What is it with some people and their dogs?

[disneynutt1225]

I don't care what it's history is, if it's been dangerous, it needs to be kept confined or put down.

For crying out loud...one bite does not a dangerous dog make! As I said earlier, not everything is black and white.

Do you even LIKE animals??

 

[kayeandjim00]

I don't care what it's history is, if it's been dangerous, it needs to be kept confined or put down. That's it. You don't risk the safety of people by taking a dangerous dog into a populated situation to "socialize" it.

Wow you are very hostile anytime dogs come up do you hate dogs or something?

 

[kayeandjim00]

For crying out loud...one bite does not a dangerous dog make! As I said earlier, not everything is black and white.

Do you even LIKE animals??

great minds think a like

 

[disneynutt1225]

great minds think a like

 

[momof2inPA]

For crying out loud...one bite does not a dangerous dog make! As I said earlier, not everything is black and white.

Do you even LIKE animals??

One bite with severe injury or two without makes a dangerous dog.

I like most dogs that don't bite, and animals love me.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Personally, I would have crated my dog if I wasn't comfortable having her with the young child. Before doing that I might have started out by leashing my dog and keeping her close to me so I couldhave kept a close eye on her.

My dog has never bitten anyone, but has growled at my son a couple of times when being crawled on (I'm sure it hurt and our son was reprimanded and we then kept a very close eye on things for awhile). Never any nipping, etc.

I agree that people should always ask permission before petting a strange dog, even if the dog appears friendly. I've had so many people poo-poo (no pun intended ) me (or my kids) when asking my permission, and I explain that it's always a good idea to ask. I also tell my kids to never reach through a fence to pet a dog. Just common sense dog safety habits.

I also would not bring a dog who is a known biter to a place such as a youth ballgame. I know that dogs need to be socialized, but I would start with places with fewer people. I don't bring our dogs since one of our dogs is dog aggressive and I don't want to deal with other dogs. I bring her for walks and deal with her aggression there and I should be working with her more intensely so she can go to the ballgames, but I haven't yet put in the time to be comfortable bringing her there.

 

[WDWfor5]

For all of you who say, it's a public ballfield, let me share a story. This past Spring, we went to my DD7's baseball game at a local school. My DH and I were there with my DS 4 and DS3 as well as other parents, family members, etc in the designated grassy sitting area (small town, no bleachers). One of the women had brought her dog on a leash and was also watching the game. FINE - No problem - I have a dog, love dogs, etc and my kids never approach strange dogs.

Then my DS 4 runs to get something and comes within 10 feet of this dog who leaps and bites him on the leg. As I'm trying to comfort my son and find out how bad the bite is, the idiot sister of my DD's coach's wife tries to tell me how the dog was "only playing" and "he's a herding dog so he does this". NO - IT"S NOT PLAYING - HE BIT MY SON She then offer to buy him candy or a soda to make him feel better. Fortunately, the dog has his shots and my DS is basically OK but the coach's wife tells me this dog has done this before.

Let me tell you that dog should never be brought to a place where kids are present. I don't care if she wants to socialize him - he's a danger, he's done it before, if you can't leave him home, don't come to the game. And while it's a public place, a dog is not a person. It is reasonable to assume that there will be young children at a 1st grade baseball game and if you can't control your dog, keep it away from my kids.

Thankfully it wasn't serious and my DS loves our dog so he isn't afraid of dogs for life (which knowing him he would be otherwise) BUT it could have turned out much worse. And before I get flamed for hating dogs, let me tell you I my lab. She's a part of our family, we leave her with Nana if we go away for even a long day because I hate for her to be alone, my children adore her and my DS2's first word after mama 7 dada was "hoop" for Hooch - the dog. BUT - the safety and well being of people comes before a pet's rights to be anywhere.

 

[mking624]

One bite with severe injury or two without makes a dangerous dog.

I like most dogs that don't bite, and animals love me.

