I wouldn't want a dog near my baby anyway. My Mil has dogs and I always ask her to put them outside when we visit. Can't stand them jumping up and licking me let alone my 2 year old. Yuck.
Dogs should be trained not to jump up anyway, but a dog that is under control is fine around young children as long they are supervised. I have 9 grandchildren from 16, year old down to 6 months, and the dog does not bother them at all.
I've worked with dogs for years, I'm very much a dog person and love dogs but when i read these reports i get infuriated by the sheer stupidity of some handlers. Some people have very well behaved dogs that have never hurt anyone but there is always a first time and it can happen in a flash.
My dog was super trained, completely obedient and very friendly but never in s million years would i leave home alone with young children or have him unmuzzled when out for a walk. The laws about dog ownership are notoriously lax and ambiguous.
Of course they should. All dog owners are in possession of a potential killing machine so should take full responsibility if anything should happen. Dog insurance should also be made compulsory along with a dog license.
Every dog owner in England will have to microchip their animal from 2016 under plans intended to cut a rise in strays. But the old dog licence was a waste of time anyway
[QUOTE=tim59;78616776]Dogs should be trained not to jump up anyway[/], but a dog that is under control is fine around young children as long they are supervised. I have 9 grandchildren from 16, year old down to 6 months, and the dog does not bother them at all.[/QUOTE]
Responsible dog owners will make sure their dog is trained not to jump-up, however, it's harder to stop a dog from licking. I really don't think being around dogs is a clean and safe place for a child no matter how well they are trained/supervised. There have been cases where the dog has attacked even whilst under supervision.
Any dog is capable of doing this. Why blame 'certain breeds'?
Some breeds have been bred to kill and be aggressive, whereas others haven't, is why. In the former case you need to be extra careful around babies & small children.
Responsible dog owners will make sure their dog is trained not to jump-up, however, it's harder to stop a dog from licking. I really don't think being around dogs is a clean and safe place for a child no matter how well they are trained/supervised. There have been cases where the dog has attacked even whilst under supervision.
Well millions of families have no problem at all, its about training the dog and teaching adults and children how to act as well.Millions of families, millions of children millions of dogs mix together all of the time. Alot of it is down to common sense and training, on all sides.
Some breeds have been bred to kill, many others haven't, is why.
All breeds will play with and enjoy squeaky toys. A small baby may sound like one of these toys and so ANY dogs could potentially bite the new big 'toy' given half a chance.
Some breeds have been bred to kill and be aggressive, whereas others haven't, is why. In the former case you need to be extra careful around babies & small children.
Yes, some have been trained to be aggressive but ALL dogs have potential and you should be careful with ALL dogs around babies and small children.
Responsible dog owners will make sure their dog is trained not to jump-up, however, it's harder to stop a dog from licking. I really don't think being around dogs is a clean and safe place for a child no matter how well they are trained/supervised. There have been cases where the dog has attacked even whilst under supervision.
i`ve managed to "train" several friend`s licky dogs to not lick me, though a couple will occasionally get me on the sly, i cannot stand it. urgh urgh urgh.
Wonder when the pro-dog Brigade will show up? You know, the ones that say their dog wouldn't harm a fly, let alone a child.
{rolleyes}
I'm a member of the 'pro-dog' brigade.
My dog is a wonderful, lively springer spaniel who, for all his verve and energy is amazingly gentle with little babies and children around.
I still wouldn't leave him unattended with them. No way.
Agree to a certain extent, if youre suggesting Jack Russell or Staffie. I have a Schnauzer......far removed from the other terriers temperament.
I can remember when it was Alsatians, rottweilers, dobermans. always seemed to be in the news. But i have worked and trained these 3 breeds, and had Alsatians for a family pet for years all my children were brought up around Alsatians, my last Alsatian died 3 years ago and was around alot of the younger grandchildren. Now we have a husky.
Everyone will defend their dog but size is a big factor in the fatality of the attack. No dog regardless of breed or size should be left with small children and babies. To argue otherwise is nuts.
