Why do parents feel that they can come to the dog park with their dogs yet without their brains?
Can someone please tell me what goes through someone’s mind when they bring a toddler to the dog park? Just from a sanitary perspective why would anyone in the industrialized world allow an infant or toddler to come in contact with canine fecal matter? Let’s face it, even if everyone picked up their dogs poop there would always be residual poop lying around. If you pick up and throw a dog toy and then hand Junior a juice box... I don’t like thinking about that one.
If half the dogs in the park were larger than my child, I would not bring my kid in the park. Herding dogs will herd screaming running children, and running dogs can easily knock a child down by accident. The most responsible parents send their dog into the enclosure and stand outside with Junior watching from the safe side of the fence.
Accidents do happen, so one has to ask the question why take the risk? Isn’t your child the most precious thing in the world? The most common scenario is a parent who is so obsessed with the socialization of their dog that they begin to take their eye off their child who is running around sticking their fingers in the faces of dogs who may or may not like children. When kids are running and screaming through the park swinging sticks or dog leashes I make sure that my dogs are no where near this child. I don’t want to be responsible for the mauling of some uncontrollable child who falls on my 12 year old dog, while swinging a tree branch. I kid you not! So many times I want to call children and family services. Turning your back on a child in the dog park is no different than turning your back on a child by a swimming pool.
I am fascinated by the idiots who push strollers through the fields of dog poop. Do the stroller wheels get sanitized before they are placed in the car or in the house? As baby’s juicy looking legs dangle down in front of the stroller, I can visualize a dog watching drumsticks dangling from the cart resembling a vacuum cleaner in the distance. My visualization has to stop there for fear of what happens next.
A couple of weeks ago a grandparent who regularly brings his dog to the park who is a fairly responsible dog owner, brings his wife, daughter, grandchild and dog into the dog run. As he steps into the dog run with his family he proudly states, “My grandchild is afraid of dogs.” Huh? What was he thinking? Was he trying to be cute? The damage done to that child that morning will take a life time of therapy to undo.
Can someone please explain why bother to take the risk? Small children do not belong in the dog park!
