Jack Russell has killed a baby ! OMG

EAST KENT said:
Jack russells..bred to go to ground and KILL foxes/KILL rats and all vermin.Sorry baby you really did pick some super stupid parents,for which you and a dog paid the price.THEY should be done for bad parenting resulting in death.:mad:
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If you knew this family personally, you would know what a vile thing you have just said. Maybe when you know the "facts" and not what the papers write to sell their papers, you may feel differently. :mad:
 
I trust my two terriers (and retriever) quite a lot, however they are not rational, thinking beings. They are hunting dogs (well not the goldie) but all dogs have it in their remit to bite (they are dogs!) so I never, ever let them be anywhere near my baby girl.
She's 3 months and they are still not allowed near her and wont be until she is of an age where SHE knows what she's doing and not "knock downable" (retriever!)

It's hugely sad, terrible for all involved. If it's as simple as they left the baby alone with the dog then I can only shake my head and sigh and ache with them for their loss. Please people, don't leave your dog alone with your baby. What does it gain you? Nothing, and what could you lose? Everything.
:(

ETA - personally, when I brought my baby home my three were all highly stressed by her crying and our stressed-ness! They were and have ever since been, relegated to the utility. Don't feel too sorry, they are farm dogs and get walked every day over our farm. But it'll be a long time before they come into the house again.
 
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Absolutely tragic for the family involved :( We dont know all the circumstances yet so I think those posters who are jumping in to criticise are a bit previous. I do remember being told millions of years ago when my own son was small never to trust a dog with a baby as the noises a baby makes sound to a dog, like the noises made by small animals, (rats, rabbits etc) and your average dog will behave as you would expect a dog to behave with a small rodent!! Accidents can and do happen and tragically, it appears that this family have found out in the very saddest of circumstances that dogs really cannot be trusted 100%.
 
Such an awful story. I won't leave Brax either in a room alone with a child, or in a position where he could get to the child without an adult supervising. He's the soppiest, stupidest labrador, and I KNOW he would never hurt a child, but he wouldn't have to do it intentionally - if the child offered Brax a toy, he takes with his teeth! Or he's a big dog, if he knocked the baby over... Its just such a risk and not one I'd ever be willing to take.

We won't ever have children but I suppose when I get to an age where my friends are having kids, we would just put him away into his room of the house until baby is gone.
 
and it can be something that most people will just not think of. The public make assumptions about dogs and how a dog will behave. Did anyone else notice that it was quite a long time before they said what breed the dog was? if had been a stafford or a stafford cross then the papers would have been shouting it out. Perhaps if the media would focus on deed and not breed then some of these accidents could be prevented. The perception is complete amazement that a JRT would attack. On this forum, there is complete amazement that anyone would think ANY dog would be safe with a small baby. I am sure the family are completely shocked and devastated..
 
Has anyone seen printed pics of the dogs that the family own, while I know the heritage of the JRT is a mishmash, but they just look like mutts to me. Terrier types but neither would I call a JRT.
 
I don't trust any dog with a baby or child no matter how good they are a simple illness can make a dog react and its not fair to put either at risk. Children should be supervised they are for a vast majority at fault when these things happen.

My house has dog gates at every door and mine are crated they are enormous and take up half the house but its worth it. They all get time out on a one in one out basis as well as their walks, training, work and competing so are well exercised and mentally stimulated.

We train as PAT dogs and often have children and babies at these sessions without fault but I still don't take the risk.

Why oh why do people not understand that the habits you think are funny as a puppy, biting, playfighting, on the sofa in the beds etc in the long run do not help protect the dog :( most stop training after the first puppy class when dogs need continued training just to keep them on the ball :( Its heart breaking when you read stories like these no matter what the circumstances as rescue gets a sudden influx of dogs from new mums or mums to be in fear for their children rather than putting in the effort to make a family.

What has annoyed me reading the newspaper reports is that some of the papers have deemed it acceptable to raid this poor young girls facebook and twitter pages for photos that make her look like a cheap tart, putting the price of the family home to add to the image that they are from a poor family who are poorly educated and therefore this was bound to happen being irresponsible - NO PAPER has the right to steal photos. If anyone posts an image make sure you put a copyright signature at least then it offers some protection.

