Strollerderby

"Nothing happened, but it could have."

This says volumes about your state of mind.

Is this a joke?  I think this Rachael girl is on crack, and obviously WAAAAY too sheltered growing up!  I have an American Bulldog, (YES-a breed that is VERY closely related to the PITBULL...HEAVEN FORBID, OH MY!)  And my 2 toddler snuggle and ADORE her.  Big dogs are Great, because they can withstand tuggs, and jumping on, and hitting by careless babies & toddlers.  A bad dog=bad owner.  A good dog=good owner.  Same thing with parenting.  You need to teach your children right and wrong so they know what is right when they grow up.  If you leave your child to roam free and not give any guidelines or boundries, your child will rule you...children are not far off from dogs.  They need to be loved and cared for just the same....not saying that children are animals-just to get that straight! :)

So glad I got that off my chest!

What was the purpose of this post?  To make those of us who enjoy our pets and our child's relationship with them feel as though we are being irresponsible??  My child has learned many thing from his best buddies (two- GASP- pitbull mixes that someone else dumped at the shelter like trash) Things like empathy for other creatures, responsibility, safety and the importance of physical health.  

My dogs don't run around off leash, ever.  In fact, they are often accosted by toddlers from the nearby park.  They run up and throw thier arms around my pitbull's neck and give him hugs and kisses.  No asking, no parents explaing how to approach a dog.  I guess it is a lucky thing that pitbulls are so wonderful with children and he enjoys the attention, holding still and giving gentle kisses.

Kat

I think these are the most idiotic statements i have ever > read. People like this that are so ignorant and closed-minded should not have children. It scares me to think That you are filling your children's head with such ill-informed information.

What is your solution, then? Should NOBODY have dogs because they *might* hurt your children? You pointed out some situations that are not pleasant but not exactly reasons to discount all dogs.

Ahhh you I totally agree, If ppl are letting their dogs use your yard as a toilet or the park is stupid enough to locate the off leash area near the play area, that is just stupidity.  Dogs & Children, for that matter,  need training on how to behave.  If you don't have the time and energy to train them then no it's not a good fit for your family.  

Also, FYI herding is an instinct, like cats playing w/ string.  It can be controlled if you train & socialize your dog properly.

Thank you for stating that dogs other than pitties can attack as well.  Pitties are getting a horrible rap because of poor ownership, not because they are "mean dogs"... I know SEVERAL ppl who own them w/ and w/o children and they are sweet, gentle family members, more so than some smaller breeds I have ran into like Chi's for example. (no disrespect to Chi owners, but I've met some really feisty ones who would bite you as soon as look at you!)

Your saying things like this about dogs (IE: big and scarey, jumping, dangerous, unscooped poop) is just like someone saying:

1. big and scarey/ dangerous: one shouldn't have kids b/c one day one of those kids could become an axe muderer...so lets just solve the problem and advise everyone NOT to have children. Or maybe your untaught child could pull at the ears fo my dog and injure my animal....

2. unscooped poop: that diaper covered poop is just as scarey now as it was 2 minutes ago when your baby let it out sitting on my brand new sofa.

Now I am a fan of both kids and dogs...together or separate. It's called responsibility though. train your dog, teach your child and moniter both.

You're points are not based on any logic or statistics ...just your general dislike for dogs one whom doesn't like kids could say much of the same for your child.

How odd. You don't like dogs so you feel the need to let us all know why no-one should have dogs around kids?!? For the record, many, many chldren grow up around dogs, and it is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding relationships a child can have.

I have 2 "pit bull" mixes and 1 american bulldog mix and they are all WONDERFUL around children. The message that you are sending with this post is irresponsible, unfair and unnecessary. Shame on you.

your singling out pitbulls as a viscious animal shows just how little you know about animals.... so until you do research (and lets be clear..."google" is not research) please refrain from saying things you lack knowlege about...as to avoid inderting your foot back into your mouth..

We will kindly let you remove said foot now :)

Promote RESPONISBLE OWNERSHIP, not BREED PREJUDICE!

Unhinged is right.  The perverse sense of entitlement your pointless post evinces is responsible for the enormous backlash against "mommy martyrs" like yourself.  Indeed, your vaginal droppings (equally disgusting as the vulgar term "crotch-sniffer) will undoubtedly grow up to be as uninteresting, ignorant, and backwards as you, and they'll be a much more significant drain on society and the planet than anyone's pit bulls could ever be. "Imperfect Parent" is the understatement of the century!

Thanks for wasting my time with this one.

5 Reasons dogs and kids do mix:

1. My dogs teach my child about being responsible for another living being, one of life's most valuable lessons.

2. My child lights up with love at the mere sight of a dog. At just 18 months old, they are his best friends, and they are power breeds.

3. My dogs help clean up after my toddler when he makes a mess in the kitchen. It's like having a free live in housekeeper.

4. My dogs kiss my baby's boo boos when he falls down and the tears instantly stop.

5. My kid will NEVER be so ignorant as to stereotype a dog (or a person) like you so easily do. He will learn to KNOW of what he speaks.

i do believe that rachael said that there are plenty of great dogs out there and i don't believe that she was referring to those dogs in this post.

i tend to agree that there are too many dog-"parents" that let their dogs run wild: jumping on guests, tearing up furniture, and barking incessantly. and it's the bad ones that ruin it for the rest of them. just like those spoiled kids who run wild too. it kills me to see people who love dogs fail to train them, and then they complain about how they behave. and they expect you to just ignore their crotch-sniffing, jumping, barking, out-of-control dogs when you visit.

well-disciplined and well-behaved dogs are wonderful. but you know you've met plenty of the opposite.

