This is the most adorable sequence ever captured on film, enjoy.
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Obviously the owner of this baby and dog knows that this is NOT an aggressive dog and has no worries. Which you would realize if you knew anything about dogs.
Dogs are beasts. True, they can be man’s best friends, but they can also be child’s worst enemies. I wouldn’t trust a yorkie with my child, let alone a molossoid like this. And I _like_ dogs!
Dangerous? maybe. Unhygenic? by what standard? If you’re using an absolute standard, then yes. Having the dog slobber on the baby is more unhygenic than no slobber. But, using a practical standard… A human kissing a baby is more unhygenic than dog slobber. Human slobber is packed with nasty microbes, dog slobber, not so much. This is why human bites are almost certain to become infected, while dog bites are relatively unlikely.
To all you beware-the-dog types:
What are you repressing that you interpret it likely that the dog would maul the baby? Seriously… keep your agression to yourselves. That dog is not going to harm that baby. Period. You, however, are likely to cause alot of harm with your homeland security mentality.
You’re right this is unhygienic. Do you know how sick that dog could get from licking a baby? I think the only aggression you would see from this dog is if she thought the baby was in peril. By the way I wouldn’t trust a yorkie or small dog with a baby either; I know that there are many exceptions to this rule but the smaller the dog, the more intimidated it feels.
I had a 150 pound Great Dane and she would let my baby sister (2-3 years old) pull her tail, smack her ears, try to climb on her, and Roxanne (the dog) was so submissive and loving to my sister.
Just cause a dog is big doesnt mean its going to eat the first human small enough to fit in its mouth.
That baby has never been in safer hands. The dogwould die before it would let anything harm 1 hair on the babies head. And yes the dogs lick is probably less hazardous to the baby the a kiss from the babys mother. A dogs lick is antiseptic. Have seen a vet try to heal cut on a dogs head for 2 months. and fail. Brought in another dog who spent hours licking it. with in 2 weeks it was healed
I’m a former animal control officer, and I would just like to say that, you will find lapses in judgement everywhere, but to me, being keen on behavior of dogs I would have to say that….
Photo 3… he is getting the smell of his baby on him, becuase dogs love things that smell, good or bad, poopie diaper or baby powder.
Photos 4 and 5: it seemed like a good place to sit to be near his favorite smelly friend,his ears are forward and he is licking his chops perhaps becuase he is relaxed and contented, or to taste the baby smell on his face…my only concern would be with how gently he leans on the child in the third photo, but most big dogs get a sense of their size by being taught to be gentle, and i doubt that the owner would take pictures if they thought the dogs was breaking the child’s ribs, and if you notice, the baby isn’t screaming or crying in the photos. I swear to god sometimes people just need something to freak out about…….
This baby isn’t going to get hurt because the dog will maul it. This baby is going to get hurt because the dog is F*CKING HUGE. Baby’s are very frail creatures, puppies much less so. One playful nuzzle from the dog could easily seriously injure the baby for life. Which is great because it adds quite a bit of suspense to an otherwise trivial series of photos. Quite a thrill right up to the end.
Those who say anything bad about this pictures are “dogs haters” and don’t know dogs at all!!! I have 3 dogs, big ones, and a 6 yrs old child. I had the dogs before my little girl and I can say that I’m more affraid of people than my dogs. That’s a really nice picture and I’m sure this dog is really sweat! Stop telling dog are beast because human kind is worst! Read the news a little bit!
OK, so perhaps the dog will NOT harm the baby in the way everybody thinks (mauling) but on the third picture from the bottom, what kind of parent allows the dog to start suffocating the child like that? Even if the dog means no harm it has no idea of where the baby’s nose is at the time of that particular photograph. Cute set of photos, but irresponsible parenting
This is not only stupid but dangerous. This dog is marking out this baby as prey. Absolutely NO dog is safe with children not even a poodle or shitzu. These parents should have the child taken from them and put into care.
We had a large adult dog and then later a baby.
When the baby was born, the dog was curious and of course a little jealous.
Top show the dog (a little K-9 psychology) that the baby was good, we only showered the dog in attention in the baby’s presence. Otherwise the dog got a friendly hello and a pat on the head. When the baby was present, the dog was played with by one of us, or cuddled, and more importantly - fed it’s food, etc.
The dog quickly worked out the baby was a good thing and the 2 were best friends shortly after.
cute. but the dog is an animal. evolution at play. stupid ppl do stupid things, so there r less of them. by this i mean this: on the news we see many children hurt by ignorant parents. this is such a case. what if the dog all of a sudden attacked the child? Perhaps killing it. It would be tragic. So beware. In conclusion, the photographer, and parent of the child r idiots.
also dog slobber. dog dont get sick, bc their tongues prevent germs from getting down their throat. the germs r in the dog’s saliva. check with your vet. get ur facts straight, from books, not from here say not from wut ur gut says. this is just perfect. all ur dumbass responses. sure there is danger everywhere. but some, if not most dangers can be avoided and prevented.
and the dog is an animal. well, even with ppl we cant predict behavior. so reduce the chance by not doing this kind of thing. hopefully the child is not hurt.
