My horrible day spent with two kids that don't understand " Dont Touch the puppy!"
 

I just got home with Angel our 12 week old new furbaby. I left Cookie and Lola at home since they are older and would be ok until I got home tonight.
I was hesitating to take Angel with us because last time I took Cookie our friend's two kids would not stop grabbing Cookie. I have two kids of my own but when I yelled at them and was stern about how animals are not stuffed toys. They actually listened after 2 times and that was it. I just told my husband ahead of time to carry Angel in and to set some rules since the kids listen to my husband more.I brought a puppy tent with a zippered screen. As soon as they saw the puppy , My husband showed it to them and explained that they could NOT carry him because he is so small and to leave him in the tent. Ohhh geeze! Within 2 minutes the boy was hitting the tent and yelling Puppy! Puppy ! Do you want to come out of there!? He flipped the tent over! And Angel rolled over in the tent. My husband told them again very,very serious this time. DO NOT TOUCH, understand?? Well hubby walked away and the girl starts pushing the screen and the little boy stuck his hand under the tent and hitting it so Angel would bounce . His mom just saying in such a relaxed voice,"Kidsssss dont touch please... " I kept saying it over and over,my husband also repeating himself over and over. His mom would say something once in a while.I was there 12 hrs! I wanted to leave but we drove over 3 hrs and I could not get up and go myself. I lost count how many times that boy was warned , at least 50 times maybe? The kids were 6 yrs old and 8 yrs old. I'm sorry but that is NO excuse in my book.When I brought Cookie home mykids were 7 and 12. There is a bit of an age difference but my kids understood that for the first coupleof months the puppy would stay in my room and they would only sit with him while I was there. I never found them sneaking behind my back.
To give you an example of how those kids were. We went to the supermarket with them and the boy got lost 3 times and the girl got lost 2 times! We spent more time searching the entire store for them! I was about to burst and asked the mom " Do they always get lost when you go shopping? Don't you keep them close to you and the shopping cart? I told her if my daughter would do that she would get a spanking or we would leave. That has never happened to me by the way! I would freak out if my kids are not with me.With all the horrible news we see everyday with kids getting kidnapped,the mom seemed very unworried until I mentioned that the 8 yr daughter was missing and I just found her sandals in the next isle!
I had to take Angel out of the tent and put him in a carrier purse on my lap. The kids hovered over me begging to take him out and I said LEAVE HIM ALONE. The mom finally saw I was fed up and sent them to their room for a while.Sorry I had to vent! it was suppose to be a relaxing day ,BBQ andpool...NOT!


Genie,Cookie,Lola & Angel.

I hate it when children are undisciplined little brats, to say it bluntly. I can't stand it when parents can't control their kids. If it takes a swat or a spanking to do so, then so be it. I was swatted and spanked, and I turned out okay. (I think?) Anyway, its worse when they don't know how to interact with a small animal. Maybe its just that I come from an animal loving family, but kids should know how to interact with an animal, even if it means sitting quietly by the puppy tent and just watching the puppy. Grrr! :mad: I'm with you.

Oh man thats awful. Those kids are completely undisciplined and the parents are to blame. If that was my kid, they would have been banished to their room right after the first tent episode. I'm sorry you had such a rough day :( I don't know how close you are with the parents but maybe you could tell them that their children's behavior might interfere with future visits :rolleyes: Is your baby ok after her stressful day?

No offense, but, assuming you were at your friend's house (and you would have obviously known her kids were gonna be there) how can you complain about her kids in her house? :)

the kids are 6 and 8! thats old enough for them to udnerstand to abide by rules AND realise that puppy needs to be left alone, my little sister is 7 and she understands animals are beings too with feelings. to me it seems the parents fault that the children are undisiplined. i certainly wouldnt have left it to a friend to tell the children off if they were mine! im sorry you had a bad day. poor puppy too :(

Sounds like a horrible experience and I know the frustration must have been just nerve wracking! I have been in similar situations and have wanted to smack them around a little out of pure out of my mind frustration, but of course I would not, but you sure do want too! It sounds like the fault of the parents though, kids need disipline and they sure are not getting any. I hope you are having a better time now that you are home.

