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To be clear, the store that the person brought their dog to is not known to be welcoming to dogs (aka Home Depot). It was at an auto parts store and not a place that I had ever seen dogs before.
Had I taken my daughter to a store that I thought she would encounter dogs, I would have discussed the situation with her beforehand to make sure she would be ok with it, or more likely, left her at home since she didn't need to come with me.
I am a dog lover personally. Think they're great although we don't own one due to work schedules. I did get nipped by a dog when I was about 24, that was no big deal, but then I got bitten by a dog when I was probably 31. That time I was riding my bike down a street, and a dog came charging out of the house, ran up to my leg, sunk it's teeth into my leg and didn't want to leg go. I was left with 2 or 3 puncture wounds that took several months to heal. For many years after that, I didn't like friendly dogs running up to me because I didn't know if the dog would sink it's teeth into me like the one that did when I was on my bike or if they'd just yap away for a little while.
Dogs being taken to places where they are not specifically allowed.... not OK. Dogs running off leash.. also not OK. People who do not take their responsibilities as a dog owner seriously.... very much not OK.
No one hates to hear this more than those of us who are, at all times, aware of our responsibility to not allow our dogs to impact others in a negative way when in public places. I'm sorry your daughter (and you) have had bad experiences with irresponsible owners. And yes, I do blame the owners and not the dogs for the bad choices you've experienced. I hope that will not happen again.
But, I also think that banning all dogs from allowed places because some owners are lousy or some are fearful is.... not OK.
Dogs being taken to places where they are not specifically allowed.... not OK. Dogs running off leash.. also not OK. People who do not take their responsibilities as a dog owner seriously.... very much not OK.
No one hates to hear this more than those of us who are, at all times, aware of our responsibility to not allow our dogs to impact others in a negative way when in public places. I'm sorry your daughter (and you) have had bad experiences with irresponsible owners. And yes, I do blame the owners and not the dogs for the bad choices you've experienced. I hope that will not happen again.
But, I also think that banning all dogs from allowed places because some owners are lousy or some are fearful is.... not OK.
People wear gloves when dealing with cats?!?!? WTH?
Multiple people (and I'm adding myself to the list) have said that they've spent their entire lives around dogs and never been bitten (41 years in my case). Seems to be that the problem is you. My guess is that when encountering a dog, you freak out, and the dog reads it as aggression and reacts in kind. Which is exactly why I've said over and over in this thread that the OP's daughter needs help dealing with her fear.
As an animal advocate, I work with animals in my spare time in volunteer situations.
Yes, you most certainly wear gloves when dealing with cats. Maybe you should volunteer at the shelter some time?
I "freak out" when I see a dog? Not even remotely reasonable. Why would you even say something this inane? It was two situation where I went over to someones house and their nice dog bit me totally unprovoked. Out of nowhere. That anecdotal event was relative to the original post I was replying to. A dog owner is putting themselves at legal risk and someone else at physical risk by assuring themselves that their dog wont bite. Does the dog "sense" an issue with the human? Of course it does. Whatever they sense in me is very disturbing to them. Who is to say how many other people throw off this vibe to canines? Contrary to what my post might look like, I like dogs. I like all animals. The only time I've "freaked out" at a non-human was at a large Python free-range roaming in an acquaintances house. I am disturbed by the behavior of dog owners in urban areas. It is shameful. This is relevant to the OP because if the little girl sees what I do, that is her version of dogs. You guys do not want to acknowledge this as a possibility, others do--So we now have 28 pgs of neener neener billygoat.
Dunno.
Neither of my 50-60 pound dogs seem to scare my 35 pound son or my 20 pound daughter.
The son feeds and waters them daily.
So while I see size being an issue if you're already scared, it doesn't automatically mean anything.
JJ, boy are you spot on about commanding presence.
My ex couldn't control the dog we had together at all. She had zero command presence or credibility as an adult. We got the dog as a puppy, and I could see her rolling her eyes at my ex.
If you're a meek, wispy, tiny kid, I imagine it'd be worse.
Meanwhile, my 4 year old holds the dogs in a sit-stay while filling their bowls and they wait till he gives the release command.
Yes, but each kid is different and there's nothing wrong with that. Like I said upthread, my eldest (who is tall and lean) is "meek" (or rather she is more cautious and tends to exhibit fear more. I think this is a protective instinct) whereas my youngest is absolutely fearless. 4 years old, 45+ lbs and built like a tree, fears nothing. She was never scared of dogs. She loves dogs. My eldest wasn't afraid of the family dog, but she would tense up when an unfamiliar barking, overly excited dog approaches her. That's just her personality and I respect that. I try to help her overcome some of the fears that she has (i.e. the water, since we have a pool and she can't use a floatie all of her life). but I accept that it is what it is.
My entire point with my rebuttals is that the child is being characterized in this topic as having something wrong with them because they are very scared of dogs. I, too, was the same way and it took a lot to overcome it, but I did. It didn't matter that I was tall. it didn't matter that statistically dog bites are few and far between and I was more likely to be struck by lightning than get mauled by a dog. What I did know was that as a child I felt my adrenaline rise the moment I was confronted with a barking dog. A dog running up to me, unleashed, was VERY unnerving. I'm older now and have been approached by loose barking dogs. Because the fear is diminished, I know how to react. But for a child, a dog can be terrifying.
No one is saying the kid isn't scared. Clearly she is. The issue is the OPs demand that the rest of the world should adapt so her daughter never encounters a dog. I agree completely that people should not take dogs to places that don't specifically allow them. And they should always be on leash and under the owners control. But, banning dogs everywhere public because some are afraid? No.
I'm with you on the fear of snakes. I've screamed more than once coming across one in my garden. But, I'm not going to go to a herpetology convention and insist the snakes be removed. They are allowed to be there so it's up to me to either not attend the convention or manage my fear. If the OPs daughter can't be within 100' (her contention) of a dog without freaking out, they need to either avoid places where dogs could be or help her learn to manage her fear.
Agreed. I don't think dogs should be banned everywhere due to people's fears. But, based on OP's follow up post (after our exchange), it seems like the store wasn't "dog friendly" so being confronted suddenly with a barking dog became an issue. If this were my dog and I wasn't in a dog friendly area, I would calmly redirect the dog. Then again, maybe the dog owner was surprised by this too and did try to do something about it. I admit that I do not know what transpired afterwards.
There is also a spacial component to this. A kids perception of a 70 pound dog is going to be that it is more bovine than canine. When they grow, their perception will change commensurately. I have seen people who are very afraid of horses. Not too many people would think that is irrational, but to a little kid, a Doberman, Shepard or other large breed might be interpreted the same to them. Add in a dogs possible hyperactive nature, and you can see why a child might be very afraid of a large beast jumping around and making loud noises. This fear will lessen as their perception changes.
This thread reminds me of a friend I had in med school who was afraid of my 8 week old puppy.
On the grass.
15 feet away.
In. Sane. https://youtu.be/JjxUhvsjOT8
This thread reminds me of a friend I had in med school who was afraid of my 8 week old puppy.
On the grass.
15 feet away.
In. Sane. https://youtu.be/JjxUhvsjOT8
Not my dogs, but truly terrifying.
Those were some super scary adorable balls of fluff. I'm still shaking.
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