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Totally agree. What slightly aggravates me though is the way parents seem to abrogate their own responsibility to teach their children when not to approach a dog.
Here's a clue: if the owner has pinned the dog physically to the wall with their whole fucking body, pull you toddler away from the dog. Do not stand there with a blithe smile on your face whilst the small person ambles unwittingly towards the barely contained package of fur and teeth, little fingers waving invitingly in its face.
*takes a breath* ok. Slight exaggeration for comic effect. But not much of one. It's all part of this whole the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist-whilst-we're-doing-the-school-run attitude that takes over the village every day at 3.15pm. Really pisses me off. Just before they broke up for Summer, mum and I called to the newsagents on the way home from somewhere, we parked at the kerb a little way down from the papershop near to the school. There's parents and kids milling about. Mum started to open her cardoor bur had to stop because there were small children in the way. She was holding her door ajar trying to catch a moment to open it, but more kids and parents are streaming past. Not one of said parents guided their children to the inside of the pavement to allow room for mum to open her door.
No way would my mum have allowed that when I was a kid. Nor would she have been happy at me running helter skelter down the high street dodging in and out and getting under people's feet. Or worse, running close by someone with an unknown dog. They come right up behind you. Practically touching Pilau. They just assume they're safe.
Sorry....that ws a bit off topic.
I think pointing out that a kid might have inadvertently precipitated a dog attack isn't the same as blaming them for it. But it's definately an argument for not leaving dogs and children unattended.
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