90 Comments on “Why Some Pet Photos Make Me Nervous”

1. Dear lady uptight veterinarian, you dont euthanize a healthy but abused animal. You report the owners, and have a bahviour and assessment. Our vets never euthanize a healthy animal, whatever the reason for the request. We have a snappy poodle, he ll bite if he is pushed too far, yet my nieces (the only children in the family) know their boundaries and respect his, as well as of all the other 7 dogs we have. Have you ever considered officially informing the family of Ben that a tragedy is about to happen?

2. Thank you so much for posting this important story.

   As a young child my parents let me ride on our dog’s back when we were both young (my parents got him around the same time I was born). When I was 6 they left me alone with him in the back yard and I thought it would be fun to try riding him again.

   He turned around and bit me, barely breaking the skin. I didn’t find out that was the reason he was put to sleep until years later but it still breaks my heart.

   Now as a vet this helps me appreciate the hard situation owners find themselves in and to try and helps me prevent the same tragedies in other families.

   When I talk with my clients I often mention the excellent website Doggone Safe as a good resource for talking about how to make sure owners can work on their kids AND their pet’s behavior to keep everyone safe.

   Vet Changes World
   http://www.vetchangesworld.com

3. I am a guilty party as I love taking pictures of my Weim n my gramdson. However he has been taught since birth to respect our fourlegged family member. The same rule applied to tje other. I am pleases to say I have incredible pictires, two content family members both two and four leggeds and no horror stories. Respect starts early on.

4. This article made me more mad about Ben than the kid. Not sure why he had to be euthanized. He could’ve been rehired to an older couple with either no children or grown, out of the house children. The parents were to blame, as always.

5. Thanks to my colleague Dr. V from Pawcurious (a blog I highly recommend) for providing her comments at http://pawcurious.com/2013/07/the-worst-situation-in-the-world/.

6. You just can’t fix stupid!! These animals are dogs-with teeth and in Bart’s case, LARGE teeth!!
   I NEVER let my step girls rough house with Bart unattended and even then I knew the subtle warning signs of my dog’s expression to indicate he was having enough of it.
   NEVER EVER leave kids unattended no matter how much you trust your canine companion, they aren’t people and you can’t reason with them.

7. I so respect Vets who try to communicate “good manners” and safe living with pets of all kinds. We had a beautiful Saint Bernard who was very protective of his humans. We told, said, announced, did all we could to protected him by warning humans to respect his wishes. He was a well trained, well behaved animal. But one day the man who was putting down new flooring for me came back unexpectedly with his young son and just walked in the house. My darling Murphy was doing his job of protecting us and after he bit the little boy and man, I had to have him put down. He was such a lovely companion, loved my grandchildren who were taught that he had full rights as they and they respected and loved him, and a day never goes by that I don’t miss him. But more there isn’t a day that goes by that I am not thankful for the loving, caring way in which a perfect stranger (who turned out to be a saint) helped me make Murphy safe from anymore stupidity. Dr. Barbara will always be my hero. She was a god send to me and Murph.
   People are idiots when it comes to respect for animals.

8. I did the Breed Info service for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club for 5 years, talking to about 1500-1800 people each year. My “favorite” calls where fathers calling to tell me their wife just had a 5th child and they wanted to get a Cavalier puppy immediately to keep the children “entertained” while the mother was busy with the baby. Did I mention that the other 4 children were under 7? Being my usual subtle and diplomatic self, I told these fathers they were out of their friggin’ minds and that their wife most likely would leave them and leave the 5 children and the puppy with them!

   Unfortunately, it would appear today that many, many families think that a puppy/dog is a toy. One can talk and talk and nothing goes into their head. No reputable breeder would ever sell a puppy to people such as these, but pet stores and unreputable breeders sure will. The shelters are full of the dogs these people finally realize they can’t manage.

   While I understand why some posters don’t understand why the dog mentioned had to be put down, they also don’t realize the legal liability any rescue organization would incur if it placed a dog that had bitten anyone, especially a child. Shelters are in the same boat – it is truly tragic when through the fault of negligent owners a once nice dog gets a death sentence.

   When I bred, I wouldn’t consider selling a puppy to anyone with children under 6-8 unless the adults wanted the dog for themselves, not for the children (this rarely happens). And I would have to meet the children before I would commit to a sale. Frankly, cats are a better choice with young children as they can get away and go up high when they are being pestered. They also take less time and less training than a puppy. My own adult children have cats even though they love dogs as they realize that their lifestyles would not serve a dog well. The cats are fine.

   I’m an old lady now and I truly think the public has never been more ignorant than they are today, and not just about dogs. I have no idea what the answer is.

9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXXXTD2iKUU

   This dog food commercial encourages parents to allow their children to do as they please to dogs. This commercial needs to stop being shown.

