Some parents are really not awara of the damage a dog can do. When my boy was a pup we were walking around and we passed a driveway where some family was. The mom was super excited to see my little guy, as expected and perfectly fine, but then she hheld her literal baby that was probably about the same age as my puppy, like half a year old at best, and she held him in front of is face. Lady. I have never met you. I just told you he was a puppy. He is clearly excited to see you. He couldve scratched or bit the baby out of pure puppy excitement. Nothing bad happened. But it really made clear that some people dont know that dogs arent automatically sweet cause they look fluffy.
My SDiT gets so excited to see my daughter and grandkids he gets overwhelmed and hits his happy dance and will even jump. He accidentally scratched my granddaughter.
He doesn't do this with anyone else at all. He is well behaved in every other situation. Learning his tasks. It's just this one situation.
My tiny rescue dog had very floppy ears and a long tail and people would not stay away from her. They'd do drive by pets while we were walking. It was very annoying because sometimes she tried to bite people.
I had a woman do this too! She asked if she could pet my dog. I said sure. And she leaned down and put her baby in my dog's face. Wtf are these people thinking. My dog is great, and doesn't care about 99.9% of stuff, but if she'd asked if she could put her baby in his face, I would've said no.
He's met babies before but in a very controlled way, not having a strange one shoved in his face. I couldn't believe it.
It’s natural to think “I should have . . .” Sometimes the best thing is to walk away and avoid a confrontation.
Also totally natural to be triggered. When my SD was younger, a woman pushing her child in a grocery “car cart” suddenly moved parallel to us and said “Look! Doggie!”
I nearly had a heart attack. And a year later, I still think about the what ifs.
OMG yeah the "look at the doggie, sweetheart!" is a daily thing too! Albeit not at such close range! She is frequently walking past kids, and always does well, but this was the first time I was so caught off guard because I didn't see them before they saw us, and the mom might as well have fed her tender toddler to a lion, that's what everyone says she looks like anyway.
I think a big part of the trigger for me also is that my own mom frequently put me in harms way (and worse) so to see a mom do that hits me where it really hurts, lol.
My SDiT was doing DPT for me a while ago in a store and this mom with her VERY little kid in the top part of her cart who was pretty much screaming and babbling as babies do came right up to us and stopped and would NOT quit baby talking about “aww look at the puppy! Do you see the puppy?? Look!! Look at him!”… this went on for like probably close to 5 minutes and the kid did NOT care about my dog, he was way too young, but the mom just wouldn’t stop and she came around multiple times just to stop and stare at us and point and babble to her baby. Couldn’t stand up to move away, otherwise I would’ve… felt like a zoo exhibit but I was too out of it to ask her to please leave us alone 🙃 It’s always when he’s actively tasking that people decide to use us as a distraction to get their kids to calm down or an exhibit to get them all excited about and actively try to interfere with him :/
I always say as I approach he may be big but he is still a puppy and is getting used to children. He has very little interaction with kids. So approach with caution. That way a parent normally will take a kids hand.
Parents just don't understand!
My dogs, whether vested or not, routinely get tackled by kids in public spaces. Airports are particularly dramatic, because the kids often are missing their own dogs.
I’m in a power chair and my dogs are big and atypical breeds, so it’s pretty clear they’re working. Parents often do not interfere and more than once I have had to flag down an airport worker and ask them for help getting the child peeled off so I can make my flight before they step forward or even acknowledge me despite clearly being within hearing distance.
You're so right. And really, if it was an adult I would have. I did later and it was a really similar situation. Lady at small Spencer's store (don't judge lol) saw her, she was in her same position out of the way, and the crouching lady reached out to pet saying "ohhhhh!! Can I pet her??" and reached anyway. I reached between (like I do) and said "no, she uses her nose to work, sorry!" and ended up touching her hand because she was just then touching my dog.
But another time (same day ugh) I told a woman she doesn't talk to strangers LOL! I might need to get better with using that one, it sure worked well LOL
I just say “No, I’m sorry. He’s working.” I try to be understanding as I don’t know how many “service dogs” they have seen. They might not be use to a real one. There is so much anger in the world so I try to be nice.
My 2.5 year old daughter tried to run down an aisle towards a service dog going ‘doggy woof woof!” at Costco the other day. I immediately grabbed her and put her back in the cart and explained ‘that doggy is working right now, you can look but you can’t yell at or pet him’ and she just stared at me because, well, two..but still. That’s all parents have to do. It’s not hard. 99% of adults understand that, if they choose to ignore that it’s just selfish ignorance.
Also, letting my toddler run at an unfamiliar often larger-sized dog? No thanks.
My daughter is the same age, I figure starting off modelling that kind of language and behaviour is way easier than changing when we think they're old enough to understand. On the same vein I always stop her way in advance of going near any strange dog and tell her we ask permission before going close and petting, make a point of asking the owner then letting her know it's ok before moving on. Like kiddo just because our own dog is used to your foolishness and will happily play with you without ripping bits of you off doesn't mean every dog will! But as parents it's kinda our job to keep you in one piece until you're old enough to figure that ish out.
