[marsha=whitie]

For the weekend, my son and I are staying at my parents farm, and we brought Bryna (left in sig) along to enjoy the open spaces and to play with Callie (right in sig). As my son and I were hanging out in the garage, watching my father and cousin bend a car frame back into alignment, Bryna and Callie were doing their rough housing in the yard. When they came over for a break, my cousins 4 year old walks over to Bryna (who was laying down beside me) and SMACKS HER IN THE HEAD. I told him to NOT do that to ANY dog, to which he glared at me and stormed off. Then his 5 year old brother comes over not even 5 minutes later and does it too! Thankfully his grandfather (my uncle) told him to NOT hit dogs because they don't have arms to hit you back with.

I told his mother about it later. Her response? "Maybe she just scares them." .... wut?

My faith in humanity is slipping farther and farther away.

 

[HollowHeaven]

-.-' eh.

I went to visit my father for the first time in years a couple weeks ago. While he isn't a man to starve his dogs or beat them or anything, he's not somebody who's willing to step up and take any sort of responsibility for them. To him, a good dog is one that stays home and out of the way.
He has three dogs, currently, a Pit X Cur X Heeler that he's had since he was 4 weeks old. (long story, dad's not the bad guy in this). Suey is now about 14 years old, very arthritic and nearly deaf. Poor guy's barely chuggin'. He also has a very young Fiest mix bitch and a Mountain Cur bitch. All three dogs, especially this unnamed cur bitch and Suey are very quiet, calm dogs. The pup can get rough sometimes, but pups will be pups. My brother showed up with his wife, newest daughter and my niece, who issss 5 now I believe. I was told this little girl was mean, but I did not know what I was about to see.
She picks up a BAT and smacks the poor cur over the hips with it. So help me, she wasn't doing anything. Just laying there. Little brat hits her twice until the dog got scared and ran beneath a vehicle. She went after it, until my father said something to her. Her excuse was 'I don't want it around me'.
Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, she turned to Suey. Suey has been through hell and back in his life. He's a tough old guy and in his golden years, I highly feel he deserves some peace. Little brat ran up to him and drew that bat back. I took it from her and promptly informed her I was "going to bust [her] ass" if she hit him. She stomped off and eye'd me the rest of the time.
Her mother sat there the whole time laughing. I gave her a mouth full too and didn't stay too long after that.

Parents encourage this sort of behavior. Some kids really do get off lucky.

 

[Willowy]

It's worse when the kid walks up and kicks your dog for no reason, then says "my daddy does that to our dog all the time!". Kids only know what they're raised with.

 

[Nev Allen]

It's worse when the kid walks up and kicks your dog for no reason, then says "my daddy does that to our dog all the time!". Kids only know what they're raised with.

And therein lies the crux of it. I do believe every dog owner needs to pass a test to own a dog. If you can prove you are a responsible person you get to own a dog.

 

[Rottysrule]

wow some kids.. my niece n the little boy i watch have to say sorry and can't go near the dogs if they hurt them in anyway... you know the stepping on the paw by accident then its just a sorry but they have to say they are sorry to the dog not to me but to the dog. if they are to rough with the dog or puppy i look at them and tell them i will do it to them... My niece doesn't like not being able to play with Nyx so she always careful and well behaved with her. I do wish some parents would teach their kids better though

 

[Willowy]

I do wish some parents would teach their kids better though

All parents teach their kids just fine. Every single thing a parent does teaches the kids something. It's WHAT they teach that's the issue. . .

 

[rotten]

I think that alongside the usual road safety, dont play with fire/matches, should be: how to behave with a dog early years class. Im sure this could go a long way toward reducing some of our dog bites and PTS consequences.

And all of us taking responsibility and optimizing any opportunity you get, to help a dog nervous person along. By not allowing our 'perfectly safe' dogs, to wander up to strangers and scare the crap out of them unnecessarily.

I found lurking outside of school gates at kick out time, with my pups, pairing: being mauled by screaming toddlers = Chopped Pork, Yeah! apart from a tendency to focus on rounding the smaller guests up first, Bernie is happy to have them come visit us at home. Pohm can knock tiny people over and still can jump excitedly. But we are getting there.

If visitors do not correct their own children for unacceptable behaviour to a dog, i am happy to. Most kids just need a correct way of interacting, and their off!

 

[Abbylynn]

Having four children myself ... and now little Nieces and Nephews ... I have always taught them " Respect " for all living creatures.

" Respect " goes a long way and not just with living creatures .... I wish all parents taught this right from the beginning.

 

[marsha=whitie]

-.-' eh.

I went to visit my father for the first time in years a couple weeks ago. While he isn't a man to starve his dogs or beat them or anything, he's not somebody who's willing to step up and take any sort of responsibility for them. To him, a good dog is one that stays home and out of the way.
He has three dogs, currently, a Pit X Cur X Heeler that he's had since he was 4 weeks old. (long story, dad's not the bad guy in this). Suey is now about 14 years old, very arthritic and nearly deaf. Poor guy's barely chuggin'. He also has a very young Fiest mix bitch and a Mountain Cur bitch. All three dogs, especially this unnamed cur bitch and Suey are very quiet, calm dogs. The pup can get rough sometimes, but pups will be pups. My brother showed up with his wife, newest daughter and my niece, who issss 5 now I believe. I was told this little girl was mean, but I did not know what I was about to see.
She picks up a BAT and smacks the poor cur over the hips with it. So help me, she wasn't doing anything. Just laying there. Little brat hits her twice until the dog got scared and ran beneath a vehicle. She went after it, until my father said something to her. Her excuse was 'I don't want it around me'.
Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, she turned to Suey. Suey has been through hell and back in his life. He's a tough old guy and in his golden years, I highly feel he deserves some peace. Little brat ran up to him and drew that bat back. I took it from her and promptly informed her I was "going to bust [her] ass" if she hit him. She stomped off and eye'd me the rest of the time.
Her mother sat there the whole time laughing. I gave her a mouth full too and didn't stay too long after that.

