Babies and Dogs: a different perspective

[Adina P]

I would say Natalie is magnetized by the definition in this woman's article. 

http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/mamas-dont-let-your-b...

 

But...I'm not sure I have any ideas for how to strike a balance.  Knives don't walk around the house and approach and follow you from room to room.  What do the rest of you think about this woman's perspective and how to achieve a balance?

 

 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I'm a big worrier also.  Just my nature. Another problem,  I also tend to examine both sides constantly, never coming up with a true black or white answer for the way I really feel.  This one is deep because it really can go both ways. 

There is always that risk.  If you fear dogs, they tell you,  you have a higher chance of being bit. If you don't fear dogs, you are too assure of yourself and get bit.  

Just Say No, doesn't always work.  Children are a product of their environment.   They learn by example.  In the ideal world, hopefully the basic lessons still work.

With an older child you tell the kids never approach the tied dog, never go into the fence of an enclosed dog, always ask the owner if they can pet the dog, approach the dog to the side..... etc  But a baby really has no reasoning yet. 

The answer to this might be the same for dogs as it is in teaching children.   Take the dog that is chewing your shoe.  You approach the dog with a toy, take your shoe, and replace the shoe with a toy.  " Here is what you chew"   Showing the dog what you want.    Go to the baby, whisper real soft and say easy .   Easy.   Take her hand and whisper again, easy. With a baby on the floor, I agree, the dogs can begin to think it is part of the pack and treated as such.  A sibling!  Horrors.

Eventually, my older son is probably softly petting some blond girls head now. LOL.   Oh Gawd, did I teach him that??? 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Hey, what's wrong with softly petting some blondes head. I hope you did teach him that. Better than smacking them I say : )

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

He was smacking the heads because he thought the Blond Hair was BEAUTIFUL.  There just wasn't that color of hair around our house and he didn't see it often.   He would get so excited. As he got older he would touch ( finally ) the head  and say " Yellow Hair, oh Yellow Hair."  Blonds just mesmerized him.

[Sue]

I think there is always the "you never know", that's why children, or even grown adults should not approach a strange dog automatically thinking the dog is friendly.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Oh my goodness.  Everyone has an opinion on everything.  It must be so hard to raise kids now.

Kids "magnetized to dogs"  really????  Kids and dogs have grown up together for literally milennia.  It is the parents job to help children understand a zillion things - don't: run into the street, swallow gum, touch a hot stove, smack with toy cars, touch dogs you don't know.    Dogs are probably the least of worries for parents who supervise their children well and for those who don't supervise their children at all.  Children cannot be raised in a bubbbbble or a bubble for that matter. 

Very few dogs bite without a lot of warning, most dogs bite from fear. Children who respect, but do not fear dogs are not in much danger from an unknown dog.  The example of the ceiling fan and the knife are actually funny.  Introducing a ceiling fan and a knife to a toddler are recipes for disaster and serve no purpose.  Introducing babies and toddlers to dogs is a recipe for a life long attachment to dogs which has been repeatedly proven to provide less stress, smiles and better health.

Use common sense - of which this woman seems to have little - and enjoy the ride. 

 

[Adina P]

Oh I love my DK family =)  Such common sense and moderation =)   Kids don't always know how to read dogs' warning signs.  Some just look tense or flick their ears or lick their lips.  But I agree with you and Karen.  There are TONS of things for kids to rush toward. It's still up to us to manage this and prevent accidents as best we can.

[Jennifer Tramell]

My kids can't even read MY warning signs and I do way more than look tense and flick my ears.  I think they are mommy magnetized and sometimes I sure feel like biting :-)  Could someone teach my kids to give me some more space, stop following me around, pulling be by my collar and yanking my ears.  Do they make Mommy crates? He-he-he!

[NewfoundlandNic]

I can totally relate, but I am looking for a crate for my three year old, not me!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

"My kids can't even read MY warning signs and I do way more than look tense and flick my ears"

This gets my vote for funniest comment of the week! ROFL

[Adina P]

ROFL...

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Wow....this is why I never read any parenting books, etc......LOL.  I preferred to wing it. My kids survived childhood and still talk to me, so I must have done something right :)

[Adina P]

Well she's more of a trainer I think than a parenting guru. So her perspective is different.  But not all trainers are right all the time, right (except mine of course ;-))?