I had the dogs at Pet Smart, and while we were standing in line a little boy walked right up and started petting Jane on the head without asking me. I didn't say anything, and I still regret it. I don't like to correct other people's children, but kids really ought to learn not to touch strange animals.
Jane was fine; a little nervous in general because of the strange environment, but she stood quietly and let him pet her. That boy is just lucky that Jane isn't mean! Of course I wouldn't take a mean dog to a public place, but how does that boy's mother know that? Basically she's trusting me to look out for her child so she doesn't have to. The mother didn't even know he was there; she was ahead of me in line while the kid wandered around the store alone. Occasionally she would yell his name but that was the extent of her concern.
When the boy reached for Thirteen I did stop him. I told him that she didn't like being petted because she was afraid of people. Thirteen proved my point by fleeing from him and hiding behind me.
So what would y'all do in this situation? He seemed like a nice kid, he wasn't rough with Jane. I didn't want to prevent him from petting her; I just wanted him to ask first if it was okay.
(We were at Pet Smart, by the way, to buy a new bed for Thirteen. Thick orthopedic foam. She got right on it in the store, but now that it's sitting in her favorite sleeping spot, she won't go near it. Sigh.)
I would just say in a very friendly voice "Hey, it's a good thing that this dog likes children. Did you know that it's a really good idea to ask people if it's OK before you pet their dogs because some dogs bite people?"
There's a little girl down the street who always wants to pet Mr. Gomez, and he's very afraid of children, to the point that I'm pretty sure he would bite one if it came too close. Lucy tolerates kids but I can tell she doesn't like it.
As for the bed, I think I'd lie down on it myself for a while, and call thirteen over and give her pats. If she has any favorite toys or chewies, just start tossing them on the new bed and leaving them ther. It may take her awhile--it probably doesn't smell right yet ...
I put Thirteen's favorite stinky old blanket on the new bed, and then picked her up and put her on it. She hated that but I coaxed her to stay on it with bits of cheese. She lay down for a while, and then later she got on the bed voluntarily! Whew! My girl may fear change, but she knows a comfy bed when she lays on one.
I agree with the above comment. No need to get cranky, but I think a mild, "It's polite to ask for permission before touching someone else's pet, because some dogs aren't friendly," would not be out of line. With luck, all the kid needs is a gentle nudge in the right direction -- it's possible that he just hadn't thought about it.
when you have a pitbull, most people ask permission to pet, although kids don't necessarily know the breed. simon can be pretty good but he's not a dog you want to run up and pet unless you can stand your ground when he gets jumpy. i fear the day when he knocks some kid over. i wish i could take him to petsmart, but he is a bull in a china shop. i am prone to correcting other people's kids, but in your case it really was for the kid's safety.