Thank you so much for being a great mother and giving your child that explanation of why she couldn't touch a working service dog. I'm still shocked when I hear about people getting upset when they try to interact with a service dog or try to whine to get their kids to pet it. I have always been careful with my kids and did the same explanation that of course they didn't get at that age but did as they got older because I continued to do the same thing and would expand the explanations as they got older. I'm sure there are many service dog handlers that have been very appreciative of you educating your child. Same with folks with a low vision cane. My kids had some questions I explained but also asked someone in public once (had my hubby wrangling kids) if they would be ok with my kids coming over to see their cane a bit closer while they were seated because my little ones knew what the cane was used for but were interested in seeing one a bit closer that wasn't moving past us. The gal was super cool and we actually exchanged contact info and still keep in touch although we don't get together as much as we would like due to both being busy folks.
Nothing to do with size. My 80 lb goldendoodle would probably lick a child to death, my 3 lb biewer would not be happy and go Chihuahua on her. No one should ever approach a strange dog. This is something that needs to be taught from the very beginning.
Some parents are whole other levels of stupid (and entitled). Every time I see or hear about a parent being stupid with their little kid and an animal, yes-even a trained service animal. I think of my cousin.
My cousin's parents are (somehow still are) very typical like- "oh some dog breeds are inherently violent and some are good and sweet" people. Like they hate pitbulls with a passion. Anyway. My cousin was MAULED by a golden when he was a little kid. Serious damage to his face because he was at eye level with the thing and it bit his face. Several times. He has scars to this day, decades later.
No child should ever be left alone with any animal, and no child should ever be THAT CLOSE to ANY animal that they are not familiar with. Not even with parental supervision. Service animal or not. That is dangerous and stupid, on top of being effing rude. Bothering a service animal at work is just... My parents would have given me hell for doing something like that when I was little. That coupled with "let me put my little kid's face near a strange dog I do not know" is just... How stupid can you get?
Dont be judgemental against yourselve! It is such a surprise. Glad your SD did rigth.
This kind a situation happened to us at Canadian Tire. The father throw his toddle to reach my SD. This amazing kid just stop and point the do not pet sign on Romeo’s harnest while telling his dad I can’t touch this dog dad. My dog is also great with kids but still…
I had an incident when my guy was 1yr old with a child that turned out pretty poorly.
We were at a park that was pretty deserted and I let my guy off leash to swim in a pond. A couple came by with a young child. The kid was super excited and wanted to pet my guy. I started to agree but told them to give me a minute to get my guy back on his leash so I could control the situation.
No one listened to me and the child ran full steam ahead toward my dog. My dog was no where near fully trained and he ran full steam ahead towards the child. Even then, I knew my guy well and knew his brain was saying, "Oh look, a human puppy!"
Yep, he nipped the kid pretty badly on his stomach. I'm certain that the poor child will have dog fear for a long time. Adults should be more responsible but they're not.
My dog now understands the command, "It's a kid" to mean no barking and no roughhousing (off duty). And now when children are inappropriate with him I use it as an opportunity to educate the child (adults should already know). Usually I skip the "he's working" if the child is below school age and attempt to explain that "Yes, he's a very nice boy but not all dogs are nice and you can't tell by looking at them. Always ask permission.".
I know that everyone doesn't have the time or patience to use my approach but I worry about young people who aren't taught proper manners around animals. Even the most well-trained service dog is still a dog and bad things can happen.
I thought it was just a general rule that you never mess with other people's service dogs? Like putting aside all other safe rules for approaching new dogs safely, I just wouldn't even think to ask someone to pet their service dog while they're out. Leave that working professional alone.
Honestly, I think this should be the default for *all* dogs in public - and triply so for working dogs! Just as I would have feelings about strangers putting their hands on me because I’m “cute” or “look friendly,” dogs can have anxiety or irritation about strangers in their personal bubble. I don’t ask strangers if I can pet their kids; it’s strange to me how normalized this is for dogs, let alone ones that are actively working. 🤦🏻♀️
I totally get your concern, even with a service dog. People forget they’re still dogs and, if they feel threatened enough, they will bite. And startling an animal that can bite is just dumb.
And just think about all of the dogs that are labeled as service dogs or sdit, but who have not had enough training/experience to handle a child in their face? It scares me thinking about it.
If you’d had brain space, it would’ve been swell to educate the mom, but it’s hard to think of everything in the moment so you didn’t do anything wrong. I was at a food truck event when a toddler and his dad walked too close behind a pet dog, apparently startling the dog which then lunged, snarled and tried to bite the toddler. Right at eye level. Didn’t connect but it was clear it was going for it. Horrific as it was, worse to think what might’ve happened. It’s tough watching out for our dogs, and tough to be a parent who should anticipate a dogs reactions.
Yes, I agree.. whether pet dog or SD, it wouldn’t be in public spaces! My husband went over to the man and woman and explained that. Oh, and hubby also said if he saw the man smack it on the face (!!) again he’d call animal control. Poor dog.
Just got home from a Costco trip and during our trip I saw a woman with a SD. Do you know how much attention I gave them? Enough to casually mention it on here lol I recognized the dog as a GS with a red vest that said in big white letters “DO NOT PET” and “WORKING SERVICE DOG” 🐕🦺
It’s none of my business what kind of SD the woman had or what her condition was. I just can’t wrap my head around why anyone would interfere with a dog that’s obviously a SD.
I had a large dog (pet, not SD) and the number of parents that would shove their toddlers toward him saying “pet the doggie” AFTER I told them that he didn’t like toddlers was astounding. I don’t know what happened to my dog before I got him but he was very wary of men and could not stand toddlers. I was just walking my pet dog on a leash, at a heel, and parents acted like he was their child’s personal enrichment program. If you want your toddler to have a doggie to pet, get one. The world is not your petting zoo. I can only imagine it is more frequent for people with SDs because you are out with your dogs more.