Honestly, if kids are going to be around an animal I do NOT want them to touch, I put the animal in a room that has a door that can be shut. Out of sight...out of mind.

Kids are kids and not every kid at the same age is responsible or mature(that's why they're kids and not adults, heck even some adults don't listen too well). I work with school age children and in a classroom the behaviors from one to another in the same age group are vastly different.

I personally, would not take a small fragile puppy where there was going to be kids. I think your own kids are different from someone elses(even a close relative). Kids also have very short attention spans. I'm sorry it was so stressful. I'm sure you were soooo glad to get back in that car! There was a thread about a little girl who sprayed a mom and puppies with something because they smelled(pooped) and it killed the puppies. Kids don't think things through. Even teenagers make stupid decisions so you can't expect a 6 and 8 year old to be mature enough to listen if they aren't capable. Each kid is different.

Just remember next time, you can't control someone elses actions...only your own(keep the puppy out of the line of fire ;)

I think you had a right to think kids 6 and 8 should be able to hear the rules and abide by them with a little overseeing. The parents are at fault here -- and doing these kids no favor! When they grow up without discipline they wind up having problems with everyone -- friends, teachers, authorities. Those kids are right at the age where lousy parenting skills start taking their toll. They aren't cute anymore. THe kids will suffer in the end.

You did what you could do -- couldn't leave a tiny puppy alone that long, you brought protective tent and carriers, you kept the puppy in your lap. I know that had to be a stressful time. I would not have been able to show the patience to stay that long myself. If I decided to keep these people as friends, I would make a deal to both get sitters and meet in the middle somewhere for any future visiting.

Oh man Genie....what a day. I blame the parents too here ... 6 & 8 is usually such a great age with kids but it sounds like they're pretty wild. I have a neighbor kid who pokes sticks thru my fence at the girls (right at face level) and want to go ballistic but he's just a little boy and not as old as those kids.....Why would parents not step up and teach their kids respect for animals ? This is the time to get started ...actually they're a little late ....and it sounds like those kids are running the house not the parents...

It's so hard to relax when you have to be on constant alert and that shouldn't have happened. When someone says NO TOUCHING - then the kids should have listened.

I work as a teacher and a coach. 6 and 8 years is plenty old enough to understand the word "no" and leave the dog alone. My friend has a 4 year old that knows the word "no". If I were you, I would not take any of my dogs back there or bring them around those kids again.

My dog goes with me to work and I have kids ranging in age 2-18 around him at the rink. The two year old acts like a two year old...typical..but the mother still is very active about teaching her rules...although very difficult being that she is a baby. Her sister (7 years old) has never had to be told twice that she cannot carry my dog...but she is allowed to sit with him in her lap. With ALL the kids I encounter, I do not have to worry because they know the rules and follow them. I will say that I am careful about where I bring him because not all parents follow through as well as the kids I just mentioned.
suz

they should have had their butts spanked after a few times! anyone who just lets their kids run wild and crazy shouldnt have kids and i believe i would have told her so also i would not have stayed or moved the pup to a room with a door that could be locked or something

I am sorry I am with Kyle on this one.

If someone came into my home and was fussing at my kids I would go off!

Sorry but you should have found a sitter for the dog if you knew how it was going to be.

They should understand no at that age!

The trip to the store said it all. The mother has no control what so ever, and obviously doen't care.

When you first told the story I thought you were talking about 3 asnd 4 year olds, I could believe they were 6 and 8.

:yeahthat: If my 8 1/2 year old did any thing like that she would of been in her room for a week!!!!!

OH BOY! I am so sorry that they ruined your day. I do not understand how some of these parents are raising their kids now days. My children understand what "no" means and they also know the "look".

On the flip side, I'm sure the parents didn't understand what you were getting so upset with.

I remember having a litter of pups once. Lacee (our cousin's daughter) had come over and wouldn't leave the pups alone. Mind you, my son and Lacee are exactly 2 weeks apart in age. My son knew to leave the pups alone. Anyway, Lacee kept wanting to touch them and pick them up.

