:mad: OMG! :thumbdown Hopefully your friend leaves her bratty son at home from now. If he does come, make sure you are holding Stanford in your arms the whole time!

bad parents create unruely kids :(

Stanford will remain inside for future visits. The big dog would have scared the pants off of the kid if he had tried that with him. In fact, TJ got a bit upset at the kid after the incident, and hung around Stanford for a little while. Protection?
:animal36

Matthew, I was wondering where you were. You have been missed. Poor Stannie. I'm glad you spoke up for him. I can't believe how parents don't teach their children how to treats animals correctly. I am afraid that you are much nicer than I would have been had a child kicked Murfee.:eek: Please don't go away again without telling me.....mommy was worried:D

Poor Stannie!!!
 

You really have to watch toddlers every second! Remember they are just learning rules, but an incident like you had can really have a negative effect....ON THE DOG!!! :eek: The mother should have been watching. Poor, poor Stannie. I hope this doesn't make him fearful of all children. Some kids are great!;) Maybe stick with older kids!!!:confused:

I was not going to post on this but I just am so upset by what other's have posted, like they would of beaten this 2 year old :( I am curious as to how you all would of handled the 2 year old if it was your son that did this:confused: As a parent to 4 boy's that were all once just 2 years of age, I used time out when they were this young, but I did tell them in terms they could grasp just what they did that was wrong.

The original poster did say that the mother did put him in time out so it was not as if she was letting her 2 year old get away with his wrong doing. How is that being a bad parent? At least she did not sit and ignore that her son did wrong. I am sorry but if anyone threatened my 2 year old child a "world of harm" no matter what my child had done, They would be the one strung up the nearest flag pole or have my fist in their face. You are the adult in a situation like this and should act accordingly, threatening a 2 year old is just wrong:thumbdown

I understand where you are coming from, Adorame. That is why I stated that I felt some trepidation for speaking to the child like that. However, the child was supposed to be in a time out situation, which to me does not mean standing in one spot for app. 10 seconds, then running over to me before he was told that the "time out" was done, while Mom watches and does nothing.
Would I have smacked the kid, actually grabbed him, strung him up by his diapers on my flag pole? NO. But when a child is a guest at my home or in my yard, I expect that he will be supervised enough to not behave beyond what "normal" two year olds would engage in. I have yet to see a toddler actually and purposefully kick any animal, twice! Pulling ears, rough handling, chasing, yes. But that is more along the lines of unintentional behavior, which should be corrected as well.
When I visit their home, I don't correct their kids...this is not my place (unless they directly "assault" me, which has not happened).
I do like this child. But the line was drawn.
I suspect that if you and your child were visiting me, an incident like this would might have not happened. If it did, and you did not end it immediately with a time out or other intervention that had some impact, I would say the same thing. And if you put a fist in my face, you and yours would have been promptly asked to leave, and not come back.
I believe that people come first, then animals. However, the child has a mother. I act as a surrogate "parent" for my animals. If one of them gets too rough, I calm them down or remove them from the situation ASAP. This mother should have done the same, and not let the toddler dictate to her how long the time out should have been. I did my part, and removed Stanford from the situation promptly.

And I agree with what others have said: I think MOST kids are just great.
So now I know not to mix toddlers and Stanford. The older kids were wonderful with him, as are most adults.
BTW, my new neighbors just announced that they now have 8 (!) new puppies for their kids to play with. I am cringing...these are not very big mobile homes here, and with 7 adults and 3 kids, plus 8 puppies...yipes. I hope they do right by them.

Sounds like a spoiled kid getting his way in the long run.. At least he knew YOU were serious, unlike his Mom who let him leave timeout on his own. Humane treatment for animals begins early, even 2 years old!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:I am totally with you on that one!! I have the MOST adorable two year old nephew. When my niece comes over to visit with him, she watches him like a hawk around my little Yorkies. She continually explains to him how easily such a tiny dog can get a "booboo". She even once used a flower to teach him, showing how fragile the petals were, that if he pulled them while smelling the flower, it's petals would get an "owie". She tells him the Yorkie is the same because it is so small. You would not believe how this little two year old comprehends that my dogs can be easily hurt. It's all up to the Mom, teaching him the good/bad consequences of his actions. Incidentally, my little Mango adores him, will follow him around the house; she has no fear of him whatsoever, because he has never given her reason to be afraid. It's just toooooo precious to watch them together. It's almost as if Mango identifies him as another "puppy" that she wants to play with.
Lauren:D

I am not saying that the 2 year old should not of ben punished for hurting the dog or that they are to young to learn how to treat an animal. I just think that a much better way could of been taken on handling this situation. That is why I asked others how they would handel the situation if it was them. A person posted that they would of beaten the child, another felt that this would of been a good time for the dog to bite the child. Not once did I see anyone say that they would of addressed the mother instead of the 2 year old.

The original post did not state how long this child was in time out for,just that it was useless. Instead of taking it out on the two year old, something should of been said to his mother! I would rather have someone tell me if they feel that things could of been handled differently if a situation like this would of occurred with me. Also I do not think any threats should be made to a 2 year old regardless if the person had intensions of following through with said threat or not. I also do not know any parent who would allow a person to make such a threat to their young chid, regardless the situation.

You need to speak to the adult, not the young child in situations like this! What kind of lesson did the child learn at all?? This could of been a perfect opportunity for him to of been taught a lesson on treating an animal and a good learning experience for the mother to know that things like a time out should be followed through if the child is to learn from his mistakes and that the child should be taught to be nice with animals.

I have been in a situation with my friend and her 4 year old acting up and hurting Getter who is small at just barely over 2 pounds.. Her mother did put her in the corner but she got out after only one minute, her mother was going to let her go play and I talked to her and let her know that I was upset that she did not follow through and stated that it was not helping her child. She listened to me and my concerns and has since changed her way of not following through with discipline and she even has thanked me for bringing it to her attention.She and I have talked about how Getter is tiny and could get hurt easily and she is now very gentle with him and Getter will go sit with her when she sets down on my floor.

Again, I stand behind saying anyone in a situation like this could go about taking care of a problem much better where a lesson is actually learned then to of made a threat to a child.

Wow I gasped in horror reading the original post. I doubt the kid was emotionally scarred over the comment. He probably didn't even understand what it meant just that it was someone who was being authoritative unlike his parents talking to him seriously that made him chill out. He probably forgot about it shortly after.
Being two years old, he probably did not understand what he was doing but it is likely he has examples of this type of behavior around him therefore doesn't know better. I agree with you Matthew that the kid kicked the dog twice and the second time in the jaw. This is hardly being just playful. This is not indicative of all children's behavior but definitely is a reflection on the parent. If Stannie bit the kid in self defense, you know that all hell would have broke loose.

I'm a little surprised the direction this thread has taken...I for one didn't take most of the comments made seriously as if the poster would have actually beaten a 2 child......I'm sorry Mathew that your comments on reprimanding a child has come to the point where it's a debate on child rearing.....I just thought your where being a bit amusing in telling of your story.....

I don't like children.

Well said, I thought the same thing.