Since you have stated that you don't care about the history of the dog, then you really have no right to judge its status on it being dangerous or not. You not knowing the circumstances makes your answers appear very ignorant. It certainly sounds like you're the type of person who doesn't see an animal as a living, breathing being...one who reacts to situations (just like people).
Heaven forbid you have a dog who tries to protect you if an intruder comes in. Or a police dog that "attacks" criminals who try to escape....
The list goes on and on. But nope, since they apparently bit someone, that makes them dangerous and in need to be put down.

How sad.

 

[cyndibelle]

i am glad i dont have to worry about my dog and anyone.he is a big baby...he lets anyone and anything crawl on him..he loves people and animals....i think if i was in that situation i would put my doggie away..cause obviously it was upsetting to the dog and the child...

 

[mking624]

For all of you who say, it's a public ballfield, let me share a story. This past Spring, we went to my DD7's baseball game at a local school. My DH and I were there with my DS 4 and DS3 as well as other parents, family members, etc in the designated grassy sitting area (small town, no bleachers). One of the women had brought her dog on a leash and was also watching the game. FINE - No problem - I have a dog, love dogs, etc and my kids never approach strange dogs.

Then my DS 4 runs to get something and comes within 10 feet of this dog who leaps and bites him on the leg. As I'm trying to comfort my son and find out how bad the bite is, the idiot sister of my DD's coach's wife tries to tell me how the dog was "only playing" and "he's a herding dog so he does this". NO - IT"S NOT PLAYING - HE BIT MY SON She then offer to buy him candy or a soda to make him feel better. Fortunately, the dog has his shots and my DS is basically OK but the coach's wife tells me this dog has done this before.

Let me tell you that dog should never be brought to a place where kids are present. I don't care if she wants to socialize him - he's a danger, he's done it before, if you can't leave him home, don't come to the game. And while it's a public place, a dog is not a person. It is reasonable to assume that there will be young children at a 1st grade baseball game and if you can't control your dog, keep it away from my kids.

Thankfully it wasn't serious and my DS loves our dog so he isn't afraid of dogs for life (which knowing him he would be otherwise) BUT it could have turned out much worse. And before I get flamed for hating dogs, let me tell you I my lab. She's a part of our family, we leave her with Nana if we go away for even a long day because I hate for her to be alone, my children adore her and my DS2's first word after mama 7 dada was "hoop" for Hooch - the dog. BUT - the safety and well being of people comes before a pet's rights to be anywhere.

Was the dog on a leash? If your DS was about 10 feet away, that's a pretty good distance for a dog to leap out, so that tells me the dog wasn't properly restrained to begin with. So yes, I'd have issue with that (and like you said, if you can't control the dog, it needs to be restrained or taken elsewhere). But kept on a short leash (where even perceived biters can be controlled), I just don't have a big issue with pets going to public places...kids or not.

 

[Luv'sTink]

Dogs that bite are a liability and should only be handled by people who have been trained to deal with this kind of behavior. (that is not the average dog owner) No one should ever willingly take a dog that has shown aggression towards a human to a place that it will come in contact with humans. Taking Fido out in public is not worth someone getting a serious injury from a dog in a public area.

I really doubt it matters what state you live in there are laws about dogs that bite, I believe, after the first bite they are labeled viscous and a second bite most states will require the dog be put down as a danger to humans.

I knew a lady who tried to wake her sleeping dog because it was dreaming and the dog bit her nose off of her face and he wasn't an aggressive dog, would you really want to take the chance with a dog you know will bite?

 

[WDWfor5]

Was the dog on a leash? If your DS was about 10 feet away, that's a pretty good distance for a dog to leap out, so that tells me the dog wasn't properly restrained to begin with. So yes, I'd have issue with that (and like you said, if you can't control the dog, it needs to be restrained or taken elsewhere). But kept on a short leash (where even perceived biters can be controlled), I just don't have a big issue with pets going to public places...kids or not.

