A newborn was bitten on the head and killed by a husky in Cave Springs, Arkansas.
Dog Kills Newborn
Cave Springs, AR - Benton County prosecutor Nathan Smith confirmed today that a dog killed a 4-day old infant last week. On December 14, 2022, a pet husky “put its mouth on the baby’s head,” reports 4029 TV. “The husky's tooth penetrated the baby's head.” The baby girl was transported to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where she died. The identity of the infant was not released. Police continue to investigate the baby’s death, according to Cave Springs Mayor Randall Noblett.
In a news video update, 4029 TV reported that police investigators characterized the baby’s bite injuries as “severe injuries to her head.”
KNWA/KFTA published the complete statement by prosecutor Smith: “On Wednesday, December 14, my office was notified by the Cave Springs Police Department that they were investigating the death of a 4-day-old baby girl. Based on the statements of witnesses and the opinions of medical professionals, it was determined that the fatal injuries were inflicted on the child by the family dog.” The family's husky has been euthanized, according to Cave Springs Police Lt. Keith Lawson.
The infant’s death marks the third dog mauling death in Arkansas this year, following the deaths of a 1-year old baby girl and 56-year old Sam Sullivan. Authorities did not release dog breed information in either case. The newborn’s death by a husky follows a similar pattern by the breed, whose most common victims are infants. From 2005 to 2017, huskies were involved in 13 fatal attacks. 62% (8 of 13) were infants ≤11 months old and 92% (12) were ages ≤5 years old.
We added in a footnote that: “In comparison with the other top-six killing dog breeds, only 15% (3 of 20) of German shepherd victims were infants ≤11 months old, 13% (6 of 45) of rottweiler victims, 10% (28 of 284) of pit bull victims, 7% (1 of 15) of American bulldog victims, 0% of mixed-breed victims, and 0% of mastiff/bullmastiff victims were infants." During the husky-inflicted infant attacks, the baby is often sleeping too, as was the case in the 2019 fatal husky attack in Georgia.
Related articles:
12/01/22: 2022 Dog Bite Fatality: Pack of Dogs Attack Two People, Killing One, in Arkansas
11/15/22: 2022 Dog Bite Fatality: Baby Girl Killed by Dog in Washington County, Arkansas
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
Four days old… I can’t even imagine.
This will continue to happen as long as people mistakenly think of dogs as having human understanding. I’ve seen far too many videos of Huskies being introduced to newborns, with voiceover talking about how much the dog and child will be best friends for life. The dogs invariably show an intense interest and that interest is not “love” or “loyalty” to the new baby… it’s the keen interest a predator shows toward a potential prey animal. “Aww, he loves the baby so much!” they say. And in one instant that child can be gone… a life snuffed out because parents allow a dog with strong predatory instincts access to an infant. Whether it was an intentional introduction or accidental access, this kind of tragedy will continue to occur because people forget that dogs are animals with instincts. They also forget that they are faster than humans who might even be within arm’s reach of the baby. One bite is really all it takes.
I owned a Husky about 20 years ago, and although a highly intelligent dog and generally very biddable, his prey drive when in the presence of small domestic animals like rabbits, poultry, etc was like nothing I’d ever seen before or since. I have little doubt that he would have made no distinction between a small helpless human and a small animal.
look on tiktok husky meets newborn is rampant if i had to guess these fools were trying to film ”husky meets new sister ” then boom
look at this idiot https://www.tiktok.com/@lishieandfamily/video/6832078284407311622?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=husky%20meets%20newborn%20&t=1671733096753
Terrifying!
What a sorrow! I have read of other husky fatalities on newborns due to the huskies carrying the baby by the head like their canine young.
Some of you may have seen the popular cringe-inducing podcasts of huskies w darling newborns. Try as we might, it is still worth it to attempt to dissuade the parents to keep their husky at a distance. Plus there’s the matter of newborns having a fragile immune system which cannot easily withstand the germs and parasites from dogs, especially when the dogs lick the babies on the mouth.
What a sorrow when a young mom and dad believe the feel-good but untrue responses when they get their info from quick data on the internet!
In addition, this is why it will continue to happen…
“Smith added that the investigation is ongoing, but he does not anticipate that it will end with any criminal charges being filed. The name of the family involved has not been released.”
