Can children be left alone with dogs?

[Ninastar]

I was talking to the girls at work about this on my lunch break and I was almost the only one who wouldn't leave a child on their own with a dog. Someone said that it all depends on how you train the dog...

I was like are you for real? Any animal (dogs mainly) can turn on a human, especially children.

What's your opinion on this?

I swear I've made this thread before but oh well

[Jake.]

Same as yours really Caitlin, a dog, no matter how loving it is, could just turn.

[Drew.]

some of the smaller well trained dogs could be.. i wouldn't want to take that risk tho

[Glenn.]

Never.

No matter how you've trained a dog you should never leave it alone with a child.

[InOne]

Not worth the risk after the horror stories you hear. Always put the child first.

[michael21]

i would not leave a child with a dog

[Kizzy]

Depends on the dog.

[Shaun]

I was 11 when I got mine and I was the one asked to take it for walks... depends on how old the child is obviously (I wouldn't any younger than 8) and the nature of the dog.

[GypsyGoth]

I do think there is something savage inside all dogs, regardless of how they are brought up. I think because people see them as family members they are lulled into a fake state of safety.

Also I think the odds of being struck by lightening are greater (I'm guessing), yet you wouldn't see people take their children out in lightning storms. But to leave them in a riskier situation is somehow ok? :shrug:

and you might have but i think it was a kinda different subject

[Ninastar]

Sad story that happened to a friend. I've put it in spoilers in case it's upsetting or whatever.

One of the girls from work said that on Christmas Day last year, her little cousin was attacked by the family springer spaniel and had her cheek nearly torn off. The dad had to break the dogs jaw to get the dog off her.

[Ninastar]

I was 11 when I got mine and I was the one asked to take it for walks... depends on how old the child is obviously (I wouldn't any younger than 8) and the nature of the dog.

I mean child as in under 10/11ish. Like when you're old enough to begin to look after yourself/have that first independence or whatever

[Kizzy]

I'm a bit biased as I have the worlds most fab dog, but labs are amazing, I would trust my dog with a child yes.

[Jack_]

I struggle to leave myself alone with a dog (I don't think I ever have actually...I have a fear of them, although it's not as bad as it used to be) so I wouldn't be leaving a child with one. Age 10/11 maybe, if they were at an age capable of insisting they'd be alright but younger than that and I don't think I would. It's not just a case of how a dog could turn but you don't know how a child is going to treat a dog when alone with it, especially much younger kids that wouldn't understand not to piss one off...

[Glenn.]

I'm a bit biased as I have the worlds most fab dog, but labs are amazing, I would trust my dog with a child yes.

My dog>>>>>>>your dog :idc:

[Ninastar]

I've been bitten by a dog before. But that's because my grandmas partner left me in the room with it and I hugged it thinking it wouldn't mind and it bit my cheek. How was I supposed to know? I was 4. So like you said, Jack, god knows what a child will do with a dog in the room.

[Glenn.]

My dogs bitten me before. She nearly ripped my top lip off.

She's as soppy as anything though and scared of everything, especially kids. She shakes when there's kids in my house.

She doesn't want to attack them but she doesn't know what they are, she unfamiliar with kids.

There's no way I could leave her alone with a child.

[the truth]

You cant leave kids alone , period. With or without dogs.

[Kizzy]

My dog>>>>>>>your dog :idc:

My dog >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> every dog ever even pudsey :idc:

[MTVN]

Never really owned a dog so couldn't really tell you, although when I was about 7 or 8 and visiting my Granny & Uncle/Aunty/Cousins (they live next door to each other) I used to play with their dogs basically unsupervised, they were the most harmless creatures and I can't see how I could ever have been at risk unless I seriously antagonised them

[Glenn.]

My dog >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> every dog ever even pudsey :idc:

Biatch please
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/GlennDines123/17B97039-DE5D-46FA-8A75-DC0669E6AACC-1242-000000A8D6730CF3_zps7a0ebbaa.jpg

[Kizzy]

Your mongrel is not superior to my adorable pedigree labrador...soz...
https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/y4/r/-PAXP-deijE.gif

[Glenn.]

Pfft my dog isn't a mongrel.

She's a KC Registered pedigree :idc:

-has also had a lab-

[Niall]

I'm not sure really. I'd definitely say that small kids shouldn't be left alone with dogs. I just wouldn't trust the dog with a little kid.

[joeysteele]

It is likely a 2 way thing,depending on the Dog and the Child too.
I am as confident as I can be that my Dog,a Staffie, would not normally attack or harm a Child, however I take no risks and even when I have him out, harnessed and on a lead, I always tell other people with Children not to let them come up to him.That is to protect him as much as Children too.
I never ever even let him off the lead when out unless there is absolutely no one anywhere in sight.

