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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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