to wonder why anyone with young children would have a dog as a pet or on their home?

[needtobediscreet]

In light of the many incidents of death and injury caused to young children by dogs, even those not previously considered a danger, I can't help but wonder WHY anyone would. The latest seems to involve a six day old baby in west Wales.

Don't get me wrong, I love animals. I grew up with cats and had a pet dog myself when I was in secondary school. But the nicest of dogs can 'turn' it seems and the results are a lot worse than when a cat gets a bit upset.

Clearly in the majority of cases the affected families weren't deliberately neglectful but why take the risk?

I'm prepared for lots of responses from dog owners....!!!

Because most dog owners are responsible owners who train their dog and their children how to co-exist in the same house. We take risks every day and I think the car analogy is a good one. That us far riskier on a day to day basis than my dalmatian is to my dc.
I will admit I have known people who have dc and designer dogs that I wouldn't take my dc to their house because the dog is poorly trained and to me that makes them far more unpredictable. I take reasonable measures to keep my dc safe from our dog in the same way I do when I put them in the car every day.
But funnily enough nobody is ever on here saying why do people drive their children in cars when there is another pile up on the motorway.

We have had three different dogs since our three children were babies and never had any problems. Our children know to respect animals and our dogs know their place in the hierarchy of the family.

Some of the other children who come round to play have no idea about how to behave towards dogs; such as running shouting at them, or running away screaming etc, yet the dogs still know the right way to react. I always put the dogs in a different room if anyone who comes round is uncomfortable.

Dogs and humans have lived together for thousands of years, and a tiny minority of idiot dog owners won't change the special relationship that exists for most.

"At 6 days old my baby was never out if my sight".

Really? Not even when you went to the loo or the baby had a nap?

I get that some people don't like dogs and I certainly wouldn't leave a baby or toddler alone with a dog, but a few tragic deaths doesn't mean there are millions of dogs out there just waiting to attack our children. The risk is tiny and for a well socialised pet I would say the risk is almost non-existent.

So, OP, you wonder why some people choose to have a dog in their homes? Because we aren't all irresponsible.

Yes, this.

We already had our dog, he had done nothing wrong (and still hasn't). We were aware of the risks, we are not stupid and took precautions accordingly.

My children were never allowed to pull tails or ears, they weren't left unsupervised, the dog has a crate in the utility room where he can go and get some time out and the kids have never been allowed to annoy him when he's in there.

My kids have a fab relationship with the dog, they adore him

He's never bitten, never growled, never been aggressive

Thinking101

Sure - its not compulsory. Don't have a dog if you don't want to. I'm just not agreeing that small risk = avoid at all costs.

Your question was not really understandable so I don't know what you are asking about my hypothetical museum point. You get I was just using a random example of small risk vs large reward?

Dogs were here first. Dogs are an integral part of of our family. Dogs are small and gentle. Children less likely to develop allergies.

Oh and exh is a postie has been for 18 years. He has received worse injuries from cats on the other side of a door when he is pushing letters through than the one time he was bitten by a dog.

MissBetsey - it's clear that we each weigh up the risks and benefits and come to different conclusions. I was wondering why people with young children have dogs and plenty of people on this thread are telling me why. Simple!

Salsmum - no, I already explained my reasons for posting upthread.

I have 3 small children and 3 dogs. The children are more likely to kill one of the dogs by accident than the other way round.

It's terribly sad when something like this the news story you mentioned happens however dogs are not killing machines. They add so much joy and happiness to a home and help children learn responsibility in an easy way.

Irons, kettles, cookers all scald children but it isn't A Bad Thing to have any of those in your home.

Honey your post just made me cry! Dd adores our lab, and the feeling is entirely mutual.

I don't leave them unattended, dd is not allowed to tease/pull the dog around and knows that if Daisy goes to bed she is to be left alone.

Their friendship is beautiful to watch.