Yup - he was on a leash but a longer one and she looked away at the game for "just a second" The problem is we all look away for " a second" and that's all it takes for a known biter to bite someone. Whether you can legally bring your dog to the fields is a state issue, but common sense says don't risk it. Even if someone doesn't care about my kid (which would be unreal to me that someone would risk a child's safety ) don't people realize that a child is hurt you risk your dog being put down, being sued, etc.? Why risk it?

 

[momof2inPA]

Was the dog on a leash? If your DS was about 10 feet away, that's a pretty good distance for a dog to leap out, so that tells me the dog wasn't properly restrained to begin with. So yes, I'd have issue with that (and like you said, if you can't control the dog, it needs to be restrained or taken elsewhere). But kept on a short leash (where even perceived biters can be controlled), I just don't have a big issue with pets going to public places...kids or not.

Perceived biters? Either it's bitten people or it hasn't. Gimme a break.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

You shouldn't take a dog that you know wants to bite a kid to any place where a kid would run up to it. I tell you, if a dog ever bites one of my kids, that dog is not long for this world. If animal control won't take care of it, I will.

Even if it was totally your kid's fault that the dog bit them?

 

[momof2inPA]

Even if it was totally your kid's fault that the dog bit them?

My kids stay away from strange dogs, period. If they want to pet the dog, I ask the owner first, but they rarely do. Actually, my friend's cat bit my son on the nose once when he was really little, he was de-clawed so who could have seen that coming. It even drew blood. She asked if my son might have done something to hurt the cat, but I was standing right there, and he hadn't even touched the cat. The only other times he had petted the cat, I made sure he did it gently and left the tail and face alone. Let's just say that cat doesn't live there anymore.

 

[taximomfor4]

I wouldn't know at my sons ballgame which dogs are biters and which are not. My problem, however, is that ANY dog can become unpredictable when out of sorts, getting ill, overstimulated, nervous, whatever. If someone does choose to bring a dog to the ballgame, it is NOT the thing to do at all to sit in the bleachers with all the other families, while holding the dog's leash. Then the dog spends the whole game wrapping itself around everyone's legs, and sniffing at other people's children.

I don't know the dog owner in the OP. She may have just been concerned about her dog's out of character behavior. Or she may have really thought she was going to calm the dog into relaxing around the child. My stepmom uses that method. It doesn't work -- her dog still snarls kids into the corner chair and tries to bite their faces. We just don't go there anymore. I guess I'd advise the child's mother to not bring the child to the dog's house. Perhaps if the two discuss it, the owner will agree to put the dog away for a while whenever the child is visiting.

 

[marlasmom]

My dogs love kids. One of them cannot pass my grandaughter (who she sees about twice a year) without giving her a "kiss." However, when any strange kids are around my dogs, I keep them very close to me, my hand on their collar, etc. just to make sure. We have never had an incident with either dog being agressive with a child.

 

[disney4us2002]

Since you have stated that you don't care about the history of the dog, then you really have no right to judge its status on it being dangerous or not. You not knowing the circumstances makes your answers appear very ignorant. It certainly sounds like you're the type of person who doesn't see an animal as a living, breathing being...one who reacts to situations (just like people).
Heaven forbid you have a dog who tries to protect you if an intruder comes in. Or a police dog that "attacks" criminals who try to escape....
The list goes on and on. But nope, since they apparently bit someone, that makes them dangerous and in need to be put down.

How sad.

You do remember the original dog and victim in this scenario from page 1 was the woman's own grandson right? I don't think it's a stretch to say that the child and dog were familiar with each other yet the dog bit the grandson and all grandma could say was "Suzie's biting today."? I think her reaction implies that it is not unusual behavior for "Suzie". So, public park or not, unless the dog intends to pick up a glove and take a position on the field, the kids have more right to be there.