Her mother showed up. Lacee wanted to hold one of the pups. Mom picked up a pup and while Lacee was sitting on the floor, she let Lacee hold it. I remained extremely calm. I simply said, "The reason why I don't even let my kids hold a pup is because if they accidently kill one, I'm out $1,000. If Lacee were to accidently kill a pup are you going to give me $1,000?"

Needless to say, pup was picked back up and put back in the pen. To this day, if I have a litter and they come over, Lacee can look but not touch.

Maybe with these kids parents, calmly let them know the next time they're acting out of control around them..."Look, I paid XXX for my pup. If something happens to them with your kids involved, are you going to pay the vet bills and a replacement dog?"

To try and answer the question: "how can you complain about her kids in her house? " Trust me that was not me complaining! lol If I would have complained I would have gotten up and said sorry but I had to go. When they came to my house , I kept the dogs in my bedroom and forbid any of them to enter. It was my house,my rules.Since I was at their home I really could not set these rules and that is why my husband repeated the same thing all day long. I was planning on staying home and had no problem staying home with my furbabies but my hubby felt awful all day the day before and still asked me late at night the night before if I would please go with them. After leaving my husband was in shock how they truly let the kids do whatever they want and never have consequences for their actions.

To make things worse I forgot to mention that the little boy had what I was sure to be ringworm! He had it all over his chin & neck. My kids had this when they were in kindergarten and even when we moved to our current home. Some of the kids in class had it and it spread like crazy. We all ended up getting it so I know very well what it looks like! When I saw the boy , I asked the mom if she knew this was most likely Ringworm and she said NO that he was ok and the other daughter had it and got over the "rash" in a week. Later on during the day she mentions how everyone in the house has gotten this "rash" I could clearly see the Rings of rash on his face. So that was another big reason why I didnt want him near the pup.My daughter even asked me when she saw him if that's what she had some yrs ago! Needless to say I kept away and washed my hands,so did my husband and kids immediately. My oldest daughter is traumitized when she remembered how big the ringworm got on her arm. IT was the size of a quarter and it left a scar.
This will be the last time I visit and I feel bad for my hubby but it was not fun for me it was just stressful.When I got Cookie he had ringworm and I spent a lot of $$$ for like 3 months to get rid of it!

Genie,Cookie,Lola & Angel
P.S. Angel is doing fine today but I know he was stressed also because he cried and whined lastnight and he has been super quiet and has given me no problems at bed time

That was over the top. Their mom should have set the rules on the 1st instance. Personally, my child would be in time out after the first instance, and if they broke the rule time out again. Normally this works 1 time with my 6 1/2 year old daughter, 2 times with my 7 1/2 year old son. But they HATE being sent away to their room when there are guests, so normally stating the rules from the beginning and what the consequences are going to be is enough if they think they are going to miss out on the fun.

But my kids are awesome with animals. They've been taught at a young age. I remember when Tiger and Rhapsody were puppies; they always asked to touch the pups. And I felt comfortable letting them sit with the puppies in their laps. They never carried, lifted, or touched without expressed permission. It's funny, even now if Rhapsody climbs up on Jacob he'll stay still (even if uncomfortable) until she wakes up and gets down, lol. He loves when she's with him and doesn't want to discourage it.

The store thing horrified me!! I can't believe that, my kids are either in the cart, or walking beside the cart with one hand on the cart. The only time I have a problem is in Disney Store, and that's kinda understandable.

So many times you hear about kids who disappeared because a parent looked away for a moment. Then you hear about parents that let their kids roam at will, my gosh, I'd be a nervous wreck if they were out of my sight in stores!!!

Sympathize with you. Talk about emotionally exhausting!

Sorry you had a stressing day but you should have found someone to look after your puppy.Seemed like you already knew how her kids were going to act. I guess it was a bad day for EVERYONE when It should have been fun.
Do they have any pets at their house? If not maybe that is why they acted like that. But the mom should have made them listen and you should have found someone to watch your puppy. The kids's mom was probley stressed too considering it was going to be a cookout and day at the pool not knowing she would have to control her kids over a puppy in their own home. It could have been avoided if pup had a babysitter.

