HOUSTON - Alvin was struck by tragedy Oct. 12 when a 2-year-old girl was mauled to death by the family dog.
The CDC says more than 36 percent of U.S. households own at least one dog, and although dog bites are not uncommon, impacting roughly 4.5 million people a year, fatal ones are rare.
Dog trainer and dog behavior specialist Michael Baugh CDBC, CPDT-KSA, has been helping dogs and people, specifically children, become family.
Baugh says dog owners often forget, “We are living with animals, right? These are predators. Are dogs super adaptable? Yes, they are super adaptable.”
However, he says it can take training both dogs and people how to properly cohabitate.
“Most dog-child injuries do not make the news. They don’t even make it to the ER," he said. "But it freaks us out. It freaks us out because we expect our dogs to behave like the Pixar movie dogs, and that’s not reality.”
Here are the top mistakes he helps parents correct with their kids:
“The number one mistake that I see parents letting their kids do around dogs is running up to them," Baugh said. "The second one… is children picking up puppies. It’s a bad relationship builder. Third...is this whole sort of draping and hugging and face to face while mommy takes a picture.”
Baugh says often times, a dog’s body language is saying anything but “hug me."
When it comes to introducing an infant into a home with dogs, Baugh suggests preparing well before the baby is born.
“Introduce the dog to the sights and sounds of what a new baby is going to be about," he said.
Baugh recommends playing sounds of a baby crying and then, “associate those new things with good news for dogs. Like, 'This is great! Whenever you hear that sound, we’re going to play ball.'”
He also says it’s important to think ahead to how the dog’s life will change once the baby arrives. For example, will the dog not be allowed on the bed or in the bedroom? Will the dog be banned from the nursery?
“What is going to be different for this dog the day that the baby comes home? Let’s make those changes now, months before, so that when the baby comes so it’s old hat," he said.
Baugh says parents should always be actively watching.
“I’m specifically watching my dogs to see if he is giving me any signs that maybe he’s in trouble," he said.
Here are telltale signs your dog’s about to lose it:
- Ears back
- Dilated pupils
- Looking from the side of their eye
- Curled lip
- Tail down
- Head down
- Panting
If your dog is frozen with your child close by, “you’re in trouble. Like, we need to go ahead and intervene quickly," Baugh said.
And always trust your instincts.
"It’s kind of one of those...you know it when you feel it. Like, if you can feel the hair on the back of your neck...trust your gut on that," he said.
For more information about integrating dogs and kids, visit https://www.familypaws.com/ or http://www.ispeakdog.org/.
For more information about Baugh, tap/click here.