Parents, don't leave your babies near dogs!

Reba

Reba

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Sad story with Quintin McGrew's baby. :(
I hope their family can recover, but that sounds like a horrible story.
Apparently the dog was a stray they took in two weeks prior to the mauling? Terrible.

I had discussed a situation like this with my partner. We suggested if we were to get a pet dog it wouldn't be until the child was growing up and a baby pup, careful selection made over the potential size of the dog.
 
naisho said:
Sad story with Quintin McGrew's baby. :(
I hope their family can recover, but that sounds like a horrible story.
Apparently the dog was a stray they took in two weeks prior to the mauling? Terrible.
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According to the mom, they had been dog-sitting Lucky for a friend but then the friend couldn't take back the dog, so they decided to keep it.
 
naisho said:
Sad story with Quintin McGrew's baby. :(
I hope their family can recover, but that sounds like a horrible story.
Apparently the dog was a stray they took in two weeks prior to the mauling? Terrible.

I had discussed a situation like this with my partner. We suggested if we were to get a pet dog it wouldn't be until the child was growing up and a baby pup, careful selection made over the potential size of the dog.
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Babies shouldn't be unsupervised with a dog no matter the size.

Any dog can be a danger to a baby. Babies do unexpected things, and things that dogs regard as uncivilized all the time.

Not the dogs fault. It is just instinct and it's very irresponsible to leave a baby alone with a dog.
 
Bottesini said:
Babies shouldn't be unsupervised with a dog no matter the size.

Any dog can be a danger to a baby. Babies do unexpected things, and things that dogs regard as uncivilized all the time.

Not the dogs fault. It is just instinct and it's very irresponsible to leave a baby alone with a dog.
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I agree. I also think it was irresponsible to leave the baby in the swing in another room while he went to take a nap or whatever. The baby should have been in a crib either in the dad's bedroom or where there was a monitor.
 
Bottesini said:
Babies shouldn't be unsupervised with a dog no matter the size.

Any dog can be a danger to a baby. Babies do unexpected things, and things that dogs regard as uncivilized all the time.

Not the dogs fault. It is just instinct and it's very irresponsible to leave a baby alone with a dog.
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I agree no dog should be left unsupervised with an infant.

How do you feel about mistakes?

One could argue people make all kinds of mistakes, it's possible it could have been McGrew's first that resulted unfortunately in his child's death.
 
naisho said:
I agree no dog should be left unsupervised with an infant.

How do you feel about mistakes?

One could argue people make all kinds of mistakes, it's possible it could have been McGrew's first that resulted unfortunately in his child's death.
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Mistakes are sad of course, but I am specifically educating you before you have a baby in this case, since you mentioned dog size.
 
Bottesini said:
Mistakes are sad of course, but I am specifically educating you before you have a baby in this case, since you mentioned dog size.
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Thanks for the education. :wave:

Yes, I was thinking in respect to different impacts of the dog's size, but it was not based on the child growth alone.

Initially I was concerned over getting a large dog with a small baby, because I fear that I can never 100% guarantee anything watching the baby, if I made one mistake, and so on. So it seemed sensible with a small pup for a growing child. I'm also a bit selective over dog personality and bonds and their playability, relationship-wise between the child and dog.
 
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naisho said:
Thanks for the education. :wave:

Yes, I was thinking in respect to different impacts of the dog's size, but it was not based on the child growth alone.

Initially I was concerned over getting a large dog with a small baby, because I fear that I can never 100% guarantee anything watching the baby, if I made one mistake, and so on. So it seemed sensible with a small pup for a growing child. I'm also a bit selective over dog personality and bonds and their playability, relationship-wise between the child and dog.
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Usually, the larger breeds are more docile and laid back, and the small breeds are more hyper and nervous. (Not always, but generally.)

Our Labs were much calmer around kids than our Shih Tzu. Our Shih Tzu snapped at a little girl once. Shortly after that, we found a childless, all-Shih Tzu, family for her.

