Beyond the pits: Grand kids and good canines
Once again, the tragedy of a child having been bitten in the face and disfigured by a dog has made the news. And, naturally, it's a pit bull that did the disfiguring.
The "naturally" isn't commentary on the nature of pit bulls; it's commentary on the nature of the media. Dogs of all breeds attack and maim children and adults at an alarming rate—4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year per the CDC—yet it's those stories featuring pit bulls as the bad guys that make the news. Every time.
The recent horrible story locally involved a nine-month-old baby and the pit bull owned by the baby's grandpa. I have an eight-month-old grandson. And I have a pit bull. Well, he's only part pit bull, the other part seemingly pointer, but it's the pit part that freaks everyone out. Naturally. And it's the pit part in the dog that recently bit that poor baby that likely, sadly, influenced the decision to euthanize the dog.
LylaI'm not going to tell you pit bulls are the sweetest and most misunderstood of dogs. That can be the case, but as is the case with all dogs, much is attributable to an animal's upbringing and environment, not just their supposedly inherent traits. I will tell you, though, that my pit bull, Mickey, is the least likely of our dogs to hurt one of my grandsons. Our other dog, Lyla, because of torture the poor rescue dog suffered, torture which we'll never know the details of but that clearly messed up the mutt's mind in oh so many ways, is far more cause for concern around my grandsons just because she's so skittish and unpredictable.
Regardless of predictability or pedigree—and I've said this here before—kids and dogs, especially dogs that are not used to kids, are not a good mix. Should not mix. At all.
That's a hard thing for grandparents, I think, because we dearly love our canine babies who reside in our home day in, day out. When the grandkids visit, we want the grandbabies to get to know our canine babies, play with them, become friends with them, love them like we do.
It's not that simple, unfortunately.
I recently wrote an article for another publication on this exact topic. Here are some of the points from that article in hopes it might help prevent a tragedy similar to the heartbreaking one—for the baby and the dog—now getting top billing in the local media:
- Baby gates are key. As a long-distance grandma, my grandsons visit my house only a few times a year. When they do, we make use of baby gates. Lots and lots of baby gates throughout the house, separating our human babies from our canine babies. It’s not ideal, but the alternative is to have no dogs at all, which doesn’t sit well with this pet-loving grandma.
- Pets should be provided a quiet, out-of-the-way room during gatherings with extended family. Though some pets may enjoy socializing opportunities, others will be overwhelmed by the excitement. Be sure yours has access from his quiet place to his bed, toys, and water.
- Don’t allow grandchildren to give animals treats without you helping out. Kids often don’t understand or follow the standard treat-giving protocol, and dogs may be skittish or overly aggressive in nabbing the goodies.
- Be sure older grandchildren—who may be tempted to sneak sweets and treats to the family dog—know the rules of what foods are or are not acceptable for sharing.
- Try to limit the disruptions to your pet’s eating, sleeping, and exercise schedule as much as possible. Animals thrive on routine; throwing things off only adds to their excitement and confusion.
- Never leave kids and canines together unattended. Your granddaughter and Fido may both be sweet as can be, but all that can change in an instant if your granddaughter decides to dress Fido in play clothes, ride him like a horse, or worse.
Sure, your dog is your best friend and may be saddened or jealous or confused about little visitors taking your time and attention. The most important thing to remember, though, is this: Grandchildren take priority. So regardless of your dog's hurt feelings, it’s always best to err on the side of caution—the side that protects your beloved grandbabies above all else.
Today's question:
What is your No. 1 tip for keeping grandbabies safe and canine babies happy when under the same roof?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Reader Comments (12)
I agree with your tips on separation, sadly. My niece was bitten in the face by her own older dog - a big, slow, sweet, quiet lab mix. She tripped and fell on him while he was sleeping and he woke startled (and perhaps hurt) and bit her. Could have happened to anyone's child, but for visiting grandkids, it could be avoided. Keep them apart, and when they are together, keep them quiet.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this, Lisa. I got a sick feeling in my stomach when I read the story. My heart goes out to the baby AND to the dog. The adults in this situation failed them both.
By placing so much emphasis on the "pit bull," the media gives people a false sense of security around other breeds of dogs. ALL dogs can bite. A few years ago, a baby was killed by a pomeranian. As the grown-ups, we have a responsibility to keep kids and pets safe. When something goes wrong, the responsibility falls on us. (Although, like you said, the media is only too happy to blame the dog when it's a pit bull.)
As always, education is key. You may have run across this while researching your article but it's a great resource you might want to pass along to your readers: http://familypaws.com/
When we go for a visit, I keep my dogs and my nieces separated for the most part. When they do interact, I watch closely and step in at the first sign of stress in my dogs. I also have my nieces hold treats in the palm of their hands in order to keep the dogs (Ranger, mostly) from nipping their fingers.
