KC DOG BLOG

Pedigree dogs becoming stupid?

  Last month, I wrote a blog posting about the program "Pedigree Dogs Exposed".  The program focused on breeding of pedigree dogs in the UK and how the small number of available lines used for breeding has caused a rash of health problems in a lot of breeds.

Now, a new study from researcher Kenth Svartberg, of Stockholm University, indicates that pedigree dogs may not be as smart as their ancestors.  Svartberg concluds that the practice of breeding dogs for appearance has led to a decline in intelligence.

"Modern breeding practices are affecting the behaviour adn mental abilities of pedigree breeds as well as their physical features," he said.

In his testing of 13,000 dogs on characteristics such as sociability and curiosity, he rated 31 different breeds of dogs, and found that those bred for appearance, and especially for shows, displayed reduced levels of these qualities.

I'm not going to vouge for Svartberg, or whether or not he was biased in his non-objective study, but there is little disputing that our idea of what dogs are used for has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. Where once, the vast majority of dogs were used as working dogs for a specific purpose, where look was a minor element compared to function, now, the majority of dogs are bred for looks, with function being only a minor part of the puzzle.  It would make sense that as we bred more for a "look" than for functionality, that the ability of the dogs to perform their orginal function, may have decreased.

Poodles may be the best example. While they were originally bred to retrieve waterfowl, that certainly isn't the function served by most Poodles today - -nor do I suspect that most would be all that good at it.

Terrierman had a couple of great posts last week on this subject.  One talking about the misplaced priorities of the breed clubs and the harm it has caused certain breeds that have been bred for look, vs function.

The second looks at the value of hybrid cross-bred dogs -- looking at the 50% decline in AKC registered dogs, and the problems that have come from having such a closed registry.

Both posts, while long, are well worth the time spent with them.

Miscellanious Stuff

Last week, Hawaii Senate President Colleen Hanabusa introduced a bill to the Senate that would ban all 'pit bulls' from the state. The bill has gotten a lot of headlines over the past couple of weeks, but it doesn't sound like it has much support from the Senate, or even really from the person who proposed the bill.

Hanabusa herself said that the bill was drafted by the request of a constitutent, but that the bill isn't likely to go very far.

"I do not believe that this is a bill that has a high priority, but it's going to be up to the Judiciary Committee chair.  I have not hear of anyone asking or pushing the measure," she said.

According to the newspaper report, pit bumll attacks in Hawaii are infrequent, although the bill was introduced after a pit bull mix killed an infant in her home.

In spite of the infrequent attacks by pit bulls on the islands, it hasn't stopped the media from finding a couple to report on. "Coincidentally" there were two reported bites this week just as the bill was introduced.  Interestingly, the exact same thing happened last week in Montana - -they proposed (and quickly killed) a state-wide ban, and the next day there were two media reports of 'pit bull' bites.  Just doing their part, right?

In spite of a large amount of opposition, Lancaster, CA passed their ordinance mandating the sterilization of all "pit bulls" and Rottweilers this week.  Mayor Rex Parris has spent a lot of the past couple of weeks talking about his desire for this law to combat "gangs". Even during the meeting, many voiced criticisms that the new law could lead to racial profiling that would unfairly accuse black or Latino males seen with a pit bull as gang-bangers.

I posted about this earlier this week, but think it deserves to be noted.

In the 2000 census, Lancaster has about 119,000 residents, 63% of them white (75,000).

In 2008, the city has approximately 147,000 residents, 52% of them white (76,500).

So while the population has grown 25% in the past 8 years (about 30,000 residents), it has come been almost exclusively minorities that have been moving to the city.

I still don't think this law has anything at all to do with dogs....

Undoing the problem we created

There is nice little video that the Kansas City Star posted today about Baxter - a 'pit bull' mix that has been up for adoption at local rescue Wayside Waifs since April of last year and is still available for adoption. Baxter seems like a great dog -- and very laid back.  He was previously adopted out to a family, but apparently is fearful of men, and the family wasn't able to deal with the problem so he was returned. 

