Choosing Your Pet...
...Parents Against Canine Killers
A dog can be a wonderful pet. But to avoid problems and the subsequent potential of an abandoned dog, please carefully consider your choice.
Some topics to consider:
Time and/or money spent
- Researching and choosing a dog suitable for your intended purpose.
- Socialization
- Training
- Feeding
- Walking
- Cleaning up after
- Cleaning up other messes such as garbage, chewed shoes, chewed sprinkler heads, etc.
- Veterinary care
- Possible issues with neighbors and/or their dogs
- Special enclosures
- Care for the dog when you are away or on vacation
- Insurance
Adding a dog to the family as the "family pet"
That cute fuzzy bundle of joy that you bought on impulse may have been bred for the last several hundred years to have a tendency to attack with little warning and no provocation other than: “it moved.” It may have been carefully genetically chosen to run full force into its victim, latch on with voracity and attempt to shake the living daylights out of it.
It may take little or no provocation to unleash these instincts once he has grown into an adult. The various breeds of puppies literally should come with warnings, like practically everything else you buy. It’s not discrimination; it is important health and safety information to which the consumer is entitled. Extra precautions, such as plenty of loving socialization at an early age, less than 16 weeks or so, is very important, especially in a breed that may be predisposed to aggression.
There are currently no breed information warnings, which should include the historical use for which the breed was developed and used. Your veterinarian is your best bet for information on your dog’s historical intention and his suitability as a family pet. Questions as to genetic heritage can be answered by a test that your veterinarian can perform.
In the future, we will be posting breed information on this website. This is not for the purpose of promoting breed bans, but to help a person without extensive knowledge and training in handling the more challenging types of dogs choose a pet that “starts in the right direction” on the road to being suitable as a pet in a family with children. The primary content is the historical use for which the dog was developed which gives major clues as to which traits were selected. The traits selected in fighting dogs are quite different from traits selected in a lap dog. Breed bans: for or against?
EARLY SOCIALIZATION is extremely important to consider when purchasing a puppy. He already has an idea about people imprinted on his mind from his earliest contacts with humans, before he came to you. Does he love people and expect good things from them? Or have experiences at the puppy mill or breeder caused him to mistrust people, or specifically children?
Private breeders who provide the puppy with lots of loving and positive early human interactions are a real plus. Careful and loving socializing of the puppy to children at a young age is even more wonderful, and is to be sought after in the family pet.
Purchasing dog as a dual purpose family dog \ guard or protection dog
This is about the same as having a gun in the house with children.
- Some choose to do it.
- Serious precautions are necessary.
- It doesn't always go well.
The presence of responsible parents and the education of children in the safety and handling of the weapon are paramount. It can, and often is, done well. Yet, risks cannot be denied.
Precautions:
If it doesn’t fit with your life or budget to take all the necessary precautions involved in keeping a canine weapon in the household with children, my recommendation would be to get a proper family pet and surveillance or alarm system. The guard dog by definition does not have the genetic back ground that makes him automatically suitable as a children’s dog. If he happens to have an amazing temperament for the breed, he is neutered and never displays signs of aggression, well; he probably isn’t much of a guard dog then, is he. And still, you may be putting your children and their friends at risk if the genetic, socialization or training were intended to create a guard dog. Watch him closely for signs of trouble and never allow children to be alone with him.
As with having a gun in the house, you need to have a strategy. Some families choose to teach safe gun handling to their children. Others keep the gun from being accessed by children at all times. None intentionally leave the child and the loaded gun alone together. Read More: 6 day old baby in crib momentarily left alone with 3 year old Husky, grabbed her out of crib and killed her.
A dog can be a potentially lethal weapon with a mind of his own. Unlike a gun, it can go off on its own.
How he treats your children in your presence is not necessarily a reflection of how he will interact with your children or grandchildren when you are not present. Please take precautions!
Prevent access to your dog when you are not present.
If your dog is really nice, yet bears the resemblance or is the same breed as other dogs considered dangerous, people may treat him poorly in your absence. If a frightened animal control officer or other service personnel uses pepper spray on him when you are not home, they may be essentially pulling the safety off the trigger of your loaded weapon without your knowledge (this had actually happened to the dogs that later had attacked me). Only you are liable for the actions of your dog, despite what others who have access to him do to him. It is best to limit access to your dog for his own protection, your protection and the safety of others. A separate pen or fenced area, away from public traffic is a good idea during the times when you are not present. A sudden, seemingly nonsensical attack may make sense if you knew his entire socialization history, including the time that he is yours and you are not present.
Purchasing a dog as a guard dog that is not also intended to be a family pet
It is good that you realize that he is not a pet.
Still, we encourage you to consider a security / alarm system instead. The initial investment could save you a lot in the long run.
A dog that is of the genetic material, socialization and training to be a guard dog is a potentially lethal weapon. Treat it as though it were a LOADED GUN. Be sure there are no circumstances that he will come into contact with children. If he escapes his enclosure and attacks, you will be financially and possibly criminally liable. If anyone allows your weapon, I mean dog, to escape and it attacks, you could face civil charges, felony charges and imprisonment.
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ADEQUATE ENCLOSURE FOR A GUARD/PROTECTION DOG
- Fence is tall enough that he cannot jump over.
- Cement floor or rock base that he cannot dig under.