See how the dog’s pressing the baby’s face down into the floor on #3, see how its paw is then under the baby’s head in #4?
It’s obviously been moved by the photographer to make it “look more cute” and to stop it looking like it’s just sitting on top of the baby, squashing it into the ground.
This is crazy- have you ever seen the way dogs play? How can they be expected to understand that a baby needs to be treated more gently than another dog or adult human.
Cool pics – but did you know that in pic three the position the dog is adopting is subjugation for pack order – a dog that attempts to put its head over the kneck of any other pack member is dominating that member of the pack – you notice that when dogs behave naturally in the wild. One of the best ways of training a dog, particularly a large dog – is when they do something wrong – you hold them and place your kneck and head over theirs and hold that position for a few seconds – true!
Bigger danger to this baby comes from men…Sometime dogs are aggressive, but are we not more aggressive than dogs ? So, should we forbid our children to communicate with people ? For me it would be stupid, but everybody has to decide for himself… The worst thing on this world is fear… just look the modern world, commercials, American politics (our Croatian also)… All are based on fear…
Uuups, I went to far…
I love those pictures…
It makes me sick that there’s a whole generation people that are too pansy to enjoy cute photos. in conclusion, I killed Nazis with my bare hands
Right, so we’ll definitely keep you away from the baby!
Dude, as cute as this is, that dog was not hugging the baby, he or she was *dominating* the baby. The dog now thinks that he or she is more important on the social scale than the baby. …at least until the first time the dog gets yelled at for pushing the baby away to get some food, anyway. Eventually the dog will get the idea. So this is cute and relatively harmless, but it ain’t what you think it is. Once the dog gets the idea that the kid is the junior member of the senior pack, she or he will probably be your kid’s best pal.
Believe me, my dogs did the same thing, and had to go through the same learning process. But now everybody are all big buddies.
I can understand why it might look like a dangerous situation to some people, but photos are deceiving. None of us except those who were there can really can a clear idea of how the moment took place–the photographer could easily have set it all up–but that doesn’t take away from its absolute cuteness
I’d be uneasy about having the baby near the dog just because of the differences in weight (much like I had to repeatedly remind my older son to be very gentle with the younger son when he was a baby) the dog doing something aggressive doesn’t concern me a bit, most big dogs are marshmallows… and obviously the owner felt comfortable with the dogs level of aggression so I imagine it is a marshmallow.
It’s a stupid thing to let happen, let alone photograph and encourage, it’s flat-out dangerous. Not only could the dog crush the baby, but…as pointed out above…that dog is in a dominant position over the baby. That dog has at least a big of Neopolitan Mastiff in it…they are not goofy playthings, they are capable of a considerable amount of damage and…funny…once they get going there is not a damn thing you will be able to do about it.
This pic has been around for a long time and has generated a lot of negative criticism from people that actually understand dog behavior and dominant dogs. It’s pathetic that it keeps showing up as an example of this wonderful bond between a 100+ pound animal and a baby…IT IS NOT BONDING WITH THE BABY. It is treating it as a littermate, and that is dangerous as hell to allow. The correct thing to do would be to correct the living hell out of the dog for EVER positioning itself like that over any human you do not want bit.
Any d-bag dumb enough to let a nervy pile of junk like a mastiff play around with a baby like this deserves jail time. This is how people get killed by dogs.
dangerous…
the dog eaysily thinks his hierarchy is higher which could sooner or later have a very bad outcome for the small child (which is preferred by the parents)
“Hey Fishfeet, Dogov” - Perhaps it’s not aggression that they’re interpreting, but an intense and sometimes well founded fear of dogs. When I was four, I was at an aunt’s house playing with Barbie’s and My Little Ponies, not even paying attention to the dog she had… he came over and nuzzled my cousin. I didn’t respond. He came over, looking like he was about to nuzzle me. I remember my aunt saying “oh he likes you!” And then he bit my ear. I’m fortunate not to have any serious scarring or damage from it, but these things do happen. Yet another situation where the owner said “I can’t believe it! He wouldn’t hurt a fly!” It is not, perhaps, aggression that leads to concern for this child, (which I find it odd that you could condemn - concern for children is something this world does not have enough of) but the experiences with a “gentle” dog turning vicious, literally unprovoked.
Hey anyone who says that they would not trust a dog with a baby, they obvoisly dont know dogs.
Mastifs are the calmest and kindest dogs out there and the owner obviously knows the dog and i would like to gongtratulate you. this is really cute and it is also building links between the dog and the baby. i have been raised with alot of dogs and i have been bite, and all it has done is make me more aware on how i should treat dogs. humans make dogs violent. this dog is lovely and the baby will probably grow to love dogs.
What is with some people? Dogs are so dangerous! Kids should never be around dogs! Please, you people that think this should go preform some stunt that allows you to receive the darwin award. ANYTHING can be dangerous but I would rather take my chances with a dog or even a freakin lion. They at least go with their instincts and can learn unlike most humans. Humans area danger to EVERYTHING. It is people like you safety freaks that allow all these laws to pass that take away freedom in the name of “safety”. Screw you all, you damn safety freaks.
