Is It Okay To Let My Kids Walk The Dog Unsupervised?
Hey Woofas,
An incident comes to mind when answering – Is it okay to let my kids walk the dog?
It’s not a pleasant one.
HERE IT IS!
A woman was out walking her large dog on a lead minding her own business, enjoying the walk.
3 kids, aged from 6-10 years, had their small fluffy dog off lead allowing it to run anywhere! In a non-off lead area!!!!
Said fluffy dog kept running up and barking in the big dog’s face.
The owner of the big dog kept asking the kids to get their dog away from the big dog, as it was becoming agitated.
The kids kept letting their dog bark into the big dog’s face.
The owner of the big dog started yelling at the kids to get their dog away.
The kids didn’t listen and sadly the big dog retaliated and it ended the little dog’s life.
I know the owner of the big dog and she was mortified that this had happened. That her dog did this to the little dog.
This had never happened before.
However, I had to ask!
If this little dog was put on a lead, led away from your dog and not allowed to continuously bark in your dog’s face – would this have happened?
She said it definitely would NOT have happened.
I asked where the parents were of these kids? She said nowhere to be found.
CONSEQUENCES OF THIS INCIDENT!
- The big dog owner was mortified and scarred for life;
- the kids were horrified and scarred for life;
- this whole thing could’ve been avoided with adult supervision of the kids and their dog;
- the little dog lost its life;
- the big dog was minding it’s own business until the little dog got in it’s face;
- the little dog was off lead in a non off leash area;
- there was a dog park at the other end of the walkway.
LESSONS WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM THIS INCIDENT!
When I hear of horrific incidences involving dogs, I ALWAYS try to see it from the dog’s point of view.
I look at the whole situation to see if it could’ve potentially been avoided.
Most of the time it’s humans being ignorant, stupid and not paying attention.
In the incident above, I believe it was parental neglect.
1. – Parental Neglect
I do believe if there was an adult supervising these kids with their dog, the incident would’ve been avoided.
I’d like to think that most adults wouldn’t let their little dog go up to a big dog and start barking into its face.
Where were the parents in this situation?
Why did they think it was okay to let the kids take the dog without supervision?
Why was the dog running around freely in a non-off leash area?
How come the dog wasn’t at the enclosed dog park that was at the other end of the walkway?
2. – The Kids Didn’t Listen
When the big dog owner kept asking and then yelling at the kids to take their dog away – they didn’t listen.
Had one of them picked the dog up and walked away, none of it would’ve happened.
If they had an adult with them, this would not have happened.
3. – Why I Don’t Blame The Big Dog
I’m not taking away the severity of the situation, the little dog lost its life!
What I am doing is seeing it from the big dog’s perspective.
- big dog is out for its daily walk
- big dog is minding its own business
- big dog is on a lead
- little dog is running free
- little dog starts running at big dog
- big dog has another dog barking in its face
- big dog tries to get away but little dog can follow because it’s not on a lead
- big dog is on a lead and goes into fight or flight mode
- big dog can’t flight because it’s on a lead, so it goes into fight mode
- yes big dog has a bigger mouth than the little dog
- little dog has invaded the bigger dog’s space
- little dog shows aggression at big dog
- big dog is going to retaliate because little dog isn’t stopped from barking in big dog’s face.
Can you see the problem here?
4. – The Big Dog Owner
The big dog owner was doing what she does every day – taking her dog for a walk.
She’s taking it the same way they go all the time and this had never happened before in all of the big dog’s life – 7 years.
She tried pulling her big dog away from the little dog and walking away. The little dog kept following.
The big dog owner kept asking, pleading and then yelling for the kids to take their little dog away.
But they didn’t listen.
She knew her dog was becoming agitated by the little dog and kept trying to pull it away. The little dog kept following.
And her worst nightmare came true.
Now she walks her dog with a muzzle because of what happened.
Even though it wasn’t her dog’s fault and she wasn’t told to.
There were no repercussions for her dog because someone else witnessed it from the other side of the street.
They couldn’t get there in time to remove the little dog. However, they did see the whole thing and reassured her it wasn’t her fault.
She’s a dog lover through and through, this mortified her no end.
MY ANSWER!
Is a big fat NO!
Do not let your kids walk your dog unsupervised.
Do not let your kids take your dog outside of the yard or house without supervision.
It’s not just because of the above situation, it’s because kids don’t think of these potential risks.
It’s up to the parents to teach them these things.
WHAT’S ALL THIS MEAN?
It’s not safe for your dog or your kids to allow them to walk the dog unsupervised.
Even holding the lead is a risk!
What if your dog sees something and decides to take off dragging your kid down the road??
I’ve seen adults struggle with this.
It’s a big NO NO for everyone’s sake.
IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – WHAT YOU THINK OF KIDS WALKING DOGS UNSUPERVISED?
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