Ahhh....I do love you guys.

Geez, Michael, I'd always just ASSUMED you were a puppy beater/kid hater. Boy is my face red!

Lindsay is a nice, sensitive person. That sensitivity does not translate into her having done anything wrong here. I wouldn't have had a second thought about the kid crying, personally.

Whoa whoa.. I didn't expect this thread has gone too far.. I do appreciate that you guys believe I did the right thing, and I believe I handled it in the right way. I did not expect to make a really young kid cry with out really explaining why.

If this was a deaf kid who knows how to sign, I would explain very simple that my dog is scary right now and he is not ready for petting. I couldn't explain to her because 1. I can't speak fluently, and 2. I don't know if the kid will understand it 100%.

I have told kids in the past many times not to pet Roo, and they didn't find it offensive. They were like oh ok and left us alone. I know what Roo will do. He could bite but he hasn't. I know what he will do if a kid decided to pet him, he would jump on them and bark right in their face. If the kid get scared, I wouldn't be surprised if Roo would nip on their face. I didn't want that to happen so I was able to get him to sit, ignore, and be neutral with kids.

When I told the little girl no, she went back to her parents crying. I feel bad for her that her mother didn't come with her to ask me for permission if I said no, then it is better for the mother to be there to explain her daughter.

 Quote: Lindsay Janes

Whoa whoa.. I didn't expect this thread has gone too far.. I do appreciate that you guys believe I did the right thing, and I believe I handled it in the right way. I did not expect to make a really young kid cry with out really explaining why.

If this was a deaf kid who knows how to sign, I would explain very simple that my dog is scary right now and he is not ready for petting. I couldn't explain to her because 1. I can't speak fluently, and 2. I don't know if the kid will understand it 100%.

I have told kids in the past many times not to pet Roo, and they didn't find it offensive. They were like oh ok and left us alone. I know what Roo will do. He could bite but he hasn't. I know what he will do if a kid decided to pet him, he would jump on them and bark right in their face. If the kid get scared, I wouldn't be surprised if Roo would nip on their face. I didn't want that to happen so I was able to get him to sit, ignore, and be neutral with kids.

When I told the little girl no, she went back to her parents crying. I feel bad for her that her mother didn't come with her to ask me for permission if I said no, then it is better for the mother to be there to explain her daughter.

Ditto.

And ditto that the parents explain, not a total stranger. I cannot even imagine what my reaction would be to someone I don't know going into a lesson in behavior, even a needed and to the stranger's mind appropriate lesson, to my child rather than explaining to me and letting me explain to the child.

Looks like we've covered it and heard from all POVs.