However, there is no dog breed that's 100% safe to leave around babies and small children.

Also, I wouldn't have a puppy and a baby in the household at the same time. Each one requires too much individual attention and care.
 
naisho said:
I agree no dog should be left unsupervised with an infant.

How do you feel about mistakes?

One could argue people make all kinds of mistakes, it's possible it could have been McGrew's first that resulted unfortunately in his child's death.
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There must be more involved in the McGrew's case than just a "mistake" or else he wouldn't have been arrested and their children wouldn't be taken away from them.

The police say neither drugs nor alcohol were involved but it makes you wonder why McGrew stayed in bed during all this commotion.

Picture of the dog and 911 transcript:

911 call about baby mauled by dog offers new insight into case | WCBD-TV 2
 
Wirelessly posted

Sad.. Too many people think dogs are babysitters or will not harm a baby even small children are affected.
 
Wirelessly posted

Not only you have to worry about mauling. Dogs triggers respiratory problems and allergies with infants.
 
Bottesini said:
Babies shouldn't be unsupervised with a dog no matter the size.

Any dog can be a danger to a baby. Babies do unexpected things, and things that dogs regard as uncivilized all the time.

Not the dogs fault. It is just instinct and it's very irresponsible to leave a baby alone with a dog.
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I agree with you and my parent refused to let me to near to dogs when I was little kid after my half brother got bite by large dog in 1986.
 
Reba said:
Also, I wouldn't have a puppy and a baby in the household at the same time. Each one requires too much individual attention and care.
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Little did I think of this. Thanks for the input!
 
it's called being a parent and SUPERVISING the infant/child and dog. Never leave them alone together!
 
Sadly, this is old news....20 years ago the hospital staff took the little hat off my newborn son after a few hours and said to bring the hat home and leave it where the dog will smell it. It supposedly lets the dog get used to the new baby smell and not react, but obviously it does not always work.

When my daughter was born 14 years ago, the first thing the hospital staff said was to keep an eye on all animals. Unfortunately not all parents heed the warnings.
 
The problem is that look how small the baby hands, baby tend to climb up with a little baby hands pinching on dog's skin. If dogs have long hair... oooh...try to imagine yourself of your wife pulling a pinch of your husband's/spouse bear or mustach, how he would react? He'll snapped. If you try pulling chunk of your husband bear/mustach how he will react? Lesser pain than a single string of hair? right? This is how I tested the dog by pinch pulling his/her hair...or skin since my hand are much larger than baby's hands. I had Airedale one time and when my son was born, I had to test it out on him by pulling his hair or pinch his skin, he snapped! So I had to give away the dog. It's no good for the baby. Then later I had black lab mixed and when my daughter born, I had to test it again, since he have short hair when I did pull his hair while he was laid down sleeping, his head got up and stair at me like "WTF are you doing?" Then It tried again by pinching his skin, he suddenly got up and walk away. Not even a single snap. So, I feel confidence that he will tolerate around baby. Then when I had Great Dane, he's a chicken. He freaked out like elephant scare of the mouse. He stay away from baby.
Yes, still need to be watched carefully but many time parents do not do enough reasearch about dog behavior...ironically that parents do enough research about how dangerous medicine that baby take by accident, or any small objects that can harm them, what about dogs? They think dogs are all safe? It's worse than taking med by accident!!!
 
I know, when I was born, my brother's were 1 & 3. We also had 4 dogs. They were large except 1. Snoopy was a beagle. Mom can't remember what Queenie, Ajax and Agamemnon were, but A & A were the only 2 surviving pups of Queenie's. Mom said there was never any problem with the dogs around us, but that they were never allowed in my room unless either the nanny/college student, housekeeper or my parents were there. After I was 2, then they were allowed with me. When I was 3 1/2, we gave them all away as we had to move from Arkansas to Florida for my father's health.

Added note, when I was little and up until I was about 10, I could never say Agamemnon and to this day I still have problems saying it right. So, he was referred to as M&M.
 
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