Stop - 'dogs were here first' ?!!

youmakemydreams - the posties union isn't calling for stronger measures to punish irresponsible cat owners though... www.cwu.org/dangerous-dogs-bite-back.html

We are in process of thinking about a new dog,ours died last year and is sooo missed in our home.However we were so lucky to have a fabulous dog and partly this was due to his breed.We however know the risks of a new dog we dont know.so we will be taking our time and thinking a lot about the breed,temperament and the dogs background and where best to get a dog from.I can understand peoples reservations but its a matter of picking the correct dog for your situation and being realistic about what you can manage.Obviously these parents never thought there would be a chance of the baby getting hurt,my heart goes out to them x

Just like children who have no boundaries can turn 'feral' the same applies to Man's best friend just like children they will push those boundaries!. A young Mum I know had a staffy with 3 young kids who pulled/sat on/man handled that poor dog until it passed away at the age of 8. IF that poor tormented dog had decided enough is enough and growled/snapped at the kids that dog would have been PTS and there would have been a HUGE outcry BUT everyday the Mum would have taken a chance by letting her kids torment that dog to distraction...INSTEAD of teaching her children how to behave around animals and show them respect! Boundaries go both ways, for children AND pets.

Better to look at the type of people who keep in socialised untrained dogs as trophies than at dogs in general. Enjoy the bun fight, in a mo someone will come along with tips to poison your neighbours dog and then someone else will proudly declare that their dog only kills cats, then a cat shit in the garden bun fight will start and you will get two for the price of one. Hope you enjoy it.

My DD was badly bitten by our family labrador and it happened right under my nose.
I was enjoying a cup of tea and a biscuit, drooling greedy labrador in front of me, 11 month old Dd toddles up and he bit her on the side of the head.
I have been traumatised ever since but I wouldn't judge anyone else for having a dog.

Fortunately dd has no lasting scars but we had the dog pts.

Cat
I wanted my children to have the companionship I had from my childhood best friend, he was a hulking great German Shepherd called Sam. I was raised to respect him and in turn I think that made me a sensible dog owner in later life.
Sam and I were pretty inseparable as well, he slept at the end of my bed and even as a small child I recall walking him with my Dad.

There is a special bond between a child and a dog that can last for so many years. Of course it's assumed that the owner is sensible and the child realises that dogs do need quiet time as well. I've never bought into 'devil dogs' theories. Any dog that isn't trained or respected has the ability to snap. I spent my childhood with Shepherds, Staffies and a rescue Doberman belonging to my aunt (never a softer dog would you meet) and the only dog that ever bit me was a poodle, and that was my own fault for prodding at him whilst he was eating.

I hope daisy and your DD have many happy years together. DD now has Murphy the Scottie dog and although he'll never replace Bob he has filled the dog shaped hole in our home and hearts.

AIBU to wonder why people cross the street with a baby?

I have a rottweiler, yes a rottweiler! Otherwise known as my big cuddly bear. If I knew how to post a pic on here if show you them snuggled up together! They love each other more than you could imagine and she can do anything to him with no worry of viciousness! Obviously they're not left alone etc etc...

I dunno, I wonder this myself sometimes - especially when I see photos of small children snuggling up with dogs, which are meant to put the sceptics among us at ease but actually make me cringe a bit because quite often they seem to have placed their children in quite a dangerous position.

But, but, but I grew up with dogs myself and I loved them. They bring a lot of happiness to people.

Me? I wouldn't want a dog if I had a young child in the house. But (for the most part) I can appreciate why other people do and the people I know who have young children and dogs seem (as a rule) pretty sensible about it.

Because the risk is small and benefits huge.

What was the number, 17 killed in 9 years? 24 children under 5 die every year from choking, mostly on foods - so following "wbut hy take the risk" approach, we should feed children only liquids til they are 18?

It is possible to have dogs and children living safely together.

It does require that one is willing to put five minutes' thought into safety, and unfortunately many people are fucking idiots. Not all people are, though.

Two rules:

1. Don't assume your dog is bomb-proof and could never, ever bite. Humans have moody days when they over-react to things, and we're far more rational than dogs, and have far more control over our lives.

2. Don't divide dogs into 'safe' breeds and 'dangerous' breeds. I am personally more suspicious of 'family' breeds, because I notice that many people are lulled into a false sense of security by the fact it's a spaniel, or something. They don't look at the parents' temperament before they get it, because "it's a family breed" and they think even less about training the dog, observing its behaviour, and simple safety precautions.

Hazle - not feeding your child due to fear of choking would be immoral and criminal. Not owning a dog for fear of the (small) chance it could attack your child is neither immoral nor criminal, even if it's viewed as unfathomable and completely OTT / risk averse by many others.

spin those are very good rules. There is no such thing as a bomb proof dog.

Although there are bomb dogs

I'm a children's nurse and have seen endless dog bites most from family pets or grandparent's dogs. Some prov

Spin - I agree, that's sensible advice.