10. These types of photos always make me nervous. It’e why I don’t share them on FB or anywhere else. I don’t want to perpetuate the myth that dogs and kids go together because in many circumstances, they don’t.

    I also don’t share “cute” videos of kids rolling around on dogs, lying on top of dogs, crawling on dogs, pulling on a dog’s ear, etc. because to me they are not cute. They are a bite waiting to happen.

    If more people understood dog body language maybe they would see what I see, a dog that is uncomfortable, nervous and trying to avoid the child. They would see that this is a dog trying to tell the child, and more importantly, you, that they are being pushed to the edge and a bite will occur.

    At our shelter, when someone surrendered their dog and listed the reason as a dog bite, the dog almost always was put to sleep. This is not because we wanted to do so, but because the dog was a legal risk we could not accept. A dog that bites can bite again, and if it bites again, someone is likely to sue. While many might be mad that this is the case, it is reality. Want to change it? Educate people. Speak to your friends and family about how NOT cute it is when children crawl on dogs or get in their faces. Ask friends and family to train their dogs. And, get educated about dog body language.

11. truth is that dogs don’t behave wrongly, is people who have a wrong behaviour. People have no idea how to behave with a dog. People need to know how a dog would behave in a certain situation. People need education about dogs. That dog wouldn’t have to die if his owners would know how to behave and teach their children to behave with him. Sorry for the dog (and only for the dog)

12. 1 – for those who think Dr. Nancy could have gotten it through to Ben’s owners in time… maybe she could and maybe she couldn’t. I routinely have to try to do the same thing and it can be unbelievably hard to get parents to “hear” this message. And this is people who have hired me explicitly for behavior assistance, not for veterinary care. I HAVE been less than tactful, including one case where after hearing about the owners forcing their dog to put up with unwanted child interaction and culminating in a growl, I told them, “You will never do that to your dog again.” And guess what, they never called back. This is a very difficult thing to get across. Had Dr. Nancy come down harder, this family might have switched vets. She was there; you were not. Stop with the judging.
    2 – for those who think it’s wrong to euthanize a dog who has inflicted a bite such as that inflicted by Ben, keep in mind that he had not only bitten, but that the bite caused an enormous amount of damage. Had he bitten and left a single scratch or shallow puncture, it might have been much easier to rehome him. But personally I would look with horror on any rescue that would place a dog who’d nearly taken off a child’s face. Would YOU want to adopt a dog from a rescue with ethics like that? This is the kind of placement that ruins rescues and makes people decide never to rescue again. (I’ve seen it happen repeatedly with clients.) It’s terribly sad for Ben and yes, he was set up to fail terribly. But this does not change the fact that once the bite happened, humans knew him to be a dog who could inflict a horrific amount of damage. On. The. Face. Of. A. Child. I am just appalled at the attacks here based on “failure to rehome.” Rehoming a very dangerous dog is not the answer. Educating before bites happen is the answer.

    Every one of us can start by NOT sharing “cute” pictures of dogs with babies on Facebook, not asking our dogs to spend a lot of time with kids, socializing our puppies to kids PROPERLY (not underdoing, not overdoing!), and teaching our kids good boundaries around dogs, including a default rule that you do NOT interact with dogs unless you have permission from the dog’s owner and an adult is supervising. There are quite a lot of good dog and kid programs out there. Find them and use them. Don’t assume you, as a parent, know what you are doing or can read your dog. I’m sure Ben’s owners thought they were reading him just fine. With the benefits and joys of having your kids interact with dogs comes a risk and the added burden of learning enough about REAL dog behavior to make smart decisions.

13. My husband and I adopted a cat a year before we got pregnant with our first daughter. The cat has always had perches and an elevated food/water area so that he can get away if needs be. We closely supervised my daughter from a very young age, teaching “nice pets” and teaching her the signs that kitty wanted to be petted, played with or left alone. Now, at 4 years of age, my daughter is respectful of kitty, does not pull his hair or hurt him, and even though he has a pretty neurotic personality (he’s part Siamese), he’s only scratched her once and it was accidental (he lost his grip when jumping to a window sill near where she was playing below and he scratched her arm while flailing to catch himself).

    I had a dog as a child and I never treated him horribly as described in some of these stories. He did enjoy being put in a baby swing, all the time wagging his tail and panting with excitement, and he hated getting a bath (he’d hide under the picnic table if you even spelt the word), but we still bathed him to keep him flea-free and clean. Of course, I still think that while dogs deserve respect and care, they are still animals and should not necessarily be anthropomorphized. Most dogs don’t care if you put them in costumes (unless the costume hurts or gets caught on things). They are animals, and while they are capable of a loving bond with humans, it is important not to forget that even your own loving companion may decide to bite YOU out of nowhere. Children are not the only people who incur dog bites.

    But yes, even as a person who has received many doggy licks on the face, it scares the crap out of me when a dog’s face gets close to a child’s face.

