April 22, 2003
10:00 p.m.
Today was another quiet one for us. It was rainy and cold *sigh* so we didn't get out to High Park at all.
Instead, I took Dusty for a long walk around the neighbourhood which ended with a play session in our small park. It was pouring rain, but she didn't seem to mind and we had found shelter underneath a few pine trees. We were playing with a stick and minding our business when a small child approached.
Dusty likes children - I've worked very hard to make sure that she's had plentiful positive experiences with children as a young puppy. I felt my work was done the first time she greeted the approach of a bumbling toddler with a happy tail wag.
So I thought this would be another opportunity to practise good manners with little kids. Little did I know...
The child, a boy who couldn't have been more than three years old, walked up to us and laughed - a kind of horrid, harsh laugh. Dusty was immediately wary. I don't blame her, my hackles were up too. I heard a rumble deep in her throat. "Hello!" I said, trying to be friendly. To my shock, the child took a small ball he had hidden behind his back and hurled it at Dusty's head.
Hooray for strong reflexes developed during many winters of ice hockey! I quickly and easily 'deflected his shot.' Then I said: "Please don't do that!" and physically blocked his access to Dusty, who by now was barking. I figured that this was the end of it, and I prepared to take my dog to another part of the park.
The boy retrieved his ball and walked back toward us. Dusty was on guard, probably thinking that she needed to protect me from this little hellion. I tugged on her leash, but she wouldn't budge. She barked a warning. With a malicious look, the boy hurled his ball again, this time at me.
Dusty was barking frantically. I managed to pick her up and attempted to calm her. The child's mother was 20 metres away on a sidewalk, just standing there and *watching* the events unfold.
"Excuse me!" I yelled, "Could you please call off your child?"
She hurried over. "Bad boy" she said. I couldn't believe it. I turned to the child and said "Shame on you! Throwing things at little animals is mean. You scared my puppy. How would you feel if she did that to you?" The child look completely unconcerned.
This, in my opinion, is how sociopaths are made. I really wanted to slap that kid. Or at least throw a ball in his face. Argh.
Dusty was wary of strangers for the rest of the day. On a later walk, she actually barked at our nextdoor neighbour, who she is usually friendly with.
After this encounter with the Devil Spawn, I think we're going to both be more wary of children from now on.