I'm so sorry this made you feel upset, particularly because you know your dogs so well and know they are so friendly!

However, I'm a mom to five kids and there have been times when I have had to make a decision to keep my kids seperate from dogs if we should meet up on a sidewalk, etc. Not only would it be impossible for me to instinctively know if other dogs are going to behave gently towards my kids, I can't be certain how my children will react towards these unknown dogs. Some of my kids, especially the younger ones, are fearful of larger dogs, and it's unnecessary to "force" a bit of friendship on either my children or the dog/owner. Some of my kids are overly excited when they see new dogs, and their behavior might be unsafe -- they might try to pet the dog but end up poking them, or they might get very jumpy which can get a happy puppy even more excited (and jump back!). Sometimes it's best to let things be, not every exchange is going to be a good one and that's simply the way things go.

Just wave and say hello as you pass, or smile at the child and tell them your dog's name as you go by. You love your dogs, those folks love their kids. Everyone wants to be happy and safe, and as adults (parents and dog owners alike), we choose the best way for that to happen.

(As an aside, one of the reasons we opted to adopt our pup was to get our children more comfortable around animals in general and within our home in particular. Before we adopted our collie, our kids weren't very sure how to behave around dogs. We wanted to teach them how to act appropriately and respectfully with our own dog along with other animals they might encounter at their friend's houses, in the neighborhood, etc.)