14. Our society is now sobbing about a six foot +,17 yo drug using, thieving gangsta, who managed to get himself shot while try to beat a guy half his size to death…
    And we expect them to respect an animal’s space?
    God Bless the dogs that put up with these fools and God Bless the Professionals who try to educate them.

15. Obviously some of you have never worked with a known biter and the liability that comes along with it when a rescue places said dog in a home. SHAME ON YOU for giving this woman grief… So you are going to blame the doctor, instead of blaming the OWNER that LET THE DOG DOWN. Guess the whole mentality of love em and hug em and it will fix everything will never die…. if you do actual rescue long enough, you will learn 2 things.. 1. Not all dog can/will be/or deserve to be saved. There are too many good dogs dying because bleeding hearts are trying to save every last man biting canine known to man. 2. The ignorance of some will cause suffering for our 4 legged friends.. simply common sense goes a LONG way. And obviously some of you, don’t have 2 cents, of common sense…. 20+ years in rescue… and I learned a LONG time ago, you cannot save them all…

16. I am so glad you are not my vet. You should have been guiding the family the entire time on how to interact with their dog Ben. And even after the bite, you could have offered advise/assistance on how to have their dog trained and how to provide ‘tips’ to their kids on how to interact with their pet. Commenting on their behavior and offering advice after that fact does NOTHING for this poor dog. Shame on you.

17. So many people should not have a dog.
    Please stop dressing dogs up like bunnies, Batman or anything else, that might amuse YOU. It does NOT amuse the dog.

    Other than that, I agree 100% with this vet.

    For the stupid adults out there, I have a story too.
    I had a huge Saint Bernard, and he was the most gentle guy you can imagine. One day we went for a walk, and I was waiting outside a store, while my wife went to get a few things. The big guy was on his leash, sitting quietly next to me, when a woman came out of nowhere, from behind, and grabbed him around his neck. Of course he got scared, and turned around faster than you would ever have thought a big guy like he could do, and tried to get her face. Had I not reacted as fast as he did, that woman’s face would be gone today. Please think, when around animals, and especially if they’re capable of removing body parts from you, or your kids.

18. All you AR nuts blaming (??) the vet (??) for the owner’s/oarent’s irresponsibility — walk the walk and take on a known biter yourself. There are too many dogs in rescues that do not have a bite history to exert the limited energy, funds, time and space on a biter. Would you have a non-biter die for these reasons stated above?

19. Having suffered a bite from the family dog as a child I am super anxious about my children and animals. The biting incident was my fault (I pulled the dog’s tail while she was eating, something my parents had warned me about) and four stiches in the lip later I learned my lesson. My heart breaks for animals that have to be put down like Ben, but I’m sure you could have had a private meeting with the parents complete with a graphic PowerPoint presentation and they still would have made excuses for the children’s behavior.

    My children are 4 and almost 2. Because of their age I don’t want pets (or even to really be around animals) because of the chance of even the dog giving a reactionary bite.

20. It is always the dog who gets blamed & suffers for the ignorance of the person /parent & child. That dog did what comes naturally. Anyone who allows the kid to run over a dog like it was a stuffed toy, doesn’t deserve to have a dog. Not only did the dog die needlessly, the child is emotinally scared as well. The parents should be prosecuted for child endangerment. I am so sorry for “Ben” if this was a true story. And any vet that would handle it this way – would certainly not be seeing my pets. Stupidity on all parts. If you aren’t confident as an “authority, experienced with anmal behavior”, you failed that dog by not educating the parents in a way that they responded. Something like this can not be tip-toed around. YOU must stand up for the dog.

21. I must agree with earlier respondents who said that Dr. Nancy should have done her best to find this dog another home and that the dog did not deserve to be put down for his self-defense.

    Dr. Nancy, you say, “My attempts to tactfully educate the parents about setting limits for their kids failed miserably.” The word “tactfully” makes me think that these parents had NO IDEA AT ALL that you were trying to change their behavior with respect to the children and the dog. None. A direct approach is needed when face-to-face with the potential for a dog to lose his life or a child to be traumatized, much less injured or worse (!).

    Tell it like it is: “In homes where the children are less than 6 years old, dogs are very often abused by those children without the parents’ knowledge.” Then back it up with some quick slides–maybe some of these Facebook photos would make excellent educational slides.

    When the parents express their astonishment, point out the dogs’ defensive signals. Heck, point out Ben’s defensive signals right there in the examining room!

    A vet’s duty is to save the life of the animal presented to him/her if at all possible. A vet in northern California did just that in January 2012 for a Bernese Mtn. Dog who was turned in on a “one-way ticket” (PTS). Someone in the vet practice realized the unethical practice they were being asked to participate in and called the rescue org. for this breed, and we SAVED THE DOG. He wasn’t a biter; he was just a victim of bad family circumstances.