WTF is wrong with you naysayers? Have you ever OWNED a dog? If you were afraid of its aggression YOU RAISED IT WRONG. The photo with the dog “suffocatig the baby” is fine. 1) Babies are not made of glass and 2) if something was wrong, the parents would have known immediately. People like you all that complain about this are clearly the kind that were never raised around animals. At least this child won’t be afraid of its own shadow like you.
My neighbor had a mastiff. It went in the barn with my foal. I was worried and when I checked the two were playing!!! All dogs are unpredictable, most attack from fear or pain, but this appears to be a big lovable pooch and the people taking the pics obviously knew that.
I can’t believe everyone is upset about the dog hurting the kid, when everyone knows it is the kid that is the danger to the dog. Have you seen baby bites?
Babies typically carry lots of nasty diseases and will attack anything that moves quickly or makes a noise. You’re very lucky nothing startled the baby during these “cute photographs”.
How do you know the kid didn’t have rabies? What if it bit the dog?
I think this is the cutest thing I have seen in a long time!!!! I have an English Mastiff and he is just as loving………..they are just BIG ol’ babies!!!!!
I agree with the pack hierarchy theories, however I also agree with the owners allowing this close a bond between the dog and baby.
There is obviously close supervision in this series of pics.
All I see is a loving dog, happy baby, and although you can’t see them, obviously doting parents.
There is nothing wrong here, those bite-fearing people need to chillout.
I am reading this with my 8 month old son, and my 135 lb greatdane’s head in my lap. That being said isn’t it a little silly to judge a dog’s character/baby’s safety/parents’ competence based on a few photographs? Who are you people, Bill Frist wannabes?
So cute! The baby and dog obviously are familiar with each other and hopefully will be best buds for a long time to come.
P.S. Dogs(and other animals such as cats) have a different body temperture so everyday germs they carry should not be a concern for humans.
I am due in a month and I have a 150lb mastiff. He is the best, most gentle dog- ever. I can’t wait till my baby boy meets him and they play together like this. My mastiff loves kids. Toddlers have hung on him and he had been great with them. I am not worried about introducing my dog to the baby. Sure- the size of him and the baby is a concern because of the weight. But we also have a 10lb cat and the two of them play great in fact- the cat beats him up and I am more concerned about what the cat would do to the baby than the dog.
That really takes the cake on being the most adorable sequence of photos I have ever layed eyes on! Dogs and babies… always a cute combination.
BTW to all the anti-big-dog-with-baby-ists: Get over yourselves.
If your baby is the exception, it doesn’t matter how many other babies are killed in war or from dog bites or any other cause, or how many people write that their dog never hurt their child. My sister’s calm, loving, reliable 90-lb. dog - unprovoked - tore apart her son’s face requiring over 80 stitches. Maybe the odds are that this dog in the photos will not hurt the child, but why take such a chance with a baby who cannot protect itself? It can happen in an instant.
When I read all these comments, I just laughed, it’s like a full fledged debate, personally, I think that all people have their own opinions or conclusions of what the dog is doing to the baby.we would like to think that it is innocent, but then again, we don’t really know. the baby is real cute. That’s all that matters
I do have to say, as a former dog lover, that once you’ve been bitten by somebody’s “gentle” dog, you never feel quite the same way. Fyi, I was walking down the street, and some 30 pound pooch tore a chunk of meat outta my leg which took two years to heal. Now I’m inclined to shoot dogs on sight.
This dog is only showing his love for this child and showing that he is protecting it as well!! The people that think that this dog is trying to harm this child obviously doesn’t own a dog of this size & doesn’t know that this kind of dog is a “Gentle Giant”!! I’m sorry, but i’m an owner of this breed & i know for a fact that they are BIG BABIES, end of story!!!
This is cute and I’m sure Jr. is fine. . . BUT I was once a victim of a dog that “never even nipped at anyone before! I’ve never seen him jump up like that in his life!!!” . . . as I was being taken to the emergency room for 9 stitches on my face. So it DOES happen.
Ok. All you people who are attacking the photographer and parents judgment are either inexperienced with dogs, or just loudmouthed idiots.
The dog is obviously very sweet, and bull mastiffs are one of the most gentle breeds around. In the picture where he is rubbing on the baby, he is doing two things. First he is getting some of that baby smell on himself to enjoy, and second, he is being dominant. However, just because a dog acts dominant, does not mean he would ever hurt the baby. Mother dogs act dominant to their pups all the time, but would never ever hurt them.
This dog could view the baby and one of its own children, or simply just one of its pack. I wouldn’t worry about the baby being hurt by this dog (it is being supervised). I would worry that anyone else who hurt this baby would be attacked by the dog. AND RIGHTLY SO
PS. I have a big old boxer and a buncha cats. My dog has never ever done anything harmful to the cats and never would. I am confident the photographer knows this dog just as well.
