This fresh from Dallas:
“A tragic scene unfolded in a Texas home when a 3-month-old baby was mutilated by a family’s pit bull mix, just as police were outside responding to an unrelated domestic call.
“Infant Rayden Bruce died Monday night at a Fort Worth hospital from his injuries, while the 4-year-old dog was euthanized Tuesday by Burleson Animal Control.” Fox affiliate KDFW reported.
Too common, right? Let’s explore how you can keep your dog and baby out of catastrophic events like the one in Texas.
to do list
• How does your pet react to other little people? Is the dog very nervous, does it have a tendency to be predatory? You may want to contact a professional canine behavior consultant for analysis and ways to redirect and retrain the stray.
• Before the baby arrives – Read: Months before – enroll the puppy in some kind of dog obedience classes.
• Stay away from aggression games with the canine.
• Take your dog to the vet for a checkup and any necessary vaccinations.
• Check with your Big Box pet store to see if they have a CD of recorded sounds the dog will find when the baby comes home. These recordings have things like “crying baby”, “screaming baby”, “laughing baby” and noises like that.
• Whenever you have a people-friendly dog, take him out on a leash for some socialization exercises. You especially want your pet to get used to babies and children. When the dog remains calm with the others, give them a treat and a few words of praise.
• When you get home from the hospital with your happy bag of bones, gradually introduce your child to his best friend. Mom must go into the house, alone, and greet the pet. Put them on a leash and ask them to sit and stay still. Her spouse can now come in, but not to hang out with you and the dog. They need to take the baby to his crib. Let things go back to normal for a while. Once the baby has calmed down and the dog has decided it’s “no big deal,” introduce the two of you. Not face to face, but slowly, in a non-threatening manner towards the puppy. Let the dog sniff the baby’s toes. Don’t go beyond that with the first meeting.
• Never, ever leave young children alone with a dog. Even the friendliest friend can be frightened if he believes he is being threatened. Take a look at this link. It will take you to the American Veterinary Medical Association and their advice on “Dog Bite Prevention.” (https://www.avma.org/public/Pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention.aspx)
• Cordon off a couple of new places in your house. Call one the “Baby Place”, the other is the “Dog Place”. These enclosed areas allow you to safely separate the two of you so the dog can relax and you can bond with your child without making the canine jealous.
• See a professional if you ever observe unacceptable behavior between your dog and anyone within his sphere of influence. Also, any sudden change in the pet’s attitude should be addressed immediately.