I can remember when it was Alsatians, rottweilers, dobermans. always seemed to be in the news. But i have worked and trained these 3 breeds, and had Alsatians for a family pet for years all my children were brought up around Alsatians, my last Alsatian died 3 years ago and was around alot of the younger grandchildren. Now we have a husky.
I think children have to be at least 8 years old before parents should even think of bringing a dog into the house. It is different where they grow up with working dogs which are kept separate from the house. Even then vigilance is needed.
It is impossible to be with the child every second of the day
A Baby is not going to know the dog is irritable and to avoid pulling his tail. He won't know the dog is hot and irritable and inclined to snap.
He will not know about not eating in front of the dog
It makes me sick, when, on programmes like "You've been framed" or Animals do the funniest things" clips of babies laying next to dogs, or dogs slobbering over them are regularly showed.
Their parents think it is so cute, and encourage it.
These should not be shown on TV as something to emulate.
Dogs licking off family plates, allowed in the bed etc- it's all wrong
The tragedy is, it's completely avoidable, it's not "just an accident" and the guilt is going to destroy them
I think children have to be at least 8 yeards old before even thinking of bringing a dog into the house. It is different where they grow up with working dogs which are kept separate from the house.
It is impossible to be with the child every second ofvthe day
A Baby is not going to know the dog is irritable and to avoid pulling his tail. He won't know the dog is hot and irritable and inclined to snap.
He will not know about not eating in front of the dog
It makes me sick, when, on programmes like "You've been framed" or Animals do the funniest things" clips of babies laying next to dogs, or dogs slobbering over thm.
Their parents think it is so cute, and encourage it.
These should not be shown on TV as something to emulate.
Dogs licking off family plates, allowed in the bed etc- it's all wrong
The tragedy is, it's completely avoidable, it's not "just an accident" and the guilt is going to destroy them
Bloody face book is full of them, tiny babies laying huge dogs . It makes me really angry .
I think children have to be at least 8 years old before parents should even think of bringing a dog into the house. It is different where they grow up with working dogs which are kept separate from the house. Even then vigilance is needed.
It is impossible to be with the child every second of the day
A Baby is not going to know the dog is irritable and to avoid pulling his tail. He won't know the dog is hot and irritable and inclined to snap.
He will not know about not eating in front of the dog
It makes me sick, when, on programmes like "You've been framed" or Animals do the funniest things" clips of babies laying next to dogs, or dogs slobbering over them are regularly showed.
Their parents think it is so cute, and encourage it.
These should not be shown on TV as something to emulate.
Dogs licking off family plates, allowed in the bed etc- it's all wrong
The tragedy is, it's completely avoidable, it's not "just an accident" and the guilt is going to destroy them
Quite! People see eating off plates and jumping on beds as endearing. What it actually is is the dog establishing dominance and blurring the pack dynamic.
Quite! People see eating off plates and jumping on beds as endearing. What it actually is is the dog establishing dominance and blurring the pack dynamic.
i cannot bear that in any animal either, bloody revolting. i can`t eat from someone`s table if they allow it, nor even take a drink.
I'm a member of the 'pro-dog' brigade.
My dog is a wonderful, lively springer spaniel who, for all his verve and energy is amazingly gentle with little babies and children around.
I still wouldn't leave him unattended with them. No way.
It's not even a case of leaving them unattended together. It only takes a blink of an eye for a dog that has been placid and friendly with children all its life to snap. Look back at post #83: my manager's Springer spaniel and son had lived happily in the same house for a year when she bit him and both parents were right there.
The problem isn't with the dogs and how well you can train them. It's that you can't train young children to understand the limits of canine temperament and not to invade their space too quickly. The best advice if you want to be uber cautious is not to mix dogs and younger children in a home together, or at least keep them in separate rooms.
I think children have to be at least 8 years old before parents should even think of bringing a dog into the house. It is different where they grow up with working dogs which are kept separate from the house. Even then vigilance is needed.
It is impossible to be with the child every second of the day
A Baby is not going to know the dog is irritable and to avoid pulling his tail. He won't know the dog is hot and irritable and inclined to snap.
