keeping your kids safe from dogs

I found this good read off of the Leerburg site. Please take a look, it is definately open to debate, although I think Leerburg is about as reputable as they come. If you look at this you will see something very farmiliar and it is what popped into my mind while reading it. I have to agree that the photos shown also made me very uncomfrotable.

http://www.leerburg.com/kidbites.htm

 

i think alot of what he posted is good. alot of parents dont teach their children how to react around strange dogs. which they should. my own 2 stepchildren never knew how to react and they had one, i am still telling and yelling at them to not do this, dont do that..
some of his stuff i dont agree with, but for the most part, i do.. i dont agree with rehoming an aggressive dog that goes after people though.

 

I think this guy knows what he's talking about an dhe's not afraid to offend anyone who he believes to be irresponsible dog owners. He tells it to them like it is and lets them know hey you need to buck up if your goingt o keep this dog. The pics. were a little unsettling.

 

He is very "to the point" as most serious trainers are. Many of the members on this forum are also quick to point out irresponsible behavior, which of course is a good thing for the most part, until someone feels offended and gets defensive. I guess it's more about training people than dogs!

 

The bite wound victims were very disturbing pics, and I'll admit I didnt read the article (I dont have any kids) but I did glance through it. Especially the mastiff/baby pictures, I am confused as to why he thinks this is such a serious problem, it looks like good fun to me. I know some may think the dog standing over the child as such is the dogs way of showing the child "who's boss" but it doesnt look like thats the case here, looks like innocent fun to me. I too have a mastiff and they dont call them "gentle giants" for nothing, mine absolutely loves the neice and nephew and wont let anyone strange come within a few feet of "her babies". Maybe this is a question better posed for the owner of the site.

 

amazing how people in these dogs (typically untrained) think Leerburg is reputable and those in the actual herding breeds or protection sports think he is a joke as is his methods.

 

What are you implying? that the dog is allowed to have fun with the baby like it would a toy? I wouldn't find that acceptable. Sure, it didn't bite the baby, but that doesn't make it gentle. Is it okay to allow the dog to think that the baby is like it's own? Of course you want your dog to feel a level of protection of your children, but that's not the same. If the dog feels like the baby is it's own that includes decipline ( a very huge part of parenting for either humans or babies ) a correction from a mama dog is a quick snap. I had a dog who was very good with my children, who were both very young and they had fun on a physical level also, but that was my kids crawling on him, not vice versa. He was submisive to them and adored any attention they gave him. He was not allowed to "paw" at my kids, they are not toys or puppies. They are mine. I used differnt techniques to try to keep it clear that they were his boss, just like me.

I'm not trying to anger people. There's nothing more wonderful than a great child/dog relationship. Dogs can be your best friend, I think every kid should have a dog in the house, at least one. I don't think people understand that their great dogs might seriously hurt their new babies. It happens all the time and I had a good friend who's grandaughter was seriously injured by the family dog. The parents never saw it coming, the little girl was 2 and the dog was there first and they couldn't believe it because the dog "even slept in her room" ( they thought the dog was protecting the baby from danger... in her bedroom, in her own home ) they didn't realize that wasen't a good sign. I'm sure there were other signs that they thought were "cute" that led to this disaster, because most of believe dogs don't "just snap one day" there are many signs before an attack on a human. The child had a cast and a head bandage for months, her and her parents are now extremely uncomfortable around dogs. Now they will go through life believing that dogs have split personalities.

Noname- I've been reading through the Leerburg website lately, if he is full of BS, I want to know as I like to have correct information and am researching Schutzhund training/competition. What links or info do you have that disregards him and is reputable enough to consider?

 

There is always going to be dissagreances when it comes to trainers and training, but I have personally spent hours going through Ed Frawleys site and find him to be a very blunt, honest, intelligent and to the point trainer. I do agree some of his methods are a little harsh, but he is also an older trainer, not from this era of clicker training and halties. He is also used to an extremely high calibur dog, not your average housepet, and he admits this. He has a no tolerance level for unessesary aggression in his dogs and expects the utmost respect from them. Don't go on what other people tell you about someone, live it and learn it. Sit and go through some of his 10 000 pages and see for yourself.
Back on topic, my dogs would never, ever be allowed to lay on top of a baby or any child. Anything can highten prey instinct and there is no need in my mind for a dog to be in a dominant position over a child. My dogs have always been taught to be calm and accept anything around children, and that any child has say over the dog. My dogs respect that children are smaller and weaker and that they need to be gentle.

 

I raised mastiff's for many years and they were very gental and passive around children especially babies in fact it is in your best interest if you going to spank that child for any reason you better put the mastiff up because he or she will not like that at all. I don't have kids either but I borrow my brothers trolls some times.

 

Yeah Attila, but this may illustrate that any individual dog does not necessarily have the characteristics of its breed. As a general rule mastiffs are good with children...this doesn't mean every mastiff is good with children. As a general rule APBT's are very people friendly...we all know that ALL pit bulls are not people friendly...
There was a picture on the forum...actually I think it was the same picture...of a mastiff laying on a baby...umm, this picture makes me uncomfortable...
Umm, I may not be a dog expert, but I think some people are entirely TOO trusting of dogs around kids. And trusting their kids around dogs also. It shouldn't be done...kids and dogs should not be left unsupervised....EVER...Because kids' faces are at the dog's tooth level...
This is not to imply that you leave your neices and nephews unsupervised. I just don't trust kids and dogs alone together...

 

I know the feeling Attila! The mastiffs I've been around have all been quite love-able once they see their "pack leader" allow their presence. They will go from being Cujo from the movie, to a 200 lb. lapdog just like that. With children, they skip the intruder uneasiness, and are all loves and kisses from the go. I do not understand why those pictures are being seen as "any moment that mastiff will kill her!", its been normal for all mastiffs I have seen to cuddle. They love nothing more than to squeeze in by someone warm, give them a few kisses, and lay motionless until you are ready to get up.

 

I have kids and i've taught the dogs since they were pups not to paw,bite, or knock down my kids. Dogs shouldnt be treated like humans they're dogs and should know their place in the family. now my youngest pup is going on 8 months and the kids damn near ride her like a horse and she(the pup) loves it, but she knows her place and not to get out of line, also this is pretty much common sense and most dog people know but i gotta say it "Never Leave Children and Dogs Unsupervised"

 

The article is good, but did you notice that under the pictures it says, Kid after dog attack. He does not state what kind of dog...is this good or bad?

 

A quote from the web site.
"A dominant dog instinctively will stand over a less dominant pack member. This is something parents with small children need to be aware of. When they have small children crawling around on the floor and they see their dog standing over the top of the child, it's time to react with both barrels of a correction. This may look like a totally innocent form of playing, but it's not. This can also be expanded to not allowing your dog to jump up in bed in the morning and stand over the top of you. It's the dog's way of showing dominance."