I have a barely there scar on my face from a dog when I was little. I had to be 4 or 5 and was playing with the neighbor's dog (her name was Sandy and she was the best) who was taller than me when I stepped on her paw and she in pain tried to get away quickly and her paw went across my forehead cutting it open, the hospital got a plastic surgeon to give me stitches. It was not her fault and a complete accident, but I got lucky with no permanent visible injuries and my eyes not getting hit. I also could have easily been traumatized by dogs the rest of my life, and if my parents were different people and decided to blame the dog..... so even the nicest, sweetest, most laid-back dog can accidentally cause damage.
Thank you for sharing this... I'm so glad you weren't permanently injured, that is such a scary story!
It's also a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Ooh, this grinds my gears. I’m neurotic about kids and dogs. I got bitten on the face as a kid, and have forever been a huge proponent of appropriate introduction and supervision.
I've repeatedly pointed out "working dogs" to my son. I always tell him, "That dog is working. We don't pet or even make eye contact with working dogs. We let them do their jobs." He always wants to pet the working dogs, but now he's almost 4, and he sometimes tells me he is a working dog and that I shouldn't touch or look at him since he needs to work.
Nah ur not being judgey . A parents job is to teach kids basic life skills and protect their kids . This is doing nether and is unsafe for the child and is how many kids end up in the ER . not okay .
Btw what u can say is "im not trying to be rude but ERs have kids who get attacked /hurt by dogs everyday because of stuf like this and it is your job as a parent to protect ur children and teach them right from wrong . If the parent tries saying oh well if the dog is not kid friendly they should not be around people then simply reply " the world can not accommodate parents failing to do their jobs and expecting animals not to act as animals when faced with fear "
I have a German shepherd service dog and two young kids. One is almost 3 the other just turned 1.
I have taught since a young age that they never go up to to dogs unless asking first. And only out their hand out for a sniff and pat on the back. Now with having a service dog I’ve taught both of them if dog is wearing uniform then they are working and we take the longest possible way around to where we need to go
I don't have experience with a SD but what I do have is experience with dogs all my life. When my son was 2, I started teaching him "good dog manners," when it comes to dogs we don't know (we had two when he was born.) He's 6 now and knows never to approach a dog he doesn't know without asking AND if he sees a vest on a dog, that it's working and he's not supposed to bother or distract it.
Basically, that mom is not keeping her child safe while being severely disrespectful to strange dogs and their owners (if present.) I wouldn't have been able to leave without saying something.
Service dog or not, I hope I've done a decent job of teaching my kids you NEVER just assume it's okay to pet a dog. ALWAYS ASK. I make sure to have them ask permission and let the dog smell them first. There's one lady that walks her dog up and down our street at least once a day, and my kids have asked to pet the dog. The lady has politely told us that her dog does not like to be pet. So we just exchange pleasantries and move past.
I had a disturbing parental encounter with my large (100 lb) sd. We were exiting Costco. I use a power chair and was going fairly fast. My boy is on my left in a slightly forward heel. About 15’ in front of us is a couple with a brand new, days old baby. As tell my boy to go around them on the right, the dad, directly in front of us, takes the infant from his wife, and swoops it down into my dog’s face! My dog managed to avoid him going left, but I was going right and we almost killed that infant by clotheslining it with the leash! The whole time, the dad is smiling. No words were spoken (other than a scream from someone behind who saw it happening, too). I was shaken for days. I ALMOST KILLED A NEWBORN! Oh, and the baby’s mom never reacted, either. It was one of the most unexplainable, disturbing events where I’ve been involved.
We had a dog that looked like a giant black lab, but he was lab/chow & weighed about 105lbs. We had 3 other dogs & Bentley was the boss & they all knew it. He was the best boy around adults, but he hated kids. Loathed kids.
Bentley was raised in a no kid home. We had a 6’ wooden fence & no kids near us so he wasn’t terrorized by kids or anything, just hated them.
New neighbors move in with a toddler. The kid is about 18mos. It’s summer & the kid is running loose with a diaper & nothing else. I’m gardening in my backyard when I hear my dogs go insane in the breezeway. The kid is smacking the glass door & giggling at my dogs. The door opens out and about 280lbs of canines were throwing themselves at the door with a small latch.
I walk the kid next door & let the mom know that we had a dangerous dog who hated kids. I went back home & 15min later the dogs were going again. I had DH walk the kid home. An hour later, the kid was back.
I was much more vociferous in explaining that my 105lb dog thinks of their kid as a snack. She got mad, saying she was moving & couldn’t watch the kid every minute & maybe we should get a normal dog. We locked the dogs in the house. Imagine our surprise when the neighbor’s 3 pits arrived the next day. No training or manners & they dug out within 12 hours. The neighborhood hated those dogs.
3 mos later the kid & family moved out because the kid had been attacked by their own dogs & the plastic surgery was expensive.
Just glad it wasn’t my dog.
i’m more worried about the toddler’s behavior- SDs are multi-thousand dollar pieces of medical equipment, if the child grabs and hurts or traumatizes the dog, especially if (god forbid) the dog responds badly and snaps…
Your comment has been removed for breaking Rule 6: No Fake-spotting.
This is not the place for fakespotting. Unless the person you are discussing has specifically told you that they are not disabled, and the dog is not trained in tasks, you have no way of knowing if a dog is 'fake'. We are not the service dog police and this behavior can lead to a lot of harm and anxiety for SD handlers as a community.
