On the cutesy photos of kids and dogs

I've linked a good article on an issue that bothers me on nearly a daily basis. We are inundated on the internet and Facebook and Pinterest and countless others with photos of cute little babies and dogs, face to face or one on top of the other, and the reaction is supposed to be "Awwww." For me it's "Yikes!"

I'm sure that most of the time kids and dogs mix just fine. But sometimes they do not. What we don't see are the pictures of the ones who were bit in the face, who will need years of plastic surgeries to repair the damage.

One thing I've learned in years of being in the dog business is that a lot of people aren't good are reading dogs. And if you have a good dog you need to understand there are times when even a good dog will lose his cool, when he'll be forced to snap.

We had a dog named Kendall who was very sweet and good with the kids. But our son somehow stepped on or fell on her leg and she turned on him and snapped. No contact was made but it was a lesson for him and a reminder for us. You can never be 100% comfortable when dogs and kids are together. You must always be vigilant. You must always be teaching the children how to be dog smart and respectful.

The dog-child relationship can be wonderful, but first it needs to be safe.

Thanks for Reading--John