I remember attending a "first night" celebration (new years' eve gala) with two of my dogs - both Schh titled, both very well behaved and good with children. However, I don't have kids of my own and my dogs are not used to everything kids often do to dogs, so I am very vigilant and careful, watchful of my dogs when kids are petting them. Just in case.
So I was walking along, and a group of little girls came skipping by - probably around 6 years old. One stopped and turned toward the dogs, stood there, then started giggling, running toward the dogs with hand stretched out, getting very close but not quite touching, then zipping away again. She did this a few times, my dogs were rock-steady - I looked around for her parents to tell them to make her stop - no parents. So I told her, "you need to stop running around the dogs - if you would like to pet them, you can walk up calmly, and then you can pet them - but you should not run up to dogs, you are teasing them" Really, she was AGITATING them - I wouldn't have blamed them if they had fired up - but of course they didn't - they know the difference between a hyper child and a "bad man" doing the same basic body language.
Just then, the mother showed up and yelled at me for speaking to her child in that manner. "you shouldn't have your dogs here in a public place if they are dangerous". I responded - "if my dogs were dangerous, your child would have been bitten long before now, the way she is acting around them" - but there was no talking to her. Cute little girl, if she did the same thing to the wrong dog, she wouldn't be so cute anymore.

grrrr.

molly

I socialized my dog with children by sitting with him on a park bench just outside a playground nearly every day when he was very young. Some parents were happy to let their kids touch the dog gently, and I was able to control the interactions. I also took him with me when I walked my daughter to middle school, and encouraged the pre-teen set to give him some attention. Now that he is full grown very few parents will let their kids touch him.

I did have one very bizarre interaction with an adult. Sometime last year, when walking my young dog on a busy street some strange guy just suddenly reached down and KISSED HIM ON THE NOSE as he passed us! If he had tried that with my older dog, he would have been bitten. My dog was on lead of course.

Molly
You sound like you live in my town LOL.
I have lost count of the times I've either asked parents to have their kids stop or told the kids to stop running at my dog or trying to pet him. The kids don't listen and parents seem to yell at me for having such a mean dog. Even thou my dog has never bitten anyone and always obeyed me.
He is a large soild black mix, I've had since 9 weeks. He is a Doberman,Chow,Pit mix not of course the mix any mentally stable person would do by choice.
He is very smart very aggersive and has LOTS of drive, I've worked hard with this dog on OB and lots more one is "focus" (or look at me) He is very solid if he was not there be at least 4 wounderful children and 2 adults that would not stop TRYING to see if they could get him to charge, pretty stupid but for real. Three of the kids where teasing boys between 6 and 10 the other was a little girl in the 2nd grade, her mother standing just feet away and though I told this child many times not to come closer, as she had been doing the very same thing running at the dog then backing away, then repeating it and by then my dog was not a happy camper. He saw her as a theart he saw her before I did and had he wanted to he could have bitten her. He did stand to a guared stantace I put him at a down and he was told to "look at me" from that point he didn't move. This lady yelled at me. Cuz I didn't want her kid to pet my dog, even thou I allowed it, and but gave her and her mother a nice but straight forward talk about what could have happened. I was told a "a dog like that should be put down" my dog never moved, he never told his eyes off me. By the way this lady goes to the same church I do and I was told later that her daughter had been bitten in the face when she was 2 by their dog. I should clearify the kids where trying to get him to fire up the adults where just not listening at all to "please leave the dog alone" I agree talking to these people seems to fall on deaf ears, so what is the answer?
Dog attacts are only going to get worse and dogs are going to be blamed as bad dogs, as more and more Americans are trying to make dogs into little kids or some kind of person. But of course like with most parents these days they don't have a clue how to train kids let a lone the dogs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Of course, no one wants anything to happen to make a child afraid of dogs, but in a perfect world, they would at least have a little common sense. I have a somewhat interesting neighborhood, in that it's unincorporated, which translates into: no association rules, so both dogs and children run all over, in and out of the street and other peoples' yards. I could not leave my dog outside, in my fenced yard, if he was aggressive to children. Luckily, he has a lot more tolerance for the antics of children than adults. None of the children are afraid of Caleb: all their fathers are. (He's much sweeter and more charming to women than men).

Anyway, the kids' favorite plaything is my 1yr old pekingese. He's also Caleb's favorite plaything, and he's quite possessive/protective of him. Occasionally, I'll put Caleb and the peke (Dustin) outside alone, and take my chi for a walk around the block. I've come home to find that Dustin has been taken out of the yard by the kids, and Caleb has climbed the fence to be with Dustin. This really upset me because 1) Caleb was loose, 2) I'd hate to see what he'd do if an ADULT was bothering Dustin 3) Guess who'd be sued if there was a problem? and the list goes on.

