Dog Behavior Question

[lph]

XMc etc (yoicks, that's a hard username to remember :-) ) I hope you don't take offense, because I don't mean any, but part of the "problem" may be that you don't like kids. For the record, I "don't like kids" in general either, ie. I have little tolerance for the annoying sides of small kid behaviour, but having had one I understand them a whole lot better. They're not that different from dogs, actually

I won't draw the parallell too far, but kids running around are a part of society, just like dogs are, and you can't avoid kids completely anymore than dogphobics can expect to never meet dogs. And just like dogs enjoy a bit of freedom, kids do too. Also, kids grow up to be reasonable human beings, and you can have a positive impact on that. No matter the legal consequences (which I find mind-blowing, to be honest), if you can find a way to interact with these kids in a good way, so that they have a positive and safe AND responsible experience of meeting your dog, that's one less dog-phobic in the world. That's one heck of a (gorgeous!) huge dog you have there, and I'm not sure that a frazzled mom out with her kids in a park that has a dog area is completely expecting something the size of a horse galloping around. Most parents do care about disciplining and controlling their children, just not in a situation that they perceive as frightening, then all they care about is keeping them safe.

Just a few thoughts. I hope you work it out somehow.

[crazycanuck]

Sorry, long post

XM...Megatron's cute & if I met him in a park or beach, i'd first think.."hmm, big dog, will it slobber all over me and want to say hello?" or ???

I too don't like kids and it freaks me out when i take Yukon to (one of many in Perth, a very long city) the doggie (ie non leash beach w doggie doo bags) and see the following:

People without doggies(and pay close attention to this) but will toddlers walking along the dog beach....There are many many many normal non dog beaches near our fave dog beach and don't understand what they're doing there??? Doggies running everywhere..

Last weekend, I think one parent got the message when I appeared very worried thier small child was toodling as yukon was just coming out of the water to bring me her ball. I noticed they had the little on on thier shoulders afterwards.

People swimming in the doggie beach area...without doggies with them. ??? There's an area further down the lonnnnnng beach that's for humans to swim in...

I know it's an odd example but when i'm at the doggie beach, i don't let Yukon go anywhere near children. I scan the beach and place our stuff where no kids are wandering.

Also, when i venture to a normal beach that eventually intersects w a dog beach, i'm aware there are doggies around and give them room. I think most people figure that out...

[sfa]

I like kids AND dogs (why does that seem to be so rare?) and have some of both living in my home. With dogs, I tend to think the bigger the better (we'd have an Irish wolfhound if we had the space), but I don't think it's unreasonable for people to be afraid - even people who love dogs - when a carnivore roughly the size of a Clydesdale (relatively speaking--a Great Dane to a five year old is going to seem the size of a large horse to an adult) bounds up, knocks you over, and puts his teeth on you. It doesn't matter if your dog is friendly and gentle--someone meeting him for the first time doesn't know that. And even a friendly and gentle giant can be overwhelming.

While the dog is just acting his age, so are the kids, and both need to be taught the correct way to act around the other. I'm all in favor of teaching kids who aren't your own how to behave around dogs--absolutely encourage them to not run around, how to approach a strange dog safely, etc. But at the same time, I don't think a dog who hasn't yet learned to NOT run into people and to not ever "mouth" people should be off leash in a public place. Playful tousling with other dogs is fine; playful tousling with unknown people is not fine. Until your dog gets that distinction, I'd stay away from the dog park.

It may not seem fair, but that's how it is. Just like when you have kids you learn to stay away from certain places until they have the ability to behave properly there--people are right to complain when someone brings a wiggly and loud toddler to the symphony. It's not relevant that the toddler is only acting her age--she hasn't learned how to behave at the symphony. Take her home, let her grow up a bit, start taking her to kid-friendly concerts, and maybe when she's 8 or 9 she can sit through a Beethoven piano concerto. But maybe she won't be ready for that until she's 12. And some kids may NEVER have the ability to sit through a concert like that. You play the hand you're dealt (ask me about my son and the Ikea play area--no matter how hard we try, no matter how much time we spend "training" him, he'll never be allowed to play there. Is it fair? It doesn't seem so to us, but it's fair in the larger sense, and it's what we have to deal with).