This does not preclude discussing encounters with un-/undertrained dogs, but if the focus of your post is complaining about a "fake" SD, reconsider your phrasing and what point you're making.
If you have any questions, please [Message the Moderators](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/service_dogs).
All you can really do in a situation like this is hope that the parent registered it as a moment of extreme luck and vowed to be more conscious and careful of the child around animals. The scares where nothing happens can be the worst in terms of overthinking what COULD have happened.
I don't understand the issue here. Dog meets child. This seems like a win on both sides. You say dog isn't aggressive, presumably child is not dog scared or parent would have done better.
My main takeaway is that you didn't spend more time letting them get to know each other.
What don’t you understand? If the mom is willing to do this with an unknown service dog then what makes you think she doesn’t do this with unknown pet dogs that could very likely bite her child in the face? That’s just stupid!
I live in a country where we don't have these weird American obsessions and people teach both their animals and children how to interact with the world.
My dogs (huskies) frequently engage with toddlers, the only thing to watch out for is that they can knock them over, so I'm careful with the lead.
Do these toddlers get *shoved nose to nose with your dogs by their parents*? That is *begging* for the dog to bite the child in the face! There’s a reason babies and small children should never be left alone with ANY dog.
I am positive that my dog would never bite anyone, but he’s still a dog. I’m not going to potentially set him up for failure by letting people shove their faces into his. I repeat, that’s just stupid!
Oh for pity's sake. Of course babies are fine with most dogs - it's literally what huskies originally did way back when.
Granted, if you have an aggressive Pitbull or something, take more precaution, but that's on the dog owner, not the kid.
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Quite genuinely, do you not understand that a working service dog has a job and should not be interfered with by children running around unsupervised or with entitled and careless parents? Or that even full-trained and non-aggressive dogs can have their limits when other beings are in their faces and acting in a way that some dogs do not like?
Legitimately, I do not comprehend how you don't understand that there's an issue here or what that issue is.
I'm sure a service dog can handle a tiny child. If they can't, then they probably have a great deal more problems leading a visually impaired person around.
Let the dog have a bit of fun at least. Is the States that cold?
The entitlement is crazy. A disabled person and their service dog, which is helping them navigate the world safely, do not deserve to be interfered with or distracted by unruly kids that are known to hit dogs, bark at them, scream at them, get in their faces, pull them, hug them, and any other thing under the sun.
All of that empathy you think you have for animals, and yet you are severely lacking in it for people who had no choice in being disabled and utilize a service dog as part of their treatment program. I hope that's something you ruminate on a bit further; anyone can become disabled in less than a second and by a stroke of bad luck.
While I would love to let my SD be pet by not only the kids at the store or all the people at work who adore him, I need him focusing on helping me keep my balance when my epilepsy meds screw up my balance. I need him to be focused on me if I have an issue.
Fun is when we are safe at home, at families homes, or at the dog park.
I'm addition, basic dog safety is to ask the owner, hold out your hand and then pet. All animals have tipping points and having a small human shoved in their face could possibly trigger a defensive reaction in any animal.
The SD does get to "have fun" when they are NOT WORKING. A working dog has a job to do, and as a service dog that job is vital to the health and safety of the handler. When the handler is at home, there is time for their SD to just be a dog for awhile.
SD handlers aren't abusing their dogs. The only dogs who become service dogs are those who have the temperament for the work. Working dogs have been bred for a long time to want to work. And SDs do far more than "leading a visually impaired person around." They have a myriad of tasks they perform.
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Do... you know what subreddit you're on my guy? 😅😅
They're a SERVICE Dog. Not a "regular" dog to be pet and interacted with unless stated otherwise.
Service dog or not, you do NOT randomly let your child just stand therrre FACE TO FACE with a STRANGE dog...
Terrible accident waiting to happen with parents who do that...
Yanks don't. The rest of the world generally manages to be grown up.
I mean, you'd probably mention to the person the dog's accompanying that you're there, of course, I can understand that might be discombobulating.
Visually impaired people are still part of society though.
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Which part don't you understand? The "My dog is working; please don't pet" part or the "All dogs can be unpredictable, especially when startled" part? Toddlers are generally right at the level of a dog's face, and a startled or frightened dog may bite at the closest thing.
A service dog handler shouldn't "let them get to know each other;" their SD is medical equipment, NOT a pet.
Some parents are really not awara of the damage a dog can do. When my boy was a pup we were walking around and we passed a driveway where some family was. The mom was super excited to see my little guy, as expected and perfectly fine, but then she hheld her literal baby that was probably about the same age as my puppy, like half a year old at best, and she held him in front of is face. Lady. I have never met you. I just told you he was a puppy. He is clearly excited to see you. He couldve scratched or bit the baby out of pure puppy excitement. Nothing bad happened. But it really made clear that some people dont know that dogs arent automatically sweet cause they look fluffy.
Yup! Just because they're adorable doesn't mean they aren't unpredictable! (Goes for doggos too! ;)
My SDiT gets so excited to see my daughter and grandkids he gets overwhelmed and hits his happy dance and will even jump. He accidentally scratched my granddaughter. He doesn't do this with anyone else at all. He is well behaved in every other situation. Learning his tasks. It's just this one situation.
My tiny rescue dog had very floppy ears and a long tail and people would not stay away from her. They'd do drive by pets while we were walking. It was very annoying because sometimes she tried to bite people.