Some guy pushed another guy onto the tracks on the London Underground last year.
So, in your esteemed opinion, do you think we should ban all guys from the London Underground to prevent such an occurence from happening again?
The picture is super cute. I just had to leave a comment for all the negative responses. If you can’t trust a dog that you raised around your child then maybe you shouldn’t be raising a child. Aggressive dogs take after their owners. Besides Mastiffs had been breed since 100 BC to defend and protect their owners. That dog would give up its life before it let someone harm that baby.
No, I wouldn’t trust a yorkie with a kid, either…. People are more likely to train their big dogs than little dogs… And yes, I’m serious. 10 years as a trainer, and I was bit by little dogs. Only. One of them was a yorkie that actually launched at me.
As long as that kid is taught how to interact with dogs, it has small chance of being hurt by one. More often it’s children terrorizing a dog that gets it hurt. ‘Oh, it was just being a kid’. Well, the dog was just being a dog and protecting itself.
And the comment about the ringworm? Brilliant. *rolls eyes*
Please stop listening to dog illiterate news reports and start actually learning about dogs before opening your mouth, please.
Very adorable pictures…. Good to see someone not getting rid of their dog when they have a kid… That’s gonna be one happy kid growing up with a close friend.
well said jd. Look at the baby, he loves it! You are underestimating the ability of the dog to decide how delicately to touch the baby. It’s a dog. It gets it. It probably thinks the baby is like a puppy with artificial fur. My dog used to sit under my crib when I was an infant. Anyone who wasn’t escorted by my mother or father into the nursery was NOT allowed near the herd. Some dogs know better than humans how to treat the youngest members of the pack. No matter what species the pack.
yeh dogs seemed scary in the 2nd and 3rd pic, and you’d think it will maul the baby. BUt it doesnt. What dog hating humans don’t see, is the dog’s feelings and emotions. Its bonding with the baby so that if any harm comes to the baby it will protect it as if it was her/his own pup.
Sadly to all those dog hater MFz… you all should lighten up a bit, cos u dont see dogs blowing up $hit in the world and killing innocent people. Its the idiots in this world that kill each other. Same goes for the idiots that teach and intimidate dogs to be aggressive to every living thing.
These photos truly signify that the owner of the dog and parent of the baby is quite respectful and adoring people themselves, thats why both dog and baby is adorable and loving.
Those of you who hate dogs and scared $hitless of them, then y do u bother to go outside and live? just stay in your lifeless mindless shacks and gnaw at ur fingers until u rooll over and fart then decay!
btw… i like ur grass. so soft and green… looks like you live in a state with no stage 5 water restrictions
This psychology student says:
Please stop anthropomorphising your dogs, it’s idiotic- they don’t have ‘personalities’ or ‘thoughts’, they are simply a bundle of classical/operant conditioning processes and genetic instinctual predispositions.
If a baby does something the dog doesn’t like, e.g. grabbing its tail, it’ll jump like any dog and may even attack. We can’t predict human behaviour and we certainly can’t predict canine behaviour.
Many of us have anecdotal evidence of friends who were bitten by “perfectly loving” dogs as children because the dog flipped and noone forsaw it. I hate to point this out but dogs have no emotions- they harbour no love for you or your children.
I had to laugh out loud at all the “dominance theorists” above who are concerned about this being some sort of “aggression sign.” That theory went out with like, bell-bottoms. Get with the times people. This mastiff is simply treating this baby with all the gentle playfulness it would a puppy. There is absolutely NOTHING about this dog’s posture that indicates dominance. A dog signaling dominance would stand with legs stiff, tail upright and ears tense, eyes staring and head up. Please do your homework before spouting opinions on such
matters.
Second, babies are HARDLY fragile. You could probably bounce a baby like a basketball and it would be fine (and NO I am not advocating this, simply exaggerating to make a point) because babies and kids have the cellular rejuvenation skills of a gecko tail. They can heal within minutes. It’s us old adults that have to worry about injury.
It’s clear that this baby and this dog are both enjoying a lovely interaction. Lighten up people.
These are the most ADORABLE photos I think I’ve ever seen. My dog, Harley, a Maltese just had pups and so I feel for this Mastif and baby…SO ADORABLE!!!!
Fishfeet, Dogov - I was never the one to suggest that the dog not be allowed to play with a child. I was simply saying that perhaps these people were not responding out of aggression, as you said was the case, but perhaps out of past experience which led to concern for the baby. I’m sorry if you misinterpreted what I wrote. I think that the pictures are adorable; I’m glad that the mastiff is a gentle creature who seems to have genuine love for the child. But I think you may be misinterpreting genuine fear and misunderstanding of dogs from others as “aggression.”
It amazes me that no one has any care for the dog. Doesn’t anyone realize how much DANGER this dog is in?
If he puts the baby in his mouth he could easily choke and die. Also, there’s no telling what kind of germs are on that baby…it’s probably slobbering all day long…then the dog goes and licks up those germs.