He will not know about not eating in front of the dog
It makes me sick, when, on programmes like "You've been framed" or Animals do the funniest things" clips of babies laying next to dogs, or dogs slobbering over them are regularly showed.
Their parents think it is so cute, and encourage it.
These should not be shown on TV as something to emulate.
Dogs licking off family plates, allowed in the bed etc- it's all wrong
The tragedy is, it's completely avoidable, it's not "just an accident" and the guilt is going to destroy them
It is very annoying the way lots of parents seem to treat the family dog as a playtoy for their children.
Although I do question some of the things you mentioned here.
As long as the dog is not begging for food when you eat and is not hovereing, there shouldn't be an issue with eating in the same room as them.
It does annoy me though when owners pander to their dogs begging and feed them from the table. It only encourages that behaviour.
Also young children and dogs can coexist, as long as the parents are consistent with socialisation and supervision and don't allow either dog or child to interact in a negative or in an excessive manner. It's common knowledge that growing up with pets helps reduce health issues later in life. I also think it's best that children learn from as young an age as possible on how to interact with the family dog.
And it is VITAL that the dog lives as part of the family and not to be left in a kennel to be taken out at the owners whim. Socialistion is important and if you have a dog more used to it's own company outside, it's less likely to behave inside the home and more likely to react negatively to unfamiliar stimuli of a home environment.
Responsibility isn't avoidance.
And the bed thing. There is no such thing as dominance and pack dynamics. Letting the dog on the bed is not going to automatically mean they feel superior. If you train your dog to be allowed on the bed when you deem so, there shouldn't be any major issue unless you are doing something else wrong. My dog shared my bed and she never had any issues with obedience.
Speaking of my dog. Would I have let her unsupervised with a young child? No way. She was a gentle dog, perhaps to gentle, and was always well behaved with children but that doesn't mean she couldn't react badly or more likely the child does something. I even had a pck of children just run up to her during a walk and crowd around hugging her. There was no warning at all. Just thank heavens my dog was better behaved then they were. She was certainly unhappy but she didn't react. And I would have died a little if she did bite because of the crowding as she would likely have been put to sleep because the children were at fault. (And of which I would fight vehemently against such a possibility. Just because a dog bites does not mean every time it's the dog's fault.)
Which is another reason why children should grow up with dogs from a young age. If their parents taught them better then perhaps they wouldn't have done that in the first place.
Comments
Dogs should be trained not to jump up anyway, but a dog that is under control is fine around young children as long they are supervised. I have 9 grandchildren from 16, year old down to 6 months, and the dog does not bother them at all.
HA! Rumbled
My dog was super trained, completely obedient and very friendly but never in s million years would i leave home alone with young children or have him unmuzzled when out for a walk. The laws about dog ownership are notoriously lax and ambiguous.
Every dog owner in England will have to microchip their animal from 2016 under plans intended to cut a rise in strays. But the old dog licence was a waste of time anyway
Responsible dog owners will make sure their dog is trained not to jump-up, however, it's harder to stop a dog from licking. I really don't think being around dogs is a clean and safe place for a child no matter how well they are trained/supervised. There have been cases where the dog has attacked even whilst under supervision.
Well millions of families have no problem at all, its about training the dog and teaching adults and children how to act as well.Millions of families, millions of children millions of dogs mix together all of the time. Alot of it is down to common sense and training, on all sides.
All breeds will play with and enjoy squeaky toys. A small baby may sound like one of these toys and so ANY dogs could potentially bite the new big 'toy' given half a chance.
Yes, some have been trained to be aggressive but ALL dogs have potential and you should be careful with ALL dogs around babies and small children.
i`ve managed to "train" several friend`s licky dogs to not lick me, though a couple will occasionally get me on the sly, i cannot stand it. urgh urgh urgh.
I'm a member of the 'pro-dog' brigade.
My dog is a wonderful, lively springer spaniel who, for all his verve and energy is amazingly gentle with little babies and children around.
I still wouldn't leave him unattended with them. No way.
Agree to a certain extent, if youre suggesting Jack Russell or Staffie. I have a Schnauzer......far removed from the other terriers temperament.
