4-Year-Old Girl Attacked by Dog at Carlsbad Restaurant

[ProudLib72]

9. The other day, my wife and I were walking our dogs

This little kid, maybe seven, came up and asked if he could pet my dog. I told him yes. He reached out to pet her, but she backed away scared. The little boy knew instantly that she was scared and said so. He didn't try petting her anymore.

I mention this because, in hindsight, that boy was very dog smart. Maybe his parents trained him well, or maybe he learned it by being exposed to a lot of dogs. Whatever the case, I was impressed. I am also glad. I know my dogs, but I can't be 100% sure of the way they will react to new people. I would never just trust my dogs to be left alone with a stranger, especially a child.

Edit: Before someone reads this as blaming the victim, my point is twofold. First, small children usually do not know how to "read" dogs. This is not their fault, nor is it the fault of the parents. It's just a fact. Add to that the fact that a small child looks different from an adult to a dog. The dog might be confused or scared. The second point is that, in knowing this about children and dogs, it was exceedingly stupid for the owner to just walk away.