Huskies And Kids

[jarn]

I was reading these articles:

 

http://www.adn.com/2013/06/20/2947082/death-penalty-hearing-for-sled.html

 

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130624/iditarod-musher-berkowitzs-dog-wizard-granted-stay-execution-now

 

A truly horrific situation.  The poor child.

 

I've only been in one sled yard, but I don't see them as good places for a child.

 

How are your huskies with kids?  We have three nieces, 4, 3, and 2 in October - and the 4 year old and 3 year old just loooove the dogs.  The dogs would rather be left alone.  When they come to visit with my MIL, we have to supervise very closely.  Neb has pretty high prey drive and plays rough.  Luckily my MIL - who grew up in rural England with a father for a vet, she has a very tolerant attitude towards animals - is very aware of Neb around the girls and is good about helping us supervise.  

[Elyse]

While I don't have any kids of my own, mine is fantastic with kids. Taken him to some of my cousin's kid's parties...he's been fine around them. He gets a little cranky when they hover around his hips, but that's because he has arthritis and he's in pain some days.

 

I know he'd never hurt any of the kids, but I still supervise him. I'm watching him ALL the time, looking at his body language, and if I see he's getting annoyed (the worst he has ever done is growl), I either tell the kids to leave him alone, or he goes away by himself. 

 

Most of these 'accidents' happen when the child is left unsupervised with the dog, or when the dog's body language/behaviour is not correctly interpreted. (such as: the dog bites/nips the child (media would call this 'mauling') after the child repeatedly tugged on the dog's fur...dog growls to warn the child off but nobody pays attention, etc)

And, you gotta remember, its the media. They like using words like 'maul', exaggerating the situation, because it makes it more dramatic, increases their ratings, etc, etc. 

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Mine love kids we get kids everyday wanting to stroke them

[Andy]

This is my Granddaughter. Eden-Willow

 

 

My Daughter and Granddaughter lived with me up until a month ago. (My Dauighter Kelly finally got a place of her own after many years of waiting.)

We were able to observe the dogs interact with Eden as she grew from a newborn to nearly 8 months old.

Obviously she was never left alone with the dogs at any time.

they were always curious and protective.

showing her love.

 

Sorry some are low quality, camera phone.

 

Click to make them bigger

 

 

 

Oops, lol how did she get in there

[Devildust76]

Awwwwww Eden-Willow Great pics again Andy

 

Kodiak loves kids. I get dragged across roads and heavy traffic just so he can woo at them and be loved!!! He's like this with people in general but he just lurves kids. Which I suppose is a good thing seeing as we could have a couple of our own in the future

[Val (Zebedee)]

Mine have only lived with older, teenage kids. When my boys were growing up, we had a GSD that the kids played with endlessly but of course were supervised but my current dogs are so patient with kids, Myshka just gets bored with adults! D will lie there all day with kids playing with / on him

Andy, love the pic of Eden-Willow chewing on Daughtry's ear! lol

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk HD

[Andy]

Andy, love the pic of Eden-Willow chewing on Daughtry's ear! lol

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk HD

Daughtry is amazingly patient.

[Removed #5]

Talk about a bag of mixed emotions.  Is the dog potentially dangerous to another child, possibly.  Was the childs mother irresponsible for bringing her into the dog yard - absolutely!  Does the dog deserve to die - *I* think not! 

Mom should be accused of gross stupidity - oh, sorry that's not a crime, is it? If she'd used even a grain of common sense neither her child nor the dog would be in the situation they are today.  I saw so many "Don't blame the mother!" comments - well, why not? 

[jarn]

Aww Eden-Willow and the dogs!  That's great!

 

Al, I agree - I hate to blame the mother, in the sense that she's probably full of guilt and has to face what happened to her daughter, but it's setting up the dog for failure when you take a high prey drive animal in a riled up dog yard (my experience of a dog yard is when you enter they all get riled up, and I was with the owner/handler!  They're excitable). 