    But the duty of the vet practice–to save the animals in its care–was honored in the highest possible way.

    Why not Ben?

22. These situations are “textbook” in my line of work with families and dogs. Two quick points…One, when the behavior/situation is dangerous, being “tactful” is not enough. I had to ask one dad who was “too busy” at work to even buy a gate after his dog lunged at his baby, “Are you too busy to go to jail?” Maybe people get annoyed with the first or second person who clearly points out the dangers but then they are warmed up enough to listen to the third person. The second point is that I am ALWAYS successful in getting parents to listen to me when I discuss from the perspective of habits their children are acquiring and how that puts them at risk of a bite from someone else’s dog. There is no argument that changes this. Even if there is a blindness as to their own dog’s potential to bite, most people recognize the risk from other dogs. Here is a blog post from last year about dog and child/baby photos and what to do instead. These are really good conversations to have!! http://www.dogsandbabieslearning.com/2012/05/17/should-you-share-that-cute-dog-and-baby-photo/

23. You did nothing to stop this after observing these children abuse this poor dog? Save your tears–you could have refused to murder this dog. You are just as guilty in the murder of this noble creature. I agree with Penny above–you have no credibility with me either.

24. Just to add something a little brighter: I am so glad I live where I live! I’m located in the Portland Maine area and have a 50lb border collie mix I rescued 3 years ago. We go on walks, off leash beaches, and to dog parks all the time. Every time we’ve encountered a child (with or without their parents around) they have asked me prior to petting my dog, either by asking loudly before they approached or by asking their parents first who then instructed them to ask me. It makes me feel really lucky to live in a place where it seems most parents ARE teaching their children the proper way to interact with a strange dog.

    I really hope i never have to experience any of the heart ache described above. I wish my experiences were not the exception to the rule

25. I agree with Penny Smith.
    You did not euthanize Ben-you murdered him. You knew he was being abused and did nothing. The definition for euthanasia is intentionally ending someone’s life in order to relieve suffering and pain. Ben was healthy but abused and you knew he was being abused – by not speaking to the proper authorities you were complicit in his death. As a rescuer for at risk dogs, I have seen time and time again that vets do not speak up when they see their patients being abused. It is time for this to change – it should be mandatory and the vet charged along with the abuser for being complicit in the abuse. The Veterinarians oath states:
    “Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE PREVENTION AND RELIEF OF ANIMAL SUFFERING(my capitalization), the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.”
    Maybe a call from animal control would have helped Ben, especially coming from a veterinarian. I bet you charged them for the “euthanasia” too. I hope that you are speaking up for your patients now as there are more resources and especially since the oath has been revised to include the patient’s welfare. Let Ben’s death be your guide to speak for those who cannot.
    Ben defended himself once and he was murdered for it, the kid survived. It’s always this way with animals.

26. Thank you for posting concerning photo ops involving infants & young children – some with family dogs, some with actor dogs. The end result – is usually the same – disresepct for the animal in the photo. Your right about more and more of these photographs being posted to FB and other social media. The majority of the times you see post after post of “how cute” or “awesome” or some other uninformed setiments.

    Parents should always be aware and be supervising any time there is an animal in the vacinity, be it cat, dog, horse feret or any other of Gods Creatures.

    I do a lot of dog sports with my dogs. They are also very well socialized with at least adults in all levels of life. As I am a 60+ person with no grandchildren or close to a school – my dogs have had little interaction with children of any agen.

    I do know from several years of agility, rally & Obedience trials – you see the best of tempernments and the worst. And you see some of the most distracted parents you will ever meet.

    For example – 5 years ago my dog and I attended a very popular agility trial – lots going on – people rushing back and forth to the different rings, kids of all ages running and screaming down the ally ways between crates. Dogs barking and lunging at the crate sides, snarling at the offending person or dog unlucky enough to be walking by.

    My crate was backed up against the arena railing. My young Laeken was protectected on two sides of her crate from any dogs or people interfering with her. A quick break to the restroom and right back, only to find a toddler in my dog crate with my dog, feet kicking the sides, head resting on her shoulder and licking a tootsie rolll sucker.

    Talk about a photo op! Did I take any photographs? Heck no! All I could think of was not to startle either dog or child – to act “casual” about her being in my dog crate. The neighboring exhibitor said, it couldn’t have been two minutes after I left that the little one came toddling along without an adult and opened up the crate like she knew my dog and climbed in. She mentioned the child had approached several of the less favorable dog crates only to have the occupants lunging and snapping at her before she chose Dyna’s crate.

    So much could have happened. She could have opened other crates, only to have the dogs escape, and got bitten the process. As there was a large bay door directly across from my crate, dogs could have gotten lose and run off. Or my dog could have taken exception to a stranger – no matter how young opening her crate and for all intents and purposes – decide to share it with her.

