Do you leave kids alone with dogs?

[purslaine]

Do you leave your kids alone in the same room a s the dog (say - when you go to the washroom, are cooking, etc)

Poll time!

[Leta]

My dog proved herself over a period of many months (over a year). She is rock solid with kids, especially ours.

I know some people will be shocked at this, but if it is really cold (like below zero), and I have to run in to pay for my gas, I leave DD in the car with our dog. It would take a squad of mounted police to get past our dog, so it gives me a feeling of security- and gives DD a feeling of warmth.

I make sure that our dog is supervised if we have other kids over, though. Just because there are more variables in that situation.

[purslaine]

To answer my own poll:

I have always left my kids in the same room as my dog - even when I am not there. My youngest was 3 when our dog (then a puppy) came into our lives.

Honest to goodness at that point in time I did not realise dogs should not be left with kids - however, it is a moot point. DD never, ever bothered with the dog - or vice versa.

Interestly enough, it is my son (and his friends) who I am least inclined to leave alone with the dog. The like to wrestle (with each other) and "play" with the dog - and they get the dog all excited. His friends genuinely love the dog, but I am afraid one day the rambunctiousness may go too far and someone may get hurt. I have started bringing the dog with me from room to room when they are over - and if they get to be too much, I put the dog in my room. I will also kick the wrestling 12 year olds outside: when the weather gets better.

Knowing what I know now I would never leave a dog alone with a baby, toddler or most preschoolers. Depending on dynamics I might (and do) leave my dog alone with my child if the child is post four.

[purslaine]

Originally Posted by Leta

I know some people will be shocked at this, but if it is really cold (like below zero), and I have to run in to pay for my gas, I leave DD in the car with our dog. It would take a squad of mounted police to get past our dog, so it gives me a feeling of security- and gives DD a feeling of warmth.

.

If I am in the garden or out and about (my oldest just turned 13), I DO feel a sense of security leaving doggy inside with the kids. The dog can bark at the door something fierce - and is 120 pounds. He would totally scare away intruders, lol.

[hillymum]

For the first 6 months my youngest wasn't left alone with Lacie as I didn't trust him to me gentle with her. (I was more worried about the dog being hurt.) Now Lacie is a year + old and ds is 4 1/2 I trust both of them though I still have to warn ds that if he is too joyful (?) around Lacie she might accidentally get him with her paws.
I was watching a friends 6mth old and 3 yr old and neither of them were left with the dog at any time. They both played with Lacie while being watched and had a lovely time.

[Katzchen]

Nope, never. We have alway had dogs since we've kids and I can honestly say that they have never been left alone together. I trust my dogs completely, but I don't think it is fair to them to set them up for failure by subjecting them to toddlers/ preschoolers who have been taught to treat the doggies with respect, but still have poor impulse control. I'd much rather be in the mix so that I can be 100% that everyone is playing nicely.

[kblackstone444]

I've owned three dogs, and fostered or boarded another 6 or 7. Our family dogs, I leave alone with my kids, because of both the dog's personalities and my children's personalities- we've had submissive, obediant dogs and my son has good command over the dogs (they listen to him) and my little girl is a bit standoffish with the dogs (she doesn't really spend time with them). Our foster and boarded dogs? Some of them I've left unsupervised with my son (he was 10 or 11 at the youngest), but none of them I've left unsupervised with my little girl. With the two family dogs I have now, I never leave my Princess alone with visiting children because she has fear and anxiety issues. She's never bit anyone (except for the vet who hurt her when she was injured), and I honestly don't think she would in regular situations, but I would not be completely surprised if she snapped someday if someone terrified her. I don't leave her alone with any visitors, adult or child (except my Father-in-Law- they have their own relationship), for these reasons, for her own good, as well as the visitors. The there's my other dog, Tara. She's the friendliest, most energetic, puppiest dog I've ever known. I will sometimes leave her unsupervised with my son and his friends, because she is my son's shadow and he wouldn't let anyone bother her and because I trust her personality in this situation. I think I would have left her alone with either of my children starting when they were three or four, if it weren't for the fact that she's still very much a puppy and she's more likely to run into them and knock them down, than to snap at them or anything.

[yukionna]

My dog and my 11 month old daughter are never left alone. She's growled at her too many times and my daughter is too young to understand boundaries with a pet so for everyone's safety, they're never alone. Plus I keep them apart even under supervision. Daughter's never allowed to climb on or be too close to the dog and the dog isn't allowed to lay down near the baby. Both the baby and the dog are much faster than I can react and I don't want anything to happen to them.

