Should there be advice regarding children and dogs?

Or is it the way you bring up the dog around children?

Before I start, this post is in no way for or against having dogs and children together. I would just love to know what people think as I feel in such a dilemma right now regarding getting another dog.

I have just seen another story in the news about a dog killing a child, this time it was a newborn baby (3 days old) who was lying asleep on the sofa when the mother opened the door thinking their dogs were tied up outside but they ran in and mauled the baby. The dog was a shar-pei pit bull mix.

Only a couple of weeks ago was another story local to me where a dog was loose in a park and attacked the children. That dog had attacked before and needed to be muzzled and on a lead when it was outside, however it wasn’t.

The risks of attack are down to their humans according to most people. I have heard people say it is the way the dog is brought up, others say children and dogs don’t mix.

I took the plunge to get a dog not so long ago and I have 3 children. We got a rescue dog and it was the cutest little thing, it was only a small dog. It got on great with my 2 sons and would sit on their knees for hours on end if I let it. Whereas it was a bit wary of my daughter, she is the youngest and VERY noisy, if she was quiet then the dog was fine, if she was playing then the dog wouldn’t really go to her.

However, when we were outside it would growl and try to attack anyone and anything, runners, cyclists, school kids as they were walking past, other dogs – even a neighbours St Bernard! It got very frustrating.

One day the dog bit a visitor to our home. They hadn’t done anything to wind him up however we don’t know how he was brought up and we had only had him for a month so I’m unsure if he had done this before as he’d been stray when found.

After much discussion, and tears, we decided it would be best to take him back to the stray centre as I wasn’t prepared to risk him attacking one of the family, most likely it would have been my noisy daughter. I felt so sorry for him because he was such a lovely dog and we all loved him, he would often sit on my feet while I was working.

My parents have dogs and have had them since pups so they have grown up around my children, they all get along so well and there has never been an inkling of an accident.

So do you think it’s how dogs are brought up? Should there be laws or even advice on dogs and children?

Are certain breeds worse than others?

My kids would love another dog but I am wary as I don’t think I could cope with watching them so upset again if anything was to happen to the dog, I totally under estimated how fast a dog becomes part of the family.

I would love to know your views regarding dogs and children so please get intouch, I feel like I have rambled for so long there!