Parents throw tantrum when dog owner refuses to let their bratty kids ride his golden retriever: 'No asking, no eye contact, just an unspoken expectation that their children were entitled to use my living, breathing pet as a ride'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Jun 24, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Little kids can't always handle being around dogs, and dogs can't always handle being around little kids. Some families have dogs from the day their babies are born, but a lot of parents hold off on getting a big furry animal until their kids can listen to "no" and obey it. It doesn't matter if a dog is usually even-tempered: if a toddler pulls on his tail one too many times, he might snap. Nobody wants to watch their child get attacked by the pet who loves them or be forced to put their beloved dog down. If a family has toddlers and big dogs at the same time, they need to watch them closely when they're together in the same room. It's even more pertinent that parents ensure their children behave around dogs they don't know. A dog might be friendly with the kids in their family, but aggressive with strangers.  

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    They threw a tantrum when I wouldn’t let their kids ride my golden retriever.

    I took my golden retriever, Max, to a local family-friendly festival last Sunday. It had outdoor booths, live music, food trucks, kids everywhere. I kept him leashed the entire time. He's calm, trained, and used to crowds, so he was just happily trotting beside me, soaking up pets from strangers and stealing attention like a pro. At one point,
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  • The dog dad in this story did everything right: he removed his dog from a situation that could've endangered him and the children around him. But the parents of those children were so entitled that they thought they should just be able to do whatever they wanted with a strange dog.

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    Cheezburger Image 10521332480
    via Anthony Persegol

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    while we were resting near a shaded picnic area, a group of kids ran over and started fawning over him which was fine, it happens as the time. Max sat patiently, tail wagging. Then their parents showed up but instead of pulling the kids back or thanking me for letting them pet the dog, they started positioning one of the kids like he was about to sit
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    on Max with one leg lifted like he was about to mount a pony. Max stood up, confused, and backed away.
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    Cheezburger Image 10521332736
    via Mitchell Luo

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    I gently repositioned him and moved between them. And the parents? Visibly annoyed. One of them even pointed at Max like he was some kind of prop. No asking, no eye contact, just an unspoken expectation that their children were entitled to use my living, breathing pet as a ride.
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    When they realized I wasn't going along with it, they stormed off with the kids whining, one of the adults muttering something under their breath and shooting glares back at me like I had ruined their family outing. And max? I got him a pup cup later and forgot the whole thing.
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    Cheezburger Image 10521332992
    via Indra Projects

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    Constantlyhaveacold NTA. Dogs aren't horses for pity's sake. That could harmed him.
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    caramac2 100%. That could have broken his spine depending on the weight of the child
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    Frickenpope Some people just don't respect animals as living beings, only as objects.
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    zack_glickmann Some people just don't respect humans as beings, only as objects. living
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    Apart-Ad-6518 I'm seconded to the UK & we went to a beach. They had donkey rides. Yeah ok for kids but adults were doing it & you could see the donkeys were struggling & in blazing hot sun wtaf...you can't see they're suffering. D**n near broke me it was so bad.
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    JustALizzyLife I once went horseback riding up in the north Georgia mountains (BTW never again). Back then, I was overweight, and so they had me on this mammoth horse for his protection. No biggie, totally understood. Scared to death, but understood. When we got back there was another couple getting ready to go on a ride and the woman was screaming. Like me, she was a bigger gal, and taller and heavier than me, and was throwing a complete fit because her horse was larger than her husband's and t
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    was trying to explain that horses were living, breathing animals and not only could they get hurt, but so could she. Then she said the magic words, you'll be hearing from my attorney. Just like that, the husband was made to dismount and the horses were taken back to their stalls. Apparently the rule was, if a lawyer was brought yup, the ride was over (this one hasn't begun) and all further communication had to be directed through the company's lawyer. I almost wanted to sign up for another ride
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    wolfman86 I don't think you should be putting your child on random horses either. If it's not yours, don't play with it.
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    themanny The number grown people that wanted to try to ride my mastiff like a horse and then get mad at me when I said no was ridiculous.
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    Kuroboom Great Danes are horse-like, but yeah, dogs aren't meant to be ridden.
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    Apart-Ad-6518 No asking, no eye contact, just an unspoken expectation that their children were entitled to use my living, breathing pet as a ride. No. Just... no. You were polite, decent & protected your dog. Kudos to you & a hug to Max.
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    HeyPrettyLadyMaam The absolute nerve of those parents. I will never understand how an adult can look at a dog, any dog big or small but especially big, and think "hmm not nearly as big as a horse, doesn't eat oats or winny...barks actually, must be a Shetland pony!! I bet my kid would LOVE a ride, the owner won't mind I mean why else get a lil horse…..I mean big dog? They're the same right?" Wth goes on in the minds of some people to make this leap?
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    Tradefor969 Ask if the parent has a collar on them. Then you can sit on the parents back. If they want to mount your dog, you should be able to mount the parents to, right?
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    TeachBS "The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity," Harlan Ellison.
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    Skinnybet Some people aren't fit to be parents. If you can't even treat an animal with respect you shouldn't be around kids or pets. Mini rant because it's so annoying.
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    Positron-collider My golden retriever has a hereditary elbow problem. It isn't noticeable when he is sitting (obviously), but when he is walking or running, he has a limp. Just the idea of a kid sitting on my dog makes me freak out!
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    MsMarisol2023 Idk who needs to hear this, but parents it's OK and even beneficial to say No to your children. They may be your prince or princess but that royalty ends when you step outside your home.
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dogs entitled parents kids entitled parent dog owner bad parenting bad parents parenting little kids golden retrievers golden retriever dog owners parents children
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