Some of the posts I read about dog training got me thinking about whether children are taught proper etiquette in meeting strange dogs. It plays into some of my concerns. Let me be clear - I am in no way saying if a child (or adult) is bit by a dog in WDW or anywhere, it is either the child's fault or responsibility. It is decidedly not. I bring it up as another variable, since I think WDW is a lot of fun but it can stressful and/or tiring environment for people and dogs alike. And dogs can respond to cues in people's body language, scent, unpredictable behavior, etc.
Our last family dog was as loving and patient as the day was long, but BECAUSE of that temperament, I didn't want my kids to have a false sense of security about other dogs. I spent a lot of time teaching my kids about how to correctly and safely interact with unfamiliar dogs.
I've mentioned my kids' elementary school playground. Dogs were not allowed at pickup/drop off, but were there each and every day. And as you would see a variety of ability in managing dogs on the part of owners, you would also see lots of kids that did not know how to safely approach a dog. I was always surprised by that. I've seen posts from dog owners that have mentioned understandably not liking it when kids or ill-mannered dogs have encroached upon their pets. Anyway, I'm sure there will be lots of kids that don't know these strategies, or forget them because they're tired or over-excited, or just poorly behaved.
Maybe some will consider this one of those "sky is falling" posts, but I see mixed posts about "it's the trend, lots of hotels are pet friendly" to "you'll probably never see a dog", so since it's now allowed at the POR in January, I'm going to plan for seeing dogs, and I will review these things with my kid for my own risk management.