Originally Posted by
Stefan
Even a "tame" animal has instincts. What exactly do you mean by general fooling around?
Sitting on the dog pretending it's a horse? Holding on to the tail when the dog is trying to get away? Poking? Putting sticks into ears? Pushing? Shouting? Pinching?
I wonder how long it would take to wind you up enough with the above actions to tell the kids off.
A dog who bites has taken other measures to stop the kids but has failed. Biting is a last resort, but the poster is merely concerned and wants to take precautions. Whats wrong with that? Nobody is saying that the dog ever will bite.
I agree if we are talking about a public space. However, if you do everything to keep your dog under control and on your property and a person, no matter what age, is trespassing then you are not at fault.
Ha, you don't know much about children then... and even if they don't see anything wrong with it, a dog who is consistently poked with a stick will eventually take measure to stop it. And if growling and snarling doesn't stop these inconsiderate kids then a bite might follow.
Children can be cruel, to each other and to animals. The safest thing is to keep the dog away from them.