As I said it is a 2 way thing, you can never be sure the Dog won't for some reason attack, Children often do things very unexpectedly, they may,in play, jump on the Dog or throw things at it which would cause negative responses from any Dog really.

So in my view, Children should not be left alone with any Dog.
The only Dog that has ever bitten me was a Jack Russell when I was 7, so size doesn't matter either.

[AnnieK]

Nope, I would never leave any child alone with a dog. I don't care how much you think you know a dog (I have had dogs I would have trusted with my life, but not a childs). If a dog is startled, scared or hurt one of their first protective instincts is to bite /snarl as they have no other way of warning a threat off....A friend of mine had a lab as a family dog that was great with kids, he was asleep in front of the fire one day and her little sister plopped down to stroke him and scared him and he bit out in his sleep and bit her hand...not the dogs fault or the childs.

[SharkAttack]

Parents raised us with two rottweilers in the family. Quite often left alone with our pets at age 8 and on. Granted, nothing ever happened, as I walked the dogs at that age(or they walked me,) but there was respect there. Should add in that we had one and then another 7 years later(Kurt and Murphy, respectively), not both at the same time. Still, I need to have a talk with my parents about that. :suspect:

Quick answer: No, I would not leave pets with teeth, or claws, or beaks, alone with children.

[Vicky.]

See my head says no..but I was left alone with my dogs and I knew they would never harm me. Mind you I was about 10 or so at the time, so my parents had had a LOT of time to watch the dogs to make sure they never showed any signs of agression, they were both the most placid dogs you could ever meet..except once when our labrador thought a man who was helping my mum lift my pram over something was trying to take me away/harm me..gave everyone a shock that day. The dogs were so protective of me and my sister. They used to take so much **** too..things like us sitting on their backs to ride on them, pulling their tails to get them to play with us..etc (parents did used to tell us off for this and stop it, but the dogs never growled or anything when we tried). That said, I would never ever leave a baby or very young child alone with a dog..its just too much risk. Even if you know the dog is fine, there is always a very small chance that they could turn. They are wild animals after all.

[Niamh.]

Depends on the dog really, but tbh I'm never going to leave a young child alone anyway, either with or without a dog. And obviously it would depend on the size and breed of the dog.

[Amy Jade]

No, the child may hurt my dog.

[Niamh.]

No, the child may hurt my dog.

In fairness that's probably more likely to happen :laugh:

[Jesus.]

It's an interesting question. I don't think all dogs have it in them at all. We used to have little cross collies when I was growing up, and they were the softest, and most loving dogs ever (doesn't everyone say that about their own pets though?). We had lots of land at my parents house, and I was about 5/6. They used to just follow me around apparently, and if the cats tried to approach me, they'd step in. Squirrels, other dogs or anything remotely dangerous, they'd put themselves in front of me. That's family love.

As humans we bred dogs based on their characteristics, so working and protection dogs I would be weary about, and also those little yappy things with small dog complex. But most people that own dogs leave their children with them at some point, and you never read headlines like "Dog cuddles child, and doesn't rip his/her face off".

You can't tell me that this Doberman could ever harm that child.

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[Kazanne]

I have a King Charles Cavelier and a Pomeranian cross,both are gentle ,soft and good natured,I also have small children and although I trust the dogs,I would never take that risk of leaving them alone with them,anyway the dogs would probably come off worst:hugesmile:

[lostalex]

I agree with you. For the safety of both the dog and the child it's not a good idea.

I never had a dog growing up, but my cousins did and they were AWFUL to their dog. They'd pull on it's ears, kick it if it was in their way. I'm still amazed that dog never fought back.

[Ammi]

..No, I would never leave a child alone with a dog..no matter how well you know the dog or how good natured it is..you can never be sure if some small thing could trigger something inside it's head and it could react to that..the child doesn't even have to be annoying it or anything...animals probably have 'association memories' like we do..and no one knows what they are...

[thesheriff443]

its a no from me.

[Vanessa]

No, the child could upset the dog by accident.

[mizzy25]

no i would not and more becasue of how the kid would behave towards the dog. as imo the dog wouldnt suddenly go for a child unless the child is provoking it. Obviosuly i know this isnt always the case as weve all seen in the news but most of the time a dog wont bother, but no i wudnt leave any of mine with a child unsupervised.

[Nedusa]

Depends on the size of the Dog. The dog should not be able to physically harm the child in any meaningful way. If in doubt then enforce a no dog rule...!!!