To think dogs and kids should never be left alone together.

[Helendee]

I have just been on a social media thread on the above subject which turned rather interesting!
I firmly believe that all dogs can, given the right circumstances or provocation, turn and attack and I would never leave a child alone with one. However, the majority of people were less than impressed with my opinion .

@buggeredpelvicfloor2013 all the comments were lamenting how lovely it was and how they clearly loved the child. All I could see was two big animals raci g in at it. Apparently that meant I was a misery.

I've three large breed dogs. I'd never leave them alone with DS - not cos I don't trust them, but because I don't trust him not to do something that would understandably provoke a response from them (such as poking them in the eye or pulling ears or tail - I don't believe a dog should have to put up with something that makes it uncomfortable just because it's a dog).
The girls mother him normally but DBoyDog is the one most likely to cause injury- and that's more through overexcitement and not realising his own size.

Our dog does sleep at the bottom of DD's bed. She is 10 and dog is five. When they were little they were not left alone with the dog. I would never leave him alone with other people's DC. Now everyone knows the rules, dog has a crate to use, in fact he has three dotted around the house and DC know not to touch the dog if he is in one. Dog moved himself onto bottom of DD's bed and after monitoring for a few months I have decided that while there is always some risk in animal/human interactions, this is a low risk activity. He likes the company and the warmth, she likes the feel of security I think.

More kids are killed by cars than dogs. And adults. My boys are safe with my staffies.

Until the child is old enough to leave the dog alone or recognise signs that the dog may be giving out, not a chance in hell. And I say this as the owner of a very quiet and friendly dog. I'd be astonished if anything happened but it's stupid to take the risk.

YANBU!
I had dogs throughout my DD’s childhoods and until they were about 9 I never left them alone together, and that age would depend on the maturity of the child too. My 19 year old still wouldn’t be alone with a dog as she had SEN and is very clumsy.
A bad Chihuahua bite could require plastic surgery and leave scarring, they are bigger than rats and rat bites can scar badly. Unfortunately some dog bites are tearing bites, my dad had a big concave scar in his calf where a showman’s Jack Russell tore a chunk out as he stepped out of the showman’s wagon holding baby me.
A small child can easily hurt or frighten a dog, and when excited, their high pitches voices and quick movements are similar to prey and can trigger a predatory response in dogs. It’s not fair to dog or child.

So everyone who has children, and dogs, sharing a house - how do you never, ever leave them alone? Do you lock the dog in a single room, or do you check each room for the dog before you send a child in there?

I’m just off to the shop. My kids are upstairs. I don’t know where the dog is. The patio doors are open (garden is secure). The dog might be in one of two beds or in its kennel or somewhere else. It might be in the hallway, where the shoes are. I’m about to shout the kids down to put on their shoes. Am I going to have to go and check the hallway and all the rooms the kids will walk through to get there in case they walk past the dog on their way to their shoes?

It very much depends on the dog and the child. But I'd never leave any under 6 alone with any dog.

“So everyone who has children, and dogs, sharing a house - how do you never, ever leave them alone?”

When they were that age...

If I left a room containing the child and dog, I’d call the dog to come with me.

If I wasn’t sure where the dog was, I’d call it to come to me.

It’s not that hard tbh.

“Am I going to have to go and check the hallway and all the rooms the kids will walk through to get there in case they walk past the dog on their way to their shoes?”

Are you going to go out without knowing where your dog is and leaving your door open?

If DS is crawling around, I just make sure a baby gate is closed separating them. We very carefully introduced the dogs to DS over several months, so the novelty has worn off and they don’t look twice at him. It really is no big deal at all to keep them separated.

I’ve just thought of one more example of how a totally innocent and placid dog could do harm, and it worries me. After DS has eaten thrown food around the dining room and rubbed it in his hair, he tastes absolutely delicious, even if I do try to mop most of it up.

you volunteer to get a dog, this is the deal. 15 years of picking up faeces, daily exercise, vet and food bills, giving it attention the moment it barks and never leaving it with your kids until they are big enough so it cant kill them.

your choice.

Our spaniel arrived around the same time as DS2, 7 years ago.

From the moment she arrived I taught her that every time I left the room she followed me. It was easier than you'd think to train her (she's very tread-focussed, so any old shitey ham and she'll learn a trick or two inside an hour). It took a few days of constant repetition but 7 years on she's still totally responsive to my movements even when she's dozing.

Our DC are older now, at 12 and 7, but I'm still conscious that she's entirely capable of biting or attacking them at any point, so haven't ever relaxed the rules about how they behave towards/around her. She's never given me cause to mistrust her, but I think it would be a foolish person to assume that an unwell or unhappy dog absolutely without doubt wouldn't bite if provoked enough.

