Dog bites and parents

[BDorman]

My dad did not like dogs. I don't know why he disliked them.

Most of the other families in our extended family (my aunts and uncles) had dogs. We used to play with their dogs whenever we visited their homes.

But whenever I ran crying to my parents that "One of the dogs bit me!" my dad's reply was always the same:

"What did you do to the dog?"

Even though he didn't like dogs he knew 1) dogs rarely bite for no reason and 2) all things being equal, assume your kid was in the wrong

This was a long time ago, around the 1960s. Parents today seem to have a very different attitude.

 

[Patiencez]

I remember those days, I got bite too an truth being told I was pestering the dog.
an why is it different now?

 

[Val_theAussie]

Everything is so darn turned upside down. That's the truth. If you tell a lie long enough it becomes the truth. Society has made it all but impossible to say no to kids and to teach them limits and restrictions. Kids get treated like little queens and kings and then everyone wonders why they are so miserable and ill behaved.

Sorry for the rant!

 

[corgipower]

<snip> all things being equal, assume your kid was in the wrong

This was a long time ago, around the 1960s. Parents today seem to have a very different attitude.

Yea...people in general have a very different attitude. Everyone wants to blame someone else, whether for their own mistakes or for something their kid did wrong. It couldn't ever be their own fault.

 

[Patiencez]

Everything is so darn turned upside down. That's the truth. If you tell a lie long enough it becomes the truth. Society has made it all but impossible to say no to kids and to teach them limits and restrictions. Kids get treated like little queens and kings and then everyone wonders why they are so miserable and ill behaved.

Sorry for the rant!

It is the truth, I tell my kids if you don't want your kids to mind don't bring them to my house...

Rant on I have ranted all day!

 

[AGonzalez]

Wow, yeah I know what you mean. I never knew I was *wrong* for telling my kids things like:

"is it broken or are you bleeding? Then you'll be ok"
"The dog nipped you? What were you doing to them?"
"Your brother hit you? What were you doing to him?"
"You burned your fingers? I told you not to touch it you know" etc.

The last one was after my 5 yr old grabbed my laundry iron off the table by the metal part after I'd told him it was hot and not to touch it.

 

[Bunny82]

The other day my father was telling me about how years back someone was telling him about a little girl that got herself bit by a dog.

"Well what happened?"
"Oh she just went down in the basement to see the puppies, and the dog attacked her"
"Who was with her?
"Nobody she was by herself"
"Did the dog know her, was it her dog?"
"No she belonged to some friends of her parents"
"Wait your telling me some idiot let a six year old go down and start pulling on pups and the mother didn't even know her? Her parents are f'ing morons and should have known better. That dog was just protecting her babies"

Most bites that happen usually are because someonedoes something that deserves to get them bit.

Our chow lab mix had a lot of "issues". He snapped at me once. I didn't get mad at him. I realized he probably gave me a warning sign that I did not know (I was young when we had him and very inexperienced with dogs at the time). Didn't get mad at the dog. Looked at him and said "Okay boy, looks we get to work on a few things" We did. Took some time and taught me a lot but he was a much better dog after that.

Already Hunter is learning to be gentle with dogs and respect them. When we meet dogs he does not climb on them or pull on them. He sits on the ground or my lap and pats them softly saying "Hi Dog Dog Dog"

 

[release the hounds]

parents are too concerned with justifying their kids actions and defending them to actually teach them any responsibility. It's sad

 

[Fran101]

lol it was the same way when i was younger, im only 17 now soo it was pretty recently

I would be like "mommy! im bleeding!"
she would look at it, tell me "..your blood is still red. good sign" and then put a bandaid on send me on my way lol it worked, cuz i never cried too long after that

and it was always "what did you do to the dog?" or "why did you go near the dog even if i TOLD you not to? you had it comin"

 

[Sweet72947]

When I was little we had cats, and if I told my mom the cat bit me, she'd say "Well stop being mean to the cat!!"

 

[ihartgonzo]

I have plenty of problems with little kids running up to my dogs... I've learned to body block really well, and be blunt with children. Since their parents can't do it.

I don't have to worry about Fozzie, because he is comfortable with kids of all ages, whether they're polite or annoying. But Gonzo becomes very nervous around unruly kids. I have to be standing right over my neices for them to be around Gonzo, because my sister just doesn't pay attention to them or scold them for being rude around him. She has known Gonzo for so long, and she trusts him, even when he's air-snapping at her kids for jumping all over him. She knows he would not bite them, but I wish she wouldn't take that as a reason to completely ignore what they're doing. For some of the things they do, they deserve to get bitten. I, however, do not hold back on putting them in check.