Children are naturally curious. They see a fluffy dog and want to go and touch it and play! That might be well and good if the child is yours and the dog is also yours. Dogs and children can get along just fine when supervised.
If you have children make sure they know to never approach a strange dog. Alternatively, teach them how to behave if the strange dog approaches them. In general when dealing children and dogs it is best to err on the side of caution and not have them interact.
As a dog owner in an urban environment you need to know how your dog will react to children. They are not seen as "little humans" by a dog, they are seen as a fast moving, high pitched screeching, little things to either a) chase or b) tackle or c) insert horrible thought here. If your dog has been properly socialized to ignore or otherwise be aloof to children you don't need to be as vigilant. If your dog isn't as polite you need to let the parent of the child know to keep their child away.
Tip of the Day
Practice observing your dog's behavior when he is near children. Not while you are 3 feet away, but while you are across the street. If his tail and ears are standing up very high and he shows too much interest in the children, distract him with a treat. You want him to associate children with paying attention to you (and treats). Once your dog is 100% focused on you around children that are far away you can reduce the distance. Your goal is to have your dog be able to pass through a group of children and only be focused on you. Keep in mind that this could take months of work, but if you persevere you can have a well behaved dog around the worst behaved child!
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