[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.

[Ninastar]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[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?

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.

Spoiler:

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.

[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.

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by 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.

My dog>>>>>>>your dog

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Glenn

My dog>>>>>>>your dog

My dog >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> every dog ever even pudsey

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

My dog >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> every dog ever even pudsey

Biatch please

Spoiler:

[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...

[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.

[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

[Kizzy]

Your mongrel is not superior to my adorable pedigree labrador...soz...

[Glenn.]

Pfft my dog isn't a mongrel.

She's a KC Registered pedigree

-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.