I just don't understand why people would get a big dog with a steel trap behind its face... unless they were really into the power trip of having a weapon for a pet.

It may be the nicest animal in the world, but, like a gun, it has the potential to kill - a potential that all dogs have, sure, but they have less effective weapons for doing it. Compare a lab to a slingshot, a pit to an AK. Why the hell would you get the AK unless you really secretly like having an AK?

As such, it doesn't surprise me at all that even though attack behavior is more about training than about the breed, that pits are more likely to attack. Because the people who own them are more likely to be power-mad jerks.

I think you should have to undergo a training course and certification before you should be allowed to own a pit, a rottie, or other dogs that can be particularly dangerous if improperly trained. I can't see where even the most ardent defenders of these breeds could object to this - I mean, even if you guys are the most perfect dog-owners ever, you can admit that lousy dog owners whose dogs hurt kids exist and shouldn't be allowed to have those dogs, right?

Bunny, darling "it has the potential to kill" as does any child born into this world.

ignorance is not bliss it is just ignorance and unfortunately the original post seems to be breeding and passing her ignorance on the the next generation. Let's hope the child gets help, soon.

I had to put my 11 year old pit bull down four days ago. Totally sudden and unexpected.

My girls spent these last five years with him. They tugged on his ears, stepped on him, grabbed their stuffed animals out of his mouth, dropped food on the floor for him and generally loved him tons. We trusted him with them, but were also careful to teach them do's and dont's of interacting with dogs. I'm not so nieve (sp?) that I think there was no way he'd ever have done anything bad, but it was pretty low on my things I constantly worry about list.

It is weird that he's not part of our physical family anymore. The girls have been telling evryone they meet that their dog died, but they have stayed surprisingly together.

I keep expecting to see him curled up in the corner of the couch when I get up each morning, then I remember. It chokes me up for a bit and then I go on with the day.

I never had a dog growing up. I'm glad that my kids have had dogs in their lives to this point. I'm sure we'll have one again before too long. But we'll never have another Roosevelt.

-B

http://dogsandstorks.com/

Quote: Dog phobias are common, as a result of public ignorance.  But the fact that the feared "object" is a dog makes it no less ridiculous than fearing inanimate objects, certain races, or anything else that is not a real threat.  /quote

www.goodpooch.com/.../phobias.htm

I think a lot of these comments are unfair.  I'm a dog owner with a 1 year old and think their relationship is great, but I can also understand people who worry about dogs.  About your points:

1) It does seem irresponsible to me to have the off-leash area next to the children's playground.  As Cesar Milan would say, dog parks are often frequented by out-of-balance dogs.

2) It is rude to let your dog poop in someone's yard and just leave it there.  Seriously, you think THEY should clean up YOUR dog's poop?  Or step in it?  Or their kids play with it because the parent's don't know it's there? Or the parent's should have to clean it off their lawn mower's blades?  If you have a dog, scoop the poop!

3) Like many of the other folks say, it's the owner, not the breed, that creates a dangerous dog.

4) I don't really get this.  What could have happened?  My dad's best friend had a border collie that used to herd his kids around.  He said it was the greatest thing ever because it kept the kids out of the street, well, until they got to high school, that is, then it just got on the kid's nerves ;-)  This is also an owner/training issue rather than a breed issue.

5) Any dog can be scary is it's poorly trained, and that's much more likely with small dogs.  A poorly trained small dog can still often be handled, (dragged by the leash, picked up, etc), irresponsible owners often think this behavior is cute.  Big dogs, on the other hand, are usually calmer and more well-behaved because they have to be.  Look at any list of dogs that are good with kids, it's dominated by large breeds.  And just to give you one example, here's a video of my 1 year old with our 110lb Bernese Mountain Dog, one of the gentlest breeds around: de.youtube.com/watch

btw: that's not something we normally let our kid do, he just did it and it was so funny we had to grab the camera.

Rachel, you don't like dogs, you're a fear-monger and you're extremely ignorant.  

Of course there are irresponsible dog owners just like there are irresponsible parents.  The issue is with them and not their kids or dogs.

Dogs aren't the problem.

Irresponsible dog OWNERS are the problem. A well trained dog shouldn't be attacking, jumping, or maiming a kid (or adult).

I don't hate dogs. I hate lazy, ignorant dog owners.

This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.  This isn't why dogs and children do not mix.  This is why STUPID PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE PETS!  And the stupid person here is NOT the writer of the article, the stupid people are the stupid pet owners who perpetuate these behaviors and make everyone thing that these are the things ALL pet owners do.  You've said it yourself, properly trained animals are wonderful.  So rant against the stupid irresponsible people who cannot be bothered to train their animals and not advocate against children growing up with pets.

Someone needs a reality check.

Dogs and kids do mix very well if you MONITER them, and you don't leave them alone.

In 99% of the cases it's the human's fault if a kid gets bitten.

I agree with the author. Plain and simple. I've never had a good experience with them in all my 27 years. They all stink and make a mess and don't do anything but lick their own anuses all day long and leave hair on furniture. No thanks. I'll keep my goldfish.

And on a side note: the next person I see carrying a frickin Chihuahua in a little pink purse that says SPOILED is going to get a punch in the mouth. It's a dog, folks.