Why wouldn’t there be criminal charges? Allowing a powerful dog to have access to an infant is negligence, just as it would be if a parent had a pet alligator and allowed it to crawl into a child’s bassinet. Parents are often held criminally accountable for negligence.
But no charges and not even having the names publicly released as they would be if this was a hot car death, a pool without a baby proof gate, or a vehicle crash with the baby not in a car seat means no accountability and no warnings for other parents. Why does death-by-dog get a free pass? I think it’s because people want to believe that all dogs are harmless and friendly, only having the best intentions. I grow so tired of memes showing a dog which says, “You can’t trust people but a dog will never break your heart.” I guarantee the hearts of this baby’s parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more are heartbroken.
Sellis, somehow I read the news wrong and mistakenly thought that there were charges pending. I mentally wished the authorities good luck making the charges stick, because public sentiment would be on the side of the poor bereaved parents. Public opinion does matter in court cases. Public approval of dogs seems to be at an all-time high.
Sellis, your posts on this are outstanding, as well as your post on a previous DBO husky attack article where you wrote of your own husky. It’s linked in this article.
I am guessing now that explanations I have read in other husky attack articles about carrying the young by the head may be written more by apologists for the breed. Due to your experience, I now gravitate much more to the prey drive explanation. Even more so due to reading about multiple bites on the head. Thanks for sharing your experiences and research on this breed.
Thank you Nunzia. Indeed, I think the “carrying young” excuse is a bid by apologists to reduce stigma, much like the tired old “he was trying to save him” line given by pit apologists when a pit bull kills someone who is having a medical emergency.
It’s also a load of bullcrap.
Huskies don’t carry their young “by the head”. They carry them by the scruff of the neck, like cats. They also discipline younger dogs by grabbing their necks due to the ruff there–so they put their point across while not committing harm.
This may be on the parents. How did that dog get close enough to grab the baby’s head? Unless there was some emergency where the parent ran out of the room and didn’t stop to move the dog/baby, this was entirely preventable before it happened. Why wasn’t the dog trained to stay away from the baby? No licking, no sniffing, that baby is *not yours*.
Regardless, euth the dog immediately as untrustworthy and it’s line is untrustworthy.
I have GSDs. Some of them carry puppies by the head. My bitch, Mandy, received a mandibular fracture from her mom by being carried by her head. Fortunately the mandible was just fractured on one side.
GSDs never carry puppies by the scruff.
They most commonly pick them up gently by the body. I’ve never seen any dog pick up a puppy by the scruff. I, of course, wouldn’t be surprised if some did.
The baby was picked up by the head because it was easy for the dog to grab. The dog then thought it had a real squeaky toy, and it did.
Neither the baby nor the dog were really responsible for this. The parents were 100% responsible for both deaths. This death angers me.
Isn’t a mother husky capable of carrying all her pups without even breaking the skin?…I believe they gently grasp the scruff of the neck…If this is so easy to do multiple times the dog is deliberately not being gentle and careful with small living things…Some predators employ a deliberate killing bite to the soft skull of stolen neonates…
On another day when a newborn dies from a completely preventable, horrific death, this is the only place I find sanity. Yes, people have gone mad for dogs at the risk of losing their precious child. I see huskies a lot now, usually dragging their owners down the street. I used to see them mostly in National Geographic specials; living outside, hauling sleds and viciously fighting among the packs.So, what are these dogs doing in people’s homes and often sleeping in their beds. No boundaries, no training, no alpha, no omega, just ignorant owners who think they can love the wild out of any breed of dog. Not too many years ago, Colleen reported on a couple’s wolfdog skulking into their baby’s room and killing it. These people really think a dog is a dog is a dog. They have the misguided belief that somehow the dog’s “love” for them will be transferred to this new little life. I have a friend who will give birth in a few months. Her large mixed breed (pit, german shepherd, catahoula) is sleeping with them. I watched this dog on Zoom literally drag her off screen by yanking on her sweater. She’s waxing poetically on how this will be the” baby’s brother.” I pray their baby will be safe. We have moved from dog worship to dog insanity. And because of that, one more little life has been snuffed out.
