2 year old girl attacked by dog

[aliss]

Honest question here from a dog owner - how far back away from the stroller do you expect a person to keep their dog? Like if they were walking past you on the sidewalk? I'm talking about a leashed dog of course. I often walk by strollers with my Shiba and he always wants to go sniff the baby's face (I don't let him, of course), what is a comfort level?

 

[fulltimemum]

i think if a dog is going past a buggy or person walking by it shud be held with the top of the lead so the dogs head is up not down so if it pulls foward it cant be not in a bad way

 

[// arcadia]

I dont mind the dogs being around at all off the leads playing walking past but when its actual literally ontop of your pram jumping at your baby thats a problem :\

 

[JASMAK]

Honest question here from a dog owner - how far back away from the stroller do you expect a person to keep their dog? Like if they were walking past you on the sidewalk? I'm talking about a leashed dog of course. I often walk by strollers with my Shiba and he always wants to go sniff the baby's face (I don't let him, of course), what is a comfort level?

Quite honestly, I don't like ANY dog within smelling distance of my children. My daughter was bit in the eye by a dog who "wasn't vicious". She was bit about a cm from her eye...and her eye swelled up and was bruised, and she still has a slight scar from it.

My son was chased by a dog at the park who wasn't on a leash. I had Makena in the stroller, and Jasper ran the other way, screaming (he was only 2 at the time). I had to leave Makena to get him. The owner did nothing to call his dog and never apologized. My kids are both afraid of dogs, but we teach them to ask the owner first, before approaching any dog...but even then, I prefer them not to. They do love our family friend's dog...she is a really good dog. But, I don't trust ANY dog...no matter how much the owner's insist they are "good". And, as an owner...I don't think you would want people to be constantly going up to your dog, espesially kids, because what if your dog did bite??? Then you are liable, and your dog could be put down (as the law is here). Why risk it?

Here is a pic of the dog bite...about an hour afterwards. This is before her eye swelled almost shut, and before the bruising. My daughter was only three years old. Actually, looking at this picture again, I see that the dog bite was closer than a cm from her eye.

 

[aly888]

Honest question here from a dog owner - how far back away from the stroller do you expect a person to keep their dog? Like if they were walking past you on the sidewalk? I'm talking about a leashed dog of course. I often walk by strollers with my Shiba and he always wants to go sniff the baby's face (I don't let him, of course), what is a comfort level?

hmm, if it were me with my LO I would be happy for the dog to come up to the buggy/stroller but wouldnt want the dog close enough thats its head was inside the stroller iykwim? in other words, wouldnt want it so close that it could/would want to put a paw up onto the buggy! But I can totally understand why people dont feel comfortable with animals being close to their LO's. I think I am too trusting coz I have grown up with dogs for my entire childhood.

Just wanted to say also, when i said I didnt condone the dog being stabbed to death, I didnt mean that it shouldnt have been destroyed, just that it wasnt carried out the right way. but understandable considering the circumstances! If I was ever in that position I think my reaction would have been to put the dog in a room on its own, buts its impossible to say until you are in that situation

 

[aliss]

Fair enough.... I don't mean to say he is actually within sniffing distance at all.. he is always at least 2-3ft away from the stroller itself, he is just very curious when it comes to strollers because we've been practicing walking with it.

 

[special_kala]

im happy for dogs to say hello to river if on a lead. if off a leash im more cautious and will most likely stroke the dog very near its collar so i can grab it if need to. though i wear her 90% of the time so doesnt happen much.

if im walking on a pavement im not going to grab my dog by his collar if i pass people. i will hold his lead shorter if im going to be that close to touch them though

 

[special_kala]

though would like to add my dog takes no interest in children or babies. he has NEVER gone near a pushchair whilst we have been out on or off the lead

 

[Hollys_Twinny]

I would got crazy if any dog did that to Morgan, my mums had her dog for 13years now-meg, she's part of the family. It hurts just thinking of her dying. But as much as I love her, I love my son 1000x more.

Whenever I'm at mums, megs taken out of the house, into the out house. I always introduce her to Morgan even let him smooth her, but she's a boxer dog and v hyper still!

On the dogs approaching the pram. I woudnt want any dog close enough to sniff Morgan, they lick their arses and are so fast you wouldn't have chance to stop them!!!

