From the doc

[font=Verdana,Arial]Dog bites and children[/font]









(WTNH, Mar. 8, 2006 2:35 PM) _ They’re man’s best friend--but are they best buddies with kids?

• by Dr. Mike Rosen

New research provides a word of caution to parents or parents to be because dog bites among kids are very common.

This study is a little shocking, a little saddening, but a terrific piece of advice for parents: that even the friendliest of dogs can be dangerous to kids, depending on the age of the child, the training of the dog, and most importantly, the degree of supervision an adult has when a child and a dog are together.

Tracy Ann Carter has two kids and two dogs; Benny the dog was first. “I wanted an obedient dog, a well-trained dog, since he is 120 pounds, that was his potential, ya know he was only 60 at the time, but to grow into huge dog, he needed to be trained properly, especially with the children,”

No question, especially in light of the latest research in the journal pediatrics, which shows one in every 2,000 kids age 16 and under get bitten--a frequency that concerns health professionals.

Half of all bites occur in the face head and neck region. Of the patients studied, more than a quarter required inpatient treatment.

Dr. Nelson Rosen, Director of Trauma Surgery at Schneider Children’s Hospital, says, “They actually can be terrible, and they can be fatal. Thankfully, we don’t see many fatal dog bites. It doesn’t take much, I mean think of it as a small stab wound.”

In general, the authors say, children tend to underestimate the danger arising from dogs because they are more careless and inexperienced in their interactions with dogs.

John Browne, a trainer at the K-9 Center, says, “I would never leave a child unsupervised with a dog. I wouldn’t leave a hamster unsupervised with a child.”

That right there is the most important point to remember: it doesn’t matter really what type of dog it is, supervision is key.

Mr. Browne says, “You can get a passive dog in any breed, and you can get a aggressive dog in any breed.”

In fact, the vast majority of dogs who bit were familiar to the children.

“A three-year-old child shouldn’t be in the backyard by himself unsupervised, let alone be alone with the dog. I have dogs that are very, very friendly and I would never leave my child, my three-year-old unsupervised,” Mr. Brown advises.

Youth is a major factor. Children with injuries to the head and neck were much younger compared to the entire study population of kids.

“If you could possibly wait until your child is old enough to handle this discussion, around age five and up, then that would probably be ideal. I would definitely think about getting a younger dog, starting with a puppy,” says Rosen.

 

thanx for the info very informative

 

Very Nice!!!!!!!!!!

 

We are expecting our first in july and no matter how sweet fauna my 2 year old pit is, i would never consider leaving her alone with the baby. Fauna has been around kids all her life, and i trust her with them, but it only takes one second for her to get snippy and do something, so why even take the chance?

 

this is a good website also http://www.safekidssafedogs.com/index.html

 

right on, it's in my "favorites" as well!!!
hey=hope all is good, girl!!!

 

Thanks Suki - I already sent him a Thank you note for running a good story but didn't post it here.

I work with WTNH-8 in Connecticut extensively. We produce a TV show that is aired on that station.

 

Good read indeed. True small ones are bite in the face, more often.

 

Well,they are still dogs and you are doing the responsible thing by never allowing them alone with your baby. Hell, I wouldnt trust most HUMANS alone with a child of my own when that day comes. I would just like to comment, I keep my neice and nephew away from the dogs when they come for the most part....not because I'm worried about the childrens safety, I know the dogs would never harm them...but because I'm worried about the dogs safety! I've seen it all, 65 lb. kids riding a 45 lb. dog, pulling tails, poking eyes, blowing in their face, kicking them, pulling tongues, and yanking on ears. I immediately seperated the dogs and kids when I seen this, even though the victim (read dog, LOL) was wagging their tail, thinking it was all a big game. Everytime I think they are old enough to be trusted for a minute, they remind they are kids- and chasing a dog around hardwood floors is much more fun than laying down and petting the doggy. I'm with them all the time,and it literally takes a split second for one of the kids to take off and try to play/abuse LOL the dog. So for now on, the dogs are in kennels or on the chain when the kids come...no more roaming the house until the kids are just about to go to bed and can settle down enough to play nice and sleep with a big, living, breathing teddy bear

 

yup! I crate Venus as well. Either way, you just NEVER know. Best to error on the side of caution!

 

Good read, and so very true. This goes right along with another topic that was being discussed else where in here. It was listing dog "attacks" that were breeds other than the bully-breeds, and the interesting thing I noticed was that more than 3/4 of all the "attacks" listed were involving children that were in their early teens or younger.

Like Rock and Suki, we put all of our dogs either outside or in their kennels when friends bring their kids over. Not so much for the kid's safety, but for the dog's safety from the kids. I don't know what it is, but the kids that come to our house just seem to have a facination with smacking, pulling, and annoying our dogs, lol. They especially love trying to ride our Great Dane, lol. And no matter how many times we tell them not to, they still want to get nose-to-nose with our chihuahua/pug mix, which he promptly lets them know he doesn't like, lol.

So I imagine our dogs don't like it much when they see kids coming in the front door since they know they are about to be put outside or in their kennels, lol.