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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

254 replies

Redburnett · 13/01/2022 10:09

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

OP posts:
Branleuse · 13/01/2022 14:54

Well clearly the dog did attack the baby for whatever reason, but jeez, with the amount of people that have them, its still rare enough that its national-newsworthy when it happens.

People need to do a course i think and get a dog licence. I think its really important to be able to have a dog for so many people. So beneficial, but its also far too easy to get one and a dog in the wrong hands can be a lethal weapon.
I hate the stereotypes around staffie owners, and theyre also quite outdated now anyway. Most staffies i see are just normal dogs with normal owners. Theyre not status dogs anymore thankfully. The irresponsible dickhead thugs pay a fortune for xl bullies or big mutant frenchies.

user313213521 · 13/01/2022 14:56

Dogs are animals not 'fur babies' as ridiculous people lacking in something call them. When you hear of dogs in bedrooms or beds with people and even babies you have to question the thinking skills of the owner.

Please can you be more specific about what is wrong with dogs in adults bedrooms / on adults beds, or supervised in a child's bedroom?

I'd never leave dogs and young children unsupervised, but saying people who allow dogs in bedrooms are thick is ridiculous.

PearlD · 13/01/2022 14:59

@Wallabyone

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 Sad
And here is all we need to know. Unless a witch hunt is in order for dogs that you don't like the look of? Yes? Thought so.
Fidgetty · 13/01/2022 15:06

No dog should be allowed in reach of a newborn. Wholly the parents fault. I hate seeing cutsie videos online with teeny tiny babies being "protected", "licked" or "soothed" by the family dog. I wince every time at the idiocy. I love dogs more than most people yet I would never be so bloody stupid as to believe they'd never hurt a child accidentally or otherwise. I have the most gentle, small, lovely fur ball on the planet yet I still ensured he got nowhere near my DCs when they were babies, even though in all likeliness there was more chance of them hurting him! You just don't take the risk. Sheer Negligence as far as I'm concerned.

EerieSilence · 13/01/2022 15:39

@User1isnotavailable - our dog sleeps in our bed, covered by a blanket. I am not afraid I will wake up with her teeth around my neck, more like her paw in my stomach.
She's also getting advance obedience training, eats on command etc. I would leave her with our 12y old without any issues but certainly not with a small child. You just never know.

Branleuse · 13/01/2022 16:06

My friend who is dog crazy brought her small grandchildren round to ours once. I have 2 dogs. One is elderly, meek and gentle and id trust with anyone. The others a staffie and quite bouncy and lairy. Shes never hurt anyone but omg, i was so anxious as she had never met these kids. It was absolutely fine and turns out she seemed to know they were children and was really sweet and gentle and much calmer than with adults who come round, but I was quite amazed by how laid back my friend was about the children with dogs. Made me feel I was a bit paranoid.
Im always worried about my staffie tbh as i always feel that a staffie kind of represents all staffies and has to be a bit of an ambassador for the breed, because no matter what, theyll be the one blamed.
Once she got attacked by a friends labrador. Was so scary. But when trying to get home several people were assuming that it was my dog that had attacked.

As a breed, generaling id put them as more family friendly than quite a few other breeds, because theyre so people-focused. They are also clever, trainable and not delicate or jumpy/neurotic.

I just wish there was better regulation with the law and who is allowed to keep dogs

Picklypickles · 13/01/2022 16:28

I don't think people with young children should have dogs at all if I'm honest. If you must own a pet get a cat or a guinea pig.

Branleuse · 13/01/2022 16:32

@Picklypickles

I don't think people with young children should have dogs at all if I'm honest. If you must own a pet get a cat or a guinea pig.
Maybe start a petition Hmm
Santaisstilleatingmincepies · 13/01/2022 16:33

Bit extreme there Pickle..

KurtWilde · 13/01/2022 16:37

@Picklypickles

I don't think people with young children should have dogs at all if I'm honest. If you must own a pet get a cat or a guinea pig.
I wasn't sure if I should comment on this thread and this opinion just sealed it. I have no words.
CuriousaboutSamphire · 13/01/2022 16:45

Jesus! I own a bull terrier and I will defend him and his soft as a brush temperament to the hilt. But I'd never leave him alone with a child, or adult who was nervous around him. Why the hell would I, he's a bloody dog. Can't be reasoned with.

And that wiki page about staffies says at the top not to be confused with which is just as well as they really are not the same dog. Similar history but many generations of wholly dissimilar breeding.

The American breeds had quite different jobs to do and were cross bred to get a dog that could manage a wide ranging, outdoor life. British staffies were not bred for wildlife management, protection.

But that doesn't mean they won't/don't harm a child.

And the 'lock their jaws' thing is also one of those hyperboles/myths. String jaws yes, locking no.

I only add the last points as I think it doesn't help to promote disinformation about dogs. It only hides the truth, that all dogs can do harm and kill. That leads to more incidents than are necessary, because Noodle the Poodle, etc, aren't dangerous dogs, for example.

But mainly it's down to owners. For how they treat the dog in general and how much or little they take care to remove the dog from situations where it can go horribly wrong.

Fl0w3ry · 13/01/2022 16:46

I think it’s more of a case that some adults should neither own dogs or have children. Reading between the lines of the newspaper article you have shared, I would say this is probably the case in this story.

Muminabun · 13/01/2022 16:57

The parents ignored sw requests for the dogs to be contained. The mother slept through it yeah right…she was drunk, not there or on drugs and baby was alone with the dogs. The dad had also left the baby. 2 weeks old…. You can bet that the dogs were young, untrained underexercised and stressed as hell being cooped up with a crying baby. This is far from a dog breed issue. My dogs are walked and in a routine. They have a place to go away from my children. My dogs didn’t really register my new baby.

vavavoom123 · 13/01/2022 17:04

IMO it's not worth risking your child just because of your stubborn/cocky beliefs

I've seen videos/photos where people put a dog/puppy in with the baby in the pram for a cuddle.. absolutely mental. I love my dog and he isn't a dangerous breed but he is still a DOG at the end of the day - I would never trust him 100%

Picklypickles · 13/01/2022 17:32

@Santaisstilleatingmincepies

Bit extreme there Pickle..
Perhaps, but then again I'm not reading a different story every week about children being mauled to death by cats or guinea pigs! Why take the risk when cats are far superior to dogs anyway!
Dinotruxagain · 13/01/2022 17:47

I had 5 dogs when my DS was born ( 4 have since passed away with old age) we've still got one and he knows not to bother the dog and the dog knows not to bother him.

However , I always made use of baby gates/play pens etc when he was a little as although I trusted my dogs with him, dogs and small children need to be supervised.

Untrained, bored , stressed dogs and small humans are a bite waiting to happen.

Whenlifegivesyoulimoncello · 13/01/2022 17:52

Oh good another Staffie bashing thread. Hmm
Fwiw I have a small bundle of fluff dog but would never leave him alone with a child.

Breed is irrelevant

BertieQueen · 13/01/2022 17:57

Any breed of dog can attack a human.

my family have owned dogs all our lives and had many different breeds they have all been trained the same and some have had lovely temperaments others not so much.

Of the top of my head our husky couldn’t be trusted and hated pretty much everyone was muzzled for walks out same as the Jack Russell we had.
Where as our spaniel we currently have is lovely he loves everyone to pieces, I am pretty much certain he would never bite anyone but I would never take the chance and put him or someone in the situation that something could happen.

2Gen · 13/01/2022 17:58

@CoffeeDay

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.

This! Dogs are related to wolves and thus have a degree of predatory instinct and we should never forget that. There are degrees and degrees in the different breeds though and I personally would never have one of the more aggressive breeds around my place at all, though I would have certain other types so long as someone else would commit to cleaning up after them. I have cleaned up mountains of human poo as a nurse and as a mother and can do cat poo, but dog poo? No! Just no! Funnily enough, though DH and DS prefer dogs, they've never pushed to have one and I reckon I know why; because I wouldn't do the cleaning up and one of them would have to do it, lol! I prefer cats anyway, so I may be a bit biased.
Binjob118 · 13/01/2022 18:21

From a biomechanical pov, a bull type breed have a much stronger bite that other breeds. This plus the strength is why they are involved in so many deaths and serious injuries. I would never have these breeds around children.

BertieQueen · 13/01/2022 18:24

@CoffeeDay

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.

Sorry but you are doing your child no favours here you are installing fear into her and not teaching her how to behave around dogs. You will not be able to pick her up as she gets older.

I say that as someone who also had a child who was terrified of dogs at one point.

popppi · 13/01/2022 18:25

My best friends 'would never hurt a fly or show aggression' DDog went for my daughter last week. I think it was a warning rather than an attack attempt but it was a serious and scary warning.

I'm actually grateful as I have become way too complacent with her around friends and families 'would trust with a baby' dogs, and I'm glad I got a warning rather than an attack.

IWasHotInTheNineties · 13/01/2022 18:29

@HacerSonarSusPasos a staffy isn’t a pit bull

coldfeetmama · 13/01/2022 18:31

Horrific story , just awful
In my lifetime I have had a Rottweiler, an American Bulldog , a German Shepherd and several spaniels
The only dog to ever bite any of my family was a Poodle

Bit my sister without warning , reason at great surprise to my whole family

awesomekilick · 13/01/2022 18:37

@Wallabyone

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 Sad
I agree. The parents are responsible for being totally fucking irresponsible- not for having staffies (by and large lovely dogs) but for not doing what they had been told and had agreed, to do to Protect the poor child from "jealous" dogs. Fucking morons
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