I can remember when it was Alsatians, rottweilers, dobermans. always seemed to be in the news. But i have worked and trained these 3 breeds, and had Alsatians for a family pet for years all my children were brought up around Alsatians, my last Alsatian died 3 years ago and was around alot of the younger grandchildren. Now we have a husky.
they`re the new thug breed so they`ll be next.
Yes loads are being dumped because people have no idea about the breed, and just fall for the eyes and things like that.
it`s such a shame, they`re beautiful, highly intelligent, chilled out and loving family dogs in the right home.
a lot of people don`t do any research and just go for what matches the furniture effectively.
It is impossible to be with the child every second of the day
A Baby is not going to know the dog is irritable and to avoid pulling his tail. He won't know the dog is hot and irritable and inclined to snap.
He will not know about not eating in front of the dog
It makes me sick, when, on programmes like "You've been framed" or Animals do the funniest things" clips of babies laying next to dogs, or dogs slobbering over them are regularly showed.
Their parents think it is so cute, and encourage it.
These should not be shown on TV as something to emulate.
Dogs licking off family plates, allowed in the bed etc- it's all wrong
The tragedy is, it's completely avoidable, it's not "just an accident" and the guilt is going to destroy them
Bloody face book is full of them, tiny babies laying huge dogs
Quite! People see eating off plates and jumping on beds as endearing. What it actually is is the dog establishing dominance and blurring the pack dynamic.
i cannot bear that in any animal either, bloody revolting. i can`t eat from someone`s table if they allow it, nor even take a drink.
It's not even a case of leaving them unattended together. It only takes a blink of an eye for a dog that has been placid and friendly with children all its life to snap. Look back at post #83: my manager's Springer spaniel and son had lived happily in the same house for a year when she bit him and both parents were right there.
The problem isn't with the dogs and how well you can train them. It's that you can't train young children to understand the limits of canine temperament and not to invade their space too quickly. The best advice if you want to be uber cautious is not to mix dogs and younger children in a home together, or at least keep them in separate rooms.
I agree.
It is very annoying the way lots of parents seem to treat the family dog as a playtoy for their children.
Although I do question some of the things you mentioned here.
As long as the dog is not begging for food when you eat and is not hovereing, there shouldn't be an issue with eating in the same room as them.
It does annoy me though when owners pander to their dogs begging and feed them from the table. It only encourages that behaviour.
Also young children and dogs can coexist, as long as the parents are consistent with socialisation and supervision and don't allow either dog or child to interact in a negative or in an excessive manner. It's common knowledge that growing up with pets helps reduce health issues later in life. I also think it's best that children learn from as young an age as possible on how to interact with the family dog.
And it is VITAL that the dog lives as part of the family and not to be left in a kennel to be taken out at the owners whim. Socialistion is important and if you have a dog more used to it's own company outside, it's less likely to behave inside the home and more likely to react negatively to unfamiliar stimuli of a home environment.
Responsibility isn't avoidance.
And the bed thing. There is no such thing as dominance and pack dynamics. Letting the dog on the bed is not going to automatically mean they feel superior. If you train your dog to be allowed on the bed when you deem so, there shouldn't be any major issue unless you are doing something else wrong. My dog shared my bed and she never had any issues with obedience.
Speaking of my dog. Would I have let her unsupervised with a young child? No way. She was a gentle dog, perhaps to gentle, and was always well behaved with children but that doesn't mean she couldn't react badly or more likely the child does something. I even had a pck of children just run up to her during a walk and crowd around hugging her. There was no warning at all. Just thank heavens my dog was better behaved then they were. She was certainly unhappy but she didn't react. And I would have died a little if she did bite because of the crowding as she would likely have been put to sleep because the children were at fault. (And of which I would fight vehemently against such a possibility. Just because a dog bites does not mean every time it's the dog's fault.)
Which is another reason why children should grow up with dogs from a young age. If their parents taught them better then perhaps they wouldn't have done that in the first place.
Perhaps you could qualify this little nugget of bollocks with something other than anecdotal evidence.