She's a wonderful part of our family, but I taught the DC from the minute they could walk and talk that our animals aren't to be poked, prodded or meddled with. They've grown up to be lovely, kind pet owners and I firmly believe that being so strict with them and the dog has helped both sides respect one another.

We got a dog when eldest dd was 12. Part of the reason for being able to get one was that she was home from school by 3. They all went to puppy training class with us. They are now 15,12 and 10 - of course they are left at times with dog.

YANBU with young children or children who don't understand how to behave with dogs. I cringe so hard when I see photos of babies sleeping on dogs or similar.

But a child of say 10 who knows how to respect dogs and a dog that you know well and trust - fine, I think.

I would never ever leave my child unsupervised with a dog. You never know if they make a high pitched noise or accidently hurt them what that dog will do. It takes a second for a dog to bite 3 times (or so i have read!) DD has been snapped at by a dog before, luckily didn't get her thank god. I was sat right next to them watching them and i have never trusted them together since. Hate having them in the same room and avoid it at all costs. My child cannot be replaced.

“You never know if they make a high pitched noise”

Um... normal well adjusted dogs will do absolutely nothing when a child makes a high pitched noise btw...

But the point is you never know.

Well I also never know if someone walking towards me in a shopping centre is going to suddenly start assaulting people either... but I still walk past them because it’s pretty unlikely.

There absolutely are things that could be dangerous to do to normal well adjusted dogs, but making noises is not one of them.

My dog does nothing when a child makes a high pitched noise next to them.

I can’t call my dog to come to me, it won’t.

Yes I was going out with the doors open and not knowing where the dog was because there were other people remaining in the house whilst I went out. Turns out the dog was actually in the hallway after all and looked at us with sad eyes so we ended up taking it to the park and going to the shop. The dc walked it. I carried the shopping bags.

You are right, you never know, you just risk assess. And most of the what if the child falls on the dog and it snaps etc etc etc can easily be done with you in the same room. Watching it happen. Unless you are advocating always being in arms reach of the child and the dog too.

I do agree it’s wise to be cautious and especially with young children or unpredictable/untrained/young/unknown/sick dogs but this dogmatic () obsession with never ever leaving them unattended for a second, I know of no one who lives like this - unless they are constantly shutting the dog away.

“I can’t call my dog to come to me, it won’t.“

Your dog doesn’t recall even indoors? It’s the first thing I teach mine when I get them, how do you do anything with your dog if it won’t come over?

“And most of the what if the child falls on the dog and it snaps etc etc etc can easily be done with you in the same room. Watching it happen. Unless you are advocating always being in arms reach of the child and the dog too.“

That’s when I call the child, lol...

If there’s a child running round a room, hopping anything like that, if you’re in the room you can go - hoy, keep away from the dog, or, FFS, stop running about indoors, whatever suits.

You’ll never stop a freak accident, but you’re basically making sure the child doesn’t do anything silly.

We have a greyhound. She's the most docile dog ever and totally bombproof with the DS's - my youngest is 12. She's often on her own with them. She's wonderful with younger children too but I would never leave her alone with someone else's child, especially a young child.

I have a spaniel, and 4 dc, youngest being a year old, the dog has learnt to be very paitent with the baby. she loves her and will lick her feet , she will wait for dd to finish her food so she can share {never would she snatch} she only drops the ball for the baby no one else. She puts up with baby patting her (watched behaviour from me) gently cuddles and kisses. Always supervised so much so that one of dd first words was gentle. which she says everytime. She is obsessed with the dog. No way would dog hurt her, when she has enough she either moves away or looks at me with a look to say enough now please. Teaching the children respect/space is high priority.

Dog will always follow me out of room but even if she didn't i would call her to follow as no matter how gentle i wouldn't leave them together without someone watching.

Completely agree. We don’t have a dog (yet) but have recently acquired a kitten. He and the baby are obsessed with each other and play constantly - but always under very strict supervision. If I leave the room one or the other comes with me.

Dh’s sister has two big, untrained dogs - a collie cross and a husky (also both hideously underexercised, cooped up in a small flat apart from little trots round the block ) and has left DNephew on his own with them since he was crawling. It gives me the absolute heebie-jeebies. He’s nearly 3 now and last time we were there the husky at one point HAD HIS HEAD IN ITS MOUTH and nobody batted an eyelid. When we go there I know she thinks I’m precious

Posted too soon- but yes basically I don’t leave my two with their dogs, obviously, and because they’re badly trained (the husky humps everything that moves and the collie snaps and steals food) don’t even much like them being in the room with my DC (3 and 11 months) when I’m there. Reasonably sure SIL just thinks I’m a crazy helicopter parent .

I have two small terrier type dogs, and my youngest child is 7. I leave them in a room together, without a single worry. I know my dogs, just like I know my children. They have mutual respect, you can see it in the way they behave towards one another. My children absolutely adore the dogs, and I have taught them to be kind to animals. I would never put my children in danger.