Teresa, your friend sounds like her family is in imminent danger. Yikes!
I realize this is easier to encourage someone else to do than to do ourselves. Is there a possibility you could offer your friend your great advice to Ana in the DBO Bennard article? Or print a copy of the Bethany Mandel article in the Daily Mail with her emphasis also on making the choice of a child or a dog? Also found in the Bennard comments.
Those new to parenting could really use the help of those older, more experienced friends to give them evidence in a kind and knowledgeable way. Which I have faith you would do.
Nunzia, thank you so much for your insights and concerns. I’ve expressed my concern to someone who is much closer to this friend than I am. I have little contact with her, mostly seeing her on social media or zoom meetings. They sent the dog away to get “trained.” Now, it’s back in the home and in the bed. As you know, this is such a difficult subject to broach with owners who really see their dogs as people. As a journalist and concerned citizen, I wish the media would do its job and inform the public, especially parents. One would think, the Bennard story would have been some kind of tipping point. The father’s mother is speaking out on a FB page called “The Pit Bull Problem.” So far, the parents are silent and, of course, traumatized. Maybe someday they can turn their tragedy into a dire warning. But even their story has grown cold. I’m so grateful I have a place to share my thoughts with a community of like-minded and compassionate people.
I don’t think dogs recognize babies as people. I think they would likely believe they are great squeaky toys. Many people give their dogs squeaky toys. Add to that a breed which is very predatory and one has a needless tragedy. Dogs have absolutely no business being around a four day old baby. The owners should have kept the dog and put the baby up for adoption. Then the baby would be alive.
They view babies as prey. That’s the cold, hard truth and no amount of rationalization will change it.
In every video I have seen of a neonatal child placed with a dog, that dog is sniffing like crazy and seemingly intoxicated by the experience to the point of a kind of rapture…They appear to become addicted to sniffing and tasting the baby — right in front of cooing parents…I believe that newborns have some kind of irresistible scent…Some of us with an acute sense of smell can pick up on it…A dog, with its powerful sense of smell must be overwhelmed by it…Parents should not let an infant anywhere near a dog — especially under these circumstances…
I agree. Babies, toddlers, young children, children & even teens act remarkably differently from adults & between the different groups (babies vs. young children, for example). They move, vocalize & just are different.
My almost 10-month old sheltie treats my nieces & nephews differently based on age. And she’s never left alone with them, though the youngest is 6 & she weighs 12 lbs.
The increased tendency to use dogs as children or to act like they’re otherwise human is at the root of many of our current problems. They’re not going to reason like we do, because they’re dogs. They certainly aren’t kids. Don’t expect them to start empathizing one day at a high level as humans can while engaging in rational thought (“I’d be really frightened if that happened to me.”). They just recognize we’re scared & may/may not care.
And I hate being called a ‘pet parent’ when I’m buying stuff. It’s ridiculous, & demeans both me & my absentee dog.
I chose the verb ‘to use’ on purpose. This isn’t about what the dog needs. This is about what the human wants & fulfilling some deep set emotional issue. Treating any species respectfully means treating them in a species appropriate manner. Dogs are treated as children routinely now. And their behavior just gets worse & worse.
It’s also why no one wants to euthanize any of them for behaviour. We don’t kill kids who make a mistake, so we shouldn’t kill dogs who do. I disagree. Dogs aren’t kids. And dogs come after kids/seniors/all people in importance. At least to me. As more actual dog experts who didn’t grow up in this weird culture of dog worship age & pass away, I expect we’ll see more of this, along with a boatload of excuses from internet-made experts (AKA fake experts).
When I’m swinging my pup behind my back & facing off with an off-leash, adult, male Rottweiler, yelling at him as he tries to get around me & determinedly marching into his space to save my dog, I don’t care that “he’s a rescue” or “he hates dogs on leashes”.
When some _____ lets his dog back into a run where there were normal dogs previously, & now his Anatolian Shepherd is repeatedly pinning my puppy to the ground belly up, refusing to let her get up, & moving a few feet every time I catch up, you refuse to call him off, I actually don’t care if your dog lives/dies. He was glaring at me like maladjusted dogs guarding their dinner do. This was a public dog run. A mini poodle is whom I thought she’d play with.