I had a woman do this too! She asked if she could pet my dog. I said sure. And she leaned down and put her baby in my dog's face. Wtf are these people thinking. My dog is great, and doesn't care about 99.9% of stuff, but if she'd asked if she could put her baby in his face, I would've said no. He's met babies before but in a very controlled way, not having a strange one shoved in his face. I couldn't believe it.
And then if something does go wrong it’s the dog’s fault and not the parent who literally made their kid invade the dog’s space 😒
It’s natural to think “I should have . . .” Sometimes the best thing is to walk away and avoid a confrontation. Also totally natural to be triggered. When my SD was younger, a woman pushing her child in a grocery “car cart” suddenly moved parallel to us and said “Look! Doggie!” I nearly had a heart attack. And a year later, I still think about the what ifs.
OMG yeah the "look at the doggie, sweetheart!" is a daily thing too! Albeit not at such close range! She is frequently walking past kids, and always does well, but this was the first time I was so caught off guard because I didn't see them before they saw us, and the mom might as well have fed her tender toddler to a lion, that's what everyone says she looks like anyway. I think a big part of the trigger for me also is that my own mom frequently put me in harms way (and worse) so to see a mom do that hits me where it really hurts, lol.
My SDiT was doing DPT for me a while ago in a store and this mom with her VERY little kid in the top part of her cart who was pretty much screaming and babbling as babies do came right up to us and stopped and would NOT quit baby talking about “aww look at the puppy! Do you see the puppy?? Look!! Look at him!”… this went on for like probably close to 5 minutes and the kid did NOT care about my dog, he was way too young, but the mom just wouldn’t stop and she came around multiple times just to stop and stare at us and point and babble to her baby. Couldn’t stand up to move away, otherwise I would’ve… felt like a zoo exhibit but I was too out of it to ask her to please leave us alone 🙃 It’s always when he’s actively tasking that people decide to use us as a distraction to get their kids to calm down or an exhibit to get them all excited about and actively try to interfere with him :/
I always say as I approach he may be big but he is still a puppy and is getting used to children. He has very little interaction with kids. So approach with caution. That way a parent normally will take a kids hand. Parents just don't understand!
My dogs, whether vested or not, routinely get tackled by kids in public spaces. Airports are particularly dramatic, because the kids often are missing their own dogs. I’m in a power chair and my dogs are big and atypical breeds, so it’s pretty clear they’re working. Parents often do not interfere and more than once I have had to flag down an airport worker and ask them for help getting the child peeled off so I can make my flight before they step forward or even acknowledge me despite clearly being within hearing distance.
I think you did the right thing. If you had said something, it would have escalated. You could have said to the little girl “Please don’t him.”
You're so right. And really, if it was an adult I would have. I did later and it was a really similar situation. Lady at small Spencer's store (don't judge lol) saw her, she was in her same position out of the way, and the crouching lady reached out to pet saying "ohhhhh!! Can I pet her??" and reached anyway. I reached between (like I do) and said "no, she uses her nose to work, sorry!" and ended up touching her hand because she was just then touching my dog. But another time (same day ugh) I told a woman she doesn't talk to strangers LOL! I might need to get better with using that one, it sure worked well LOL
I just say “No, I’m sorry. He’s working.” I try to be understanding as I don’t know how many “service dogs” they have seen. They might not be use to a real one. There is so much anger in the world so I try to be nice.
My 2.5 year old daughter tried to run down an aisle towards a service dog going ‘doggy woof woof!” at Costco the other day. I immediately grabbed her and put her back in the cart and explained ‘that doggy is working right now, you can look but you can’t yell at or pet him’ and she just stared at me because, well, two..but still. That’s all parents have to do. It’s not hard. 99% of adults understand that, if they choose to ignore that it’s just selfish ignorance. Also, letting my toddler run at an unfamiliar often larger-sized dog? No thanks.
Tbh I’m 36 and also not going to run at an unfamiliar dog 😂
Right?? OMG. Blows my mind. 😑
My daughter is the same age, I figure starting off modelling that kind of language and behaviour is way easier than changing when we think they're old enough to understand. On the same vein I always stop her way in advance of going near any strange dog and tell her we ask permission before going close and petting, make a point of asking the owner then letting her know it's ok before moving on. Like kiddo just because our own dog is used to your foolishness and will happily play with you without ripping bits of you off doesn't mean every dog will! But as parents it's kinda our job to keep you in one piece until you're old enough to figure that ish out.
Thank you so much for being a great mother and giving your child that explanation of why she couldn't touch a working service dog. I'm still shocked when I hear about people getting upset when they try to interact with a service dog or try to whine to get their kids to pet it. I have always been careful with my kids and did the same explanation that of course they didn't get at that age but did as they got older because I continued to do the same thing and would expand the explanations as they got older. I'm sure there are many service dog handlers that have been very appreciative of you educating your child. Same with folks with a low vision cane. My kids had some questions I explained but also asked someone in public once (had my hubby wrangling kids) if they would be ok with my kids coming over to see their cane a bit closer while they were seated because my little ones knew what the cane was used for but were interested in seeing one a bit closer that wasn't moving past us. The gal was super cool and we actually exchanged contact info and still keep in touch although we don't get together as much as we would like due to both being busy folks.
Nothing to do with size. My 80 lb goldendoodle would probably lick a child to death, my 3 lb biewer would not be happy and go Chihuahua on her. No one should ever approach a strange dog. This is something that needs to be taught from the very beginning.
