Halton Home Inspector wrote:
LovelyThanks4Asking wrote:
There is a reason the owner "just stood there". If they ran towards the dog, the dog would have no way to tell if its owner was running at it, or your kids, would assume your kids and it too would start running at your kids.
No one "runs" 10 or 15 feet, but there is no question that the owner of the dog should have immediately retrieved the dog physically and not stood in the doorway like a moron calling the dog into the home while it barks / confront little kids.
According to human etiquette, yes. But if the owner is trying to teach their dog that children are not threats, it sounds like they did the right thing. If I ran after my dog (or advanced towards him to retrieve him, however you want to phrase it), I would be communicating to him that the children are threats, and by approaching them, I'm becoming the aggressor, and that will not help the situation. If my goal is to get my dog away from a child, I have to first get my dog to trust that I don't feel threatened, which it sounds like the owner did.
I totally understand why someone would outraged that their children can't walk down their street without being scared but the solution to that is not to call them a moron and make judgements on how they handle their dog. I teach my son that if he gets bit by a dog, it will more than likely be his own fault because he's not behaving properly around the dog. He can't rely on the owners that they've trained their dog properly, enclosed it securely or will be there to recall it. What if the handler suffers a heart attack while safely and responsibly walking his dog on a leash, following all rules and by-laws? Accidents happen and people make mistakes. If parents decide that their kids are responsible enough to go out by themselves, they should also be sure that the kids are confident enough to handle these kinds of situations. Therefore, shaking hands and getting to know the owners and the dog might be helpful.
It's unfortunate to see that people seem so offended, almost as if it's a deliberate, personal attack on their rights and freedoms by the owner when they don't receive a warm, friendly greeting from a dog and feel that they should have an unfettered right to approach and pet any dog they choose and it's up to the owner to make sure that their dog likes them. I train with a lot of people who have their dogs as PTS (Post Traumatic Stress) dogs after serving in the military or going through any other violent, traumatic events. The dogs are extremely helpful for them to feel normal and safe. They're not there as a fashion statement or testosterone indicator as people love to assume.
...and yes I fully understand that the kids were doing nothing wrong, not where they weren't supposed to be and the owner was at fault for letting the dog slip out but I'm sure the owner is aware of that but pointing out who is offside doesn't really help the kids or improve their chances of playing safely on their street which they have every right to do.