More dangerously is that the baby hasn’t developed any good sense of motor skills yet and could easily reach his arm out and poke the dog’s eyes out and not be aware of what he is doing.
Truly I must say, the owners of this dog like living on edge. Please have more concern for your dog’s safety.
This dog got away with one, but what about the next time?
William James: You’re supposed to be a psychology student? Have you ever cracked your textbook? You mention conditioning-all evidence of conditioning is based purely on the fact that we can predict how a person or animal will respond to a given stimlus. Does the name Ivan Pavlov ring any bells?
Who does this for the sake of a cute picture. My nephew got bit in his face by his so called loving family pet. And my sister still kept the dog. I have seen dogs smother the last runt of the litter and these photos remind me of just that. Careless irresponsible parent whoever had this bright idea does not need to own a dog or a child.
As a owner of Mastiff dogs and 9 newborn Mastiff pups,these are one of the best breeds of dogs we have owned.They are very large and most people find them intemidating,but they are very loving and love to give and receive hugs.I have pictures like this of our dogs and the children in our family.This is a great picture and untill you have owned one of these gentle giants you cannot relize how many loving and candid moments you will see like this one.Very beautiful dog,three pups from our litter are solid blu and I hope the look as good as this Mastiff.Thank you for sharing this picture.
“This is crazy- have you ever seen the way dogs play? How can they be expected to understand that a baby needs to be treated more gently than another dog or adult human.”
Have you ever seen a mother dog care for her puppies? Go see. It’s pretty cool. My dog Bear was protective of her little babies in the extreme.
> More dangerously is that the baby hasn’t developed any good sense of motor skills yet and could easily reach his arm out and poke the dog’s eyes out and not be aware of what he is doing.
If the baby did that, who knows how the dog would react?
Cute. No. Irresponsible, yes. This dog is dominating the child with alpha behaviour leaving the child open to injury or death. The endless stupidity of sub-standard parents and animal owners never ceases to amaze me. The weight differential alone is enough to give pause even if the pooch doesn’t bite to further the alpha posing. I maintain no one should be permitted to parent without training/licensing and their IQ should be greater than their shoe size.
The Company for which I work as an animal behaviorist, does much to educate people about animals. It is a defining characteristic of human kind that we fear what we don’t understand. I, in no way wish to cast aspersions upon some of those who made comments, but many are fundamentally flawed. A dog is the only creature on earth that will love you more than it loves itself; the evidence of this is legion. Whilst it is true that dogs have attacked people, when you consider ratio demographic in this equation, it is apparent we face a greater threat merely crossing the street than a dog attack. Certainly, when an attack occurs it is reported in the media, often quite graphically, but that is the nature of the news, if its not sensational it won’t sell. The unfortunate repercussion of such an instance however, is to paint all dogs the same colour. I could continue this dissertation in defence of dogs but I think I have made the point I set out to establish, and I appreciate the time you have taken to read it; now I ask that you consider it before drawing a woefully erroneous conclusion.
SteveH, You are one SMART man!! I would fear people before i would fear a dog! I think that humans are more unpredictable & more aggressive than dogs are!
why do ppl haf 2 turn great fun and cuteness in 2 political correctness? this is perfectly fine and obviously ppl who made comments about being irresponsble and dangerous, etc, know nothing about dogs. the owner of this dog obviously knew that this dog was harmless and wasnot in the least bit dangerous. ppl, u really are pathetic.
These pictures are super SUPER cute!! I’m sick and tired to all those over-protective people who think that animals should be kept away from children, and/or people in general. Animals only become dangerous and ‘evil’ when we teach them how to become that way. I would leave my kid with a dog like that anytime of day and wouldn’t worry for a second. You want to protect your children? KEEP PEOPLE AWAY FROM THEM THEN - cause they’re a lot more likely to physically or mentally scar them..
Dog bites are most often due to miscommunication between children and dogs or inappropriate expectations. Good dogs bite as it is one form of communicaton after others have failed. Like toddlers when they get frustrated. The sad thing is dogs do not get another chance and their family and society turns on them the second they communicate in doggie ways.
Yes the pictures are cute. However, they are also irresponsible for the reasons already pointed out. No matter how cute or happy or well trained a dog is, they are still dogs. This dog is dominating the baby. In a second this could have been a tragedy. People really need to understand dogs better if they are going to own them, especially a dog this powerful. BTW, I have owned and bred dogs for 36 years now. Anyone who leaves children and dogs unattended or allows a child to pull, crawl over or whatever a dog, is not the sor tof person i would allow to have one of mine, and mine are small! Dogs are wonderful creatures but need to be respected and understood.
Cute pic. Have bullmastiff myself. Love him to bits and trust him absolutley. To do that with a baby???????????? 100% trust????????????? ……………. WOULD JUST NEVER CHANCE IT
This is absolutely crazy. The parents obviously know their dog and believe their baby is safe. Of course there is the slim chance the dog will snap but then again, maybe we should keep that baby away from it’s mama…afterall, member that chick that snapped and drowned all five of her kids? Yikes! Just enjoy the pictures - don’t look if you don’t like! Good for you parents! Nothing is better than a kid with a four legged best buddy!
that is so unbelivable I wish my dog could do that how did u make him or her do that i’ve been tring to get my dog to do triks since ever but … u amaze me realy.wow.
it is highly impossible to believe that dog will hug a litlle baby like that,i am felling very happy to see that a dog can also care a child like us.really great to see all thes things.
