Please supervise your children around the family pet...

[Tala]

Mother dogs generally do not allow other pack members around their young pups, humans shouldn't either. Dogs grow up faster than humans, a few month old pup is old enough to heed to the dog's "back off" warnings, a child simply is not. You guys are so right in seeing that it's the parents mistake rather than the dog's. I wish more of the "regular" population got it.
In the same way my dogs are not allowed to mingle with chicks, even though they do fine with adult chickens. Babies of all species simply don't know how to act yet.

 

[Whispering Winds]

Quote:
Exactly, and it makes me think that ferret was starving to death. I have had three ferrets and not one of them ever acted like they wanted to eat us . . .even if they nipped which was far and few between . . .I agree, where in the heck were the parents with the ferret incident. The lab story is sad, but just goes to show never ever trust anything 110%. Hope they don't treat the dog mean, and just find him a new home with no kids.

 

[jeremy]

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X2. It wasn't the dog's fault, it was acting on instinct alone for all anyone knows. It's a terrible truth, but if the dog(s) had been trained from an early point in life dominance aggression would not be an issue and this situation possibly could have been prevented.

BTW- That's a cute Corgi in your avatar picture!

 

[mylittlechickpea]

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That is just tragic. Everything about this story makes me sad..

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Poor dog

 

[Spookwriter]

Some people should never, never, NEVER be allowed to reproduce.

From the moment my daughter was born, there was never any doubt
that she was mine. And mine alone. I allow her mother to take care of
her, within reason. But she is my child...everyday. You see her, I'm not
far away.

She just came in the house, been out in the snow. Had a small briar in
her hand. (slipped in the snow) Wasn't her mother she came to. She came
to me.

She, and she alone, is the most important person in my life. Has been since
her first breath. I waited a long time for her. And I watch over her. That's my job.

....

Not saying that all parents whose children have an accident are bad parents.
Accidents happen. But stupid accidents don't need to happen.

 

[farmerlor]

I agree that accidents happen. My daughter was in a room with a sleeping Bassett hound who had been raised with children and wasn't old or cranky. Cres wasn't much of a dog person and was 5 years old so I wasn't too concerned when I left the room to fix her something to eat. Next thing I knew Cres has a dog bite right above her eye. She'd fallen on the dog, waking him up and he snapped. I learned my lesson that day and the dog was not killed over something stupid that I'd done.
I've had dogs my whole life and the very first thing I teach them is human dominance. They learn from puppyhood that humans can take their food and they are taught that humans can touch them, pull on them or poke on them and they are not allowed to bite. That said as much as I trust my dogs I'd never leave a baby with a dog, any dog.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

I got attacked by a dog when I was 7, walking home from a friend's house (3 doors down), our neighbors lived in a finished foundation, so the front of the house was only 9 feet off the ground, and the back was flush, set into the hillside. Anyway, as my friend and I walked past, their german shepherd ran out and was snapping and growling at me, so I started yelling for the lady, since the dog wouldn't let me pass. my friend got hysterical, and had climbed up on a picnic table, so while the dog was snapping at her, I went for the door, to get the lady to please get her dog away from my friend. Anyway, just as I get to the door, the dog has vanished... i'm about to knock, when I hear a growl above me. the dog has circled around the house, and is standing on the roof over my head! i look up at it, and it leaps for my throat. I manage to get my arm up in time, and it bites my arm. I apparently screamed so loud that the lady heard me, and came out. it wasn't bleeding much, and I had been wearing a coat, so i just kept walking home.. the lady wanted to drive me, but I knew i shouldn't get in the car with anyone other than my parents. when I got home, and peeled off my coat, it was much worse than we'd thought. and even worse, the dog hadn't had his shots. our state health department got involved, and apparently even the higher authorities, (gov. etc), trying to decide whether I needed rabies shots. the owner meanwhile, had come home, heard what'd happened, and took the dog out back, and shot it in the head. so there was no brain tissue left to test. they eventually decided to not give me the rabies treatment... and other than scarring, I'm fine... if you know your dog is aggressive, you need to keep it chained, and away from kids. if you think it's a nice dog, for everyone's sake, supervise your animal.

 

[EweSheep]

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2x!

Even our collies LOVES kids but we do not trust them 100%. Even with my two nephews, age two and one year old, crawling around, touching, feeling, pulling everything in sight, learning and experimenting. If they EVER even lift an iota of their lip or sneer, they would get reprimanded and sent to their kennels. Dad does not tolerate the behavior, they only have ONE chance or they are dead. We taught puppies, the poke, puling, on their tails, face, nose and ears and whereever a child might do that or fall on top of the dog.

Yes I agree, supervision is the BEST thing for your child AND dog!

 

[Lifesong Farm]

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To add to this... we have thinner skin than dogs. The punishment given to a pup might not hurt it but when a dog gives the same punishment to a human "pup" the baby will be scarred for life.