My heart goes out to the family they must be devastated and rightly so but it also goes to the dog whose lost its life :(:(
 
CaveCanem said:
Has anyone seen printed pics of the dogs that the family own, while I know the heritage of the JRT is a mishmash, but they just look like mutts to me. Terrier types but neither would I call a JRT.
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Some of the papers aren't able to confirm that the dog in the photos IS the dog thats done the deed only that it is a family pet on the girls twitter/fb page.
 
This is tragic, absolutely awful, but could happen to any one of us with a dog TBH.

Domestic dogs are (apparently) 99% wolf, and we can't ever forget we are basically dealing with a wild animal. Same as horses really I guess. Its something we all tend to forget at some time or other and then are surprised and shocked when awful things like this happen.

Problems often develop with a newborn child as regards jealousy. You may, for instance, have a little dog who's been the centre of someone's attention, and then suddenly because of a new child in the house, they're not getting any attention, and pack jealousies and rivalries develop without being noticed, and then something snaps, like in this instance.

Of course, its very easy to be wise after the event: and no amount of good "advice" or "what should have been done" statements will bring the poor child back.

Its easy to demonise certain breeds of dog as well: but apparently the breed of dog that has carried out the most attacks on people, statistically, is the Golden Retriever. Probably simply because everyone wants one, because they look "nice", and they're in the main bought by people who haven't got a clue about how to care for a working breed that in its natural state would be working all day in the great outdoors collecting game and getting rid of all its frustrations, instead of which it gets shut up in a small house with virtually no exercise and probably a small toddler tormenting it & teasing it - equals recipe for disaster.

Poor baby, poor parents, this is awful, but, TBH, unfortunately not surprising. An awful accident and could happen to anyone.
 
Absolutely tragic, that poor family and dog :-(

I can just imagine the amount of dogs that will be coming into rescue through this as well, 'I'm pregnant my dog has to go' has always been a well used excuse, this will make it all the more so :mad:
 
The dogs pictured look like two different dogs to me, and as mentioned, neither looks like a JRT.

Unpalatable as it is, if the pictures are in the public domain (On Twitter, Facebook available for anyone to see) then the paper is not breaking any laws or stealing anything.
If you put your pic on a social networking site, you have no rights pretty much.
 
I noticed that Luci. Papers described the dog as not a dangerous dog. Nowhere was the phrase devil dog etc used. If it was a bull breed the reporting would have been very different.

It's very sad for all involved.
 
Interesting about the golden retriever. In my personal experience, it has been labs. Labs who killed a friends dog, bit my brother etc etc. Yet my uncle bred them as shooting dogs and his were always lovely as are the ones that belong to friends. Just shows that any dog can "go wrong" if trained wrongly.
 
Copperpot said:
I noticed that Luci. Papers described the dog as not a dangerous dog. Nowhere was the phrase devil dog etc used. If it was a bull breed the reporting would have been very different.

It's very sad for all involved.
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Exactly. So the media, yet again, seeks to blame a breed. People are astounded when I tell them that a staffordshire bull terrier is one of only 2 breeds recommended by the KC as being good as "nanny dogs". Until people stop focusing on a breed as an excuse, these dreadful accidents will not stop.
 
Any dog around any kids can be dangerous. My greyhound is big and doesn't know his own strength so when around my cousins (2&6) he has knocked them over a few times and growled at the 2 year old once when she fell on him while he was asleep. He's never bitten, and hopefully never will but whenever he's near kids he's not really given food/toys and he always has another room to go in that he can get some peace and quiet in if he wants to. I don't particularly like him around kids too much, he's fine 99% of the time but any dog can snap.
 
Utterly tragic :(

I'm currently sat on my sofa with my baby asleep on my chest, and dog asleep next to me, dog spends all day with me and the baby and had no problems adjusting to her arrival. However, I would never ever leave them alone together, I can't see any reason why you would, even for a second. It IS without doubt more work having a baby with a dog than without one, and you have to set your house up for it, but I do think it's good for kids to grow up with animals.
 
