When award winning dog trainer Dan Graham heard about the pit bull that mauled a 10-day-old baby to death he couldn’t help but think about how easily the baby’s death could have been prevented.
“I would not have put a dog in a situation like that,” said Graham, who is president of the Companion Dog Training Club in Flint.
Graham has several dogs, and they are so well trained they have won awards.
“If I introduced one of my dogs, that are obedience trained to a baby, it would be on a leash and on close supervision.”
Graham says many people take the fact that their pets will be friendly with a baby for granted, because the dog may have a history of behaving with people. The problem is, a dog may not see your baby as a person.
“I'm not sure whether dogs would perceive it as a small person, or an animal that makes weird noises, especially in the beginning,” said Graham.
Graham also recommends that parents-to-be get their dog used to going in a crate, so the dog has a safe place to stay when you can’t keep a close eye on him or her.
“A crate is safe for the dog and the baby,” he said.
It isn’t uncommon for a dog to misbehave in an effort to compete for attention with the new family member.
It is something NBC25 anchor, dog-lover, and mom-to-be Jenny Suniga has been worried about.
“Each time I get a new dog, it takes them a while to get acquainted,” said Jenny. “They're growling a lot. They're pushing a lot. I'm a little worried about how they'll react to a baby.”
Graham says it’s a reasonable concern, and parents should make their dogs earn their trust for some time before letting their guard down.
NBC25 wants to know how you introduced your dogs to your new baby. Do you have advice? Did your pet surprise you with unexpected behavior? Share your experiences by commenting below.