Go over and watch the video. It'll only take 3 minutes.  I'll wait.

The interesting piece of the video (other than the dog is gorgeous and seems very sweet) is that it mentions a lot of the reasons it has been so difficult for Baxter to find a home:

1) Cities in the metro that don't allow 'pit bulls' to live in the city (about 1/4 of the population of the Kansas City metro is unable to own pit bulls currently due to city ordinances)

2) Perception of 'pit bulls' being aggressive

3) Difficulty in having landlord approval of a 'pit bull' living in rental property.

Many cities, including Kansas City, MO, are having major shelter over-crowding problems with pit bulls. The problem is always mentioned that there are just more 'pit bulls' than there is demand for them. In 2005, 24% of the dogs killed in the KCMO shelter were pit bulls.  A high percentage.

To overcome this shelter overcrowding issue, KCMO created yet another law, mandating the spay/neuter of pit bulls.  Because 'pit bulls ' were confiscated from homes for not being altered, the number jumped to 39% in 2007 -- with nearly double the number of 'pit bulls' killed as in 2005.

The problem isn't necessarily that there are too many pit bulls than there is demand for them (there may be, we're not sure). The biggest problem is that as a society, we have now created so many barriers to owning them that we have made it too hard to adopt them.

Many people can't adopt them because their city bans them. Many can't adopt one because their landlord won't allow them (we see a TON of owner-surrenders for this reason also). We've also created a stigma abou the dogs that discourage some adopters, or even if they don't fear the dogs, they fear their city passing a law that will eventually cause them to have to give up their companion.

So what we've created is a situation where because we decided that 'pit bulls' needed to be treated differently, now they are stacking up in the shelter on us. Because of this, instead of stripping away the policies that are making them so hard to adopt out, we created MORE restrictions on the dogs.

The problem isn't that there are too many (although MAN it seems like there are).  The problem is that we have created so many barriers to adoption, that we have completely wiped out the demand side of the adoption process.

The answer isn't more laws and policies. The answer is removing so many of the ones currently in place that make adopting a sweet dog like Baxter so difficult.

It's time we step back and undo the problem we helped create, instead of creating even greater problems for these dogs. There are so many other dogs out there like Baxter who's lives depend on it.

Delusional

The city council and the mayor of Lancaster, CA are scary...and delusional.

The city is looking at an ordinance that would require all 'pit bulls' and Rottweilers to be spayed or neutered, including mutts that have the "predominant characteristics" of the two types of dogs. 

The city is also looking at ways of identifying "potentially dangerous" and "vicious" dogs -- a measure that I would support, if done fairly and logically - -something the city seems not able to do well.

The ordinance mandating spay/neuter of 'pit bulls' and Rottweilers is being aimed at dealing with the community's problems with gang activity.

"I want gangs out of Lancaster," Mayor R. Rex Parris said. "I want to make it uncomfortable for them to be here. Anything they like, I want to take it away form them. I want to deliberately harass them....If they move on to cats, I'm going to take their cats."

"It's really like (gangs) having a weapon that they are allowed to display and intimidate people. If they have a pit bull, they may as well put a sign on their head saying, 'come get me'".

The argument, of course, is delusional.

Let's assume at first that gangs really are a problem in Lancaster. Gangs participate in a wide variety of activities: illegal gun ownership, murders, drug dealing, violation of conceal and carry laws, etc. There would be no reason at all to think that all of a sudden making a dog law will cease this kind of activity. They are already doing illegal things -- most carrying felony penalties -- a dog law is not going to stop them. And, if you take away their dog, they will get a new dog. It really will be that easy.

Meanwhile, the most delusional part of the entire ordinance is the enforcement of it. Does Mayor Paris really want animal control officers fighting the city's gang problems?

Stopping gang activities requires experience and trained police personel...and often SWAT teams. You DON"T go after gang activities with animal control officers, most of whom can't even carry a gun. You're just asking your animal control officers to get killed trying to enforce the law.

