As most of you people know I walk my dogs a lot night and day. This is not a knock against kids controlling dogs. But more a knock on unaware, untrained owners and dogs (dogs with no basic OB), or unrealistic expectations here is the scenrio.

We are walking along, 4 pm yesterday, my Two dogs on leash in a (informal heel). Situation no 1. A mans working under his car in his front yard. His 12 week old puppy (Winmenhumer (I can't say it so I can't spell it) bluish/grey coat) in a down but not leashed. The mans under the car the puppy sees us and run into the street, I have to cross the street and shout "Stop" at his puppy still running and hold my hand up to stop this on coming van from blindsiding the puppy. The puppy is met by my Rott and scampers back to its owner who is now standing watching and wondering what happen. He doesn't say a word, but put his pup in the garage.

Situation 2 we continue our walk 35 yards away this little girl holding her dog on leash, the dog starts pulling the kids our way (chow mix pit bull chow like head low coat pit body) growling they were appraoching from the west, at the same time Situation 3. To the north another kids dog 45 yards away (a black setter mix) off leashed approaches barking and growling, each kid was telling their dog they must be crazy. Both dogs seem to be young and only bluffing as we walked by them 5 yards away they stopped barking and freeze. Both of my dogs hair was stanidng up on their back, they had split up to meet both dogs.

A "leave it" command started them walking ahead still looking from side to side but they kept walking. I didn't say anything bad to the kids because they are just kids. I just told them they have to be more careful. But that could have been a potentially dangerous situation, if my dogs were not taught to ignore such advancements. The kids asked could they pet my dogs and do they bite. My reply is "All dogs bite", we kept walking, not mad but getting out of the situations.

Dogs and kids make a nice setting, but they must have some kind of control of their animal.

Do you mean "Weimaraner" (prounounced WHY-MUH-RAIN-UR)?

I do think it can be dangerous for kids to walk dogs. My teenage daughters are not allowed to walk ours without training collars, period.

Yeah, the (Grayish/Blue) hunter, ok the wonders of this board now I can spell it and say it. The dogs that are a pair of famous models. A Weimaraner. :rolleyes:

These kids look to be in Situation 2: 8-9 yr. old young girl and in Situtation 3: Two 11-13 yr. old young girls. The parents needs to know that a 8-9 year old cannot control a dog unles they have some dog training skills and a untrained dog need to be leashed. Of course there is always that primal sense of pride some people have when they see their dog acting aggressive and they think unafraid.

People are always saying that their dog won't bite, I don't beleive them, "All dogs will bite in a given situation". I use to beleive that too, my dog won't bite, and said the same thing. The more I work with dogs the more I know that in a given situation all dogs will bite.

I also beleive through training you can curve this urge to bite, they trust your decision and are less wolfy, flight or bite.

And as I've heard it said on this board they usually bite the owner or a memeber of the pack. Maybe not trying to hurt but trying to raise up in status or keeping someone else from raising. Dogs think differently then humans, we need to stop thinking that they think/respond like humans. There are so many factors that would cause a dog to bite, there is no way I'd would say my or any dog won't bite.

There is a man who lives near the house were there are two GSD (these dogs will grab each other if they bump into each other) behind a fence they apparently bark all the time. He has dogs that bark when we past but they are behind a solid stockade fence. He braggs on how well behave my dogs are because I will sometimes go through OB drill during all this distraction (sometimes I'll drop the leash, I know thats dangerous). They do fine, but with all this bragging, if he was to walk his dogs by my house he would be greeted the same way his dogs and the two GSD greet people, Who are you? Get away from my home!!!!

Without me my dogs, are just dogs. And that is the way it should be. We'll maybe not just dogs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Children should simply not be able to walk dogs onleash w/out adult supervision. I'd hate to think of what would have happened if a fight had started up.

Okay I am probably stepping head on into the firing range here <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> -but I do let my daughter (9 years old) walk our GSD-with me along with of course. This is only in the country, and when no other dogs, or on-coming vehicles are around. She handles him beautifully-and he walks better with her than he does me. Now I do not recommend that everyone let their kids go out and walk their dogs...ESPECIALLY UNSUPERVISED, but I do feel that kids should learn the proper way to handle a dog and be part of that dogs PROPER training. My daughter is right next to me when we do obedience and knows how to handle him, she knows the "bad" dogs of the neighborhood and how to act when confronted by them-because yes they may bite and yes they are alway loose. The parents of those children should be talked to, ignorance needs to quite handing down/breeding ignorance. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> Good luck on future walks-and look out for the crazys <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I agree that children need to be taught how to be good dog owners. in 10 or so years these children will be adults, and if they aren't taught the right way to act around dogs their children will probably be even more clueless.

Dee Dee, thank goodness for responsible parents like you. You are doing a favor, both for your kids and the lucky dogs that they will have as adults.

Dee Dee, my 6 year old daughter also has always worked with me and our dogs. She is more than able to walk them around onleash as long as I am there with her-as you do with your daughter. We just joined a local Schz. club near us and she has been out with me each time-I just think as long as she is willing to learn-she is more than able to come along with. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Children w/ the family dog out in the yard/street or wherever w/out a parent however REALLY ticks me off though.

just my two cents - kids and dogs are a lot like kids and guns: teach them the dangers, teach them to respect them, and teach them the right way to handle them.

education is the key to avoiding "accidents" with any potentially dangerous situation, with kids and adults alike.

there are a lot of idiots out there - and unfortunately, some of them are parents.

my most recent experience - not a 'kids handling dogs' thing, but a 'kids and dogs' thing: i had my 5 month old GSD (just a puppy, wouldn't hurt anything - except maybe the mallard duck couple that hangs out there, but he can't catch them...) out at a park near my home. so i have him on lead, working on some basic obedience with his ball-on-a string and this family comes walking up the sidewalk to the park. lo and behold, here comes the 4 year old running across the park, right up to us with his parents walking 100 yds behind. the kid comes right up to us. i put my pup in a sit (not cuz he would hurt him - just cuz he might "puppy" him to death) and tell the kid to calm down and stand back. kid ignores me, then decides to pick up my pups ball which is laying nearby, despite my warnings not to (again, reasonable cause for a "puppying" incident). when the parents finally catch up, i made one simple comment as i walked my dog away - "you know, i think they make leashes for kids, too." the look of guilt and shame was priceless.

like i said, not the same thing, but felt like sharing anyway.

The problem isnt in the child as much as it is in the dog.The dogs usually wont respect a child, dogs usually look at children in their family as equals or buddies or less. It is also hard to find a kid under 13 or 12 that is actually able to train a dog correctly. Im not saying that you shouldnt educate your kid, I just wouldnt trust that the dog is gonna respond to them in distraction situations the same way it will with me.