Any dog can and might bite a baby or child. Even friendly dogs might bite. Dog bites to children often happen in or around the home. Usually, it's the family dog or a friend's dog that bites.
The vast majority of dogs readily accept infants after an initial period of adjustment and curiosity. However, there are rare but highly publicized incidents involving serious injury of an infant by the family dog.
Remember, NEVER LEAVE YOUR BABY AND DOG TOGETHER UNSUPERVISED, even if you trust your dog. As your child grows up you will have to continue to supervise interactions with your dog since many attacks occur against children that do not realise that they are irritating or threatening animals.
Fortunately, most dog attacks are not fatal for infants, but they can cause puncture wounds, lacerations, and avulsions. Dogs also carry a lot of bacteria in their mouths, and their bites can lead to rabies, tetanus, or other infections.
It can be said that dogs often act differently around babies, and they seem to treat them with extra care to make sure that they don't get hurt. Dogs tend to be more protective of babies and small children as well, but that doesn't mean that dogs really understand what babies are or what we call them.
Dogs who show aggression toward a new baby in the home often do so because they have not been well socialized to children and find them foreign and frightening. Some dogs don't fear babies, but they become aggressive when guarding their food, toys or chew bones.
'” When a dog has a strong pack drive and is tightly bonded with his family, it's only natural that he becomes protective of a new baby when he or she arrives. Canines are smitten with babies and can form strong connections because of the amount of time spent together.
It is rare for dogs to attack infants, but as Monday's attack by a family's pet dog on a newborn baby has shown, even a child who is not interacting with a dog can be at risk. Here are some of the factors experts say may prompt aggression in a dog.
Immediately put your dog on a management program.
You need to alter your dog's environment and routine, so the dog temporarily has no contact with your baby. You need to utilize baby gates, a dog crate, or arrange to have a separate room away from the baby.
If it was a quick bite, remove your child, and don't try to punish your dog. Bring the dog into another room or place them in their crate. Of course, if it's a more violent situation, do whatever it takes to get your child away from the dog.
A dog's mouth carries a lot of germs, which can easily be passed to people. This is especially problematic for babies and immune suppressed adults. Both are at an increased risk of contracting infections and parasites from dogs. So, even though it may look cute, a dog licking a baby's face should not be allowed.
Generally speaking, it's all right to allow your pet near your new baby, as long as the pet is well behaved and you are there to supervise. It's common for a pet, who has until recently been the focus of the family's attention, to become jealous of a new baby.
If your dog is reacting aggressively to babies, children or other dogs, you should never use verbal or physically harsh punishment. If she is doing things like growling, snarling or even snapping, she's giving signals. She's telling you that she isn't comfortable.
Extra love from pets
While pets under 40 pounds are unlikely to hurt your baby with pawing or bouncing, they can be a tripping hazard. Make sure you get a visual on your pet when you enter a room to avoid falling. Pets over 40 pounds can jump or land with enough force to hurt you or potentially harm the baby.
If your dog growls at your child he is sending a clear warning that he is very uncomfortable with the actions or proximity of the child. Be grateful that your dog chose to warn with a growl rather than going straight to a bite.
Nipping the kids can mean a few different things. Some dogs might nip at kids who are running by because they're overly excited in the situation. There's also fear-based nipping. And dogs might also nip or bite when they're guarding resources or territory.
If your dog has bitten someone, it's natural to question whether you can ever trust them again. The good news is that in many situations, a dog that's bitten can go on to live a long and happy life with no other incidents.
Keep the dog on a leash during their first meeting. When you bring the baby inside, keep calm and relaxed, so your dog follows your cue. Let the dog observe and sniff the baby from a distance. Each day, allow the dog to come closer and closer, so the dog learns proper boundaries with the baby.
Combining the severity and frequency of biting data indicated that pit bulls (usually defined as the "pit bull-type" dogs, including American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, and American Staffordshire Terriers) and mixed breed dogs had the highest relative bite damage risk.
Statistics show that the highest dog attacks by breed are from Pit Bulls. Their natural aggression and high provocation rate from humans cause Pit Bulls to have the highest attack rate in the United States when compared to other dog breeds.
When people are attacked by dogs they don't know, the initial wounds are typically on their hands and legs, but if someone is attacked by their own dog, the bites tend occur on the face or neck.
Dogs Are Aware Of Their Size
They are often more gentle, curious, and protective of infants. While dogs likely don't know a baby is a baby they are aware that babies are small, fragile, vulnerable and helpless. In fact, many dogs will be found mothering babies in the same way dogs would mother puppies.
Gradually introduce your dog so that the baby and your dog get familiar with each other. Be sure your home has a dog zone and a baby zone. Use gates to make sure each one is safe. Never leave your baby alone with your dog.