I'm paid to deal with dogs, not children!

[Kyree]

Alternatively: How most children get bitten by dogs.

A few days ago at the pet food store, I'm stocking the dog treats. A regular customer was shopping in the next isle over, and had her dog with her. There's another customer in the store who has her child who's maybe 3 or 4 with her. Said child is running around and knocking everything off shelves, playing with toys... you know, the usual.

As I'm stocking the treats, I hear the kid start making barking noises. He's out of my line of sight, so I didn't know where he was. It went on for a good 30 seconds. Regular Customer (RC) suddenly comes around the corner into the isle, holding her dog on a short leash and muttering "This kid about to get kicked!" Almost immediately the kid comes into view, scooting on his hands and knees, lunging and barking at RC and her dog. I stepped in between the kid and RC, and firmly said "Uh uh, no! You can't do that!"

Apparently the kid wanted to get bit, because he looks up at me, laughs, and goes right back to trying to bark and lunge at RC and her dog

Well, that is until I stepped right in front of him again and said "You're scaring the dog, you need to stop." He tried one more time, and I body blocked him once again. I told him he needed to go away and leave the dog alone and he FINALLY left. Where was his mother this entire time? On the opposite side of the store, checking out. After he left the poor dog alone, I saw him climbing the cat climbers up at the front of the store. Mother still not paying attention to him whatsoever.


Just...

[Monterey Jack]

And, of course, had the kid actually been bitten, the mother would suddenly appear out of nowhere screaming about how she would sue the dog's owner and the store.

[Marmalady]

Of course she would have.

What is it with people? I used to have a golden retriever who was the gentlest thing on four legs, who adored my son, and one of the first things I taught my lad was that not all dogs feel the same way about people (especially strangers) and he must never approach a strange dog without first asking the owner if it would be okay.

[An Haddock]

And, of course, had the kid actually been bitten, the mother would suddenly appear out of nowhere screaming about how she would sue the dog's owner and the store.

Or when he fell off the cat climbers she'd sue because they didn't say that children shouldn't use them.


Seriously? I would have called the cops on the mother right there. She's ignoring the child, who was clearly seconds away from getting bitten in the face. If that ain't neglect I don't know what is.

Then I'd put a hamster down her pants.

[wolfie]

Then I'd put a hamster down her pants.

Don't send a hamster to do a squirrel's job. Cookies for reference.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Don't send a hamster to do a squirrel's job. Cookies for reference.

That's one way to get religion.

[MoonCat]

That kid is REALLY lucky he wasn't bitten. He was doing everything just right to goad that poor dog to bite him. Stupid mother, really, since the kid's too young to know better.

[AnaKhouri]

My boys have very strict rules: ask the owner if it if OK to pet the dog. If yes, hold out their hands for the dog to sniff, then gently pet it head-to-tail. Thank the owner. And if the dog is wearing a vest, it's working so don't even ask.

I'm always baffled that parents- who probably teach their kids to not stick forks into electrical outlets, to not cross the street without looking, and give them bicycle helmets, neglect this basic safety issue.

[Sapphire Silk]

That's one way to get religion.

It was a fight for survival, that broke out in revival.

[Racket_Man]

Don't send a hamster to do a squirrel's job. Cookies for reference.

NO NO NO a white ferret (Harry Potter movie reference)

[Evannah]

You know who's fault it would be if the dog bit him, don't you? According to his mother, at least? Not him, and definitely not her. The dog, you, the dog's owner, even the bystander standing 20 feet away. Definitely not his, or hers

[malmalthekiller]

People don't understand that they have to respect animals and their space. The sweetest animals in the world all have their limits. Unfortunately, people often are too quick to blame animals for their own failures.

[Monterey Jack]

I'm reminded of Laura Dern's line from Jurassic Park, "You have plants in this building that are poisonous. You picked them because they look good, but these are living creatures that will defend themselves, violently, if they feel threatened." Too many people view pets the same way they view stuffed animals...as nothing more than toys you can play with as roughly as you want when you're not ignoring them.

[Really]

This is actually too common of a thing. I have a Search and Rescue dog that I take to lots of large events with thousands of people around, including small children. One time I was talking to a friend of mine and out of no where a kid about 3 or 4 came out of no where, ran up to my dog, and gave my dog the biggest bear hug he could. My dog just sat there and took it and while I was prying the kid off of the dog, mom came up and grabbed her kid. A few minuets later this kid comes back and jumps on her back and wraps my dog in another big bear hug. This time I get snappy with the kid and his mom because if it was any other dog that kid would have been hurt. As he came back for a 3rd try, I ended up snagging the kid and giving his mom a nasty few words and I moved away. Every time that kid saw my dog that night it tried to make a bee line for us.

Some people just shouldn't have kids.

[Mr Hero]

Don't send a hamster to do a squirrel's job. Cookies for reference.

It's also illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling.