To think some dog breeds should never ever be around babies and children

[Redburnett]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-59953038
Such a sad case where the dogs had apparently never shown aggressive tendencies previously.

Of course some breeds are more predisposed to having higher prey drive, but I’m afraid that no parent should fall asleep with their baby in reach of any dog. No matter how docile, any dog is capable of doing serious damage to a child.

However, humans commit more assault and murder than dogs. Should we ban humans from being around babies and children too?

I know I'm going to get shit for this, but I think anyone who keeps a pitbull type dog around their kids is massively irresponsible and naive and deserves to go to prison if the dog end up injuring or killing the kids.

If they believe the dog thought the baby was a squeaky toy / small animal then that’s the terrier instinct of the breed rather than anything specific to Staffies - quite a broad range of terrier breeds to ban if so.

@ShirleyPhallus

Of course some breeds are more predisposed to having higher prey drive, but I’m afraid that no parent should fall asleep with their baby in reach of any dog. No matter how docile, any dog is capable of doing serious damage to a child.

However, humans commit more assault and murder than dogs. Should we ban humans from being around babies and children too?

What a stupid comparison. Who would look after babies of humans were banned from being around babies?

I'm terrified of almost all dogs and would never have them around a child but there's clearly a lot more to this story.

@ShirleyPhallus

Of course some breeds are more predisposed to having higher prey drive, but I’m afraid that no parent should fall asleep with their baby in reach of any dog. No matter how docile, any dog is capable of doing serious damage to a child.

However, humans commit more assault and murder than dogs. Should we ban humans from being around babies and children too?

That's such a straw hat argument. Tip top whataboutism. This is a danger we can do something about. You can't keep your child out of reach of humans. But you can choose not to bring a dangerous dog into the house.

YANBU. Since DD was a baby we had a rule of not letting any type of dog close to her, even those from friends. If we're outside or about to pass someone walking a dog someone will pick her up beforehand.

The few people we know who were bitten by dogs were all from their own or a befriended person's pet. Obviously circumstances made a huge difference, one case was a child trying to pet a sleeping dog who lashed out upon waking. But still, dogs are not people. Dogs are animals and humans can never 100% control an animal's behaviour. I think people who treat their pets like humans lose sight of that.

Absolutely horrendous story. Makes me feel so sad that the little baby was on a child protection plan also.

@HacerSonarSusPasos

I know I'm going to get shit for this, but I think anyone who keeps a pitbull type dog around their kids is massively irresponsible and naive and deserves to go to prison if the dog end up injuring or killing the kids.

I agree with you. The child was out on some kind of protection order and yet this has happened?

I’ve read countless posts where people who don’t want to regime dogs who show ages soon towards their newborns.

Do parents like those in the OP get charged? Neglect?

Poor baby.

Any dog can damage a child. They should never - big or small dog - be left alone together. Dog owners who won't acknowledge this are either stupid or wilfully ignorant.

YABU it’s nothing to do with the breed this is a case of neglectful parenting and dog owning.

If you look at what a dog was bred for, that will tell you what’s in its DNA.
I don’t care how long ago that breed was used for that thing, it’s in the core of the dog no matter how friendly and cuddly it is with you.
No dog should be left with a baby/small child.
I love dogs, but I didn’t have them until my youngest was at primary school for that reason.

No baby or young child should be left with ANY dog but this death WAS preventable.

Reuben had been placed on a child protection plan in August before he was born.

In written evidence, Sophie Bradley, a social worker with Cambridgeshire County Council, said it was agreed the parents would keep the dogs in the kitchen behind a stairgate.

However, it was noted during a child protection conference that the dogs were unpredictable and could get jealous.

@HippeePrincess

YABU it’s nothing to do with the breed this is a case of neglectful parenting and dog owning.

Oh, nothing to do with the breed you say?

The following infographic shows that the Pit Bull is still responsible for the most fatal attacks in the U.S. by far, killing 284 people over that 13-year period – 66 percent of total fatalities. That’s despite the breed accounting for just 6.5% of the total U.S. dog population

GoodnightGrandma I completely agree with you.

Honestly it is to do with breed- and ownership- however the two types tend to go hand in hand.

Yes, especially for small children, any terrier or hound type from tiny Yorkies upwards. My ds was bitten to the bone by my ex's border terrier when ds was 5. Instincts can come to the surface and people can't be trusted to be on their guard 100% of the time.

@longwayoff

Any dog can damage a child. They should never - big or small dog - be left alone together. Dog owners who won't acknowledge this are either stupid or wilfully ignorant.

Yes this

The child was a CPP plan, the mother took sleeping pills and left the baby with the dogs not behind the gates. The poor baby should not have been left alone in that vulnerable position

Any dog breed has the capacity to hurt someone, it isn't right or fair to generalise specific breeds are being more aggressive than others. For what it's worth any staffie or other "pit bull type" I've ever met has been the soppiest most friendly dog about, mean angry dogs I've met have all been small yappy little lap dogs that would quite happily rip your hand off for looking at it wrong

No dog should even be left with a baby or small child. Ever. Don’t care if it’s a terrier or a greyhound.
In this case the mum fell back to sleep whilst the father popped out for a cigarette. Which goes to show that actually even then, awful things can happen.
Babies and strong animals with sharp teeth living together are an awful mix and asking for a tragedy

I'd never leave my 7kg jack russell alone with a baby. If he hears a baby crying on TV he acts the same as if he hears prey.

I'd never leave any dog alone with a baby / very small child.

Reading the story it's a case of 2 more negligent parents.

I cant help but think there is something more sinister behind this. I really do not understand how the mother woke up from her partner telling her he was going for a smoke, but did not wake up from her baby crying and the dog attacking.

I really don’t get this “owner not dog” argument - it is plainly clear that some dog breeds are more dangerous! It’s shown in the statistics and the only dogs in my area that have injured others are these breeds. I know that many of them are lovely lovely individual dogs but so are all dogs so I’m not convinced the added risk is worth it.

@HacerSonarSusPasos

I know I'm going to get shit for this, but I think anyone who keeps a pitbull type dog around their kids is massively irresponsible and naive and deserves to go to prison if the dog end up injuring or killing the kids.

They weren’t ‘pit bull type dogs’ but I guess from your response you aren’t aware that Staffordshire bull terriers (the dogs stayed in this case) are actually known as nanny dogs.

All dogs have the ability to cause serious harm and should never be left alone with a child. To don’t know the details about this particular case so wouldn’t want to make assumptions however some problems arise when people treat their dogs like babies and then as soon as their ‘human’ baby arrives they expect the dog to be treated like a dog 😐