Am I the only one that thinks that not ALL pitbull/lab mix dogs are dangerous around kids?

Question

I am due March 1st and my boyfriend and I have a pit/lab mix dog that is the sweetest dog ever. I realize that there is some danger to having ANY dog around a baby/child, but I'm not one that believes that it is necessary that we find another home for our dog just because we're having a baby.
Of course if he ever appeared to pose a threat - he'd be gone in a heartbeat because I wouldn't risk my child's wellbeing on the obvious. But any dog is a risk whether they are small or large and no matter what breed they are. I feel like dogs are like people - each one has their own personality and you can't group them all together because of one bad person in the bunch...
Am I crazy to think this?

Answer 1

It only takes a second for a dog to crush a young childs head. Too many times you read about a "good dog" acting out of character. Do you want to be wrong at the expense of your child?

Answer 2

I agree with EVERYTHING you say. Pitbulls are the sweetest dogs ever! The bad ones that attack and all that are products of what their owners make them. Its a horrible sad world that they have being forced into being attack dogs or 'fighters'
My boyfriend and I have a pitbull and he has been nothing but a sweet loving dog. He doesnt do anything wrong like most ppl would think. He has been around newborns since he was about 1yr when our best friends had their baby. And their older daughter now tugs at his ears and face and all my dog does is lay there and enjoy the attention.

Stick to your guns and beliefs. If your dog does anthing out of the ourdinary for him as far as posing a threat to the baby, after getting to know the baby, then it might be time to find him a new home or try getting him obedience classes. Most dogs do things out of fear. Good Luck and I hope it all works out that you can all be a happy family, dog included.

Answer 3

no i wouldn't get rid of my dog. just because of breed.. we had some problems with our heinz 57's but it was worked through and now our dogs are very well behaved with baby #2 and pit bull were once conciderd a great family dog just like the lab. the dog will take some time getting use to all the new things but most adjust and are fine... as long as u are pack leader. if the dog is not well trained i would be working on that common things..stay ect.
is someone telling u should ditch the dog?
and as baby grows baby has to learn the rules of dog to.
if problems do arise i would look in to getting a trainer or check ing out dog whispher on NGC.. cesarmillian (sp)

concrats and good luck

Answer 4

not at all, i think that the dog has to do with the owners. if you treat the dog right and raise it right it will be a great dog. if you dont train the dog wrong, then it won't be (i do agree that some dogs just have personalities that cause the dog to be mean, no matter what ya try to do but that doesnt happen often).

good luck with your lil one that will be comin soon!!! and congrats! can already tell you will be a great mother by the 2nd paragraph ya included about if the dog is a threat. :)

Answer 5

Congradulations on your baby!
You are correct in your thinking--but remember dogs are not humans. But, dogs will feel jealousy, just like humans, and sometimes they will consider a child a threat--the child takes away "their" time. So do make "alone" time with the dog.
But remember YOU (the human) are the Alpha, (leader) and the dog should abide by your rules.
Try to include the dog in this joyous time in your lives.
Good luck!! and remember, there are no bad dogs, just bad owners.

Answer 6

I totally I agree w/ you. I lived w/ my parents when I had my son and they were breeding pits at the time. At 1 time we had 12 dogs. Just be very careful not to leave them alone together. My parents are down to just having 1 dog now and she is awesome w/ my kids she just doesn't understand that they don't like her constant kisses. Any large dog needs to be closely watched around young children because they can accidently hurt them by playing.

Answer 7

I am a pit bull owner myself. I have children in the home , that ox is on my sofa now snoring , mine has never shown any aggression toward the children , she has never attempted to play rough with them , I have heard of them like chewing babies feet off , but as my vet stated , pits are great dogs ,very loyal and very much mis-understood..However if your pit loves to ride along in the car I would advise you do this.. my ox got left at home the other day she scratched through the Sheetrock , through the insulation ,and the siding I pulled up the drive ,and there she was with her big head and droopy dog face looking at me with her head protruding through the hole she scratched through my wall , the hole by the way was 3.0 ft high and 2.0 ft wide , clear through the house ..she hates being left out ..she also thinks she is a lap puppy . you have every right to be cautious , as I am still on guard with mine when it come to my children..Good Luck ,and Blessings on your Little one

Answer 8

NO you are not crazy! my neighbor has 4 full grown pit bulls. they are the sweetest dogs in the world, they sleep with the cats, and i sit with my 3 month around them and they sniff her then sit down. it is ALL in how you raise them, im more afraid of those damn ankle biters than the pit bulls, and you are right ANY dog can be a danger. If you know your dog is not dangerous then you are not putting your baby in danger

Answer 9

No, I agree with you. After getting evicted from our apartment two days after baby was born, we moved in with our friend who has two dogs. Her boxer lab mix is the sweetest dog w/ children, my friend's toddler grandchildren will sit down on her, open her mouth and stick their head inside her teeth, pulling her tail, ears, etc. They do the same w/ her beagle, he's not quite so tolerant, but he'll just get up and walk away if he gets annoyed. Just don't let them lay together on furniture etc, or get too close for a few months. Good luck.

Answer 10

There are a bunch of things you should know about dog training but we are going to discuss what I feel are some the most important. Keep in mind that these are only some of the things you should know. Go here http://OnlineDogTraining.enle.info/?WgBc

1. Repetition is the number 1 principle of dog training. Dogs just like humans learn by doing things over and over in order to get better.

2. Dog Training can and should be fun for both you and your new pet.

3. Training sessions should always be short but sweet. I never work a dog more than 15 minutes in a session to keep from losing the dog's attention. You should train you dog at least once a day but never more than three formal sessions a day.

4. Your goal should be that each training session is just a little bit better than the last one. You need to always strive to make the training better, slowly. I mention this because quite often I see people who do daily training sessions but the dog never gets better and it is not the dogs fault.

5. Having patients is very important in dog training. Losing your temper does not work with a canine it simply makes things worse.

6. Exercise is very important in the training process to get rid of all the dogs nervous energy.

7. Taking your pet for walks is very important because it develops serotonin which gives your dog a feeling of well being.

8. Always be sure to give your dog a bunch of praise in your training. It is your dog's paycheck for doing a great job.

9. Never hit your dog. I have heard people say I never hit my dog instead I roll up a magazine and swat it. It's the same thing... hitting is hitting.

10. After each training session be sure to do something that your dog will enjoy. Take it for a walk, throw the ball or maybe even rub its belly. Just do something that makes the dog look forward to the next training session.

These are things that I teach my dog training students as well as my dog training clients. I hope these things will give you something to think about when training your dog. Spend some time training your dog daily and you will both reap the benefits.