In the Daily Mail, it says that the dog was confined to the kitchen and managed to escape through the safety gate. Just so tragic
 
Poor baby and poor family :(

I trust my dog 100% with kids when I'm there. Yellow Dog wouldn't put a paw out of place but then again he doesn't get the chance. Sandy is the same. They've both been around crawling children and babies and mauled fairly well but they both seem to like it. Bear on the other hand would remove herself if a child was around so we saw to it that no children went near her bed, she was actually scared of children (no idea why, we had her from pup so no bad experiences) and would run away if a small child went near her. She only growled once when some idiot mum lowered her baby into Bear's bed - luckily we were there and told her what for!
 
A horrible, horrible situaition. Made worse, as so many are, by ignorant media coverage.

We have a fair number of "urban" friends with babies and they often tell us to bring the dogs with us when we visit and even express an interest in getting their kids used to dogs. I got talked into it by my OH (an intelligent person but little experience with dogs before we got the older of our two) a couple of times when we just had the older dog, who is very soft and loves everyone but even at that point the stress nearly killed me!! The younger dog has "issues" from a very bad start and it's a no go with kids. I don't care that she "should get used to them" she does not need to and it is not worth the risk so long as she can coexist with them safely in the park etc.

But still people ask!! And still I get told I'm being unreasonable when I refuse.

That is part of what is awful about this? How do we know the parents were okay with the dog anywhere near the baby? Or that they weren't told it wouldn't happen?

Everyone on here looks out for their dogs and their kids but so many kids - and dogs - are not so lucky. Out of curiosity, what do people do if they are taking their small children into situations where other people's dogs are involved? Do you not go? Ask that the dogs be removed?
 
TarrSteps said:
A horrible, horrible situaition. Made worse, as so many are, by ignorant media coverage.

We have a fair number of "urban" friends with babies and they often tell us to bring the dogs with us when we visit and even express an interest in getting their kids used to dogs. I got talked into it by my OH (an intelligent person but little experience with dogs before we got the older of our two) a couple of times when we just had the older dog, who is very soft and loves everyone but even at that point the stress nearly killed me!! The younger dog has "issues" from a very bad start and it's a no go with kids. I don't care that she "should get used to them" she does not need to and it is not worth the risk so long as she can coexist with them safely in the park etc.

But still people ask!! And still I get told I'm being unreasonable when I refuse.

That is part of what is awful about this? How do we know the parents were okay with the dog anywhere near the baby? Or that they weren't told it wouldn't happen?

Everyone on here looks out for their dogs and their kids but so many kids - and dogs - are not so lucky. Out of curiosity, what do people do if they are taking their small children into situations where other people's dogs are involved? Do you not go? Ask that the dogs be removed?
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My only concern, though I agree with some things here, is that you say your dog has 'issues' with kids, but is ok provided she can coeexist with them in the park. What would happen if a young tiny kid started teasing or winding up your dog in a park?
 
TarrSteps, yes, I ask the dogs to be put under close control or removed, if not happy I take the children away...... In a public place I'd call the police if dogs are in any way causing a problem through being loose or out of control (and this icludes the "only being friendly" dog running up at all even with tail wagging who knocks down, jumps up etc.. I would never let a child under my supervision approach or taunt a dog.

How awfully sad for this faily to have lost their baby, it sounds as if it was a single bite too.

Considering that most dogs will eat afterbirth of any mammal given the chance, including that of humans, it is not at all surprising that they may consider a newborn a meal.
 
Moomin, the younger dog is never off lead when children are present and is removed from any situation I feel might go badly. In actual fact she does not react negatively to children but she does have a chequered past and I would have concerns about the risks of exposing her to kids unnecessarily, even muzzled, as I feel it would stress her and send the wrong message to her. If we were to have children in the house - which isn't going to happen - she is the sort of dog I would consider rehoming even if the dogs never had access to the children.