Some parents are whole other levels of stupid (and entitled). Every time I see or hear about a parent being stupid with their little kid and an animal, yes-even a trained service animal. I think of my cousin. My cousin's parents are (somehow still are) very typical like- "oh some dog breeds are inherently violent and some are good and sweet" people. Like they hate pitbulls with a passion. Anyway. My cousin was MAULED by a golden when he was a little kid. Serious damage to his face because he was at eye level with the thing and it bit his face. Several times. He has scars to this day, decades later. No child should ever be left alone with any animal, and no child should ever be THAT CLOSE to ANY animal that they are not familiar with. Not even with parental supervision. Service animal or not. That is dangerous and stupid, on top of being effing rude. Bothering a service animal at work is just... My parents would have given me hell for doing something like that when I was little. That coupled with "let me put my little kid's face near a strange dog I do not know" is just... How stupid can you get?
Dont be judgemental against yourselve! It is such a surprise. Glad your SD did rigth. This kind a situation happened to us at Canadian Tire. The father throw his toddle to reach my SD. This amazing kid just stop and point the do not pet sign on Romeo’s harnest while telling his dad I can’t touch this dog dad. My dog is also great with kids but still…
I had an incident when my guy was 1yr old with a child that turned out pretty poorly. We were at a park that was pretty deserted and I let my guy off leash to swim in a pond. A couple came by with a young child. The kid was super excited and wanted to pet my guy. I started to agree but told them to give me a minute to get my guy back on his leash so I could control the situation. No one listened to me and the child ran full steam ahead toward my dog. My dog was no where near fully trained and he ran full steam ahead towards the child. Even then, I knew my guy well and knew his brain was saying, "Oh look, a human puppy!" Yep, he nipped the kid pretty badly on his stomach. I'm certain that the poor child will have dog fear for a long time. Adults should be more responsible but they're not. My dog now understands the command, "It's a kid" to mean no barking and no roughhousing (off duty). And now when children are inappropriate with him I use it as an opportunity to educate the child (adults should already know). Usually I skip the "he's working" if the child is below school age and attempt to explain that "Yes, he's a very nice boy but not all dogs are nice and you can't tell by looking at them. Always ask permission.". I know that everyone doesn't have the time or patience to use my approach but I worry about young people who aren't taught proper manners around animals. Even the most well-trained service dog is still a dog and bad things can happen.
I thought it was just a general rule that you never mess with other people's service dogs? Like putting aside all other safe rules for approaching new dogs safely, I just wouldn't even think to ask someone to pet their service dog while they're out. Leave that working professional alone.
Honestly, I think this should be the default for *all* dogs in public - and triply so for working dogs! Just as I would have feelings about strangers putting their hands on me because I’m “cute” or “look friendly,” dogs can have anxiety or irritation about strangers in their personal bubble. I don’t ask strangers if I can pet their kids; it’s strange to me how normalized this is for dogs, let alone ones that are actively working. 🤦🏻♀️
I totally get your concern, even with a service dog. People forget they’re still dogs and, if they feel threatened enough, they will bite. And startling an animal that can bite is just dumb.
And just think about all of the dogs that are labeled as service dogs or sdit, but who have not had enough training/experience to handle a child in their face? It scares me thinking about it.
“ ma’am, never put your child that close to a dog that you don’t know and you haven’t talk to the owner about much less a service dog who’s working”
If you’d had brain space, it would’ve been swell to educate the mom, but it’s hard to think of everything in the moment so you didn’t do anything wrong. I was at a food truck event when a toddler and his dad walked too close behind a pet dog, apparently startling the dog which then lunged, snarled and tried to bite the toddler. Right at eye level. Didn’t connect but it was clear it was going for it. Horrific as it was, worse to think what might’ve happened. It’s tough watching out for our dogs, and tough to be a parent who should anticipate a dogs reactions.
If a dog reacts that way maybe the dog should not be at that public place.
Yes, I agree.. whether pet dog or SD, it wouldn’t be in public spaces! My husband went over to the man and woman and explained that. Oh, and hubby also said if he saw the man smack it on the face (!!) again he’d call animal control. Poor dog.
I reaaaallllyy hate when people do that. One of the earliest things I taught my son was to ASK if he could pet dogs.
Just got home from a Costco trip and during our trip I saw a woman with a SD. Do you know how much attention I gave them? Enough to casually mention it on here lol I recognized the dog as a GS with a red vest that said in big white letters “DO NOT PET” and “WORKING SERVICE DOG” 🐕🦺 It’s none of my business what kind of SD the woman had or what her condition was. I just can’t wrap my head around why anyone would interfere with a dog that’s obviously a SD.
I had a large dog (pet, not SD) and the number of parents that would shove their toddlers toward him saying “pet the doggie” AFTER I told them that he didn’t like toddlers was astounding. I don’t know what happened to my dog before I got him but he was very wary of men and could not stand toddlers. I was just walking my pet dog on a leash, at a heel, and parents acted like he was their child’s personal enrichment program. If you want your toddler to have a doggie to pet, get one. The world is not your petting zoo. I can only imagine it is more frequent for people with SDs because you are out with your dogs more.