There is no doubt in my mind that both dogs saw my pup as prey. I’ve also no doubt that they saw this poor child as prey. RIP, baby girl; we’ve all failed you, if only by not speaking the truth about dogs. :'(
These two incidents actually happened. And I know for sure what the breeds were. I was obsessed with dogs in high school & to this day can reliably tell breeds & many cross breeds (much to the dismay of the Mastif-Cane Corso owners in my elderly parents’ neighborhood). Anatolian guy was shocked when I readily asked why he had such a dog unless he had 300+ acres to go with it, after I’d rescued my pup & locked her in the car.
Anyone who has ever anthropomorphized a dog shares responsibility in this & all the other needless deaths. If you don’t tell the truth & someone gets hurt because of your lie, you’re as guilty as the dog. And I don’t care if it’s legal, what you did, you’re guilty & one day you’ll understand the meaning of karma. It’s real.
You don’t trust your little Sheltie or you don’t trust the kids to leave them alone for a few minutes? Shelties are a reliable breed though they can be fear biters if not given opportunity to escape, which kids sometimes engage in. I have Boston Terriers, they are trustworthy to be in the same room as my elementary aged kid if I’m not supervising, that’s part of companion breed selection and knowing your individual dogs plus kids boundaries. Just seems odd to have a companion bred dog that you don’t trust. At least the kids are safe in the end.
I don’t trust the youngest child and I don’t trust my sheltie. She’s still a pup (10 months), and I’ve made some beginner mistakes raising her too. We’re seeing a trainer tomorrow. 🙂
When I was a kid we watched a short educational film in school about the dangers of tsunamis – I’ll never forget the potential danger of seeing the tide very low.
Today we have the opposite: people create photos and short videos demonstrating that babies and large dogs supposedly go together. There is no voice of authority warning of the dangers.
I hope we can sway the court of public opinion somehow towards reason, safety, and the valuation of human life. We could use more filmmakers on our side, for one thing.
I can only imagine what the parents are going through. How many people have them bad advice such as “dogs are family members”? How many tiktok videos did they see of babies and dogs together?
The difference here is that actual Husky supporters/owners are not going to say “But they’re nanny dogs”. They aren’t.
Especially when young and under-exercised and misunderstood, they are not for the faint of heart. They practically defy gravity with their stunts and agility and if they want to get away or are bored, they’re escape artists. Thus, it is especially important for them to be engaged and off-lead trained and take a great deal of training geared towards learning patience and trustworthiness.. And some of them, are just not designed for house living, at all.
Every time a movie/tv show comes out with them and their popularity soars, huskies wind up in trouble as do the people around them.
One of them is a handful. Two is madness. Packs of them can take down a polar bear. Two can take down an arctic wolf.
The Innuit and Dene are extremely careful which ones are allowed to survive around their families. And they don’t care how pretty an aggressive puppy or dog looks. They understand, as do dog sledders that two males competing for leadership are a danger to the whole pack as well as humans.
They use their teeth as well as their ears and nose to make sense of the world around them.
Anyone looking for a Nanny Dog shouldn’t own one. They’re not. They have an independent streak and a very pronounced pack order regardless of anyone who wants to deny their basic nature. Food doesn’t mean enough to them to use as the sole “Purely Positive” training device.
They’re not protective or particularly territorial for all their size but they can have a host of other questionable behaviors.
The rule “this is NOT YOURS” (including the baby, the cat etc) must be rigidly enforced for the safety of pets, people and the sofa and far too many people don’t want to put that much work and attention into an animal.
They’re not beagles or poodles. They’re a dog bred for many centuries to live in difficult conditions and to work. They need work, even if that’s pulling home a bag of milk in a toy wagon or careening around an agility course.
This is a truly sad story about a breed I respect because the owners didn’t take into account the breed and the dog they actually owned, not the one they dreamed they owned. The “funny” stories about the dogs escaping before a tragedy occurred means they didn’t understand these dogs, at all.