 

[polo_princess]

Id never ever let my dogs get right near a child or a stroller, on or off a lead, even when walking past people i'll double wrap the lead around my hand and pull them in close by the top of the lead with my other hand. But im over cautious with my dogs around people, firstly because of their breed and size, and secondly taking into account some people dont like dogs/are scared of them etc

I cannot stand peoples dogs sniffing around me when when i walk, i actually think its pretty rude, you wouldnt start sniffing someone who walks past you so i dont think its very polite that you let your dog do it.

 

[NicoleLJ]

Ok I will admit I have not read all 7 pages. BUt here is a take from a breeder/trainer. This person did a lot of mistakes. One major one is that one of the dogs was admittedly in season. THis will make both males and females more tempermental. THey will and can act more out of character then normal because of elevated hormones and responses to the dog in season. THey can get more aggresive, teritorial. Some get more loving and docile. Each dog is different. And because you don't know how the hormones will affect the dog a person with any dog in season and other dogs around it should be a lot more vigulant.

Next was if because of the dog that was in season the other dog already bit once, why was it not already contained or seperated from the children?

And last why is any dog allowed to play loose in a childs room? My dogs are German Shepherds. And they are all trained that they can only go into my childs room if I am there and then only to lay in the corner as we are doing things. Not jumping around or playing.

THis dog was already agitated because of the dog in season, his admittedly playing with the dog in the childs room increased it's excitement level.

I feel very badly for this man and his family but as far as I am concerned very little of this is the dogs fault. It was 100% preventable based on all the info that was in that article. Do not blame the breed. It was not the breed that did this. I know people who have owned this breed and they are great family pets. If you are going to have intact dogs then you need to take responsibility for them. I know my response will tick a lot of people off. But I hate hearing people automatically blame the dog all the time. In a case like this one it was defiantely the owners responsibility not the dogs. I have seen cases where it was all on the dogs shoulders but it is not as common as people think. A little common sense and this would not be a concern.

 

[sparkle_1979]

I would never let any of my dogs sniff someone or be up close to a pram. I always go to the side and let people pass with the dog sitting facing me and I expect people to do the same when Im out with children, though this hardly ever happens ;(

 

[GoldenGSD]

Little kids always suffer for the stupidity of their parents. I hope this baby girl is going to be ok.

If the dog was aggressive enough that they wanted it put down why the hell was it allowed to play in the toddler's room?

 

[aob1013]

I will never understand why people feel the need to keep obviously dangerous dogs as 'pets' - gotta be something to do with image IMO.

 

[special_kala]

what is obviosly dangerous?

 

[polo_princess]

Whats the "image" associated with a Lab then? As they statistically, bite most often, therefore are "obviously" dangerous?

 

[special_kala]

Exactly PP, Dex is a lab everyone assumes he is a friendly loving dog (which he is) so they dont even consider that he is just as dangerous as a staffy or any other "dangerous" dogs out there

 

[dani_tinks]

No such thing as bad dogs, only bad owners.
People need to take responsibility for their pets, these are afterall animals

 

[JASMAK]

I don't know if I entirely agree with the statement of "no such thing as bad dogs, only bad owners". I have a friend, and she bought a rottie from a breeder who "guaranteed" that he would be friendly etc. My friend did her research, checked references, put a deposit down, and waited over a year for her rottie. When she finally got him, she immediately took him to doggie training, and socialized him. She would spend ALL DAY with him...completely 100% committed. They had some agsression issues with him, so they got him a personal trainer, and phoned the breeder, who was no help. She did more classes, more personal trainers...she spent literally THOUSANDS of dollars. When people came over, she put her dog in a seperate area, because he would nip. One day he nipped at a woman visiting. My friend had told this woman NOT to pet her dog, but she did anyways, and her dog nipped at her hand. My friend was so distraught. She called me and was crying for HOURS about it. She spent more money on training etc. But, then he nipped someone else...and she reported it. So, my friend phoned the breeder, and returned the dog...without a refund. Is she a bad owner? I can't say that she was...with all the money and effort she put into her dog, there is NO WAY she was a bad owner. Was the dog bad? Well, he bit...I don't know...is that bad? It's a bad situation. The dog lost his owner, and my friend is still distraught today, and vows she will never have another dog because her heart was broken so badly.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I will never understand why people feel the need to keep obviously dangerous dogs as 'pets' - gotta be something to do with image IMO.

Thats a bit silly, I thought we had established any dog is capable.