    I would say – at least 20 minutes had gone by from the time she entered Dyna’s dog crate to the time I convinced her to come out and help take Dyna to meet her mother. We walked to the other side of the arena before we located her mother who was getting another dog out to run. That put us to at least 35 minutes that I knew she had been away from where her mother had parked her.

    When I confronted her mother about leaving her small child unattended – all I got was “she’s been around dogs all her life – she knows how to act around them” and then – I told her to stay put – she has never wandered away before.” OMG – that had to mean, mom had left said child on her own at other trials.

    I am thankful that she chose Dyna’s crate over some around us. I did learn – I now have a child proof lock on my crate when I attend trials. Visions of what could have happened still surface when I see some of the disturbing photographs being posted.

27. In 38 years of working with animals and their owners, my face has turned blue from talking and talking and teaching and educating parents on the vital importance of teaching children how to behave around them. I have a few real “favourites” like “my dog loves the kids so much he lets them do anything to him”. This one sends shivers down my spine! Or another incredible one not too long ago “if the kid gets bitten, it’ll teach him a lesson”. Can you believe it? Or when I walk my dogs and children run up to them and I place myself between them and ask that they do not touch them – the parents’response is ” why do you walk your vicious dogs if they are dangerous?”

    I detest dressing up dogs and cats in cutesy garments. If you wanted a bunny rabbit, why didn’t you get one instead of making your Chihuahua look like one? Or your Golden Retriever look like a dragon or a T-Rex? The faces of those dogs tell the story – stress, nervousness, even embarrassment. Add to this a baby or a small child and you have a tragedy waiting to happen. Not if, but when.

    Babies crawl to dogs’ food and mess with it. They abuse animals with the strong grip of an infant, step on them, poke them and the mother may not be aware of all this, or she is in the next room

    Consequently, when prospective owners ask me what is the best age of a child to have a pet, I give a veritable lecture, stressing that I do NOT recommend such a combination for children under the age of four.

    However, when the dog is already in the home and the baby comes later, I work with the family on proper and safe introduction of the baby TO the dog (not the other way around) and give a trove of materials on animal-child interaction.

    Do the parents read it and learn? I can only hope and pray that they do. Because when they are lazy or neglectful or blase about the situation, the dog pays with his life each and every time. The humans in the equation have learned nothing. This is unforgiveably unfair.

28. The Center for Disease Control reports that most dog bites occur to children younger than 6 years old by the family dog or another dog known to the family. If dogs bite children, dogs die. It’s as simple as that.

    As a breeder I am asked many times a year to place puppies in households with multiple children younger than 6 years old. No amount of money is sufficient to pay me to place my puppy in such a dangerous situation. I politely tell parents to wait until the child is old enough to understand and to implement safety precautions.

    No young child can be watched 100% of the time, and injuries occur in a split second. Both dogs and children have weapons with which to injury each other. Both puppies and young children have not lived long enough to develop good judgment. You wouldn’t hand a 4-year-old a loaded gun and tell them to keep the safety on. Why give them a dog with a set of razor sharp teeth in its mouth?

29. It also just makes me ill so many dogs must take the consequences for our mistakes. Just like Ben, a lot of dogs are put down because of something they did which really wasn’t their fault as you described in the article. Dr. Nancy, I really felt sad for you about being the one to put Ben down. I’m sure he won’t be the last and it is a sad, sad situation. What little I have worked with shelter dogs, I have found the reason a lot of them are in the shelter is because their person caused their behavior and again, the dog suffered the consequences, not the owner, by being taken to a shelter. I totally agree any time a child is near an animal, the time must be supervised by a knowledgeable adult.

30. Dr Nancy,
    You always address those things in the dog world which need attention. That is so helpful to all of us to remind us about our dogs and children. I don’t have any kids at home, but I do pet therapy with my dog so she is constantly out in the public among people who don’t know about dogs/body language,etc. I always compliment a parent who has taught their child the right way to ask first about petting, then how they do approach and where and how they pet my dog. I also am prepared to share with a parent/child about the right way to pet a dog, any dog and that some dogs do not enjoy interacting with kids. If a dog isn’t socialized with children, children can easily become a prey subject or at the very least make a dog very nervous. A child moves quickly and naturally has
    a high voice, squeal or different sound than an adult. I have also cautioned those pet therapy dog owners who do reading with students to briefly explain the proper ways around a dog and to tell the child this dog is different from another dog they may meet so hopefully although the student has a great experience with the reading therapy dog, they will realize not all dogs are alike. I am still learning myself about all the different signals a dog will show, how to best help inform the public-parents and kids-about being around dogs and how best to be a good advocate for my dog and protect her while we are doing pet therapy. Any time one stops learning, I hope that one is no longer living!!

31. Thank you for this article. I’m so sorry to hear about Ben but I know this happens often. I hope we can continue to educate people on building good relationships with dogs. Your use of the word “respect” is important because respect is critical for dogs. Without respect, they correct.

