German shepherd protect his boy from another dog

[u/Suspicious-Estate695]

[u/Wise_Option6370]

Unless the dog is fenced in, it should be on a leash for this exact reason.

[u/SupriseAutopsy13 → u/Wise_Option6370]

Also, you're letting a kid this small run next to a road without a fence? You can't trust kids this small to not run in front of cars.

[u/GCU_ZeroCredibility → u/SupriseAutopsy13]

What are we coming to when you're criticizing a kid for playing in his own front yard? That kid is more than old enough to play outside.

Children need to be trusted to be independent or they grow into adults incapable of independence. He's fine.

[u/SupriseAutopsy13 → u/GCU_ZeroCredibility]

Its not playing in his yard, its running by a road without a fence. I personally wouldn't trust a 4 or 5 year old to be mindful of traffic, and if you can't trust your neighbors to keep their dogs on leashes, can you trust them driving around your kid? I wouldn't.

[u/Real_Temporary_922 → u/Wise_Option6370]

Well trained dogs can be trusted not to suddenly bolt and chase after something or someone. My dog was let outside whenever she had to pee in our front yard. We watched her but when she was no longer a puppy, she never stepped foot off our lawn unless she was beckoned by someone she knew or told to. She’d only even come up to you if you entered our property, and we called her back whenever there was a delivery. So I don’t think all dogs need to be leashed just to step foot outside on your own property because some owners can’t be trusted to control their dogs.