Kids Taunting Dog

[Stressmagnet]

To hell with it. Turn the hose on them. I'd rather risk being the scary mean woman than try to appeal to a teenagers good sense.

I have two teenagers.

[BC Crazy]

When I was a child we had teenage boys constantly cutting to a tram stop through a laneway behind our home. We had cyclone fencing with hedges. They thought it was great fun to try and throw stones through the fence and hit the dog, my red heeler. They also barked at him and yelled at him.

Cut to 18mths later and the dog was so fearfully aggressive to people, especially males, outside the home that he was very dangerous. We tried to talk to the kids. We tried to rehab the dog. However we euthed him at 5yrs old. Way to young. We just couldn't trust him and he was starting to escape, in any case he was so anxious and fearful that he wasn't happy.

So do whatever you can to stop them making your dog fearful. I've never forgiven myself and I know it was one of the hardest decisions my dad made, putting down a dog that was so bonded to and gentle with his children. Rip Barry.

This is one of the saddest stories I have ever heard... Some kids can be beyond cruel.

Poor tortured dog RIP dear Barry

[bertie]

You could plead to their good sense, (depending on the age and personality of the kids involved)....some are just being normal rambunctious kids, explain to them in a friendly non confrontational way that your dog is a really great dog, and by them barking he/she is getting fearful and them being the nice kids that they are, wouldn't want that on their mind.

Or if they are just truly awful kids, keep the dog inside/away from that area for the time when they are likely to be going past, no reward for them when they aren't stirring anything up.

It's a fine line with horrible kids, their parents could be worse and you end up with more trouble. Corner blocks are a pain!

Yeah I agree, just explain to them. They might not actually get that they are taunting the dog. Kids just do dumb stuff sometimes and if this is the case they will respond to you explaining the problem and being friendly.

If it goes on, then speak to their parents and call the school that they go to.

I agree, kids might think the dog is having fun as well.

If it doesn't work, I'd go straight to the school though, not bother with tracking parents down

[Dave73]

Had it today actually but a grown man was the culprit. Walked really close to our front door (3 metres off the footpath on my property) and when my girl barked at him through our security door he yelled and screamed at her. I went out and told him to pull his head in or he would get hurt, and he said she barked at him and I reminded him that he was on my property and she was just doing her job, and his carry on just makes her more angry. He got all full of bravado but when he got close he read my t shirt I was wearing as I was just heading off to Krav Maga training, and commented on it and I said yes and im very very proficient at it and it would be in your best interest that you moved on quietly.

I should probably just stay inside and say nothing but my girl is very sick and I would protect her with my life and no-one yells and screams at her.........

[BC Crazy]

Pathetic Dave 73... It takes all kinds doesn't it? Some people honestly. Hope your girl wasn't too upset by this halfwit.

[Justrace]

If it's on the way to/from school contact the school immediately - take a photo of the children doing it so that they can speak with them. We had some kids teasing a dog on the way too school, the whole school got a talking to at assembly and those children that had been doing it were in big trouble.