I have a dog, a beagle, who is the absolute best dog around kids which was imperative since I did daycare in my home for several years. I would NEVER, never leave her and the kids unsupervised even though she never even hinted at being anxious or upset around kids and certainly never growled or bit anyone. That said, I didn't get a dog to protect me and would not want her to react with aggression toward anyone. I really love this dog but I wouldn't hesitate to put her down if she bit someone. People just come first.

 

[Wonders10]

Eh.

I tend to fall more on the side of "the pet lives here, you don't", but I do agree that dogs and small children aren't usually a good mix. I don't blame her for being primarily concerned with her dog (the kid has his mom to look out for him) but I think the best solution would have been removing the dog from the situation. A couple of hours outside (in nice weather) or in the master bedroom wouldn't have been the end of the world.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't so much disagree with her mindset, just the way she handled the situation.[/QUOTE

People need to come to the realization that a person, let alone a child, comes above a dog. ANY CHILD OR PERSON. If my dog even looked like he was going to snap at an innocent child he would be going to obedience classes or the local animal shelter. I understand people love their pets, but they are PETS and a child is a CHILD

I've been reading through these messages and just trying to see everyone's point of view but I need to say a little something about this. It is a different circumstance in a way but still revolves around the same players (kids, adults, dogs). I posted a couple weeks ago how my dog (a 50lb standard poodle) was attacked by my nieghbors 2 german shepherds when I took her outside to go to the bathroom. These dogs had not been on a leash in many years, live in the garage, and are not socialized to other dogs. To them, if it has fur, its a toy. Anyway, the real owner was not home at the time - it was his friend and her 4 yr old daughter who were out with the dogs. I recalled hearing a childs crying during the whole commotion but I was slightly preoccupied keeping these 2 dogs off of my dog and getting them out of my garage as they were partially in it at this point. Once everyone was safely inside, there is a knock on the front door and it is the woman holding her crying daughter telling me to look at her daughters face (it was bleeding). She proceeded to tell animal control the next day that I was more concerned with my "little" dog, than her injured daughter. Do you know why she was injured? Because this tiny 4 yr old little girl was actually walking one of these dogs herself and when it ran after me and my dog, it pulled her into something in my neighbors driveway. And I was sorry that this little girl had to get hurt but I was even more sorry that my dog had to get hurt (which required minor surgery and a stay at the Vet). To me, my dog is a member of a family. And I will not be thought of as a fool for treating her as such and doing whatever I can to protect her.

But back to the main issue, my dog has never bit anyone or anything. When she was getting attacked herself, she just took it. When we first got her, my niece was 3 and my nephew 1. And my dog herself was just a few months old when they all first really hung out together. They were both scared to death of her even though she had never done anything even remotely close to being considered vicious (no jumping, nipping, biting, etc.) Eventually, all 3 of them matured some and now they all love each other. They love coming here to play with my dog and vice versa for my dog. Also, you know your dog best and shouldn't put it in a situation where it will be scared, mad, or whatever and possible act out in a way you don't want it to. If I know that my dog hates other dogs, would I bring it to PetSmart every saturday to do some shopping? Heck no. (just an example here). If I thought my dog would bite a small child but the situation of being around them is unavoidable, you better believe that she will be so close to me with her leash, that she won't be able to turn her head. (again, another example).

My point is after all this rambling, is that it sounds as though the mother of the child and the owner of the dog weren't too concerned about this dog and the 3yr old so I wouldn't have been either. (did you mention the breed of the dog? Not that it matters, but just curious.)

*Shannon

 

[disneynutt1225]

If someone does choose to bring a dog to the ballgame, it is NOT the thing to do at all to sit in the bleachers with all the other families, while holding the dog's leash.

I completely agree. I had to drop something off at my brother's game yesterday and DFi and I decided to take Toby for a ride in the car. We brought him on the field for maybe 20 minutes but stayed off to the side so he wasn't in anyone's way. He got his head rubbed, claimed a fire hydrant as his own, and we went on our merry way.