So no, the law won't be effective at being able to be enforced....because no animal control officer in their right mind will take on inner city gangs with their small pistol and law mandating the dogs be spayed or neutered.

Instead, the animal control officers will go after safer people and harrass responsible owners that won't shoot at them for showing up on their doorstep -- which is why people are upset about the law. 

I don't want to underscore the problems with gang activity. I know that it is a problem in many urban areas of the United States. I know that often these people own dogs -- and even gravitate toward easy-to-get dogs with a "mean" reputation. But you CANNOT solve the problem by creating animal control laws...in fact, it is completely delusional and irresponsible to think that you can.

During a pilot sweep of the program, the Lancaster animal control officers responded to 283 complaints about pit bulls -- 'most of them strays or at-large' -- in other words, the vast majority of the calls they responded to were dogs they could get by just enforcing the city's leash law.

I'm simply amazed at times at how ignorant people can be about what the real problems in society are and the ridiculous "solutions" they try to come up with for them, even while ignoring the position of every group of animal experts in the country on the lack of effectiveness of BSL.

I also would be remiss if I didn't note the role that race may play in this -- and that race may be the real issue vs gangs. Lancaster is one of the 10 fastest growing communities in the United States. In the 2000 census, the city was about 63% white -- but more recent data is showing the city to be 52% white. Yet, every member of the city council is white. I'm not saying it is a motive -- I have no way to know for sure. But I think those numbers, combined with Mayor Paris' statements sure seems like he is targeting a select group of people.

Weekly Roundup - Week ending January 25, 2009

  It's been both a good and a horrible week. Several cities and one state walked away from the idea of banning dogs based on their breed which is great, but on the flip side, two young children are dead due to preventable dog attacks.  Our country also inaugerated a new President who has been greeted with great excitement.  I really wanted to write up something on that, amd maybe I will some day, but it got burried in the busy week we saw this week. With all the goings on, there are quite a few stories I didn't get to this week. So here are the top stories I missed.

Dog Bites

A 3-year-old Alaska boy is recovering after being bitten by the family's Rottweiler/Labrador mix. The boy pulled on the tail and leaned on the hips of the dog, that was already suffering from painful arthritis.  The pain of it, caused the dog to turn and bite the young boy in the face.

An Ohio man was was attacked this week by a Boxer that was roaming off-leash.

A Lakeland, FL girl was airlifted to the hospital after she was attacked by a Bull Mastiff that pulled her off the swing set. 

A Wilmington, DE boy was bitten by two 'pit bulls' that were running at large. The boy tried unsuccessfully to run from the dogs.

Criminal charges are not likely in the fatal mauling in Beaver County, PA. This is a pretty decent follow-up story about the case.

A 2-yearold Farmington, NM boy received 150 stitches after being bitten after he startled an Akita while he was playing with a toy by the animal.

A clinically depressed Maltese mauled former French President Jacques Chirac this week causing the former French President to have to be rushed to the hospital.

A New Jersey judge will decide whether a Rhodesian Ridgeback owned by a Camden Surgeon will still be declared "dangeorus" after it bit another docter and a 14 year old girl.

Why does anyone talk about "breed" when it comes to dog bites and attacks? 

Cities/States and Laws

A Washington DC councilman has proposed a bill that would ban 'pit bulls' from the city.  Apparently, Jim Graham has introduced the bill at every session since he's been elected and it has been voted down.

American Falls, ID is working on a dangerous dog ordinance ths would be breed neutral and would punish owners of aggressive and stray dogs regardless of their breed.

The Ridgeland (MS) city council is drafting a proposal that will likely include a ban on 'pit bulls' and "Other so-called dangerous dogs".  The city attorney is being very secretive about the actual ordinance (which is NEVER the best sign of open government).

A Nebraska lawmaker is looking to impose harsher penalties on owners of dogs that seriously injure other people.