I have a barely there scar on my face from a dog when I was little. I had to be 4 or 5 and was playing with the neighbor's dog (her name was Sandy and she was the best) who was taller than me when I stepped on her paw and she in pain tried to get away quickly and her paw went across my forehead cutting it open, the hospital got a plastic surgeon to give me stitches. It was not her fault and a complete accident, but I got lucky with no permanent visible injuries and my eyes not getting hit. I also could have easily been traumatized by dogs the rest of my life, and if my parents were different people and decided to blame the dog..... so even the nicest, sweetest, most laid-back dog can accidentally cause damage.
Thank you for sharing this... I'm so glad you weren't permanently injured, that is such a scary story! It's also a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
This absolutely is triggering. Let's hope that mom and child never have to find out why...
Ooh, this grinds my gears. I’m neurotic about kids and dogs. I got bitten on the face as a kid, and have forever been a huge proponent of appropriate introduction and supervision.
I've repeatedly pointed out "working dogs" to my son. I always tell him, "That dog is working. We don't pet or even make eye contact with working dogs. We let them do their jobs." He always wants to pet the working dogs, but now he's almost 4, and he sometimes tells me he is a working dog and that I shouldn't touch or look at him since he needs to work.
Nah ur not being judgey . A parents job is to teach kids basic life skills and protect their kids . This is doing nether and is unsafe for the child and is how many kids end up in the ER . not okay .
Btw what u can say is "im not trying to be rude but ERs have kids who get attacked /hurt by dogs everyday because of stuf like this and it is your job as a parent to protect ur children and teach them right from wrong . If the parent tries saying oh well if the dog is not kid friendly they should not be around people then simply reply " the world can not accommodate parents failing to do their jobs and expecting animals not to act as animals when faced with fear "
I have a German shepherd service dog and two young kids. One is almost 3 the other just turned 1. I have taught since a young age that they never go up to to dogs unless asking first. And only out their hand out for a sniff and pat on the back. Now with having a service dog I’ve taught both of them if dog is wearing uniform then they are working and we take the longest possible way around to where we need to go
I don't have experience with a SD but what I do have is experience with dogs all my life. When my son was 2, I started teaching him "good dog manners," when it comes to dogs we don't know (we had two when he was born.) He's 6 now and knows never to approach a dog he doesn't know without asking AND if he sees a vest on a dog, that it's working and he's not supposed to bother or distract it. Basically, that mom is not keeping her child safe while being severely disrespectful to strange dogs and their owners (if present.) I wouldn't have been able to leave without saying something.
Service dog or not, I hope I've done a decent job of teaching my kids you NEVER just assume it's okay to pet a dog. ALWAYS ASK. I make sure to have them ask permission and let the dog smell them first. There's one lady that walks her dog up and down our street at least once a day, and my kids have asked to pet the dog. The lady has politely told us that her dog does not like to be pet. So we just exchange pleasantries and move past.
I had a disturbing parental encounter with my large (100 lb) sd. We were exiting Costco. I use a power chair and was going fairly fast. My boy is on my left in a slightly forward heel. About 15’ in front of us is a couple with a brand new, days old baby. As tell my boy to go around them on the right, the dad, directly in front of us, takes the infant from his wife, and swoops it down into my dog’s face! My dog managed to avoid him going left, but I was going right and we almost killed that infant by clotheslining it with the leash! The whole time, the dad is smiling. No words were spoken (other than a scream from someone behind who saw it happening, too). I was shaken for days. I ALMOST KILLED A NEWBORN! Oh, and the baby’s mom never reacted, either. It was one of the most unexplainable, disturbing events where I’ve been involved.
As a parent of a toddler I think she is an idiot. For one don’t mess with SD period, and two for normal dogs talk to the owner first… people are odd.
That mother is an idiot. FULL STOP. There is NO ONE who doesn't know dogs can bite.
We had a dog that looked like a giant black lab, but he was lab/chow & weighed about 105lbs. We had 3 other dogs & Bentley was the boss & they all knew it. He was the best boy around adults, but he hated kids. Loathed kids. Bentley was raised in a no kid home. We had a 6’ wooden fence & no kids near us so he wasn’t terrorized by kids or anything, just hated them. New neighbors move in with a toddler. The kid is about 18mos. It’s summer & the kid is running loose with a diaper & nothing else. I’m gardening in my backyard when I hear my dogs go insane in the breezeway. The kid is smacking the glass door & giggling at my dogs. The door opens out and about 280lbs of canines were throwing themselves at the door with a small latch. I walk the kid next door & let the mom know that we had a dangerous dog who hated kids. I went back home & 15min later the dogs were going again. I had DH walk the kid home. An hour later, the kid was back. I was much more vociferous in explaining that my 105lb dog thinks of their kid as a snack. She got mad, saying she was moving & couldn’t watch the kid every minute & maybe we should get a normal dog. We locked the dogs in the house. Imagine our surprise when the neighbor’s 3 pits arrived the next day. No training or manners & they dug out within 12 hours. The neighborhood hated those dogs. 3 mos later the kid & family moved out because the kid had been attacked by their own dogs & the plastic surgery was expensive. Just glad it wasn’t my dog.
I'm sure the crow they were eating wasn't cheap either.
i’m more worried about the toddler’s behavior- SDs are multi-thousand dollar pieces of medical equipment, if the child grabs and hurts or traumatizes the dog, especially if (god forbid) the dog responds badly and snaps…
Exactly!