Parents encourage this sort of behavior. Some kids really do get off lucky.

I would have busted her the first time. That is completely uncalled for. If that little girl keeps doing that, a dog could become fearful towards children... her mother is a freaking ditz to think that that was funny.

It's worse when the kid walks up and kicks your dog for no reason, then says "my daddy does that to our dog all the time!". Kids only know what they're raised with.

True. I was talking about it with my mother later in the evening, and I remembered how my cousins' wife treats her chihuahua when she barks. She SMACKS the dog upside the head to get her to quiet down. Maybe the kids are seeing that and think that it's okay? I will most likely see her again today and will say something about it. I mean, if her kids walk up to a strange dog and did that, who knows what the dog would do.

Having four children myself ... and now little Nieces and Nephews ... I have always taught them " Respect " for all living creatures.

" Respect " goes a long way and not just with living creatures .... I wish all parents taught this right from the beginning.

YES. My son is turning one this month and is already learning respect. He's starting to understand that he doesn't pull the cats tails, or poke Bryna in the face or tug on her ears. For the most part he leaves the animals alone, but sometimes Bryna and Callie lay down next to him and he plays with their tags. lol

Thankfully, my dogs are okay with my son. Bryna tolerates pretty much everything, and Callie is starting to.

 

[HollowHeaven]

her mother is a freaking ditz to think that that was funny.

'Ditz' is not the word for her. She's actually a pathetic piece of white trash that has no business having children.

 

[Foyerhawk]

My son just turned three, and he doesn't always know how to behave with a dog (and we have five and he has been raised with countless fosters, etc from the time of his birth). But I would NEVER let him run up and smack a dog! He would be laughing and clueless when he did it, not mean. But it's still my job to watch him and teach him better. I do think he is getting old enough to grasp it now that he has turned three, and I definitely think a four year old should know better.

 

[Fuzzy Pants]

'Ditz' is not the word for her. She's actually a pathetic piece of white trash that has no business having children.

+1
Some people should be speutered.

 

[marsha=whitie]

'Ditz' is not the word for her. She's actually a pathetic piece of white trash that has no business having children.

Don't you just love people like that? /sarcasm

 

[Greater Swiss]

OOhhhh, stuff like this is the main reason I don't like being around kids. Its not necessarily the kids, its the parents! Say the wrong thing to a kid (even if it is something reasonable like "Don't hit the dog with the bat" or "Don't kick the dog"), and some parents get RIGHT in your face about it. I've never had a scenario involving a dog, but I've asked kids before not to do something rude before and what did I get: "Don't tell my daughter what to do". I just don't bother now, I don't even interact with kids much unless I know their parents and they know me....too many times I just bite my tongue until it bleeds.
There seems to be so many ignorant behaviours that kids either learn from their parents or are allowed to get away with....the expression shouldn't be "some people's kids", it should be "some kid's parents"
Not to say there aren't great parents out there....but it just gets so depressing sometimes hearing some of these stories, and seeing horrible behaviour go unchecked.

 

[Amaryllis]

I, being the only dog owner on my husband's side, have taught 7 children proper behavior around dogs. It's quite simple: do what I say or you go away, not the dog. He lives here.

I just got back from the dog park and there were 4 children under 10 in the big dog side. Looked to be 8, 6, 4 and 2. Official rules: no kids under 13. We were in the small dog side. I watched these kids torment dogs on both sides while nobody did anything. They were screaming, running, hitting, pulling tails, throwing rocks. Finally, they hit Kabota with a rock and begire i can say a word my mother in law pulls out her phone and announces she's calling the police for violating the age rule. Two adults who hadn't looked at the kids once the entire time hustled them and 3 huge lab mixes out in a hurry.

I bet daily life in that house is just awesome.

 

[LazyZoe]

I can't even imagine not teaching a child how to respect animals. Our son is 2 years, 3 months and grew up around cats who tolerated him very well. When we adopted Zoe we made sure she was "kid friendly" but of course, you never know. He's tried to pull her ears a few times and has even intentionally hit her, which is now an automatic time out. I don't want to be "that mom" whose kid doesn't know how to be gentle with animals >.<

 

[hargyle]

wow. this is slightly startling ! We never had dogs growing up, but cats, and we were taught from day 1 to only touch the animal when they come to you and NEVER EVER hit,tug, taunt ... or else you get bit. My mom was always laid back, but step out of line and you knew who was in charge.
Now I teach kids art, we brought in a dog once as a model and the one little boy walked up and full out yanked on the dogs tail because he wanted him to turn around. I had the parent take the child home for inappropriate behaviour, she had a few choice words for me but I have a no nonsense rule and if its broken, sorry -- but those are the rules. Parents really can be too lethargic about their children -- until its too late ... then its someone elses fault.