The dog is asserting its dominance over the baby. Dominance (I’m in charge) is not quite the same as aggression, but I’m pretty sure the person behind the camera doesn’t grasp the distinctions. They shouldn’t be allowed to have a kid or a dog. Primate body language is different than canine body language. Dogs and wolves do not greet each other with hugs, handshakes, or slaps on the back. A dog putting its head or paw over another dog’s shoulders is a classic show of dominance, and a warning that a squabble or fight may ensue if one doesn’t back down. Contrary to most people’s anthropomorphising of dogs, most dogs are stressed out by being squeezed. Also, dogs lick their lips either when they’re anticipating dinner or when they are stressed/in conflict/etc. (for more photos see http://www.familypaws.com/communication/ and the book The Other End of the Leash)
When parents bring a new born baby home from the hospital they should NOT ALLOW any dog to come and smell the baby or lick the baby. In fact the dog needs to be trained to stay away from the baby.
Your goal is to teach the dog that the baby is YOUR BABY and has NOTHING to do with the dog. The baby should not to be smelled or touched. The dog needs to learn that the baby is a higher ranking member of the family pack and that you (as the pack leader) enforce the babies rank. This is no different than a mother wolf who does not allow other pack members near her newborn pups.
With that said watch the Dog Whisperer or read books on canine behavior, this dog is owning this child.
well as for the slobber, big deal, the pictures are adorable but at what risk. chances are that this dog is sweet and the owners know him well enough to trust him. All animals, no matter how sweet can have a bad moment. Even a warning nibble if the child was pulling on him could cause extreme damage to a child that size. My friends daughter used to hang on their dog and he seemed to love it and allow it. never growled or showed any signs of intolorence towards her extreme affection until last summer. He decided, I suppose that he wanted her to stop hugging him and put 3 holes in her face with one quick bite. My dog recently just showed his first sign of aggression towards a child. I would not have beleived it myself had I not been right there with him. The child did nothing to provoke it. she simply tried to walk around him to step out of the bedroom and he lunged at her face growling and barking like kujo. If I hadnt been there to scream and grab him, I dont know what would have happened. I have worked with animals for many years and have a new prospective. Just please, love your dog but use your common sense when it comes to the kind of contact you allow them to have with small defenseless children. LOve and protect your children. Dogs are a great asset to a family but they are living breathing animals who can shift moods just like people. All too often when they have an unexpected mood swing they bite.
It’s obvious none of you have seen a mastiff chew the flesh off the arm of a 6′5″ 230 lb. man. It’s pretty horrifying and happens in a split second. That said, I’m a parent and hate when people chide me about something they think is wrong about my parenting.
Awwww these pictures are so cute. The dog is probably thinking “What am i going to do with this? Wait a minute… i might get a treat… yea me… go me, go go go, go me!!!!”
I’m totally shocked by these dog haters. Children are more likely to be injured by family members, teachers or other members of society than a flipping dog. Get a clue people. I have 2 Boston Terriers, my female does not like small children so we keep her away from them as any responsible dog owner would, however my male Boston will allow toddlers to pull on his ears, ride him whatever he doesn’t mind. Every dog is different & for these STUPID people to ASSUME that every dog will turn on a child pisses me off. As a good dog owner you know your dog & act accordingly.
I’ve been bit by a dog, in the face, and I still find this cute. (I was bit as an adult, but a known aggressive dog.)
Everyone who says “that dog could snap” hasn’t spent time enough with that particular dog to say so. It’s like saying “that person could snap.” I say trusting the dog with the baby is like trusting a 4yr old child with the baby. If you know your 4yr old, you know if you can trust them with a baby, and you wouldn’t leave them alone together. I’ve seen some 4yr olds snap & lash out. Considering how many dogs and babies there are in the U.S., and how few babies are killed by dogs each year, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say well-raised dogs are trust-worthy with babies, as long as the parent is around.
Dogs should be introduced to babies if they are to live in the house together. If the dog doesn’t meet the baby, then there is potential for bad things when the dog doesn’t know what that thing is. (Actually, this should start before the baby is born, getting the dog used to the smell of baby-powder, the mother carrying around a toy baby-doll, etc.) And good parents socialize their puppy early and often with other dogs, children, and lots of people.
And to whoever said “This is no different than a mother wolf who does not allow other pack members near her newborn pups,” you don’t know much of wolves. Perhaps very newborn pups are hidden, but in nature, only the alpha pair of wolves in a pack mate, and the whole pack takes care of the puppies. Often the omega dog is left as baby-sitter while the rest of the pack, the alpha dogs, hunts.
