman yelled back "Puppies BITE!" in a very mean way. I said, "He doesn't bite, he's only 3 months old". She continued to clutch her son and shoot me nasty looks while walking down the beach.

Like I said Bubba is 3 months old, so he's not very big and when he runs he still does his little puppy butt wiggle. He is allll puppy. He ADORES people. As soon as he see when his whole body goes into the wiggles. Lick, lick, lick, lick is his favorite way to say hello. He has never ever mouthed a stranger and doesn't even jump up at all (can't say the same for his at home behavior ).

I completely understand that some people have had bad experiences with dogs. I was actually bit across the face by a vicious dog growing up and had a scar for most of my childhood. But it really bothers me when parents transfer their own fear of dogs into their children, when their children haven't ever had a negative reaction. I think there are ways of being cautious and safe without creating any lifetime phobias. My cousin is terrified of dogs because my aunt would always say things like "that [insert any dog breed] was CHARGING at us", and I would be like uh no, he was nicely coming to say hello. It was clearly my aunt who was afraid of dogs and now my cousin is for no reason!

In this situation, the child wanted to play with my dog and I vocally announced that he was a "safe" dog. Even though the boy started out smiling, he also ended the interaction looking scared of Bubba due to his mother's reaction. Makes me sad. Also made me feel selfishly good when she kept looking back at me and every other person that walked by approached Bubba to say hello. Who can resist a cutie lab pup!

Just a rant!

[POPTOP]

Rant away. It has not happened to us as much with the labs but more so with Archie.

We visit Bass Pro a lot and I'm more weary of the parents who let their kids run up to a dog especially if the dog is not looking in that direction.

Had Bandit there one time and a 3ish year old boy came by with his parents. I asked the boy if he wanted to pet Bandit and Mom had a concerned look on her face. Now, Bandit was not a pup but loved kids. Since Mom looked concerned I had Bandit by my side, facing me and put my hand on his head/neck, petting and controlling his head. Mom looked relieved and let the boy pet him. Kudos to that Mom and to all the parents who have had their kids ask before approaching. Not as many approach Archie and it's a shame. I understand their concern but all they have to do is ask.

[labsnewfy]

Poor kid, that would have probably made his day being able to play with Bubba.

My BIL let their Schnauzer knock over my niece when she was a baby and wouldn't let her up instilling fear of dogs in her. My little Annie helped her out as did the rest of my crew but she still startles easily. As an adult she is able to handle it much better then when she was a child but is still fearful.

[Meeps83]

Sounds like a helicopter mom......

[zd262]

Kudos to that Mom and to all the parents who have had their kids ask before approaching. Not as many approach Archie and it's a shame. I understand their concern but all they have to do is ask.

Definitely to this! If it had been an ideal situation I would have had Bubba by my side as I usually do, but I still don't think this mom would have asked or let her boy pet Bubba. At his age and size, I think he could pet a puppy without fear.

[Maxx&Emma]

It is sad. I do agree with POTOP, I wish more people would teach their kids to greet dogs properly. With Maxx, it is not an issue, he does not understand the concept of a stranger or someone that does not love him. Unfortunately that is not the case with Emma and I have had some close calls.

It makes me sad that people judge Archie because of his breed. He sounds like such a sweetheart and it breaks my heart to see the look of hurt on a dogs face, they don't understand.

[katALlabs]

I wish more people would teach their kids to greet dogs properly.

That happened to me at Pet Smart when we had Gracie and Abbey there one time, a little girl asked me if she could per my dogs. at first I was taken back by her politeness (you don't get that from most young kids) and after a moment to regain my composure I said why yes you can pet Abbey and directed her to Abbey as Gracie is usually standoffish to anyone at first.

[teej89]

Whelp just another backboneless dependent american child in the making there.... sad the mom doesn't know any better. I woulda had a hoot with her tho, but that's just cuz I'm an "arse".

Maybe she should keep her kid on a lead?

[amandalmw]

One of my biggest pet peeves are parents who project their fears onto their children!

[Snowshoe]

Well, I take strangers telling me their dog is "safe" their dog is "friendly" their dog "just wants to say hello" with a grain of salt. I figure a strange dog running at me tends to look at least twice as big as it really is. Two even ran right up and grabbed my hand and wanted to play. So if the dog looks out of control and I don't know dog or owner I might be a mite worried myself.

But I do empathize. My BIL was like that and turned my niece into a danger herself around dogs, he made her so frightened of them. He thought it was funny to tell her our sweet, gentle ESS was going to eat her. He told her the caged arctic wolves that were howling at a provincial park we all went skiing in were going to get loose and eat her. I have no idea why he did that, he's a nice guy, everybody likes him, he's not normally an idiot. My niece is ok now, Sis got them a dog and did so partly for niece's benefit, when niece was 9, and it worked, she likes dogs now.

Then there was the father of the shrieking, bouncing boy who told the boy he was being silly, "dogs don't bite" and told the kid he could pet my dog without asking me. I had a talk with the man and told him some dogs do bite. Ironically the same dog Sis got bit several kids, but never his own kids. The man quite rightly said such dogs should not be out in public then and I agreed but also asked him if he knew people drove drunk. We were at a car show so this hit home. The kid was a brat, I was afraid he would hit Jet.

I wonder, do people with fears of frogs, or birds, or cats brainwash their kids the same way some dog fearing people do? Cats, yes, I think some do.