[anolbom]

How would you approach a mother about teaching her children NOT to harass/hit animals?

I have been helping my friend babysit lately because the children are little terrors. LOL. So of course I have to bring Slayer with me cause the husband is working. They torture her endlessly and are constantly pulling stuff that if the average dog was dealing with and not a pit bull or child friendly breed they would lose thier hands/faces. They blow in her face, pull her cheeks, slap her, jump on her and even try and leash her and walk out the door with her if they think you aren't looking.

Slayer is a real trooper, and we always send the kids on time out or scold them but it is an issue that doesn't cease and I think its almost time to talk to their mom. The other dog at the residence almost bit then little girl 3 times now, and one of these days he won't miss. I am proud of my dog and her tolerance...but I do not think the kids have been taught very well. What scares me is the the mom tells me she has had LOTS of dogs in the past, you would think they would know better.

[esenesesinas]

my neice is like that to Peanut. I have not talked to my SIL about it but when my neice hits Peanut pokes him in the eye pulls his skin up real hard on his back i explain to her that she is hurting him and if she hurts him he won't want to play with her anymore. She is 2 years old so I have to remind her a lot about this I hope one day it will sink in

[arcalmanard]

I am a mean old bat. Always have been, even when I was young.

My kids bit, hit, pinched, poked or otherwise harassed a dog when they were babies and I did to them what they did to the dog, explained it hurt the dog just as much as it hurt them and then made them apologize to the dog and mean it. Course, these aren't your kids, so I'd have a talk with the mother and come up with a plan for disciplining them. Just be very blunt and honest about what is going on and make sure she knows that it is very important for the lil monsters to learn how to properly interact with a dog or they are going to end up bitten by a less patient one.

[anolbom]

I am a mean old bat. Always have been, even when I was young.

My kids bit, hit, pinched, poked or otherwise harassed a dog when they were babies and I did to them what they did to the dog, explained it hurt the dog just as much as it hurt them and then made them apologize to the dog and mean it. Course, these aren't your kids, so I'd have a talk with the mother and come up with a plan for disciplining them. Just be very blunt and honest about what is going on and make sure she knows that it is very important for the lil monsters to learn how to properly interact with a dog or they are going to end up bitten by a less patient one.

That is my MAIN fear right there. The other dog on the property is a wolf hybrid, he snaps at peoples faces has little to no bite inhabition and is snarly. The kids are not being very safe.

[esenesesinas]

eek! I hope she teaches these kids so that nothing happens to them. I wonder if you could teach them yourself by teaching them how you want them to treat Slayer. I would say since she is your dog and they are being mean to her you could teach them dog manners and maybe it will carry over to the wolf dog

[JEWELMARGY]

I am a mean old bat. Always have been, even when I was young.

My kids bit, hit, pinched, poked or otherwise harassed a dog when they were babies and I did to them what they did to the dog, explained it hurt the dog just as much as it hurt them and then made them apologize to the dog and mean it. Course, these aren't your kids, so I'd have a talk with the mother and come up with a plan for disciplining them. Just be very blunt and honest about what is going on and make sure she knows that it is very important for the lil monsters to learn how to properly interact with a dog or they are going to end up bitten by a less patient one.

This. I'd be slapping kids all day. I guess I'd get the mother's permission if I had to. But then again, my friends are all on board with the whole "hitting bad kids" thing.

[anolbom]

Pm, I am trying but it seems no amount of time outs or positive reinforcements are changing things. Pretty soon I will loose it if their mom refuses to tell them. These kids are spoiled as hell and if it were MY home or decision I would refuse to watch them at all.

[JEWELMARGY]

BEAT THEM.


Shit, you don't even have to hit them. Scare the shit out of them. If you catch one fucking with your dog, grab the little bastard up by the back of the shirt, channel your inner serial killer, glare, and put the fear of adults into them.

[Alice_Medichi34]

When one is coming toward Slayer you reach out, smack their hand away before they touch her, look them in the eye and yell "NO! Do NOT touch the dog!" Never mind talking to them, just physically move them away by batting their hand away or giving them a push. Tell the mother that's what you'll be doing if they touch your dog again.

[anolbom]

Lmao...I so wish it were that easy Robyn. LoL. I could just see me getting deported for assault on a minor now. I just really need the guts to confront thier mom. I am very much not into confrontation.

---------- Post added at 09:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 PM ----------

When one is coming toward Slayer you reach out, smack their hand away before they touch her, look them in the eye and yell "NO! Do NOT touch the dog!" Never mind talking to them, just physically move them away by batting their hand away or giving them a push. Tell the mother that's what you'll be doing if they touch your dog again.

LoL..Would work well if Slayer didn't follow them around like a little nanny. She is ALWAYS running interferance if the kids try and pick at the wolf dog. She runs over and starts licking them to get thier attention on her.