 

I've had a very high prey drive German Shepherd - I'd say from working lines (we did threat training with her, she loved it) - and I saw how she reacted when she saw kids out walking.  I'm talking 6 or 7 year olds too, not really small kids.  Same reaction as when she saw a squirrel.  Chilled me (but she was also muzzled on walks due to bad aggression towards strange dogs...she was like Neb's mom though, I was nervous to introduce them, even though he was a little puppy, so he was crated, and she just lay outside his crate gazing at him - I let them interact the next day, and he climbed up her and was hanging off her ear, and she never looked happier than when she had a puppy Neb pulling on her extremities). 

 

But high drive dogs, which sled dogs are (I mean, we're talking Iditarod dogs here, not house pets) - they're working dogs, you should not be playing around with them and kids.  It's terrible judgement, and it ended terribly. 

[sarahjng]

It's a horrible situation for everyone but I do think the mum should shoulder most of the blame,  I don't have a pack, I've never had any contact with a true sled dog, but even I know not to take a strange child/children into their space. I know my dog pretty well, I'm starting to understand what he's saying, but I still wouldn't trust him with a kid, in fact, when he is approached by little ones I tend to put my hand around/in his mouth, that way I'm SURE nothing can happen (he seems to.think it's a great game lol)  while I have every sympathy  with the mum, the dog shouldn't have to die because of her mistake.  

[Austinville]

Taking a child into a dog yard is totally different than a husky or two being around a child. My girls love kids, but as Petunia is new (just been with us since April 28), I would never leave my grandkids alone with her (or Ryn for that matter).

 

Neither has ever given me any indication of intolerance for the kids............Ryn gives me her "look" and then removes herself from the situation as she knows the grandkids come first - if they have a toy that she wants....too bad. If they have food that she wants...too bad. She understands her role, and the kids have been taught to respect her as well. If she removes herself from the situation, they are not allowed to follow her.Boundaries and common sense and an ever watchful eye.

[Kells xx]

as my dad andy said, my daughter eden willow has been around my sibes and my gsd since she was first born, they absolutely love her to pieces

i obviously would never leave them alone together but when they are in the same room they are the cutest pups... im teaching her not to pull on them (altjhough munching on daughtry is something that cant be trained out of eden lol)

sled dogs are much different from the pets we have at home

it all depends on how well you train the huskies and children!!!

if you teach the kids not to pull on the dog... then the dog will be less inclined to snap

 

good luck

[yamahar6wme]

My huskies are brill with my kids sky has been around them since she was 12 weeks old and zero the extremely doupy one since he was 2 sky is now 3 and zero is 4 there has been one incident where my daughter got bit by one or other wasn't sure as happened too quick dogs got into fight over a bone and she got caught in the fight it wasn't directed at her I did panic and had to all ambulance as she was bleeding a lot her hand btw but it turned out to be one cut but because it was in muscle it bled more no stitches needed the paramedic bandaged her up and she was fine I did have police visit to make sure they weren't dangerous as they have to and they saw straight away there was no problem so since then I am just a lot more cautious I don't feed either kids or dogs around each other or leave them alone together. It was my mistake after all they are wild dogs at heart they were only going on instinct and wouldn't change them for world they are my wild family

[unison24]

Mine is good with children, but she gets way to excited when first seeing them. I get scared she can knock them over. Once she calms down she is fine.

[Danny_Caity]

That article made me so angry!!

It's a completely different thing taking your child to a house full of huskies (e.g, any of us with 3) to taking them to a sled yard! I wouldn't even go into a sled yard and I'm 18!

We don't really have sled yards where we are, not proper ones anyway, but I wouldn't dream of EVER taking a child to one, not even a child that was 7-8 years old!

You can't predict a toddler's behaviour any more than you can predict a strange dogs, one minute they can be happily walking by your side and the next, running off into the sunset (I don't have kids, this is my experience with my young cousins)

The dog shouldn't be put to sleep, for all he's concerned he did nothing wrong, and if he was a domesticated dog, he would know that was wrong behaviour. They have a different book of rules to pets.

