Ok so not really a question but more how shocked I am and realise even more that some kids need to be taught some manners.  My garden backs on to a cricket pitch which is private property and people are not allowed on there...however some people ignore this rule...so this weekend one of my dogs - the Akita, was happily wandering around the garden when a football appeared so she started playing with it, I was looking out of the window and the next thing I see a child jump into my garden, go up to my dog and take the ball....at this point I shouted rather loudly from my window to get out of my garden and the child promptly ran and climbed the fence.  My Akita is luckily very well socialised and extremely friendly but she has never experienced someone jumping in her garden before, she did however just stand still and not react...thank god!!  I then ran to the bottom of the garden and spoke to the childs aunty who just didn't seem to understand the seriousness of it...the fact that you don't just jump into someone's garden and especially when there is a dog stood there staring at you!  My Saturday could have had a very different ending but I am just so pleased I have a very friendly Akita who loves children!  They didn't even bring the child back to apologise and explain to them why it is dangerous to just jump in with a dog you don't know.  Some people eh?!

Right1 what if the dog had reacted? - scared or growled he could have been defensive.

I think some adults should not be let loose with kids.!!

I had the same thing happen in our old house except in my case it was two kids and several dogs. I calmly explained to the kids why it was wrong and how they could have got bitten. It was after this all our neighbour problems started with them lying to the council about our dogs barking all the time! :(

> I think some adults should not be let loose with kids.!!

I think some adults shouldn't have kids.!!

I know all the rioters should have been sprayed purple and sterilised - what a fuss that would have made!!!

I think you need spikes on your fence!!!!

Your right it could have been a different, horrific story, if your dog had taken umbrage, ignorant people are everywhere. For some there is little respect for other people's property and belongings and it often stems from the parents who see no wrong in it.

I bet your heart jumped into your mouth at the time.

Blimey, what a stupid thing to do, and specially with a guarding breed, something awful could easily have happened and it would NOT have been your girl's fault. Thank goodness she was so laid back about it! Can't believe the adult didn't even realise how stupid they had been!

How incredibly stupid and what a shock for you - if it had been my fence one of mine would have fled in terror being convinced that children are the devils work and the rest would have been so delighted to see him he would have been lucky to escape without being knocked down and smothered to death. Either way it would be the dogs fault.

I once looked out my window to see a child standing on my fence (actually on myside not the neighbours side - we had a shelf thing for flower pots) throwing stones at my GSDX

I yelled at the child so badly that it burst into tears. I then collected up the stones and took them round to the neighbour who owned the kid and gave her the stones back. She looked confused until I told them exactly how I obtained them. The child was then yelled at by the parents too and grounded.

'I bet your heart jumped into your mouth at the time'

Oh it really did, apart from being furious I just couldn't help but think it could have so easily been a different ending.  I will be putting some higher fencing up asap.  Thinking about it you never read stories in the paper about ignorant children climbing into people's gardens where the dogs were perfectly well behaved...you only read of when a dog does something because they are scared or guarding their property etc.

What a stupid adult with the child!! There should be a breeding test for people!! We make such a fuss over dogs about time we dealt with the other end of the lead

In my previous home I had some genuine ASBO neighbours whose oiut of control children thought garden fences were there to be climbed, and all gardens their reign (with accompanying dissapearances of tools in some cases and shed doors mysteriously found blowing open in the breeze).

We got so fed up with the kids using our gardens as their own private thoroughfare. They were shoot scared of my dog though, and after calling thel police out yet again, I was told if they did get bitten it would serve them right.

Thankfully that didn't happen but you can imagine the effect it had on my dog, a natural guarding breed, and the long term repercussions as he is now very territorial and suspicious of teenagers.

Unfortunately many children are not taught how to think about the possible consequences of thier actions, seems as if it's beacsue plenty of parents can't see possible consequences thierself :(

The possibility of children/people climbing into my garden, is one of the many reasons I don't let my dog in the garden unatended. I don't think he would do a child any damage, but I'd rather err on the side of caution and not take the risk.

Well done to your dog for being such a good girl :)

> I then ran to the bottom of the garden and spoke to the childs aunty

and well done to you for keeping your cool :) I'm afraid my big mouth would have had a lot to shout about! The kids I caught barking () at my last dog (trying to wind him up) over the fence, found out about my big gob :)

I've noticed more of this lately kids barking at dogs!! Why??Dothey want to get bitten? Better still the adult standing by watching it asthough dogs should just take anything and not respond. So unfair!! I'd be responding.

> I've noticed more of this lately kids barking at dogs!! Why?? Dothey want to get bitten?

What kind of age group are we talking about? Because the gangs of single-celled human spawn who took pleasure in deliberately winding my dog up on an almost daily basis, for over two years, ranged from age 10-20. And yes he would have responded & bitten them had he been off-lead; and yes I would have been prosecuted despite provocation; and yes they knew exactly what they were doing, and enjoyed telling me so.

There's a flipside to educating kids about dangerous dogs - some of them want to see if it works or not :(

Never mind because a dog was there I wouldnt let my children climb into other peoples gardens full stop.
I remember telling my two not to step on the openplan front gardens round here because it isnt our land
stupid people
Oh yes I have seen or rather heard children barking at dogs with no one stopping them ,

> I've noticed more of this lately kids barking at dogs!! Why??Dothey want to get bitten? Better still the adult standing by watching it asthough dogs should just take anything and not respond. So unfair!! I'd be responding

had that when my dog was a pup. she was nervous and some horrible little brat with his mum thought it hysterical to bark at her and when he saw how she was frightened did it some more(he was about 10 ) .  I wasn't impressed and had 'words' with his mother.