Post by Kelley on Mar 4, 2005 5:09:36 GMT 9.5
Dogs May Attack Baby Swings
by Steve
The Associated Press reports today that some dogs may attack baby swings, due to their back-n-forth motion:
Rocking your baby to sleep in a mechanical swing can trigger a deadly attack on the child by the family dog, a coroner warns.
At least two such deaths have been documented in Maryland over a four-year period, Dr. Albert Y. Chu of the state's medical examiner's office said Wednesday at a meeting in New Orleans of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
The back-and-forth motion may activate the dog's instinct to chase prey, he said.
The article goes on to cite a number of actual cases where babies were either killed or injured as a result.
However, one person feels that it has nothing to do with the rocking motion of baby swings, and has more to do with the babies themselves:
Dr. Marianne DiPadua of University Foggia in Italy said she is not convinced that the rocking movement sets off the dog. "It's true movement can trigger an attack," she said. But she noted that dogs have also attacked babies in cribs or beds.
There are certain breeds of dogs that just don't like kids. Rat Terriers are one such breed that I know of. If you think you know your dog, consider that a dog may be obedient when you are in the same room with it, particularly when it has accepted you as the pack leader. But when you leave the room, that dog may change its behavior.
by Steve
The Associated Press reports today that some dogs may attack baby swings, due to their back-n-forth motion:
Rocking your baby to sleep in a mechanical swing can trigger a deadly attack on the child by the family dog, a coroner warns.
At least two such deaths have been documented in Maryland over a four-year period, Dr. Albert Y. Chu of the state's medical examiner's office said Wednesday at a meeting in New Orleans of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
The back-and-forth motion may activate the dog's instinct to chase prey, he said.
The article goes on to cite a number of actual cases where babies were either killed or injured as a result.
However, one person feels that it has nothing to do with the rocking motion of baby swings, and has more to do with the babies themselves:
Dr. Marianne DiPadua of University Foggia in Italy said she is not convinced that the rocking movement sets off the dog. "It's true movement can trigger an attack," she said. But she noted that dogs have also attacked babies in cribs or beds.
There are certain breeds of dogs that just don't like kids. Rat Terriers are one such breed that I know of. If you think you know your dog, consider that a dog may be obedient when you are in the same room with it, particularly when it has accepted you as the pack leader. But when you leave the room, that dog may change its behavior.