Huskies are not killing healthy adult polar bears and wolves, that is as much a fantasy as ridgebacks “taking down” lions on the Serengeti. Chasing and harassing these apex predators while the human uses a weapon from a distance maybe, and the dog loss will still be probable just like hunting any predator or large game. Huskies are just high prey driven dogs, they aren’t magical apex predator stoppers. Even the livestock guardian dogs breed for centuries to stop apex predators aren’t capable of killing a polar bear and need a number to stop wolf predation as American wolves are huge compared to the native wolves these breeds protect against in their home countries. Stopping other dogs like huskies from their flock is what they primarily do here anyway though. ☕🐸
That puts the husky at crucial age when huskies have more energy than brains until they’re run out. We’re talking 2 hours of pure exercise per day, potty times and training time. What family with a newborn has time for that?
Again the family had no business (and neither do all those YouTube/Instagram/TikTok fools) giving that dog access to a baby.
Hate Caesar Milan all you want for his other stances or methods but he was right on one thing. Dogs should firmly be taught to stay far away from babies and small children or the people holding them. Not Yours.
Also, that children are not a source of food, no matter how much they wave it around. Not Yours.
Do I blame the husky? Well, I’d put it down because it has killed and thus, not trustworthy again. It’s also an object lesson for other parents with dogs.
What happens when a similar incident occurs, but its NOT a dog involved? PRISON
Consider: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/09/30/12-years-after-pet-python-killed-a-toddler-victims-mother-is-released-from-prison/
So, pet snake kills kid and its 12 years in prison (check out the comments, many people thought the sentence was too short!).
Pet dog kills kid and everyone feels sorry for the parents and no charges are filed.
Anyone see the big double standard, here?
A huge double standard indeed! Thanks for sharing that article. If the same consequences were put in place for death-by-dog, I think we’d see some culture shift.
We rarely see hordes of people with “momma to a scale baby” stickers on their car, or memes with “humans will break your heart but snakes never will.” People want to believe that dogs are furry human children, and it’s reflected everywhere! People aren’t dog owners any more, they’re “pet parents” with “fur babies” and that new infant was likely introduced to the dog as a “new baby sister.” We live in a society that refuses to look at truth, as long as people are happy in their delusions and those delusions are accepted by enough people and affirmed through social media like all the husky/baby intro videos. And a culture that is this disconnected from reality can’t see dogs as potentially dangerous in the same way they see reptiles. Yet the statistics tell the truth.
A parent allowing one of the handful of dog breeds involved in human fatalities access to their children should be just as liable as the snake-owning parents when a dog kills a child. And anyone who cried out for justice for that child asphixiated by the snake should be crying out for justice for this newborn baby, but it won’t happen until we have a massive culture shift back to realism and sanity. Dogs are animals, just as snakes are. We can’t make-believe them into being furry people.
In addition to the delusional quality of these relationships, add in enabling. The ‘pet parents’ enabling statements such as “he’s just trying to say hello,” as the dog is threatening people and dogs, “he just wants to say hi” as the dog is growling at the same, or “Dont look at him and stand still…he needs to warm up” are now accepted in the doggie world.
Rescue groups, no-kill shelters, dog Mommies, veterinary behaviorists, etc are all culpable in sustaining enabling environments in which dangerous dogs are allowed to thrive.
Enablers deny their dog has injured another dog or a human by using enabling statements that support their enabling thoughts and actions And, they surround themselves with like-minded enablers. (rescue groups)
Unless our sick society can stop enabling, we are not likely to live in a safe society, I am sorry to say.
My own sister gave such excuses when her dog (a larger than normal Cocker Spaniel) jumped up and bit my daughter in the face when she was 6, sitting in my sister’s lap and gently petting the dog after asking and being given permission. I don’t know what kind of mental disconnect happened, but later on she told family members that my daughter “surprised” the poor doggy. The dog which my sister called over, asked to sit for petting and which had been introduced to the child and pet for about 30 seconds before he lunged at her without even a warning growl or lifted lip? Yeah… “surprised.”
She made excuses. And it’s all I ever hear when these things happen. He was scared. He was trying to help. He was triggered by a memory from puppyhood. He was jealous of the new baby. Someone coughed. Someone looked at it funny. He thought the child had food. Fireworks scared it. And for Huskies, “That’s how they carry their babies.” Oh wow, with deadly bone-piercing force?