- Gate that is latched, possibly locked
and
cannot be opened by children or anyone who does not understand the importance of his confinement. - Gate that is not used for general traffic (so that someone entering or leaving the property could not accidentally turn the dog(s) loose or forget to close the gate and release the dog(s).
- Children cannot reach their hand or arm through the enclosure.
- You’d be willing to bet your life that he’s not getting out of it and no child can get into it.
Stray dogs can sometimes make good family pets. But be careful, it’s possible that he was abandoned in the first place due to a behavioral problem.
*Before you get too attached, take him to your veterinarian. He or she can give you information as to what breed(s) the dog may be how that reflects on the suitability of the dog for your intended purpose.
*Your veterinarian can also assist you in matters of temperament testing. Standardization of temperament testing is important. Factors including the location where the test is conducted can strongly influence results.
* Past socialization and training are huge unknowns in the stray dog. Mandatory micro-chipping would make it possible to track a dog’s attack history. Currently, a dog with a previous vicious attack history can and does end up in an unwitting family with small children. One fatal mauling is too many.
In the absence of a life history, clues can be sought by looking at his current temperament and behaviors. Again, never leave your child alone with a dog. Watch the dog closely for any evidence of dominant behavior toward your child. Read more: Why dogs bite. Speak to your child about the topics mentioned in what your children should know about dogs.
Getting a dog for your infant, toddler or young child.
We highly recommend that you wait until child is older and be careful in pet selection. Read More: Phoenix, AZ, Nov 5, 2007. 4 year old killed by parents own bulldog. The young child’s size and behaviors put them at high risk of a severe bite or mauling. The child should be large enough that his face is not at eye level and easily within biting reach with the dog. Your child should be able to understand the many rules of behavior around a dog. See:
What Children Should Know About Dogs.
Even a small dog of poor temperament can pose a significant threat to small children and especially infants and toddlers. A family‘s Pomeranian weighing only about 5 pounds fatally mauled the 6 week old infant when the adult left the room only for an instant.
Small children can startle a dog and provoke an attack by the very way they move erratically and suddenly. They may disturb a resting dog, fall upon a sleeping dog, or approach a dog while he is eating or guarding a possession. They may walk by a dog with a desired item (like a cookie) in their hand, quite unaware of the dog’s requests and or demands that the child relinquish the item. They may work their way into an enclosure occupied by a dog. And do all of the above unsupervised. If the dog is of poor temperament your child could be killed or severely injured.
The genetic predisposition of the dog, a prior socialization of the dog, and parental supervision factor heavily. Your small animal veterinarian is an invaluable resource in helping you to determine the suitability of a particular type of dog as well as individual dog for your intended purpose. Temperament testing can be helpful although it is not a guarantee. While exceptions to the rule do exist, we strongly urge you to err on the side of extreme caution when babies, small children and dogs are combined.
Read more:
Predatory Pack Behavior
Expecting a baby and already have a dog
First and foremost, don't leave your baby alone with your dog. Baby killed by Labrador puppy.BABY TRIGGERS OF DOG ATTACK
JEALOUSY: Introduction of the newborn baby into the household with an existing dog can lead to trouble. He may have been the sole recipient of the lavish attention of both parents before this unwelcome individual arrived…petting, attention, walks, and all the special little looks that melted his heart. But now this new little being is getting most or all of what he considered his. The dog has feelings of his own. In this case, hurt feelings, which can underlie a seemingly incomprehensible and sudden attack. Read More: Mother fights own English Sheep dog in fatal mauling of her 1 year old baby girl. She was just steps away when the dog attacked.
PREVENTION: By far the simplest and most universally offensive treatment I could suggest is relocation of the dog prior to entry of the baby into the household. Yet, if you can find a good home, and the logistics of your life don’t allow for the behavioral programs about to be suggested, it may ultimately prove to be the best solution for your family. Read More: Parent's own dogs kill their infant.
If that is unacceptable, preparations should be undertaken well before the introduction of the baby. Harsh as it may seem, you should systematically and progressively remove all of the things, territories, special treatments, and special walking times…anything the dog enjoys that you do not intend to continue once the baby has been introduced. Start this before the introduction of anything baby related into the household. Otherwise, he will likely make the connection between all the baby stuff, the baby, and the loss of the good things in his life. You may want to talk to other new parents about the time constraints that a baby puts on your life, especially if you and/or your spouse also intend to work outside the home, while making these determinations.
Other preparations:
- Enclosures and gates to keep the baby and dog separated when you have to tend to other matters.
- EDUCATE CHILD CARE PROVIDERS: Babysitters that come into the home must also know to pair positive reinforcement to the dog in the form of physical and verbal praise and treats coupled with the presence of the baby and never, never, are the baby and dog left alone together. Not even for a minute. Anything else is Russian roulette with the emotional wellbeing, safety and possibly life of your infant or small child. If the dog shows any WARNING SIGNS, then he should not have access to the baby or small child even in your presence. Read More: Nanny went in house a moment leaving 4 and 6 year old with dogs, returned to find 4 year old in fatal death grip around throat.
- Physical display of aggression toward the child such as growling, or raising hackles.
- Displaced aggression (having a display of aggression on an object prompted by the presence or action of the child).
- Menacing looks.
- Absence of submission
- Menacing gestures when the child is in a dominant position to the dog. Read more: See Dominance Aggression.
WARNING SIGNS: can include any