...handle and approach a dog? My dog is a great dog. Has been in training since she was 4 months old and is scheduled to take the CGC test at the end of this month. However, to some ignorant people she looks "scary." She is 74 pounds, and a boxer/lab mix. She is absolutely amazing around children. She loves being around them and sometimes thinks she is one of them. I have a 7 year old brother whom she is with every day. We have a large family and always have young ones coming by. She knows how to be submissive, and will lay there for hours as kids pet her, play around her, drive trucks around her, etc. She has never had any type of agression issues.

Yesterday my little brother had about 7 neighborhood friends over, ranging from age 12-6. I was out with them playing wiffleball, as was my dog. She was busy chewing a stick in the back part of the yard. Halfway through the game our two (strange) neighbors came over. They are 12 and 10. They stopped at our gate and peered over and saw there was a dog in the yard. They decided to just stand and watch. So I assured them the dog was friendly and she was fine and I would hold her while they enter, the older one agreed the younger one didn't. The older one was very timid, holding his hands higher then his head and walking swiftly away from her. I gave her the "freeze" command and made her stay. She did.

About 5 minutes later the younger one decided to enter, unbenounced to anyone. Of course my dog went trotting over to say hello, and greet the new visitor. He immediately started screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs and flailing his arms while sprinting to our deck to "take cover" under the grill.

I called my dog over, she listened and sat. All the other boys were hysterically laughing at him, probably making him feel really bad. I told him she was very safe and I wouldn't ever allow her outside around anyone if I thought she wasn't. I then told her she was going to say hi to him and if he was ever scared of a dog never to run or scream. He got mad at the two brothers left and went home.



Why hasn't their parents taught them how to properly be around dogs? This will effect them their entire lives! They could be at the playground and a lose dog could see them and they would scream and run?! This just got me thinking... How do people not educate their children about this? Do the kids just never go on play dates if someone has a dog?

Any other thoughts/situations like this?
LYALYA--- I never said my dog jumped? She doesn't and didn't... what are you reading?