Sellis, I think what’s happening on misinformation about huskies carrying babies, for example, is reporters for basic news gather information to write news reports on death by dangerous dogs. Shelters, animal control and dog lovers provide theories to the reporters either directly or thru their own research.
My initial information came via basic news reports. I am not generally on social media.
What would be valuable to the public–like someone thinking about getting a dog–would be excellent summarized data and behavioral anecdotes about the breeds of dangerous dogs. I learned quite a bit all in some article posts by you and Boni in the linked 2019 Georgia husky attack and in this article. This is quick info from years of comparative analysis experience. I know there are guidelines written by the pet industry. Who knows how many of these are read by the public, especially young people whose enthusiasm carries them further than their brains? I well remember.
Oh, this makes me nervous. We have a cocker spaniel and a 2-month old baby. The CS was given to us a year and a half ago by a friend who was not forthcoming about the dog’s issues. She was very food-aggressive and bit us several times before we were able to train it out of her. We have 2 older children as well (11 ad 13) and have trained her to respect them, but I am nervous about when the baby starts crawling. We will definitely be “one strike you’re out” on the dog and put her down if she shows any aggression towards the baby… but on the other hand I don’t want to to wait for a “strike”! It’s sad. She’s not a bad dog but was just previously raised without any boundaries or discipline and I’m worried that old habits die hard. I doubt a CS could cause a fatality (God forbid) but she did draw blood when she first bit me over food.
Here’s a classic example of the pit propaganda machine. Actor, Justin Theroux bringing his pit bull aka date to the recent CNN Heroes event. Another delusion affirmed through social media.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11529825/Justin-Theroux-brings-pit-bull-present-award-CNN-Heroes-Star-Tribute.html
“She remained calm when Selena Gomez walked to their table to give her and Justin a hug, and was non-plussed when she took the stage with The White House Plumbers star as he joined CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and honoree Carie Broecker.”
The man has a dog in a public place with a bunch of people. If it was a goldie, nobody would bother to mention if it wasn’t an idiot, only if it _was_ because nobody would be surprised if it acted like…a trained goldie in a public place.
/facepalm
And why was it there? Did it save someone from a fire?
Boni…Theroux was giving out, not receiving an award. He should be receiving the Darwin Award. He has officially “gone around the bend.” He is obsessed with his “rescue” pit bull; posting pictures of having candle light dinners with it and describing how it sleeps in his bed with its head on the pillow next to his face. He’s using his celebrity status to promote this dangerous breed with no regard for the facts. This is a big reason hapless people bring a lethal pet into to their homes.
Ashley, why take a chance? You have a precious newborn that needs to be protected.
I agree, having raised several kids with dogs. Lessen your parental stress load by rehoming the dog through a reputable cocker rescue who will adequately evaluate*and* willing does behavioral euthanasia. You and your family deserve peace, if the dog is otherwise a reasonable pet then it deserves a peaceful home as well.
Excellent comment, Sellis. Thank you.
What, no “nanny snake” defense? I thought pythons were bred to babysit human children.
A snake is a snake. It doesn’t matter if it’s a python or a garter snake. Don’t blame the breed. Blah Blah Blah.
Dogs will be dogs … they r dogs after all
Never been a fan
So I’m never dissappointed
Disgusted but not dissappointed
I have been on a pitbull foster site. These people believe that killing anyone by a pitbull is just a mistake. So why not treat it as just an error with a bad result. People kill other people all the time and are not executed so why is a dog automatically killed for killing or maiming people.
The site disallows any mention of euthanasia and training.
One pitbull jumped the fence, attacked the neighbors’ two dogs, bit the dogs’ owner as he tried to retrieve his dog from the pitbull’s mouth, and then he was very aggressive to rescue people and other animals.
Animal Control took the dog to a shelter and marked it as not releasable to rescue which means an automatic death sentence. Both dogs attacked survived. But the dog didn’t kill anyone. No human being would haven gotten a death sentence for that.
Another pitbull attacked two horses walking with riders and injured one horse. These jokers said any dog would have gotten vicious when one horse kicked him, and any dog would have chased the horses. Now the pitbull has been designated as a dangerous dog and the landlord will no longer permit the dog to live there. It needs a new pet parent.
Essentially, transport the dangerous dogs around the country to unsuspecting adopters. Jumping fences to
kill people and animals? The doggy just needs more training.
Pregnant with a dangerous dog?
You wouldn’t get rid of a child when you are pregnant so why a fur baby?
I fear the worst is yet to come. The USA cannot provide homes for a zillion extra pitbulls every year. Perhaps China or Korea has homes for them.
I personally believe that my neighbor years ago brought in a pair of pitbulls that had already been in trouble. That was the immediate cause of the male pitbull killing our dog.
So people just dump these dogs in the country where they again maim and kill.
4 day old babies are asleep 90+% of the time, deluded dog worshippers will say ‘the dog reacted to the babie’s crying and it was wriggling around like their prey’ or some other BS.. the headline for this latest attack was ‘Demon Dog Kills 4 Day of Newborn’ on the site I just saw it on, just a poor little sleeping baby whose parents ignorantly trusted the family dog.
Ashley…sorry I couldn’t answer underneath your comment. Hope you see this.
Didja see my comment about “Not Yours”?
Think like a dog trainer. Set up scenarios with food, toys, etc and say “Not Yours” and the dog is not allowed to touch those items. Pick them up, move them around and it is always “Not Yours”. The dog is not finished the exercise until they ignore the item. Keep upping the ante until you can walk out of the room and the dog will not touch the items. Use a leash for enforcement. Some people add treats.
Teach “Place”. This are designated areas so pointing, helps. Point to a towel, dog bed, blanket etc and walk the dog over with a lead and it must stay there. Doesn’t matter if it sits or lies down but it must stay there until you say it can leave. Again, keep upping the Distance you are away and the Duration of the exercise.
You don’t need to be mean about it, but you do need to practise and be consistent.
Why these two commands?
Anytime the baby is around, the baby is NOT YOURS and PLACE. Why two commands? Because sometimes you will be somewhere there is nowhere to “place” the dog plus, if there’s an emergency for you, the dog has been trained that the baby is always NOT YOURS. “Place” teaches calmness when a bunch of kids are running about or there’s a lot of household activity.
Never allow jumping on someone holding an item or the baby.
This should circumvent most potential problems. You could always crate the dog (and if you can’t pay attention at that time, you should) but life gets in the way so you need a way to make the dog safe for emergencies and unforseen events.
If you struggle with these, ask a dog trainer for help.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming…
It’s easier on everyone just to rehome/behavioral euth this dog as it’s already bitten and proven untrustworthy. Why put all that energy into a problematic dog when you have a family that needs your limited energy? The safety bubble and place work for dogs of good temperament, otherwise this situation is right up there with crate & rotate and constant vigilance like pit bull owners.
Thank you, this is very helpful! She is very good about “place”, though we say “kennel” and she runs into her crate and remains for a time even with the door open. I will definitely work on “not yours” – and though she is small she has a bad habit of jumping up on people in excitement and I need to halt that behavior. Harder to “teach an old dog new tricks” but I know it can still be accomplished with consistent effort. Thanks again!
“put its mouth on the baby’s head,”
Are they serious? A dog ‘putting it’s mouth’ on a baby’s head won’t kill them. But you know what will? A dog ATTACKING a baby in the face and using them like a chew toy. My gosh the media will do anything to protect the imagine of pit bulls, crib snatching huskies, rottweilers, and all of these other dangerous breeds!
I noticed that wording too. Dogs put their mouths on just about all the victims on this site, I think.
Commentary from Arkansas on 2 huskies mauling a 9-yr-old. See second half of article under Dog attacks.
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/oct/09/tearful-moment/
I can’t add much to the excellent comments that have been posted. It hurts thinking about that precious baby that died so horrifically. I used to consider myself a dog person, but after being constantly exposed to all the poorly trained dogs EVERYWHERE I go and live, I really don’t care for them much. I’m so happy to have you all here in this community who get it and won’t think I’m a horrible person for not thinking every dog is God’s gift to man.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/ebrso-7-year-old-girl-dies-from-injuries-after-dog-attack-dog-s-owner-charged/ar-AA1644cU
Poor little angel. Children can no longer play safely outdoors. People cannot walk freely in their neighborhoods. Nor can bike riders bike without fear. We are living in a war zone.