I would not have taken the puppy over there where there were children

That is why I have dogs and NO KIDS. They are so annoying to me

i disagree a child should be taught to respect people and pets as early as possible not just act wild and do whatever!:thumbdown

I agree with Kyle also. I have never liked people to bring pets to my house especially when my children were small. But their mom should have made them mind. Makes me wonder how much she wanted them too.

I have to agree with some of the other posts here. I know it was frustrating and irritating to have to be on edge for 12 hours, but since you'd already had one similar experience, I would not have taken the dog, especially at such a young age--even had there been no children in the picture, I would think a lengthy trip should be avoided if possible. Yes kids can be a pain and should be taught to behave and respect others, but I don't think the parents deserve the full brunt of the blame in this situation. Maybe they thought the kids could get under your skin with their actions enough to deter you from bringing your dog with you to on future visits.

I think it says a lot when children at their ages are allowed to run around a store by themselves and their parents not able to find them. I find fault in a parent when this happens.

My hubby and I are raising our 6 year old grandson (Seth). Since we visit friends and family that have puppies and older dogs, Seth was taught to respect animals. It doesn't matter to me if the dogs are in their house or at mine, he has to be taught respect or he will grow up not knowing how to treat animals. The is no way I would allow him to misbehave and treat a puppy rough at home or anywhere else. Now that we have Gordon, Seth realizes he can't mistreat him, and helps with Gordon's training (he goes with Gordon to puppy class).

Sorry , I don't see these kids have respect at all....and I don't blame the kids, parents have to teach it.....it isn't something they are born with. Doesn't seems like they are even taught to respect her, since they are allowed to roam free in a store without her knowing where they are.

When I first started reading this I thought they were toddlers.

When I read their actual ages, I was in shock.

While I agree, that perhaps your pup would've been better left at home, it
sounds like it would've been a horrible experience even if you'd not brought the pup. When children are THAT unruly and undisciplined, it's sad, but being around them in ANY circumstance is unpleasant. (don't get me wrong, I love kids, just don't understand why some parents don't seem concerned about teaching manners)

We are friends with one couple who's children act much the same way (without our dogs in attendance), and it's sad to say, but we've quit going over and have greatly cut down on our invites to them because of it. Do people actually think they are doing their kids a favor by letting them be out of control?

I would have left Especially if you thought there was ringworm in the house!:thumbdown

I have 2 toddlers (just turned 2 and my older is 3.5 years old)....mine would never act in this way. If they are told to leave the animals alone, then that's what is expected. No child is perfect and EVERY child is going to misbehave at some point, but good grief, 6 & 8 years old is too old to have to be told continuosly to stop one specific behavior! I do not understand why parents do not make their children follow the rules...I definitely WANT my children to mind so the only way to do accomplish that is with consistency.

I am sorry that your visit with your friend ended up being more stress than fun.

Tammy

Yup, I do take partial blame for bringing him.But this experience will actually prove to my hubby why I won't bring the pup again. I actually let him know that I won't be visiting again with or without a pet ,period.A new neighbor little boy came over their house with his pet hamster in a plastic ball that you can put on the floor and let the hamster roam around the house. Well this little kid grabbed the ball and was throwing it up in the air and catching it,he let it fall and the hamster looked like it was passed out! The mom of course told him to put the hamster down but he kept doing it,finally the owner boy of the hamster took his hamster home lol. They have several fish tanks and the kids each have a fish/pet. Funny thing is that when they came over once the little boy dumped an entire fishfood flakes in my tank because he said the fish said they were hungry. Some of my fish died and the water had to be changed.I figured that he would know better since he has his own fish....
I am so fussy with myfurbabies that I have a special way I prepare their food for each one.I know some people think I just over react because "it's just a dog" in their eyes.
Anyway here's my little guy today. Itook some pics of him at 12 weeks so I can see the changes.I found some cute tank/shirts at Walmart today so they have matching outfits. He is eating well and he's gained 3 ounces! He was 1 lb 1 oz when I got him. He is now 1 lb and 4 oz.

Genie