    It’s stories like Ben’s that have prompted me to do a series on reading how dogs communicate. I hope that it and the countless other resources that others provide can reach the masses and educate people about putting in the effort to learn how your dog communicates and what dogs see as disrespectful.

    Petworkers have a lot of work to do but if we continue to work together we will get the message out. I will be sharing this article throughout my networks in the hopes that the shocking—yet unfortunately not shocking—story of Ben can teach people about keeping their dogs and families safe.

32. A few things: Penny Smith, although it is easy to agree with your emotional response, in many places it is virtually impossible to rehome a dog with a serious bite record. In most places, the dog would have been confiscated and killed. Even in a situation such as Ben’s, there are HUGE liability issues for anyone who rehomes a dog, knowing that it has bitten. As a rescuer, my first foster dog was on a walk with me, and passing a bicyclist, he lunged and bit him on the leg: absolutely for no reason. The cyclist was much nicer than I would have been: I assured him the dog was UTD on all shots, and offered my contact info, but he said he was fine. I despaired about what would come of this dog; but a family (with no small children) had already fallen for him. I described his bite in detail, and they were not deterred. They protected him from situations for the rest of his life: he was very lucky!
    I also fostered a dog who had bitten his owner “for no reason” which I did not believe. He was a great dog, and after a week of finding him to be perfect, he lunged out and macerated my hand, for no reason. When we took him to be euthanized the next day, he went into astonishing convulsions as he died; the vet said he had only seen that when there is a brain tumor. I thank god every day that it was ME who was bitten, and not an adopter!
    And a big thanks to “Jean” who posted links!
    I also cringe at these photos and videos. There was one that was on facebook, of a 1-2 year old with heavy boots, climbing on a large dog, pulling on her and doing everything wrong there could be. The parents filming it thought it was adorable; but hundreds of us commented that it was animal abuse and child endangerment. We pointed out all the dog’s body language, and that they were teaching their kid to abuse dogs. We begged them to rehome the dog before she ate the kid for torturing her, and then would be killed for defending herself. We also recommended they apply for a Darwin award or take some parenting classes. It is always the dog who pays the price. A friend of mine recently had to put his dog down for attacking a toddler who was left to run amok when her mother was busy and the owners were not home. The dog had been confiscated, kept in a cage and there was no end in sight for the dog to be released. The mother knew better; we are asking child protective services to remove her children.
    It is criminal what some parents do. And telling a kid repeatedly to not do something only gives the wrong lesson that there are no consequences. If a kid treats an animal with no respect after being told not to, it is the parent’s responsibility to remove the child from the situation, and teach consequences. So many today will not punish a child for wrong-doing and that teaches them there are no consequences…when, in real life, there always are.

33. I have a 1-year-old son and 2 Newfoundlands. We were attracted to the Newfie breed because we love large dogs and their reputation as being great with kids. We have found this to be absolutely true, as our girls are wonderful with our son. However, we’re also trying to teach our son what is appropriate and what is not. It doesn’t matter how gentle and loving a dog is, no one likes to have their hair pulled, face smacked, or otherwise treated roughly. If he approaches them when they are eating or drinking, he is firmly told “no” and picked up (or redirected, at a minimum). If he is petting them, either my husband or I are there to tell him “gentle” or “no face” or just to generally supervise.

    My perspective is that my husband and I chose to welcome 2 dogs and a baby into our family. This means we have a responsibility to teach them all what is appropriate behavior and to keep them all safe. We’re the adults. This is our job (which we happen to love). Anything else is simply unacceptable.

34. I have 2 large dogs, and a young child. My daughter has learned to never bother the dogs when they are eating, and not to put her face in the dogs’ face. She knows not to startle them when they are sleeping. When the dogs are in “play” mode, the rules are a little more flexible, but our daughter knows that playing with the dogs should be on their terms, and she is never to pull on their tails or ears. Our dogs are great and very tolerant of her, but I feel that it’s because she knows her boundaries, and has learned how to tell when they are finished playing or simply not in the mood. The problem I have is that I foster for a local rescue, and although she has a general understanding of how to behave around dogs, she hasn’t quiet grasped that not all dogs like to play with her as our dogs do. In these situations it’s very important that we, as parents, closely monitor the interactions between our daughter and the four legged guest. Not only for her safety, but to better understand the dog and what sort of environment he would best be suited for upon adoption.

35. Bravo, Dr Kay!! As a multi-certified dog trainer/behavior consultant, shelter worker and dog care professional for over 20 years, I am constantly seeing interactions that scare the bejoobies out of me. One enormous problem: people are not taught, and are unable to teach their children, canine body language. Even the simplest of things, like a quick and noisy frontal approach to an unfamiliar dog (anyone see a toddle here?) can trigger an aggressive response. Some parents respond to their own ignorance and the many dog bite stories in the media by creating fear in their children, which does nothing to keep them safe.

