Baby Attacked By Family Terrier While Crawling On Floor Of Home

[Guest Willow]

I haven't read all the posts, but just wanted to add, I can see how easily this could have happened....I have a new baby, and am vigilant with her. She is at the age where she is holding her head up and very focussed on new things....today I was sitting on the floor with her & our little 6kg dog....she lifted her head and with big, round eyes, stared directly into the gaze of the dog, who caught her eye & looked a little taken aback...

Nothing happened because I was sat in between them (deliberately), saw what could potentially happen, got the dogs attention, praised him & turned the baby round so she wasnt staring at him.....but my god, the whole thing happened in about 3 seconds.....if a busy mum happens to glance away for a few seconds, there's the time for a dog to bite.

No judgement from me, but when kids are around dogs you need eyes in the back of your head because it only takes a second.....

[PaddyForever]

Why is it that everyone else always assumes that they would have reacted differently, or been able to prevent, such an incident?!

Children are unpredictable. I never allow contact between my dogs and a crawling baby, because babies have grabbing fingers that could hurt the dog and cause an unfavourable reaction, and as even tempered as my dogs are, it is not worth the risk.

In other words, you would not have done what these parents did. You too, would have acted differently.

It does not mean that there was any jelousy involved, or that the dog was just 'waiting for the right time to attack', or that it was because the dog was a terrier breed!

Show me a breed bred to use its teeth in its work and I'll show you a breed with a lower than average trigger to bite and/or potentially a lower than average bite inhibition. Sure all dogs can bite but some bite more than others. Breed DOES matter. What matters more is socialisation and supervision with children.

END QUOTE.

I'm all for socialisation and supervision with children. Isn't that what my post was about?! What I am saying is that it's easy to point the finger AFTER an incident occurs, and state with a rather superior attitude that it would never have happened with us because we are more vigilant/our dogs are better socialised/we own a more child-friendly breed, etc. I learnt whilst a rep for The Responsible Pet Ed Program of Vic, visiting kinders and schools, that it is dangerous to extol the virtues of one breed over another, as being less likely to cause 'an incident', or of being more 'child-friendly. As 'dog-people', many of us know which breeds we would be more likely to reccomend to families with children, or which breeds of dog might be faster to react negatively in certain situations. We are aware of what the different breeds were bred for. Still, that doesn't mean that a Gundog breed wouldn't be capable of reacting in a negative way, or that a Terrier breed will always react in any certain way. I am all for vigilance, but still know the importance of socialisation, which is why I allow supervised interaction between my children and my dogs. And yes, perhaps it could be said that I then contradicted myself by saying that I would not allow a crawling baby near a dog, because of the fingers, etc. It was just a thought of my own. You are also assuming that these people allowed a close interaction. The dog could have run forward and an adult may have been watching, but COULD HAVE flicked their gaze away for an instant. What I was saying is that the parents of the child COULD have been being extremely vigilant, and an incident COULD STILL have occured. We all need to promote vigilance around ALL breeds of dog, but obviously still allow some socialisation between child and canine, or no knowledge either side could ever even hope to be gained. And I really don't think personally, that many dogs are capable of storing up jelous feelings of rage towards a child, to the extent where they could be 'planning an attack.' These are human emotions and conotations which are dangerous to put on dogs. Dogs tend to act more on the spur of the moment with how they are feeling at the time, threatened, stood over, etc, IN MY REASONABLY LEARNED OPINION. I am a dog trainer, and instructor at a dog club. I have trained and trialled many different breeds, and worked with problem dogs, and of course, certain breeds were more prone to certain behaviours, but some breeds which are not generally known for certain problems or behaviours, can still exhibit them. I have known individual dogs who were capable of some extraordinary behaviours, and I like to think that I have seen a fair bit, and that I have an excellent knowledge of dog body language/behaviour. But I still don't know it all, and never will. I just send my best wishes to this child, and the parents, and the owner of the dog. Because as an owner of dogs, and as a parent of children, I can feel empathy for both(even if one and the same)over this unfortunate incident. Cheers to you all for your opinions, and for caring enough to post them. Inc you, Poodlefan.

Edited September 1, 2010 by PaddyForever