[Pdarasenko]

I occasionally have a kid try to sit on my dog, Bindi, but they usually get the idea after I yank Bindi away and tell them not to do that because it hurts the dog. I agree with everyone else. Scare the crap outta them.

[drgshmcm]

How about approaching Mom directly with this, "I hate to tell you this but your children behave horribly with dogs and it is only a matter of time before one of them gets bitten... badly"...and see what sort of response you get.

I personally wouldn't have a problem with a dog of any breed taking it upon itself to put an end to that crap in an environment where it was allowed to happen continuously.

[arcalmanard]

My little brother was hell on wheels as a toddler and he got away with murder because he was the baby, the only boy, and my mom almost died having him and then he was born with a triple hernia and not allowed to cry AT ALL until he was a few months old and they could surgically repair him.

He'd harass our lil Boston Terrier. Nothing we said to him and no time in the corner made him quit. My mom, in a rare moment of "screw that!" actually told him a few times "That dog is going to bite you someday!" Still nothing. Until she snapped at him and it hurt. He tried to go crying to momma and she merely said " I told you!". And the thing is, that dog was awesome. She was a wonderful dog and put up with a lot from kids for years without snapping at any of them but my brother.

The problem here is that this is more than 20 years later and the world is different and so is the breed. What if Slayer finally gets sick of it, reaches the end of her patience, and snaps at one of them? She'd end up dead. What if they get to the wolf hybrid because kids are quick and sneaky and tend to do the really bad thing the minute you're distracted? Trust me. I've raised my sister and brother after mom died and helped a lot before because of her disability, I've raised my 3 and babysat more than I care to remember. They ALWAYS find a way to do the worst thing possible the second something else has you busy and in this case the worst thing is messing with those dogs. It is literally a matter of life and death. For the dogs and the kids.

You're gonna have to learn to confront people and fast or one of those kids is going to get hurt and one of those dogs is going to get seized by AC and maybe someone in the household will get sued.

Tell the mother flat out that these kids need discipline, time outs aren't working, a spanking won't kill them and you are going to start seriously disciplining the whole lot of them for their own safety and the safety of the dogs. If she doesn't like it she can find someone else to watch the brats.

---------- Post added at 06:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:18 AM ----------

And watching those kids is absolutely your decision. If you are the official babysitter and something does happen, guess who is legally liable? You could literally end up sued for tens of thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, psychological services, pain and suffering, and other emotional damages. It's a big, serious, deal.

[esenesesinas]

How old were the kids?

[fotodemujerahldesnugdo]

I would approach the mom, but I would video what the kids to to Slayer so its not just your word against her "little angles" so you can prove the point and your fear of them getting bitten by a dog that has less tolerance

[lopezsokero]

I'm more concerned that adults are allowing a dangerous situation to exist without protecting children or dogs adequately.

[Xxmlqevq]

Think real hard before you take any of the advice advocating physical violence toward those kids.

Why are you leaving them unsupervised with an unfamiliar dog? Why are you leaving those kids unsupervised at all?

[TughEmotteTug]

Is there any way you can keep Slayer away from the situation entirely? Maybe tie her out in your friends backyard and not allow the children near her?

[arcalmanard]

Think real hard before you take any of the advice advocating physical violence toward those kids.

Why are you leaving them unsupervised with an unfamiliar dog? Why are you leaving those kids unsupervised at all?

Re-read the thread. The kids aren't unsupervised. They are little hellions acting like that right in front of the adults. Time outs, the only punishment used so far, aren't working. No one said spank the kids without parental permission. What we're saying is talk to the mother, tell her what is going on, let her know that time outs aren't working, that the kids will be getting spanked/hands slapped/whatever so they will learn and f she doesn't like it she can have someone else watch them.

[xyznicks]

If I were you I'd keep Slayer away from the situation entirely. She doesn't need to be around that. Not all kids act that way and she doesn't need to start thinking they do. She doesn't need to be subjected to that. Definately talk to the mom, but at the same time realize. Parents can get pretty nasty when you tell them they aren't doing their job. But maybe for her kids sake she needs to hear it. I mean eventually those kids are going to push a dog over the edge.


My dog has taken so much "Love" as I call it from my daughter. She just tries to love her to death lol. But she knows when I tell her to stop to stop. We went to see Sircey the other day and I was proud of my daughter, she waited to pet him and love on him until we told her it was okay. I was so proud. And she was so gentle with him. I was proud of her.

When we are out and about I almost never let kids pet my dog. I trust my dog, I just don't trust the kids. I don't know how they are raised. Most kids just try to run up and pet her without even asking. The only kids that get to pet my dog are the ones who ask me politely. My dog has had rocks thrown at her, she has been ran down by a kid on a bike, which injured her paw. (She now has an extreme fear of bikes that she just can't seem to get over no matter how hard we try). She has been harassed by strange kids.

Kids can be very cruel and sadly it seems parents are teaching them right from wrong these days. But what do you expect from a generation of kids where the parents are absent, and they are being raised by the television.