Supervise your Children when in the Presents of your Pets

I read a disturbing article in a BC, Canadian news paper today. It was about the death of a BC boy by the attack of household dogs. This happened in December of 2004, but is now finishing the trial proceedings.

I had a mixture of feelings while reading the article. First I have to admit that I was sad that there is another black mark on Rottweilers. I have issues with pointing fingers at specific breeds. There are many aggressive dogs, in many breed categories, but Rottweilers seem to get the spot light when ever there is an incident. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks it is media fear mongering, even though there are many statistics on their side, but I do believe that the statistics are relative though. My Grandparents had a Pomeranian that was a canine piranha. My grandma's arms were always bloody from bites. The little dog partook in the flesh of many people, but because of his size not one incidence was reported. It is just too easy to say one particular breed is aggressive.

By focusing on the breed of dog I think they are loosing the key lesson that needs to be learned. Dogs are dogs; there are a variety of them all with different dispositions. They also interact with each person differently. Children should be taught respect for all dogs, they are living beings. It doesn't matter if you have the friendliest dog in the world. You need to be aware of their interaction with children. My Rottweiler/German Sheppard cross is a big kid magnet. He looks like Scooby Doo and loves to kiss kids, but I always watch him. Not because I think he will do anything, it is just because it is the responsible thing to do.

I support dog awareness for pet owners, children and parents, and I hope that the public can learn from this tragedy.