05-28-2015, 12:05 PM
For some reason, Misty treated children and young teenagers as 'rivals'. Or pups. For those reasons I could never completely trust her with them, and would never leave her alone with them.
When a dog chastises pups for going too far.....it's fine among dogs, but humans view that chastisement very differently. And when any form of rivalry is involved, there can be some level of aggression even if it isn't really intended to be deeply harmful (by the dog). But it will be viewed that way by humans, and could even cause some level of physical harm if teeth make contact with skin.
I could hug Misty. I could touch her face, and do most anything and she never showed any stress about it, only pleasure. But if a stranger or a young person did those same things, I know she would not have tolerated it. She was incredibly patient and well-behaved, but might have snapped if pushed too far for too long, but would have snapped at the air in front of them first. But even that would have been seen as 'aggression' by many. When all it was -was language.
So etiquette rules for children are a good idea. And all the obvious signs that dogs give us when they are comfortable and uncomfortable. Dogs don't mess around. They will show us what they feel, and we only have to listen and watch.
When a dog chastises pups for going too far.....it's fine among dogs, but humans view that chastisement very differently. And when any form of rivalry is involved, there can be some level of aggression even if it isn't really intended to be deeply harmful (by the dog). But it will be viewed that way by humans, and could even cause some level of physical harm if teeth make contact with skin.
I could hug Misty. I could touch her face, and do most anything and she never showed any stress about it, only pleasure. But if a stranger or a young person did those same things, I know she would not have tolerated it. She was incredibly patient and well-behaved, but might have snapped if pushed too far for too long, but would have snapped at the air in front of them first. But even that would have been seen as 'aggression' by many. When all it was -was language.
So etiquette rules for children are a good idea. And all the obvious signs that dogs give us when they are comfortable and uncomfortable. Dogs don't mess around. They will show us what they feel, and we only have to listen and watch.