    Even with Ben’s long history of tolerance, it is extremely difficult to rehome a dog of ANY size who has a bite history. The shelter I work with cannot take in a dog who has bitten, especially one whose bite resulted in such serious injury to a child. It’s important to understand that it’s not just homes with children that present an issue: after suffering years of “loving abuse” by the family’s children, Ben would likely see any child as a threat. The poor guy had probably been giving signals that were unseen, not understood and therefore ignored – yawns, lip licks, turn aways, whale eye – and after trying his damnedest to communicate in all the ways he could, he finally ‘screamed’ his warning with a bite. Yet, to the family, that bite may have appeared to come out of “nowhere”.

    Fortunately, there are many wonderful organizations out there now that educate parents – and the general public – on dog safety and body language. Here are a couple of wonderful websites to check out and pass along: http://www.familypaws.com, http://www.doggonesafe.com. Also, for those with walls and counter space that can be used to educate, here are some sites with fabulous educational material: http://www.livingwithkidsanddogs.com/resources.html, http://www.bitrebels.com/lifestyle/how-to-understand-your-dogs-body-language/

36. I saw an ad with a mastiff with head resting on boy’s neck just yesterday. Yikes. That was a tragic end to Ben’s life. People are oft-times the idiots in the animal/human equation.

37. Your comments about Ben and his family are meant to call attention to a problem we’ve all noticed if we’ve paid attention: Parents don’t always monitor children when they’re around animals. Thank you.

38. This reminds me of a recent article in a veterinary journal advocating doctors kissing patients to show how much we love them. Not only is this a dangerous practice (and ridiculous) but there are bugs that can be passed form dog to doctor and on to the next patient. Just nuts! I would not want my pediatrician to kiss my kids when they go in for a checkup!

    I am in lockstep with you on this – too much potential for danger and permanent scarring of the physical and emotional variety. Chalk this up to something that looks cute, but is a really, really, really bad idea.

39. Penny Smith –
    I get what you’re saying, but you’re way out of line.
    You have a situation with a huge dog that bit a child in the face and sent it to the emergency room. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are its going to be extremely difficult to find a home for it.
    First, finding a home for a giant breed is difficult all by itself.
    Next, how many ppl do you think ate willing to take a dog who bit a child- even knowing what happened.
    A rescue couldn’t take it. If it but again, the liability would be on the rescuing because they knew of the bite history. The insurance wouldn’t allow it.
    You make it sound like it would have been so easy to find a home. It wouldn’t have been. It’s difficult to find a home for a dog when it’s perfect.
    You say you worked with emergency vets and marine mammals. Have you worked for years in a dog rescue to know how it really is? Try working with a rescue for a few years, then let us know if you’re so quick to throw stones.

40. I see a lot of awful videos out there too. The one I remember most right now was of a maybe 10 month old baby and a full grown great dane. The mother was sitting on the couch filming the dog and baby playing. This mother was actually saying to the dog “get her! get her!” and the dog would lunge at the baby and baby would laugh and laugh then the dog would circle her and look at the mom and be told to “get her!” again and do it again. The dog was clearly getting extremely riled up and even getting down in pouncing position and barking loudly at the baby and the mom just kept letting it go on and on. Makes me sick knowing that at any moment that dog may get too excited and attack the baby and mom probably won’t even acknowledge that she encouraged and allowed it to happen. I love all animals but I so far have decided against getting a dog because a dog can snap and bite just once and cause extensive damage to a child. It just isn’t worth the risk for me.

41. Thanks for sharing your concerns Cassandra. We were trying to place a 160 pound six year old Saint Bernard who had bitten a human causing severe damage. The family of the child set a one week limit on the search for an appropriate new home. I, along with others searching, were unable to find the right foster care situation or permanent home within this time frame.

42. Sooooo…. You described the circumstances of this dog living without boundaries, and yet you couldn’t rehome the dog?? Uhm-really?? After working in Emergency (veterinary) and Critical Care for years, and being a marine mammal trainer, and working with animals in general, I am shocked you could describe what this dog was subjected to, and yet couldn’t find a way to rehome him… Kinda took your credibility and did a big ole flush-a-Rooney to it. Good job facilitating a second chance for him. Bravo! (Epic. Fail.)

43. I had an AWESOME cat, Goofy. His breed was Siamese & he only scratched my son once. And that was after I gave Goofy permission to defend himself. My son was raised with this cat. In fact, I had Goofy in my life before the child. At 4yrs, my offspring decided to use Goofy as a pillow & ignoring his cries of protest. I told the child to leave cat alone, and the cat that the boy was old enough to know better. Child had to test the situation and was scratched on nose. Respect is a 2 way street; interspecies too.

    Its a shame that people don’t recognize the souls in their pets as similar to their own.