Wichita, KS is going to re-evaluate its '07 dangerous dog law to see if they need to keep the status quo, or pass new breed-specific legislation.  Wichita considered banning pit bulls 2 years ago, but there was no public support for it so they went with their current breed-neutral ordinance.

Lawsuites against cities

A Loudon County (VA) judge has set a trial date for May 5-7 to hear a lawsuit that the city shelter's policy that bars adopting pit bulls to the public violates the state law that forbids laws and policies to be made against specific breeds of dogs.

Citizens in Sioux City, IA have filed a complaint with the state of Iowa about the city's ban on 'pit bulls.

Reading PA, was denied it's appeal that their dog law that was aimed at restricting particular breeds based on bite numbers violated state law. Thus, the Reading law is no longer valid.

From Pet-Law, a bill has been submitted in Florida to try to mandate spay/neuter in the entire state. The bill is similar to the bill in California that was voted down last year.

Abuse cases - because humans are more dangerous to dogs than dogs to humans

An Atlantic City man is being charged for his role in allowing a 'pit bull" to freeze to death and then dumping the dog into the bay.

A six month old 'pit bull' was found frozen to death outside of a Wilmington, DE home this week.  The dog had been tethered to a fence and froze to death.

A 'pit bull' was found emaciated and frozen to death in Gary, IN.  The dog was about 25 lbs underweight and was left outside during the night that was 16 below zero. Folks, it's cold out there across most of the nation, PLEASE look after the dogs that are just left outside without a proper enclosure.

Suspects in Steele, MO are being held for potentially running a dog fighting ring in the area. Police seized five pit bulls, some cash and drug paraphenalia.

More than 100 feral dogs and cats were euthanized this week when authorities found them among the remains of 318 dead animals that had been dumped in trash bags at a man's rented property in Temecula, CA.  The animals were described as completely feral that appeared to have never been touched by humans.

This week with Tom Skeldon

WTOL-TV in Toledo does a "news" report about Tom Skeldon and the fact that 'pit bull' seizures declined this year for the first time in quite a while. The article talks about Skeldon's "success" in picking up pit bulls, in a law that he supported against 'pit bulls' in the city. What the article fails to mention is that in spite of all of Skeldon's efforts against pit bulls, and likely because of these efforts, the number of dog bites in Toledo went up 23% in 2008 vs 2007...meaning citizens were less safe vs more safe because of these efforts.

Miscellanious

Here's a great column from the Shreveport Times entitled "Dogs don't just turn on people". One statement: ""An outright nip or bite never comes out of the blue without a clue or two behaviorally, long before the bite incident. Now you may have been "out in the blue" (ie: not observant enough to notice that your dog was showing signs of aggression)...

Well said. It is amazing at how well dogs pick up on human needs and emotions, but humans are terrible at noticing them in our canines.

Best Friends Animal Society is offering to help Wilkes County (NC) evaluate and assess more than 127 'pit bulls' that were confiscated from Ed Faron on suspiciou of dog fighting. Best Friends and Ledy Van Kavage (who was then at the ASPCA, but now with Best Friends) were involved in helping officials evaluate the dogs confiscated from Mike Vick's Bad Newz Kennels that led to 47 of the 51 Vick dogs to be rehabbed with most of them leading normal lives in homes.

A good letter to the Great Falls Tribune (MT) -- Banning pit bulls is unwise, discriminatory.

A Boston Terrier saved his owner when it fought off a man that tried to rape the woman who owned the dog.

Gunther, a deaf 'pit bull' that was adopted from the Humane Society of South Mississippi, was the winner of the ASPCA's Adopt-A-Bull contest sponsored by Animal Farm Foundation.  Gunther was adopted throught he ASPCA's Meet your match program and is doing really well with his new family.

Have a great week.

Is BSL falling out of favor?

Folks, it appears people are starting to listen, and notice.

Yesterday, the state of Montana briefly listened to testimony about a bill that would have banned all pit bulls from the State of Montana. After hearing about an hour of testimony from some of the over 100 people who attended that were all apparently against the measure, the House Local Government committee quickly rejected the measure.

