Woman sparks huge debate demanding kids be put on 'leash' after running up to her dog

A dog owner has sparked furious debate after demanding that children be 'leashed' to stop them from approaching dogs without consent.

Lynne Schmidt, from Michigan, prompted a very fiery online discussion when she shared her encounter with a parent whose three-year-old child ran up to her dog Zoe.

She expressed her anger at parents who let their children approach stranger's dogs - claiming that people should have their kids 'leashed'.

Her comment sparked a furious online discussion about kids and their behavior towards pets - prompting New York City-based dog trainer Brett Bailey to chime in with advice.

Last week, the US-based dog lover took to Twitter to share her frustrations with parents who don't teach their young kids about dogs.

Alongside a picture of her white fluffy pup, Lynne said: 'Small child runs up to Zoe. I body block and say, “Maybe we don’t run up to dogs we don’t know.”

'Me: "If she isn’t on voice recall, maybe she should be leashed?"

'Me: "If she isn’t on voice recall, maybe she should be leashed?"'

People flooded the comments section, with many of them fiercely divided on what to do in these situations.

Some users agreed with Lynne and noted that parents should better control their children.

One person said: 'Honestly, I think that’s a great suggestion! I was a leashed kid and that’s probably a major reason why I’m still around.'

Someone else commented: ''How about "thank you for protecting my child and doing my job for me?" Jeez.'

Someone else added: '"She's three," is not an argument a frightened dog will acknowledge.'

Another person wrote: '"She's three." More of a reason you should be paying attention to your child and making sure they are not running up to dogs they don't know.'

One user added: '"She's three" translates into "she's snack sized."'

Another person added: 'My dad was a vet, and my brother and I were trained from a very early age never to approach dogs we didn’t know. Until we were old enough to grasp that concept our parents kept hold of us near strange dogs. It’s not complex. '

One user said: 'Polite people ask before petting or letting their kids pet a stranger’s dog. Not all dogs are "nice."'

However, others slammed Lynne for her response and even told her to 'put her dog down.'

One user said: 'This was very rude of you.'

Someone else added: 'If your dog's a safety risk, don't take them out.'

Another user wrote: 'If she’s a danger to children in public spaces, maybe she needs to be put down?'

'You couldn’t have found a kinder way to respond? It was a teachable moment that you made ugly,' commented another user.

'Maybe your dog shouldn’t be around children,' someone else added.

Another user added: 'If you can’t trust the dog around children it should be put down.'

Lynne noted that she didn't tell the parent to put their child on a leash - adding that the comment was just said on Twitter.

The fiery online discussion prompted even dog trainers to chime in.

Speaking to The New York Post, Brett shared his tips for making interactions with dogs and children easier.

His first tip is to carry around a 'positive interrupter,' which is a treat or toy that is used to distract your pup if a stranger begins walking up to them. This way, you are able to pull them away and have more control over the situation.

Next, he recommended you inform strangers to avoid petting your dog's face and pet their back's instead.

He also noted that teaching your dog how to say hello in a kind way and then pull back can help provide the child with a quick and happy experience before you walk away.

Lastly, he recommended putting yourself in front of your dog - which is also known as 'body blocking.'

He told the outlet: 'It is important for people to understand that we shouldn’t approach dogs without consent.'

---