In your case you have a large breed dog who isn't picking up on certain aspects of his training. In a smaller dog, people might be willing to give this behavior a pass--everyone knows that if push comes to shove you can pick up a 14 pound dog and punt him like a football. But you can't do that to a 140 pound dog, and everyone knows if push comes to shove that dog can rip out your throat and no one would be able to stop him, so of course there's a higher standard of behavior expected of him. Is that fair? Kind of like the Ikea example, it may not seem so to you, but it is in the larger scheme of things, and it's the hand you were dealt, so you have to put up with it.

Sarah

[tongue_tied]

I had a pitbull that I'd take to the dog park. Just the sight of a pitbull sends people running the other way. We'd take her to the dog park and she got to socialize with other dogs. Of course, parents were more leery, would try to keep their kids away, and we'd pick up on this and try to steer her to other dogs instead. Fair enough. However, I think everyone's at risk at a dog park. Dogs are at risk of getting roughed up by other dogs, children are at risk of getting roughed up by dogs, etc. I don't have kids, but I imagine that if I did, and I brought them to the dog park, that I'd be assuming at least partial responsibility for my child's behavior. Just like if I took my kid to the playground and the kid gets roughed up by another kid, because they were playing around, because that's what kids do.

Just my two cents.

[Koronin]

I do not like kids. I like dogs ok, but am not a dog person by any means. I am a cat person. IMO, the kids should not be running around a dog park. The parents SHOULD be watching them. However, dogs also should not be jumping on or mouthing people.

[malkin]

I like kids and dogs, but I have issues with irresponsible parents and dog owners.

[Biciclista]

You know, bottom line, it doesn't matter if you like or dislike kids or dogs. what matters is responsibility. And I don't need to be a lawyer to understand the possible ramifications of an uncontrolled meeting between an excited 140 pound carnivorous animal and a 40 pound minor child.
And if I was the owner of that dog, whether I loved him or not, I would suffer the consequences.. and that could be heart breaking and/or expensive.

[Eden]

I'm not a dog person and as such I would never hang around an off leash area (though I do have to pass through a place on my commute that many people illegally use as one - but that's a different topic).... but as a child sized adult, you bet I would really freak if a dog that outweighed me by 40 or so pounds jumped on me and put its mouth on me - teeth or not...

Since it is impossible to remove the children from the dog park, I'd have to agree with sfa - until the puppy is trained that humans are strictly forbidden, no off leash time. That doesn't have to mean no dog park - just no off leash until good behavior is learned.

[Selkie]

I like kids and dogs, but I have issues with irresponsible parents and dog owners.

Exactly. Caveat: I like well-behaved kids and dogs whose parents have taught them manners.

[Biciclista]

I like kids and dogs, but I have issues with irresponsible parents and dog owners.

yep me too.

[ivorygorgon]

I completely agree with the above post. My biggest concern is for the safety of your dog. People can be very malicious and your dog is at risk. If ANYTHING happens to someone's child, you and Megatron WILL be held responsible and Megatron's life could be at risk. I work for a personal injury attorney and I see this every day. People come in to my office demanding dogs be "put down," all time time. Even if the people were stupid.

Our old dog, who has since passed away, was very timid around strangers and didn't like kids, unfortunately he also very cute and looked very approachable. People would let their kids run up to him, without asking, all the time. Even when he was on a leash! It always freaked him out and put the child at risk. So people are not usually very dog savvy, even when they own a dog, and they are litigious.

I know you don't want your right to be in the park and your freedom curtailed, but you also want to protect your lovely Megatron.