Meanwhile, in Oshkosh, WI, city health director Paul Spiegel asked that his measure that would put major restrictions on 'pit bulls' in the city be pulled. He sent his proposal out to various citizens and canine organizations throughout the city and the response was overwhelmingly opposed to his measure. Even the idea of mandating spaying/neutering of dogs in the city is off the table. After initially proposing the MSN ordinance, Joni Geiger of the Oshkosh Area Humane Society backed off her support of the ordinance.

"The more research we did it just seems as though it really doesn't work." She said that many people chose not to alter their dogs because they couldn't afford to.  "Plus, making it mandatory and then trying to enforce it would be even harder.  Making them do it is not actually going to make them do it."

Meanwhile, from Jodi Pries at Bless The Bullies, it appears that Molalla, OR has also chosen to go with a breed-neutral dangerous dog ordinance that would protect citizens from aggressive dogs, regardless of breed.

These cities have followed other cities like Lancaster, MA, Manchester, MI, Sumner, WA, Puyallup, WA, West Liberty, IA, and West Allis, WI as cities that have discussed breed specific language in the past month, but have opted for breed-neutral ordinances.

City administrators are starting to listen. And why shouldn't they?

The reality is that every single organization of experts on canines in this country OPPOSES breed specific legislation.  Meanwhile, even with 20 years of BSL legislation that has existed, there has yet to be one case study that has shown it to be effective at minimizing the number of dog bites and attacks in the community.  And there have been countless cases where the legislation has proven to be a complete failure.

I believe folks are starting to get it. They're starting to listen. Yay.

Boomer Update

This past weekend produced some unseasonably warm temperatures in Kansas City. So, the combination of warmer weather and Boomer's improvement around the house and on the leash in the back yard, we thought it was a perfect time to take him out on his first walk around the neighborhood.  And MAN did Boomer shine!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Boomer's story, Boomer was a dog that was rescued from a horrible hoarding situation in Northern Oklahoma back in December. The owner had over 100 dogs that were confiscated for neglect. Boomer was one of the several dogs that was saved because of the work of several rescue groups including MABBR and Bad Rap.

 Anyway, he did really well following the lead around the neighborhood. He seemed to really enjoy the other sites and smells. 

Overall, Boomer is doing well. He still gets anxious sometimes in several areas of the house that he spent the most time during his first two weeks at the house. He seems to associate those areas with the fear/anxiety/pain he had when he first arrived. We're trying to work him through that. He also still struggles on our hardwood floors and seems unsure of the footing.

Meanwhile, in new places and carpeted places, he is great. He loves our other dogs and is doing really well.  Hopefully the warmer weather wil hold which will allow us more time outdoors to work with him.

For the pictures, the first pic is Boo waiting for us to get the other dogs ready for the walk. The second is Boomer walking (day 2, he didn't need a jacket on the second walk). Pic 3 is him taking a short rest in the leaves...leaves are fun. Pic 4 is him resting after the walk while we cleaned off the dogs' toes and took off their jackets before going inside.

  Donna over at Bad Rap also has an update on one of the dogs they brought back from Oklahoma.

These last two pics are a couple of Boomer in Oklahoma. I hadn't seen these yet and thought I'd share them. Boomer is the one hiding in the barrell in the back in this pic. He was apparently the furthest dog out.  The next pic is a closer up pic of him -- notice the huge chain he's on.

On a related note, the trial for Jerry Lee Southern, the man who   owned the dogs, has been set for April 17th.

Boomer is doing very well...

I will continue to offer updates.

Missouri and Montana State Legislative Stuff

 Tuesday was one of a couple of lobby days we have in the Missouri state legislature that are specifically for animals. Hector, one of the dogs from Bad Newz Kennels that is now owned by expert disc thrower Roo Yori, was in attendence to raise awareness for a new state dog-fighting bill.