44. I grew up in a home with many animals.. 13 dogs, a number of cats, horses, chickens, geese, ducks, goats, turkeys, snakes, turtles and a bunch of others. I spent most of my time unsupervised with all of the animals. However, I had been taught to not do to them anything I did not want done to myself. When I disobeyed those rules there were consequences from my parents. I didn’t just hear “Don’t do that you will get bit.” There were real, meaningful consequences when my parents saw me acting inappropriately.

    I feel like there are two things at work… children are not taught to respect animals in a meaningful way (or other people in some cases) and parents are overly terrified and so rob their child of interaction with animals to learn proper behavior. (And after a time those children become parents who never learned how to interact with animals and so cannot teach their children.) I see both of these very often with I have my pets outside of my home.

45. So the dog snapped.. Henwas probably DEFENDING himself.. And his reward
    Was being killed.. What the heck?? He should have and COULD have been rehomed.. Here is another story of a dog who bit a 3 year old underneath the table during a family dinner.. The child had
    Been playing under the table with the family dog lashed out and bit her hand.. The MOTHER ordered the dog be put down immediately.. Once at the vet an examination was to be done before euthanasia.. As the vet moved toward the head the dog began to yelp.. She saw a trickle of fluid coming from the dogs ear.. Inside she found the pencil which had been used to stab the dog ultimately detroying his ear drum. The vet showed this to the father and they decided the dog deserved a second chance in a new home with a family who would protect the dog from future accidents. Personally I am
    Appalled this story includes Ben being destroyed.. CLEARLY he was being abused by these kids and the parents probably thought it was cute and funny.. Most humans don’t deserve the love of a dog. I’m thankful to have my furbabies and I wouldn’t turn my back on them for the world .. But I also dont believe in dressing them up for PHOTO shoots with babies .. Thanks for the GREAT Artucle I’m actually SICK to my stomach for poor Ben.. Rip
    Little buddy.

46. I am still telling my kids when my poodle growls LEAVE HER ALONE. They are 13 and 11. The 13 year old has a scar from her when we first got her and he would not leave her alone. She was pretty sick when we first got her. I keep telling her your going to get bit and at his age it will be his fault. She always warns before putting her mouth on his hand. But keep telling him one day she will bite. I just hope it will not be to bad.

47. As a fourth generation dog breeder and exhibitor AND also as a photographer AND as a mum to four children, you’re not alone in being alarmed when you see those photos.

    Too many times I see images where the dogs are showing clear signs of being uncomfortable with what’s happening but people who can’t read dogs well say stuff like, “oh! I love the eye contact between them” or “he looks like he’s smiling” when in photo one the dog is eyeballing the child and in photo two the ears are laid bag and the dog is panting in frustration. Sadly the photographers can’t read the dogs either and they think it’s cute too so they feel they have done a good job.

    I always supervise my kids with my dogs but even so one of my sons has scars on his face from a rather placid Dane when he accidentally sat on the dog’s tail. I have suffered five dog bites since I was 11 years old (most recently three years ago when helping a friend with her dog)and my sister spent a week in hospital with several surgeries to her forearms after an unprovoked attack by a Golden Retriever. If people who are born and raised with dogs and can read their behaviour like a book are getting bitten then I really worry about children and dogs in the hands of less experienced people particularly when many of these animals are forced to do things that are completely out of their comfort zone for the sake of a cute photo.

48. I can’t count how many times our family dog bit us, partially because he wasn’t treated with the kindness and respect he deserved, and partially because he was high-strung. I was only 5 when we got him as a puppy, but my family was constantly fighting – my parents vs each other or one of my teenage siblings. Things were broken and thrown at walls. The dog was very protective and would attack whoever he perceived as the aggressor.

    He was patient with me when I was little – I could dress him up and walk him upright by one paw or drag him by his tail – but that should never have been allowed. Eventually he would bite with little provocation. In today’s world, he would probably end up at the end of a needle.

    Needless to say, I know better and my dogs are treated with love and respect. No dog I have ever owned (my childhood dog passed when I was in high school) has ever been hurt by a human. (other than a veterinarian).

49. Something that makes me nervous as all get out:

    Kids reaching over the heads of unfamiliar dogs–even if they’ve asked for permission and are given permission to pet the dogs.

    First thing out of my mouth when ANYONE asks if they can pet our dogs, “Yes, but chest only, please.” Because I’ve seen several “Oh, he’s friendly,” dogs get nervous or snap when a stranger reaches over their heads. I just don’t want my dogs getting stressed that way.

50. I totally agree with this story. I have a young son and 2 large dogs. We talk all the time about right and wrong behavior. We talk about NOT sticking your face in our dogs or any dogs faces. Any and ever opt to teach proper behavior and respect for animals. I see a lot of kids who have NO idea how to act.

51. Sorry to hear about Ben being killed because he couldn’t find a home.
    NJ has lots of rescue groups and would have tried.