Quote Originally Posted by Kris View Post
Irrational fear? Many fears are irrational. However your dog should be on a lead in a public place. Your dog could be lovely, but how would it react if a child smacked it or poked it on the eye?
I totally agree, my dog (my daughter's, really) is always on a lead when out and he's only a Bichon Frise.

But the dog I had as a kid was a border collie cross, and the local kids used to dress it up, complete with sunhat and sunglasses!!, one toddler even pulled the dog's whiskers - the dog simply walked away when 'freed' by the little terror.

As said before, 90% of a dog's temperament is due to it's upbringing.