I haven't read the new dog fighting bill -- I am hearing mixed reviews of it however. More to come once I get a chance to read it.  The picture to the left is of my state Senator, Jolie Justus, and Hector hanging at the State capital. The picture was blatantly stolen from her blog on the topic. 

In Montana, Robyn Driscoll's bill, HB 191, that would ban 'pit bulls' throughout the entire state of Montanais going to a hearing TODAY, January 22, at 3:00 pm in Helena. It is my understanding that there isn't much support for the ordinance, but if you are anywhere near Helena, get up there for the hearing today. This bill is not only not necessary, but would financially cripple animal control agencies across the state -- many of which are already facing budget cuts.

Preventing Dog Bites in Children

  Already this year we have had five dog-bite fatalities in the United States – which is a huge number in such a short amount of time. All of the victims have been under the age of 5 years old. It is no secret to those that have followed dog bites (and fatalities) over the years that a large percentage of victims of major attack victims are young children – most often by a dog that is owned or being cared for by the family.

Because this is an informational blog, I went to the experts in canine-behavior to try to relay information on the best ways to handle dogs and young children in the same household. So I went to Jennifer Shryock CDBC, the founder of Dogs & Storks™. Dogs & Storks™ is a nation-wide network of dog trainers and canine behavior consultants that work with new and expecting  families in preparing for a life where dogs and children co-exist peacefully. While the advice here is meant for educational purposes, it is not meant to be a replacement for good old common sense and the help of a trained professional in your area.

 

Here’s our interview:

 

KC Dog Blog: In the process of writing my blog, I read a lot of stories about dog bites – and it seems that a lot of the victims are young children. What is it about children that make them so vulnerable to dog bites or attacks?

 

Jennifer Shryock:  Children are dog height, loud and unpredictable. Dogs that are not socialized around children will often be less tolerant and caught off guard by their behaviors. That said, even dogs that have been socialized around children have their threshold and degree of tolerance. It is important for handlers of dogs to be alert to the subtle signs of stress and discomfort that dogs offer to help asses a situation involving dogs and children. 

Often there is miscommunication between kids and dogs. Children communicate with dogs as they do with other people.  For example: Kids often make eye contact at greeting, hug to show love and try often to even kiss the dogs on the mouth. All of these things are human behaviors but are rather rude and offensive to dogs, especially from an unfamiliar child. This can often lead to a bite as the dog is uncomfortable and crowded. Prior to the bite the dog may have licked their lips, turned away, yawned, or done some other behavior indicating stress and discomfort of the situation. Once these fail to increase the distance of the child then a dog may escalate to a more intense response such as a growl or snap. It is important to be an observer of your dog and intervene to protect your dog and the child.

 

KCDB:  Last year, about 25% of the fatality victims of dog bites were infants under 2 months of age. Are young children introduced to a family particularly vulnerable?

JS:  Infant deaths are tragic and I hope that through education we can decrease the number to 0!  A new baby is just that, NEW AND UNFAMILIAR. This automatically puts a new baby at higher risk.  It is best to include the family dog in daily routines involving the baby so that the dog can become familiar with the baby’s smell, actions and sounds. In order to do this however you must prepare your dog during the 9 months prior to baby’s arrival and have a plan for CONSTANT supervision!  Just as new parents are learning about their new baby and their cries the family dog is also learning how to react and is adjusting to this new family member as well.

 

 

KCDB:  Given that children are more vulnerable to bites, is it wise for families with young kids to have dogs?

 

JS: Yes!  There is no replacing the role of dogs in our lives. Children learn so much from family dogs. Families have always had dogs and always will.  What is important is that they have proper expectations of the dog as an animal trying to fit into our world.  We are very complicated and dogs do an amazing job fitting in…despite what the media leads us to believe. Dogs and kids have been a beautiful combination for ages and that won’t change. It is important that families do their research and respect their dog as being the animal they are.  We can not expect our dog to babysit or entertain our kids. We can expect them to participate in adult supervised activities with our kids and be a loving part of a family.

 

 

KCDB: What steps should a family take to introduce a new child into a home with an existing dog? 