Wow. I have to be critical of both sides here. To say there’s a 100% certainty any dog would never bite a person is incorrect. Most dogs are caring loyal companions when trained properly and loved. Some mistreated dogs are aggressive, and will remain so for the rest of their lives. It is a sad fact. Either way, there are far more people killing people and harming society. When has anybody here ever heard of a serial killing dog? However you slice it, dogs are neither 100% perfect or 100% the spawn of satan. Either way they have a better track record than people and most other animals. I have been bitten far more by small dogs than large dogs. And… have spent my whole life around dogs, trained service dogs, muts, etc.
As much as we want to believe that dogs are unconditionally protective (of us and our infants), or that they are loyal or compassionate and understand our thoughts, our tendency to anthropomorphize dogs means we often forget that dogs don’t in fact possess these emotions. Dogs adopt seemingly “human” behavior because we reward it over other behaviors. And the rewards aren’t trivial, they include some of a dog’s basic elements of survival: food, shelter, etc. (Unfortunately, this can also lead owners to ridiculous extremes, like dressing dogs in sweaters and Halloween costumes, feeding them better than most homeless people, and dog “pageants”). I suppose there’s nothing wrong with this, but it explains why dogs don’t actually posses the underlying emotions that we associate with behavior we find endearing and human. This includes the characterization that the dog in the pictures is protecting or expressing its love to the baby.
Search-and-rescue dogs don’t realize they’re saving lives, they’re simply playing fetch (after repeated rewards for detecting certain scents). A dog that appears to smile is actually merely displaying one of many submissive displays. Your dog’s apparent kinship, love and loyalty displayed by licking your face or lowering its front legs and wagging its tail, rolling onto its stomach, sitting and staying are actually the same displays that a subordinate wolf or dog displays when confronted by a more dominant member of its pack or group.
As others have mentioned, dogs’ behavior is driven by submission and dominance. When an adult owner interacts with its dog, the owner establishes its dominance in part by rewarding submissive behavior. We extend attention, food and other rewards when a dog follow orders, wags its tail, etc., all examples of submissive behavior.
In a new context, such as the dog with the young baby on a blanket, a dog may be confused as to whether it should adopt a submissive or dominant position. Good owners establish very early on that a baby, like the adult owner, will always be in a position of dominance.
No one knows if the owners of the dog and baby in the picture have trained their dog by rewarding behavior that puts it in a submissive position to the baby. However, I think that even with training it is too great a risk because in a new context outside of the one in which the dog learned its submissive behavior, you can’t reliably predict whether a dog will adopt a submissive position while on a blanket with a baby that it has never encountered before. If the dog believes it’s dominant (and others have pointed out signs that it may be), the results could be catastrophic.
3) Humans and dogs co-evolved for thousands upon thousands of years. Do you really think that would have happened if they ROUTINELY ATE OUR YOUNG?
(The answer, is NO.)
4) I’d give you some basic canine behavior reading suggestions, but that would put a dent in how excited you are about this. And I’m sure you need that time to host your weekly SHOELACES KILL: ALL-VELCRO SHOE CLOSURES NOW!!! meeting.
5) If you have kids, YOU are what is going to hurt your kid. You and your insane THE WORLD IS FULL OF HORROR AND DOGS WANT TO EAT YOUR BABY!!!!!! attitude. Not some big galoot of a dog who’s cuddling up a grinning infant.
Finally:
It’s obvious none of you have seen a mastiff chew the flesh off the arm of a 6′5″ 230 lb. man. It’s pretty horrifying and happens in a split second.
REALLY, guy? REALLY?
Does that happen a lot? Is this something you just see on the streets constantly?
REALLY? where do you live?
You guys, your mania is what happens when you watch too much fear-mongering local news. Put down the remote and go for a walk. Really, I know the great outdoors are scary, but A DOG IS NOT GOING TO EAT YOUR BABY. Or rip your arm off.
For pete’s sake.
Those pictures are delightful. Stop being so thrilled to be offended. Your life might improve.
Jeeez people. Training training training. My Dobe will listen to my kids. She knows damn well her place in the pack. My daughter has been handling her since 3. Walking, feeding, and giving commands. Dual leash, just in case, but my daughter has complete control.
Never leave pets and kids unattended. But I fear my in-laws Boston terrier much more than any other dog. That bitch is nasty.
Responsible ownership. That’s what it boils down to. Thank heavens you Nancys don’t have dogs. It would sense your fear and be a wreck.