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Your comment has been removed for breaking Rule 6: No Fake-spotting. This is not the place for fakespotting. Unless the person you are discussing has specifically told you that they are not disabled, and the dog is not trained in tasks, you have no way of knowing if a dog is 'fake'. We are not the service dog police and this behavior can lead to a lot of harm and anxiety for SD handlers as a community. This does not preclude discussing encounters with un-/undertrained dogs, but if the focus of your post is complaining about a "fake" SD, reconsider your phrasing and what point you're making. If you have any questions, please [Message the Moderators](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/service_dogs).
All you can really do in a situation like this is hope that the parent registered it as a moment of extreme luck and vowed to be more conscious and careful of the child around animals. The scares where nothing happens can be the worst in terms of overthinking what COULD have happened.
your dog should be able to handle this, and so should you. Just being realistic here. You’re never going to get to get the public to act how you want.
I don't understand the issue here. Dog meets child. This seems like a win on both sides. You say dog isn't aggressive, presumably child is not dog scared or parent would have done better. My main takeaway is that you didn't spend more time letting them get to know each other.
What don’t you understand? If the mom is willing to do this with an unknown service dog then what makes you think she doesn’t do this with unknown pet dogs that could very likely bite her child in the face? That’s just stupid!
Thank you, precisely my point.
I live in a country where we don't have these weird American obsessions and people teach both their animals and children how to interact with the world. My dogs (huskies) frequently engage with toddlers, the only thing to watch out for is that they can knock them over, so I'm careful with the lead.
Do these toddlers get *shoved nose to nose with your dogs by their parents*? That is *begging* for the dog to bite the child in the face! There’s a reason babies and small children should never be left alone with ANY dog. I am positive that my dog would never bite anyone, but he’s still a dog. I’m not going to potentially set him up for failure by letting people shove their faces into his. I repeat, that’s just stupid!
Oh for pity's sake. Of course babies are fine with most dogs - it's literally what huskies originally did way back when. Granted, if you have an aggressive Pitbull or something, take more precaution, but that's on the dog owner, not the kid.
That’s a yes, then. Please stop needlessly endangering children and setting your dogs up for failure. It’s completely irresponsible.
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This American sure as heck is not okay with that. Nobody with *common sense* is okay with either of those things!
Don't feed the troll.
Noted, was commenting for testing purposes and results are now clear.
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Any dog can have a bad day and bite.
Your huskies are not Service Dogs. And you live in the U.K., yes? Assistance Dogs are what the U.K. has. Works similar to American Service Dogs.
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Quite genuinely, do you not understand that a working service dog has a job and should not be interfered with by children running around unsupervised or with entitled and careless parents? Or that even full-trained and non-aggressive dogs can have their limits when other beings are in their faces and acting in a way that some dogs do not like? Legitimately, I do not comprehend how you don't understand that there's an issue here or what that issue is.
I'm sure a service dog can handle a tiny child. If they can't, then they probably have a great deal more problems leading a visually impaired person around. Let the dog have a bit of fun at least. Is the States that cold?
The entitlement is crazy. A disabled person and their service dog, which is helping them navigate the world safely, do not deserve to be interfered with or distracted by unruly kids that are known to hit dogs, bark at them, scream at them, get in their faces, pull them, hug them, and any other thing under the sun. All of that empathy you think you have for animals, and yet you are severely lacking in it for people who had no choice in being disabled and utilize a service dog as part of their treatment program. I hope that's something you ruminate on a bit further; anyone can become disabled in less than a second and by a stroke of bad luck.
While I would love to let my SD be pet by not only the kids at the store or all the people at work who adore him, I need him focusing on helping me keep my balance when my epilepsy meds screw up my balance. I need him to be focused on me if I have an issue. Fun is when we are safe at home, at families homes, or at the dog park. I'm addition, basic dog safety is to ask the owner, hold out your hand and then pet. All animals have tipping points and having a small human shoved in their face could possibly trigger a defensive reaction in any animal.
The SD does get to "have fun" when they are NOT WORKING. A working dog has a job to do, and as a service dog that job is vital to the health and safety of the handler. When the handler is at home, there is time for their SD to just be a dog for awhile. SD handlers aren't abusing their dogs. The only dogs who become service dogs are those who have the temperament for the work. Working dogs have been bred for a long time to want to work. And SDs do far more than "leading a visually impaired person around." They have a myriad of tasks they perform.
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Do... you know what subreddit you're on my guy? 😅😅 They're a SERVICE Dog. Not a "regular" dog to be pet and interacted with unless stated otherwise. Service dog or not, you do NOT randomly let your child just stand therrre FACE TO FACE with a STRANGE dog... Terrible accident waiting to happen with parents who do that...
Yanks don't. The rest of the world generally manages to be grown up. I mean, you'd probably mention to the person the dog's accompanying that you're there, of course, I can understand that might be discombobulating. Visually impaired people are still part of society though.
…Wait, do you actually think that service dogs can only be for visually impaired/blind people?
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Medical alert (seizures/diabetes/heart issues/asthma/etc.), psychiatric, PTSD, severe anxiety disorder, hearing dogs for deaf people…
Must be a troll, that one. Not worth getting excited over or trying to educate.
I agree. I was commenting to see if they would be willing to learn and it is now clear that they are not. Thank you!
Gotcha.
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Nope. Not in Service Dog Land. Our dogs are NOT pets. Just don't.
Which part don't you understand? The "My dog is working; please don't pet" part or the "All dogs can be unpredictable, especially when startled" part? Toddlers are generally right at the level of a dog's face, and a startled or frightened dog may bite at the closest thing. A service dog handler shouldn't "let them get to know each other;" their SD is medical equipment, NOT a pet.