 

JS: Oh….so much. Whether adopting or pregnancy…families usually have time to prepare for the arrival of a child. There are many resources online but of course…I must recommend my own.  http://dogsandstorks.com/  and our blog http://dogsandstorks.blogspot.com/   There you will find loads of information and is a great starting point.  As a canine behaviorist, a mother of three (soon to be 4) and a house with 4 wonderful dogs and 6 cats, I am always learning and updating information. However, the four most crucial things are:

1.        Socialization!  Socialization!  Socialization!

2.        reduce attention seeking behavior

3.        Strengthen your dog’s manner

4.        Practice & reward desirable behavior around baby items

KCDB: What steps should a family take to introduce a new dog into a home with existing children?

 

JS:

1.     RESEARCH and take your time finding the right match! Often families make a decision without first doing the research. All breeds of dogs come with their special traits. Taking into consideration your lifestyle and what you want in your dog is key. 

2.        Educate the kids about boundaries and talk about what dogs like and do not like.  www.doggonesafe.com has a great game that teaches much of this called DOGGONE CRAZY. This is a great way to help kids learn that dogs have limits too.  They just can’t say “please stop hugging me!” the way we do. They will lick their lips, turn, pull away and then maybe growl. Kids can learn to be doggie detectives and gather the clues dogs offer. Check out a kid directed lesson on dogs on www.familypaws.com scroll down to the Doggie detective. 

3.        Once the dog is in your home take it slow. Give the dog plenty of breaks from busy activity so they can recharge. 

4.        Find a positive dog training class where all members of the family can participate in.

 

KCDB: Tell us about Dogs & Storks. What is the purpose of Dogs & Storks and why was the group formed?

 

JS:  As a certified dog behavior consultant I became frustrated by the number of dogs in rescue that were surrendered due to a baby on the way or an unfortunate situation already having happened. I felt strongly that more resources were needed and in 2002 I created the Dogs & Storks program. We now have presenters all over the U.S.and have expanded to Canada. I believe that we must provide education BEFORE there is a problem. As a Mom and dog owner I learned A LOT along the way and am still learning. Our family also has fostered over 70 dogs over the last 8 years and these opportunities have been educational and eye opening. I share all of this with families. Things like:  helium balloons might not be a good idea in a home with a ball crazy German shepherd….how do I know …well I had a ball crazy German Shepherd. If it was round…it was his. So in our program we identify dog sensitivities and how to handle them around newborns and all the equipment involved.  We predict, plan and hopefully prevent through a plan! 

I have successfully raised our 3 kids and we have never had a bite. This is not luck…it is diligent supervision and management along with respect between all of us and our dogs. We have four dogs of our own, Our dogs are Bailey (Siberian Husky), Windsor (blue brindle Pit Bull), Carin (Malamute /German Shepherd mix) and Duke (GSD) and we also have 6 cats that really run the show!

  

KCDB: Anything else you’d like to ad? 

 

JS:  I love dogs and will never be without them. It saddens me to see how little people pay attention to what their dog is communicating. So many injuries are preventable with more knowledge, observation and proper expectations. Dogs do their best and they are predictable….we need to be better at observing and guiding them through our complex human world.

 

You can get more information on Dogs and Storks at http://dogsandstorks.com/ and at their blog, http://dogsandstorks.blogspot.com/ -

3 week old baby killed by dog

Um. Wow. When it rains it pours. This is already the fifth US fatality in just 3 short weeks, with four breeds of dogs implicated.

This incident invloves a 3 week old infant, Olivia Rozek. She was laying in a bed in her Bourbonnais, Il. home, when the family's Siberian Husky pulled the baby from the bd and into the hallway. The mother heard the baby's cries and wen to go help the child.  The child however died from multiple bite injuries to the head.

So far, this story has only been picked up by one news source.

Last year, 8 of the 23 dog bite related fatalities were to children under 14 months of age, and 5 were to children less than 2 months old. 

My heart goes out to the Rozek family.