I told the primary culprit (a seven yr old girl) not to play with Dustin when I'm not outside and Caleb is. She replied "He sure gets angry, but he doesn't scare ME!" I would've gone to her parents, but she already gets yelled at more than any child I know, and her mother isn't a big fan of me anyway. Luckily, Caleb seems to like the girl, and enjoy her crazy games. What terrifies me is if her father happened to try to intervene when she's climbing my fence. I can't even leave my dogs outside for 5 minutes anymore. I'm not about to wait until something happens. I know my dog, and he's very predictable, but every animal has a breaking point, and when you combine that with a need to protect their own, you can have serious trouble. People already think I'm trying to make him vicious because they see him eating raw meat. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sorry for the length, but this post got me in a venting mood. Any suggestions? I hate to go door to door warning people about my dog, because I'm afraid that would just add to their fear of him, and I really don't want any neighborhood trouble. The last thing I need would be for my dog to be let loose, then picked up by animal control because any of the parents whose kids let him out were afraid to grab him. Animal control finds out his vaccines aren't current...hassle,hassle,hassle.

Unfortunately, I think the burden is prety much on you if your dog can leave your yard and hurts someone. If a kid climbs a fence and gets bit in the yard, I would guess you would be better off legally, but I am not a lawyer. If the dog is not up to date with rabies vaccination, I think you would face a legal problem no matter where a kid was bit. How do the kids get the Peke out of the yard? Are they climbing the fence? Would you consider a taller fence? Can you take the peke with you on these walks?

Yes, they climb my fence. Like I said, what scares me is if an adult male were to intervene-my dog is very tolerant of children, but not so tolerant of adults. Once those kids are in my yard, Caleb sees them as HIS kids. I do allow them over when I'm outside, so I guess they don't see the difference. Maybe I'll just have to forbid them altogether <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />.
The fence height doesn't seem to matter-it's a 6ft privacy, but they stack chairs on their side so they can jump over to my side, then do the same once they're in my yard. I'm more annoyed with the principle than anything else. The fact is, they're lucky my dogs are the way they are. It scares me that their parents don't have a problem with them climbing neighbor's fences. It's not pleasant to walk 3 dogs of such differing sizes at once, and I don't feel I should have to. It's my property, and my dogs are safely enclosed. Caleb only climbs the fence if the kids have left a chair there, and "stolen" his dog.

Maybe I over-vented. It truly is more of an annoyance thing than anything else, but I just can't help but think what if something happened to one of my dogs because the little insurgents let them out? Would I be able to sue? I'll bet I'd have a much tougher case than if one of my dogs did something to their children, even if in my fenced yard. It's really not fair, but that's the way it is. There seems to be no talking to these parents. I've tried in subtle ways, but they just don't see the potential for problems. And most of them think he's a lab, anyway <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />! I worry more about if they carry on this behavior to someone else's dogs.

I think under these circumstances, I would not be at all subtle with the parents. Tell them the kids are TRESSPASSING, and STEALING your dog, and that you will take legal action if it occurs again. The kids are the responsibility of the parents. You can also say that you do not allow your dogs to play with children unsupervised, even though they are very gentle with children. Remember, this is your property, your land and your animals, and you do have the authority. The kids themselves should listen to you. I am sure they would not like someone to steal their things, even very young children can understand this concept. Tell them they are welcome to ring your doorbell or knock on the gate and ask if the small dog is available to play under your supervision, but if I were you, I would keep them away from the larger dog. If it is protective of its buddy, and the kids are accidently rough with the Peke, you could have a bad situation. I know at least my older dog could not be trusted in that scenerio.

Hi Jenni,
Just a thought, have you tried vandal paint across the top of your fence? My mum uses it on her 6 ft fence but has displayed a sign to say it's there so she doesn't get angry parents banging on her door with children covered in it. It's horrible stuff but it stops them and doesn't hurt them.

I have a 6 month old gsd named "Monti" and I've been socialising her by walking around the neighborhood and taking her to the near by park (when its not snowing) and meeting people.

From what I've been seeing posted here, I must say that I am very lucky. All the kids in my area and I do mean all, have actually asked if they could pet her before they approach her. Which is pretty surprising to me as they don't strike me as the types who would ask, just simply do what they wanted to.

Whenever I walk Monti the kids across the street ask how she's doing and if they can pet her. The girls two blocks down do the same.

I've never seen any of the kids try to tease or taunt her, and these are all pre-teen kids. They just pet her and talk to her sweetly. I've never asked them to do it, they just did. So, I count myself VERY lucky with the kids in my area and its not the greatest of areas to live in either at least the kids are nice even if some of the parents are not. ;-)

John, Lucky You! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Lisa, Interesting idea-I must say it would be amusing at the very least; maybe their parents would pay attention to them if they were covered in paint <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />!

Luckily, with the weather being cold, I haven't seen hide nor hair of an unattended child in my yard. I think when it gets warm again, I'll approach the parents when I see them outside. They may not be aware that their children are actually STEALING Dustin, because I do sometimes allow them to play with him if they ring the doorbell. I'm new in the neighborhood, the only single one without kids, and I've already had a few nasty comments from a few women, so I hesitated to make instant enemies, and tried to be patient. And they really are pretty nice kids overall.

However, in reading these stories and posts, I realize that I'm being too lax, and need to take action to protect my dogs and myself as well as the kids. I just need to try to do this without coming across as a kid-hater if at all possible. If not, oh well. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />