Views on dogs around children

[CarolineBryony]

Hi. Just after some views on dogs being around toddlers.

Granny sometimes looks after my 15th month old where there are two young German shepherds. They jump up at me a lot and are a little crazy but seem soft and kind to my little girl.

I have no reason for concern as she’s not left unsupervised but I am interested in people’s views around children and dogs?

The dogs have not been trained very well and don't listen to commands. I have said she is not to be left unsupervised around the dogs.

I don’t think as a general rule there’s anything wrong with having dogs around children, but obviously it depends on the specific circumstances, the dog, the child etc. We have a nearly 3 year old Labrador and a baby, he is absolutely amazing, very well trained and he is amazing with her he really seems to adore her, always watching her and wants to be close to her. That said though, as much as I trust him and I trust his nature, I would never ever leave them unsupervised and I’m always right beside them.

I personally don't think you can ever truly trust an animal around a child. Their natural instinct might kick in if a child was to touch them roughly for example.

I have the world's happiest, sweetest spaniel. Loves people and is superb with kids, loves them. Absolute soppy sod he is.

I trust him with our older kids, who are dog savvy and know him inside out. It's why we waited to get dogs until they were older.

I wouldn't ever leave him with a small child though even though I know his nature. You just don't know what's going to happen or how dog or child might actually in the moment.

Stair gates would be playing a big part in my life if I had a toddler with dogs.

I'd be wary. I have the loveliest gentlest labrador but I'm still careful when random toddler approaches. My kids are older so know how to behave.

Ddogs around family dc fantastic. The most wonderful relationships blossom. But please never put either your ddog or a dc at risk by leaving them unsupervised.. Rules are reinforced daily like a mantra still and ds is 9. Don't disturb ddog when she is asleep.. Don't feed them off your plate at the table. And 1 ddog on particular no bloody Skittles!! She has a very sweet tooth and ddoggy dentistry isn't cheap!! I very much appreciate the dc in the street who have been taught to ask if they can stroke ddog.. Safer for everyone. I don't want my ddogs accused of any bad behaviour... Or obviously a dc snapped at by accident..

My DD is older so doesnt apply. I have a Labrador who i trust as much as you can ever trust an animal. I still do not leave my 2yr old nephew alone with him. For me it would be how much i trust the animals owner to keep kids safe.

I wouldn't have my child around a large or strong Breed of dog, like a German Shepherd, without me being there.

I think it's fine provided child is fully supervised, dogs are fully socialised around children and have the room to walk away from the child if they want to. It depends on the dog and their temperament but I wouldn't trust any dog 100%. Even accidentally they can cause harm.

I think Granny would in most cases struggle to provide the level of supervision required to make sure the situation is safe (i.e. constant vigilance, ready to intervene at any moment) for an extended period of time. So unless there is some way of physically separating child and dog (barriers/stairgates) and it is actually used, for example, if she pops to the loo or the door-bell rings, it would be a no from me.

I wouldn't leave an active and curious toddler with ANY dog unsupervised, would that be a young Alsatian or an old toothless terrier. I am obviously biased, but dogs won't cover the toddler in stickers or try to play dress-up, making him stressed and snappy.

I wouldn’t leave a toddler with any dog unsupervised ever.

And if they were being supervised by someone who couldn’t control/restrain the dog (as sounds like might be the case here with an older lady and 2 powerful dogs) I wouldn’t be having my child there at all.

With a toddler ?
Hard no from me, sorry.

I am weary of my children around dogs. I will never tell them that they can't touch a dog or make a fuss but I will always tell them not to put there faces close to a dog.

My grandma when she was little put her face to a dog (not sure what breed) and it bit her face. My grandma loves dogs so when I was about 10 she had a dog of her own who was lovely and sweet, her dog bit my toe because I was fussing it too much and she immediately had the dog put down...
This has always been a thought for me when ever I see dogs or children by them.

Dogs that are gently and nice are not always in this state they will have emotions like humans and let's face it we aren't all a bright daisy every day...

It would be a no from me as it's very hard to look after a toddler and not leave them unsupervised for short periods of time. It would only take a moment for something to happen and toddlers can be very unpredictable.

It's different for dog owners with kids where it's on them to keep the dog and child separated if unsupervised but I wouldn't trust another person like a grandparent and probably not even a childminder where I couldn't see what was going on during the day.

Pets and toddlers are not an easy combination. They don’t just need supervision, they need close supervision. If they are in arms reach, an adult needs to be in arms reach as well.

it is possible for a dog, cat, or other pet to form a great bond with a toddler, but it has to be done very carefully. You never know when a child might poke, pinch, or pull someplace that causes pain. A natural reaction from an animal could have catastrophic impact on the child and even result in the pet being put down.

if you don’t trust that your relative can be there supervising CLOSELY every second, then the toddler and the dogs really need to be separated, to keep both humans and dogs safe.