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Permalink Reply by Avyon on March 11, 2010 at 5:18pm

I don't have any children myself but I always wondered about this. This article is a great read and makes me think back to when my parents brought home our third dog as a family (my first). I also had to be stern with a kid at a bbq we went to because he was chasing Roxi too much and when I took her away (because he wasn't listening to me) he still tried to call her over so I understand the children breaking rules... sigh...

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Permalink Reply by Beth on March 11, 2010 at 5:59pm

I was raised with dogs and we grew up knowing certain behaviors were not acceptable. Never follow the dog if the dog walks away, never go near the dog when the dog is eating or sleeping or in her crate, don't go near a bone that the dog is chewing.

People expect an awful lot from dogs these days that they never expected when I was a child. I recently saw someone who wrote into a vet/behaviorist column saying something like "If I go to pick up my Cocker Spaniel when she's asleep on the bed, she'll growl at me...." and my first thought was "How would you feel if someone picked you up while you were sleeping???"

Corgis can be good with small children if the adult in charge has firm control over both dog and child.

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Permalink Reply by CorGeek on March 12, 2010 at 10:46am

I hate to say it, but most of the dog-child problems I've seen have been the child's (and by extension his/her parent's) fault. It's difficult when it's a friend/relative's child that won't listen. Worse (and better) with strangers.

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Permalink Reply by Alice on March 12, 2010 at 11:46am

I agree most of the time. I grew up with dogs and one was not even the most friendly dog but I was always gentle and respectful with them so we never had a problem. I see kids now who treat dogs like a toy, jumping on them, pulling their ears and tail, screaming in their faces etc. I would never have done that as a child and if I had attempted I know my parents would have put a stop to that.

My best friend had her niece over at our apartment a couple years ago and we had a cat at the time. her niece was being very rough with the cat and pulling his tail and my friend didn't say a word. I was so irritated. I let the cat outside so he could escape his tormentor.

Once in a while there will be a dog that actually does have an aggression problem. My dad found a stray Lhasa Apso and brought it home. The dog seemed nice and it was with us a couple days when one day my brother (who was about 4 at the time) was sitting in the kitchen while my Mom cut his hair and the dog (Muffin) came up and sat by him wagging his tail like he wanted attention. My brother reached down to pet him and Muffin but him. The bite was unprovoked and there was no warning. A dog like that really can't be trusted around children. Muffin was found a home with an older couple after that.

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Permalink Reply by christy fry on March 12, 2010 at 11:30am

I grew up with animals and my Mom always made sure we knew to leave the dogs alone and not bother them if we got growled or nipped at Mom would just say we got what was coming to us...I really can't think of one bad experience with April or Olson my childhood dogs ever....My Mom is who gave Carrie and I our love and respect for animals.I've never lived without animals be it cats,birds,dogs,or fish...So I strongly beleive it's the parents responsibilty to teach their children and animals to coexist peacefully.

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Permalink Reply by Alice on March 12, 2010 at 11:57am

I agree, it is up to the parents. I was the same as you growing up in a house full of animals. We always had dogs usually 2-4 at a time unless we had rescues or the time one of our dogs had puppies and we had an array of other animals (fish, hamsters, gerbils, mice, snakes, snails, frogs, turtles, rabbits, ferrets, birds, cats, you name it) and our parents taught us from day one how to handle animals. We were left alone with the dogs all the time and except for that one stray that bit my brother as I said above, there was never a problem. Of course rodents will bite on occasion but that's no one's fault. when I was little, being bit by rodents was a normal occurrence, hurt like hell but it was normal. When I was in elementary school a lot of the classrooms had class pets and I remember when the class gerbils had babies and one girl who's turn it was to take them home for the weekend put all the babies in the freezer! Another boy took the snake home and put it in a VHS case and dropped it in the movie store night drop box. I didn't know the boys family but I knew the girls and I know it was a lack of teaching on their part that made her think actions like this were ok.

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Permalink Reply by Ace and Jen on March 25, 2010 at 6:09pm

Kids these days suprise me.. I cant think of any of our Dogs that would hurt a child.. including Scrappy our Pittbull.. I personally think that a dog+child is a must so you can teach proper behaiviors... I have been teaching my niece since she was born.. She is now 8 years old with respect towards our family pets.. nothing like watching your 24 month old niece carry a kitten around by the head to make you shriek and save the poor fluffball... since then she has never done such a thing *thankfully*

I never grew up with a dog but there were families i knew who had them and mom was always there to teach us how to Hold the Kitties the right way and how to pet the puppies nicely and to accept bounderies.. Currently I am being retrained in these areas since i am pet sitting and my friend has 2 weenie dogs that were terrafied of me and wanted nothing to do with me... i dont force myself upon them so i get bit.. nope nope nope... you find the alternative that gets their attention on the fact you are a good person.. distance and alot of Beggin strips 8D

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Permalink Reply by Denise Hawkins on March 25, 2010 at 7:11pm

Our youngest was just a year old when we got our 1st corgi, Basil, on the whole they were not really interested in each other, but he adored my middle child who was 8 at the time. My son fed him, walked him and generally looked after Basil with our help. All of the children were taught to look after the dog and treat him with respect, as were any other little people that came to visit.
As he got older, when he had enough of being with the kids, he always had a bolt hole he could go to, and all children were taught that when he went to his den they had to leave him alone. Now we have Archie we have pretty much continued with that rule, and againArchie is brilliant with children and is learning to go to his den when he has had enough.

My rule is, if the child is in my home, then I will teach them to be responsible for making rules, but you would be surprised at the number of people that just try and pet him without asking my permission first....they are always corrected and warned that he may bite, I cannot make any guarantees, it depends on their approach!

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Permalink Reply by Ashley and Copper on March 26, 2010 at 9:55am

I grew up with German Shepherds among other dogs my whole life as well. I've never been bitten or even snapped at. If me or my brother were ever to even think about doing something inappropriate to the animals, you better believe my mother would have been there correcting us and not lightly. I don't know what I would do or who I would be without animals in my life. My mom now has many animals and her long haired chihuahua female got cornered and beat with a flyswatter by one of my stepdad's friend's children. She is now terrified of children and I really feared for that child the day my mom caught him doing it. She was furious. It is up to the parents to teach the children the proper way to be around animals. In the end, I think most of the time it is the owner's fault for the reason the dog attacks in the first place. NOT ALWAYS, most of the time. WE have to remember that not all people with animals love and respect them the way we do.

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