They probably would have torn all three people to shreds.
Seems like an extreme conclusion to jump to! Kids screaming is always a bad mix with dogs though, so good move by the woman either way. Love the little garden.
It’s funny how universal this response is! I don’t care if your dog is the second coming of Jesus, put him on a leash. Plenty of people are justifiably afraid of dogs and don’t deserve to be scared like this! and it keeps your dog safe too!