The mother, granted she must be feeling guilty, but my God, you can't be THAT stupid and expect nothing bad to happen!

 

Nika's fantastic with kids, gets a bit bouncy with them, but my family know what big dogs can do (My parent's GSD is 8st of fur  ) so they know she won't hurt them. She was brilliant with my brother-in-laws new-born son, so attentive when he was making noises!

The youngest age the pups have had contact with is my 13 yr old brother, so he's not really a kid, but any kids walking past on a walk, they've been fine with.

 

Sorry for the rant, stories like this just get me frustrated!

 - Caity

[samoyedgirl]

I have always though huskies and kids were great together, everything I read has said they were, I have an active bouncy shreaking  5 yr old and a new husky rescue, so should this be of concern?

[mydiamond]

I have always though huskies and kids were great together, everything I read has said they were, I have an active bouncy shreaking  5 yr old and a new husky rescue, so should this be of concern?

 

I haven't read all replies nor the linked articles, but this is what I can say: huskies are generally very good with kids. It's in their blood, they're bred to love kids. But you can not generalize. All dogs are individuals. IMO, it all depends on how you introduce them and how you let them interact. Even the sweetest dog has its limits. Know your dog, know his body language, and teach the kid manners (no pulling, no hitting, no screaming into dog's ears, etc just common sense). They should be fine if you have any further questions regarding body language or proper child-to-dog interaction, don't be shy to post up a new thread more people would reply that way. 

 

oh and welcome to H-O

 

EDIT: my side of the story Diamond is a relatively small Husky with a cute, fluffy appearance. Kids adore him, although some are intimidated by his 'mean face'. He doesn't like being cornered, but if the kids get off their bikes, approach from his side and don't scream he's more than willing to be petted and hugged. He won't even mind if one clumsy kid accidentally steps on his bushy tail. But corner him, and he'd start jumping up and down like a bull in the rodeo. He'd pull backwards, as if telling me "NO I don't want to to be near them!". So yea it all depends on the kid. A five year old should be much easier to learn what's okay and what's not. I had my 2-year old niece over few years ago and she came home asking for a dog

[kchesney8]

Tuff is 2 years old and almost 100lbs.  He's a huge beast, acts like an elephant in a china shop.  I have 2 nieces and 2 nephews and when they come over all he wants to do is lick them.  He becomes very aware around them.  If we are out on a walk and the neighborhood kids are out he will pull me to them and then sit in front of them and demand some kid lovin. Aspen on the other hand is very shy and timid.  When I got her she had never been around people, so we are working on that.  I think it's a good learning for the kids tho as well.  It teaches them not to charge at a dog.  Teaches them to be gentle.  If the kids run towards Aspen she will hide.  I have been teaching them to get down and stay still and call her and to be gentle. It is very hard to teach 2 year olds to hold still.  LOL.   Once Aspen gets use to them being around she is all kisses.  Both of them just want to make sure that the kids are clean from head to toe.  LOL  Tuff thinks anyone who comes in the house, kids or not, are just there to see him.  

[jmscott]

I have been to a couple dog yards and these aren't just our pet dogs in harness. They are working athletes and have built up massive muscles. They are incredibly strong.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acvbpr/8499032373/

Our Eurohound is the white dog in the blue harness. She is 50lb but can absolutely knock us on our rear.

 

I have a feeling that dog could have easily done much worse to that girl.

[Removed #5]

I have been to a couple dog yards and these aren't just our pet dogs in harness. They are working athletes and have built up massive muscles. They are incredibly strong.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/acvbpr/8499032373/ 

Our Eurohound is the white dog in the blue harness. She is 50lb but can absolutely knock us on our rear.

 

I have a feeling that dog could have easily done much worse to that girl.

 

 

Jamie, that link gives me "This is not the page you're looking for." ???

 

Just realized there's some trash at the end of the link ... it should be http://www.flickr.com/photos/acvbpr/8499032373/

Edited January 20, 2014 by Al Jones