Wonderful tips!
I don't have canine babies, only feline babies right now. Fortunately, they usually run for cover when the Grandkids visit. However, I always check under the crib, dresser, etc. and would never allow one of them in the nursery alone with a sleeping infant Grandchild. Just in case...
I don't have a tip but I thought the article did not need to mention the dog's breed. I worry about the neighbor's terrier biting Milo. I worry about my sweet terrier biting Milo. Any dog can bite. Pitties get a bad rap.
Wonderful post, Lisa, and a real service to all of your readers. I don't currently own a dog, but pretty much all of our grandchildren are going to have contact with dogs, if not in our own homes, in the homes of friends or other family members or just in the neighborhood or at the park. As you point out, it is not the breed of the dog that is critical but the dog's history and training. Vigilance is key! (I worked as a letter carrier years ago and was bitten twice, once by a Weimaraner and once by a tiny Peke mix.)
Amber's first paragraph reflects my feelings about this story exactly; it's just so sad for both the baby AND the dog. Some things do not mix well. And, no matter the breed, a hurt or startled dog will bite what or who ever hurt or startled it. So Sad.
I currently don't any pets in my home but I thank you for your wonderful post.
It does seem like the media only focuses on pit bulls....which is totally unfair. My mom had a shitzu that, as she got older, would snap at my young kids when we visited. She just wasn't used to having kids running around in "her" house.
My daughter had a lab-pit mix and, though he was a challenge in other ways, he was good with my granddaughters. Of course, there was never a time he was left alone with the girls...mostly because he was just too big and energetic to be around them without driving them nuts or accidentally hurting them with his size. But the breed wasn't an issue. I hate when I see the "pit bull attacks baby" articles in the newspaper. I know they do that. But 90% of the time it's because they are a dog, not because they are a pit bull. Very good post!
Many years ago, before Amara was born, Grampy was bit in the face by a 2 year old Akita. 113 stitches. Worst experience of my life. He knew the dog well, it belonged to my roommate and they had been playing catch in the backyard as they had done many times when I heard him screaming. We still don't know why the dog decided to attack. Fortunately after 30 days of quarantine my roommate found him a new home on a 20 acre farm.
You can't be TO Careful!!! Be Vigilant!! While it was terrible for Grampy it would have been much worse for a small child. Great post.
All: Some pretty scary stories there. So true, from Kathy: "... it's because they are a dog, not because they are a pit bull." Yes. Regardless of breed, vigilance is the key!
Separation is a key to not getting bitten, however early training of a pup can help.
Whenever we are out & Lucy wants to pat a dog, she always has to ask me first if it is alright. I install in her that she must ask the owner if she can pat the dog.
Pitbulls are blamed for children getting bitten. Generally it is not the dogs fault but the owner who either has trained it correctly or there is no fence around the property. Dogs should be on a leash when they are out in public.
Lisa forgive me for changing the subject.
Today is the 1st anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand that killed 185 people. Please spare a thought in your busy day for all those that lost loved ones & for those who lives have been changed forever due to injury. There is a sad feeling about town today, everyone has been touched in someway by this tragic event. Christchurch is still be rocked by earthquakes this could go on for years.
I have three small dogs who are not use to little ones running around them. They get nervous with all the activity of toddlers so I have always just put the pups in the pup area when the grandbabies are here.
As for pit bulls...I have personally owned a pit but that I loved as if he were one of my own children. He was my constant companion during my entire pregnancy with my first daughter. On the night that I rushed to the hospital he became really weird with me. I don't know if he smelled something different about me, but as I was trying to go out the door to go to the hospital he blocked me and growled at me. My other dogs didn't even notice I was leaving. I scolded him and went around him to get to the car.
Two days later when I returned from the hospital with my new baby, he kept staring at me and the baby, and was not wagging his tail as usual. I put him in the yard to play with the other dogs so I could get some laundry done (new babies create lots of laundry). As I was coming out of the laundry room (which was in the back yard) he blocked me and growled viciously at the bundle of laundry I was carrying that was wrapped in a baby blanket. I firmly told him NO and attempted to walk around him. He would not allow it. I then opened the blanket and showed him each item of clothing...proved that no baby was in the bundle. He sad down and stopped growling and let me pass.
This was many years ago as my daughter just turned 30 years old yesterday and the media didn't even know much about pits then. This behavior was not exhibited by our other dogs, only the pit. He was jealous of the new baby. Needless to say, he found a new home with no children within the week. I have never had a pit since and although I agree that the media does act like they are the devil in dogs fur, I still feel that there is definitely something different about a pit -mentally. And with they jaws that lock on to their victim, they can do more severe damage than another type dog.
I agree with you 100% that any dog can bite and should never be left alone with a small child...regardless of the breed or size.
Anna