As to kids winding dogs up strange dogs in the park, I see it all the time and frankly, I don't understand why more people aren't bitten. Obviously it is the dog owner's responsibility to remove/control the dog but many don't and having dogs in an urban area can be running a real gauntlet.

I think it's a shame as the less exposure people have the more likely they are to react in fear and ignorance. I loved being around dogs and other animals as a kid and I'm grateful my mother took the time to teach me how to behave around them. But I can only control my dogs, not other people's kids so generally, I'm not keen to experiment. Babies, of course, are a completely different matter and I would never allow my non-baby broke dogs in an enclosed area with one. If we are visiting, they stay home or in the car.
 
Btw, I was once informed after the fact that our dogs had been taken not only to a house with a baby, but during a party!! Apparently the dogs showed no interest at all but I nearly lost my mind when I found out. :)

Goes to show though, sometimes even smart people do dumb things. Usually we get away with it but that doesn't mean the worst can't happen.
 
my aunties family in Wales were the ones where a 3 month old boy was killed by a jrt and a staff. No dog should ever be left with a baby..
they make strange noises that dogs don't understand!
 
We have young kids come visit occasionally. The dogs are fine with them but obviously would never be left unattended with them. The staffy is the best with kids. He goes from his usual bouncy self to very gentle and careful. The jack russell begrudgingly lets kids dress him up in all sorts of bizarre outfits! The dobie tends to keep herself to herself. But there is one little girl who comes round who she is besotted with. Follows her everywhere and constantly stands next to her.

When we are out walking most
Parents will not let their kids stroke the staffy or the dobie :( but a few have asked to stroke the jack russell. If we come across kids that are scared of dogs I always offer them a stroke, so they can see the dogs are not to be scared of.
 
Never ever trust ANY dog alone with a child.My jaundiced attitude has simply been built on through the years to the opinion now that the public ,where dogs are concerned,are just plain stupid.There was a very similar incident years back where a bull terrier bitch killed a new born because it was in it`s carrycot and the dog was allowed in loose.In my own experience I rehomed a five year old bitch with an Aussie family,she was fine with their eigt year old,they neglected to say they had a baby!Anyway,their brilliant idea of a way of introduction was to lay the naked baby on a rug on the floor and let the dog in.It still makes me shiver now as to what might have happened,but the dog took possession of the baby and guarded it against the parents.She was returned next day...their excuse was "we know bull terriers and they all love kids". Just think on those teeth and that fat naked little body..now whose fault would that have been?Certainly not the dog`s,it never is.
 
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My 3 have been very good around children though I have to watch the younger 2 so they are not too exuberant. However a good friend has a very fragile 3 year old and my dogs do not even think about jumping or running at her and they are very careful with her.

Still would not leave them alone or near a newborn. Babies are just too fragile and accidents can easily happen.
 
TarrSteps said:
A horrible, horrible situaition. Made worse, as so many are, by ignorant media coverage.

We have a fair number of "urban" friends with babies and they often tell us to bring the dogs with us when we visit and even express an interest in getting their kids used to dogs. I got talked into it by my OH (an intelligent person but little experience with dogs before we got the older of our two) a couple of times when we just had the older dog, who is very soft and loves everyone but even at that point the stress nearly killed me!! The younger dog has "issues" from a very bad start and it's a no go with kids. I don't care that she "should get used to them" she does not need to and it is not worth the risk so long as she can coexist with them safely in the park etc.

But still people ask!! And still I get told I'm being unreasonable when I refuse.

That is part of what is awful about this? How do we know the parents were okay with the dog anywhere near the baby? Or that they weren't told it wouldn't happen?

Everyone on here looks out for their dogs and their kids but so many kids - and dogs - are not so lucky. Out of curiosity, what do people do if they are taking their small children into situations where other people's dogs are involved? Do you not go? Ask that the dogs be removed?
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I ask for the dogs to be moved or if at the yard tell the dog owners to put them in the car. Both my sons have been brought up with dogs and have been taught to respect them and that not all dogs are like the one they play with at home. Also they were told never to approach strange dogs.
 
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