[SevenVeils]

I voted yes if older. I don't have an exact age in mind. Under about 5, absolutely not ever alone. Probably older than that. I don't remember exactly when each of my kids was able to be alone with my dogs. My 11 year old, certainly, although there are other 11 year olds who I wouldn't trust alone with any animal much less a dog.

[Britishmum]

My 4, 6 and 8 yos are alone with my dog whenever I leave the room. I come and go, and so do they, and I don't even think about it. That has been the case for about two years.

I trust my dog, and I trust my kids. I've never had a problem with the dog or with the kids, who treat her with utmost respect.

I cannot imagine living where I had to remove the kids or the dog whenever I left the room. Our dog is a part of the family, she knows her boundaries, and the kids know how to treat her.

Of course, something could go wrong, just the same as the kitchen could catch fire or someone could break into the house. I see it as the same sort of 'risk', and I am not prepared to live my life in fear of what freak thing might happen.

Now, if I ever saw any sign in my dog to say that she couldn't be trusted, I'd rethink, but she has been trained well since a puppy, has good bite inhibition, and has never given me even the slightest, tiniest cause for concern. For me, the reason for having a dog is to have her incorporated into our lives. If she's had enough of the action of the household, she goes to her crate, and the kids know to leave her alone if she's in there. If they have friends around who I don't know well, I crate her. Other than that, she's around the kids and me, either playing with them, or doing her own thing. That's how it was for me with dogs growing up, and that's how I want my dog to fit in with our family life.

[ShadowMoon]

I trust my dog with my child. If I need to leave the room for a quick moment, I don't mind leaving them together. If I'm showering or something else that may take a few minutes then I will separate them, mostly to keep ds from feeding the pup his snacks and toys . I wouldn't leave my child alone with another person's dog or my dog alone with another child unless I knew them very, very well.

[mags]

Starting from about age 3 and up, I am ok leaving the kids with the dog while I run to the bathroom, go upstairs, run out to get the mail/newspaper, etc.. My dog is usually hiding underneath a blanket (11 lb dog) and pretty much stays out of the my kids' way. When they were babies, and I had to go to another part of the house, I would leave the baby in the room (or in the PNP for stuff like this), but have the dog follow me. She is pretty much my dog, so chooses to follow me around most of the time if given the choice.

[kalisis]

no, never, ever. I don't trust any dog.

[purslaine]

Kalisis...do you have a dog?

[StrawberryFields]

Originally Posted by kalisis

no, never, ever. I don't trust any dog.

I never leave my dc's alone either. To be fair they are 3 and 1, though. If they were 7, 8, + my answer would probably be different.

[I~love~pie]

I said yes , with older kids. We didnt get a dog until the kids where older thats why. Now I know how my kids treat animals, & I know my animals. I probably wouldnt feel comfortable leaving my dogs alone with someone eles kids mainly b.c I dont know how other kids would treat my dogs.

[onlyzombiecat]

We did not get a dog until dd was 6 years old.
I did not leave her unsupervised with him until I felt the dog (a puppy) was safe.
At age 8 she is unsupervised with our dogs often.

[phatchristy]

I don't have a dog, so I didn't vote in the poll. However, I have to say that as people have said before...ANY dog can bite. I think people have said in this forum...there is no such thing as a dog that will not bite, there's only such a thing as a dog that has not yet bitten. And, it doesn't matter how nice the dog/toddler are, there are situations that can arise.

My nephew apparently tripped over something and landed onto the dog (well that is what they *think* happened as nobody was there). The most gentle, good natured golden retriever managed to bite him on the face. This was their family dog. I think he was about 2 1/2 or so (the kid), and he's older now but has what looks like two dimples as scars on one side of his cheek. And, this was their family dog, not an unknown dog.

[angie7]

I must say I am shocked at how many people leave their dogs alone with their children! My dogs are very well trained, obediant, very good natured dogs, never ever had a problem with even a slight growl to anyone or any child but they are NEVER allowed alone with my children. A dog is not a person in a fur coat, they are an animal that still goes on instinct. Any dog has the potential to bite and by allowing young children to be allowed alone with them is just asking for trouble.

The vast majority of biting dogs (77%) belong to the victim's family or a friend.

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html

and

According to the American Medical Association, dog bites are the second leading cause of childhood injury, surpassing playground accidents.

http://www.dogexpert.com/Dog%20Bite%...tatistics.html

[mamallama]

For my first two children, "older" meant about 3.

My sometimes babysit an 8yo who is never, ever allowed alone with my dogs. When he's here, I crate the dogs (sometimes wish I could crate the kid!)

My toddler is pretty good with the dogs (and my dogs are great about normal kid stuff,) but he still gives rough hugs and tries to brush them with the hairbrush.