She shares with the dog!

[Juliettesmum]

Our 1yr dd loves the dog so much. She has started to share her food with him. I think its sweet that she likes to share but its a tad unhygenic. I don't mind if she's in her high chair and throws him a bit of cheese, but if she's on the floor or chair with a biscuit of stick of cheese, she'll sneak him a bite and then carry on eating it. I have tried to stop her but I don't want her to be confined to the chair to eat or have to lock up the dog. She thinks its funny when the dog licks her too. The dog will stop when I say no, then she pats her leg to call him over! He licks her face and mouth. Is this as dirty as i think?

[koalabear]

mine 1 yr old ds does exactly same thing - i've tried stopping him, but alas, it doesn't work - he sticks his face in front of her nose, waits until the dog licks him, giggles, and then repeats, over and over again

i've decided to turn a blind eye and hope that he will have a very healthy immune system

[Easy]

Don't worry too much. They say that kids in homes with pets are less likely to suffer from bugs, and have a lower incidence asthma and ecsema (can't spell!)

DS has always shared with our dog, they really are best friends.

Actually, dogs mouths are pretty clean, so it shouldn't be a prob. Cats generally are a different issue however.

All that said, I would encourage her to share by breaking a piece off whatever she's eating, rather than holding it out for the dog to bite tho', just in case he catches a finger one day

[flum]

bleurghhhh

my MIL has dogs and she does get them out of the kitchen during dd meal times (15mths) because dd throws all her food for dogs and it was making them bed.

it will teach your dog bad habits. i cannot bear dogs that beg for food.

END THIS TERRIBLE SITUATION NOW!!!!!!!

am i over-reacting?

[flum]

i don't think it will do any harm though - just bleaurgh

[Enid]

I think it sound totally grim and would be bug-eyed if I witnessed it at someone elses house, but then we are not a 'doggy' household.

[magnolia1]

We 'are' a doggy household and Katie who is 23 months does the same!! I tell the dog to stop and she does and we have to put the dog in her crate when we have dinner coz she will get use to having food at the table which would be horrible for guests!
On the otherhand, dogs do lick and a toddler is the right height to have their face licked so there isn't much you can do until they grow bigger!!

[magnolia1]

On the same subject, my mother in law doesn't really like cats or dogs and can't bear the thought of a dog or cat licking a plate or taking food from a plate!
So if I borrow a nice piece of china I just tell her the cat licked it and she won't take it back

[Chandra]

That's was what I was about to say... it's easier to train the dog not to accept food.

"dogs mouths are pretty clean, so it shouldn't be a prob."
Yeah right! specially after they have spent all the morning licking their parts...

[TracyK]

My ds does the same - but if he isn't full up - he just teases the dog and holds stuff out to her and then puts it in his mouth as she reaches for it!
He also eats her dried dog food - yuk! makes him smell like a budgie!
My dog is 14yo - so not too worried bout getting her into a begging habit. But when I get a new one - I think I'll discourage it as a begging dog isn't vrey sociable.
But on the germ front - I don't think there's any harm - as long as you know the dog.

[Chandra]

I think that dogs licking toddler faces is a recipe for a tummy infection or some worms developing. I worm my dogs every 2 months and still don't think they are completely safe.

[californiagirl]

My grandfather was a county health officer and was once asked by a woman to explain to her small child why it was disgusting to share an ice cream cone with the dog. He said it was bad for the dog to eat ice cream, plus the child should be carefully trained not to try to feed strange dogs that might accidentally bite, but that in point of fact, dogs have very clean mouths and antibiotic saliva, and it is much safer to share an ice cream cone with a dog than with another human. Cats are another matter. The mother was Not Impressed.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about the licking thing, but sharing food with the dog is bad for the dog and dangerous -- not from an infection point of view but because small children accidentally tease the dog and may get nipped, even by friendly dogs who do not mean to bite them.

[Easy]

Chandra.
Dog worms will NOT LIVE in the human digestive tract, and vice versa.

Incidentally, It really isn't necessary to worm your dogs every 2 months, unless you just sling them out in the street to forage among bins and stuff. IMO a well kept dog doesn't need worming more than once a year. Hey but it's your money.

[Chandra]

No, they don't live in the intestines probably but they trive in the eyes and can cause blindness. No vet would tell you that you need to worm once a year specially if you have small children. The recomendation is every 2-3 months unless you are using cheap Tesco stuff which will disentegrate the intestines of your dog if you use it as recommended. We used to worm them every six months but with a baby at home we can't just asume that doggies are totally sterile just because we love them to bits. Responsible breaders worm puppies long before they are allowed for walks in the street.

Dogs as humans also step on dried poo (that may be contaminated) and they do lick their paws, so my recomendation is worming more often, sure... is MY money but DS is also MY child and worth every penny.

[Gwenick]

I was born when our dog (long since deceased I must just add) was just 6 months old. She thought I was her 'puppy' and I could do ANYTHING to her............and that not only involved feeding her 'my' food but also eating her food (not the tinned smelly meat - but the doggy chocolate drops and biscuits - used to take them out the basket and munch them ). Didn't do me any harm!

[Juliettesmum]

After reading all of your comments, I don't think I'm the most paranoid mother in the world. My dog gets wormed and gets flea treatment every time we take him to get groomed. He's very hairy and so we get him clipped twice a year ish. So he's probably clean enough. And I never knew that dogs saliva was antibiotic.

[TracyK]

well I read somewhere that a dog licking infected eyes of a child will clear it up!

[Chandra]

yes... the same was said of stuffing wounds with dog hair, or allowing dogs to lick open wounds... All excellent remedies from the 1500s.

BTW Toxocara is the parasite (worms) passed from dogs (though there's also a cat variant)which may cause blindnes to children. There are about 300 cases per year in the UK (Though not all become 100% blind)

[magnolia1]

Chandra, Thi sis from coming into direct contact with dog faeces NOT from letting a dog lick you. A dog will not ever have poo on it's toungue even if it has cleaned its paws!!!

I do understand that you treat your dog how you see fit but what you are saying is scaremongering!!!