Well, I hope to give a “voice of reason” response to all of this: I grew up with dogs, cats, and horses from literally before I was born. Never been hurt by one. Never. Been licked, swatted, dumped-off-of, and played with a LOT, but never hurt (and certainly not deliberately).
well, after repeated warnings i see the so-called dog lovers and experts are hell-bent on ignoring classic dominant behaviour in a large hunting dog - good luck, I say. Please go ahead - allow your babies to play with large dogs - and do go attend that phone call in the kitchen. Oh, and btw, I have owned 4 dogs and own one presently. She’s a medium size mix, absolutely would not hurt a fly and allows me and my kids to do anything with her. Oh, she also growls occassionly when smaller kids pull her ears etc, but she wouldn’t BITE them - she loves them, etc, man.
sure, the pictures are cute without going into it too much. but this is dominance at its worst. dogs dont hug folks. got it? i am not a dog hater, i am a dog lover. i just dont think anthromorphism is a good idea. i would never allow my dog to do this and if she ever tried i would be very worried and would seriously doubt my training. i can forgive the average joe for not knowing any better on this but to all the so called ‘dog trainer’ ‘animal control’ experts who have commented and think this is ok, you should be ashamed of yourselves. all it takes is 2 seconds for this dog to kill the baby, intentionally or by accident, and i guarantee you the photographer aint gonna get there in time.
I find dogs to be far more worthy of love and respect than a lot of humans I’ve met in my life, however I would not leave a tiny baby with such a huge dog for the simple fact that it could be injured by accident
Friendly dogs are the one in the picture are being killed all over Karnataka, Bangalore India. The best part is all the Government authorities, the courts, the police have been bought up so we who care about life can not save these animals.
They are killing 300 dogs a day….can anyone stop it
I have read all of the replys to the series of photos taken. I am biting my tongue the whole way through when reading things about germs, beasts and killing babies. Obviously the owner trusts the dog and vise versa. I own a french mastiff/rott mix and I would definately rather have a molosser next to my child than a yippy yappy dog who has no idea what the heck is going on. Mastiffs have been great babysitters of autistic children and adults alike. They understand the babies and adult emotions better than other human beings! Before you go on and ridicule the owners of these “beasts” first do some research on them so you know how gentle they can be and are. Thanks!
Oh and by the way…germs! Why would it be so bad to have a dog lick a kid? In the World Wars they would have dogs come in and lick the wounded so that they didn’t have to “waste” the antibiotics with just the minor infections. Dogs have a bacteria fighting agent in their saliva that helps heal quicker than antibiotics do alone! Germs? Bah humbug. Again…do research before you start talking.
By the way…GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY! Love the smiles on the babe and on the molosser! Captured love.
OMG !!!!!!!!!!! I cant believe what I am reading.
I hope this is no indication as to what society has become. I bet the ones that are afraid for the baby in these pictures have helmets when riding bikes, don’t eat Popsicles because of fear of choking on the stick and have 15 airbags all around their car.
The pictures are great and these dogs are too kind. Me and my wife were at a dog pound picking up a puppy for our son, who was 3 or 4 at the time, we both think that a boy should have a good dog, and we were looking at a bull mastif through a window, well the were going to let us pet it and this thing was HUGE, my son walked up to the dog, with both hands grabbed it by the jowls and kissed it right on the mouth. The dog was sweet sweet sweet and did nothing but lick him…..
People grow some back bone.
My husband and I think these are adorable! Most parents we know wouldn’t put their baby in a dangerous situation just to get a good photo. I’m sure these parents knew the child was safe. We have two large dogs and a 15 month old daughter, and they’re thick as thieves and do nothing but follow each other around all day and play. My daughter pulls their ears and tails when she’s feeling feisty (even though we try to teach her to be gentle) but they couldn’t care less. If it gets to be too much, they just walk away. If you know your dog well, the baby playing and cuddling up close to the dog is just not that big a deal.
Terrible parenting…. A dog, no matter how friendly, is still an animal. Dogs and babies should be kept apart, it is a disaster waiting to happen. That dog is well over 100 lbs, it could have easily smothered that baby. That dog isnt “hugging” -hugging is a primate instinct, not a canine one. Dogs dont hug each other. In fact, in the 3rd picture, it looks like the dog is asserting domincance over the baby. Big no no.
Grip, whine, bitch, moan…repeat after me, “It’s going to be okay.” Just enjoy and get over your opinions as far as how horrible this is. I’m definitely not a real lover of animals, but even I can see this is okay.
Dog owners and lovers are THE WORLDS STUPIDEST LOT. It won’t harm the baby, oh how cute! One bite and that child is gone..how dare you endanger that childs’ life you freakin idiot!!
I HATE DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and their owners as well.
that was crazy! Im a new dad and i would never put my child or watch someones else child be smothered by a animal. I love animals ,im a dog man honestly i real do but im more responceable when it comes to a child. check yourself,
awww most amazing thing in the world and all you ass holes who think that sweet dog is going to attack the baby need to go somewhere else and stop complaining. that dog is one of the safest places in the world for that baby to be near at this moment. that baby is protected.
I LOVE these pics! I too have an English Mastiff and yes, they are HUGE… BUT… they are the most gentle dog that you can get. I’ve read these comments and those that think that the baby is in jeapordy should spend a few minutes researching the breed before being so stupid! My 8 MONTH OLD granddaughter was eating cheetos in her high chair one day and my dog reached up and grabbed the last one off of her tray. My granddaugher (without missing a beat) grabbed my mastiffs jaws, reached her hand INSIDE the dogs mouth and RETREIVED the cheeto! My dog just looked at her as if to say “Well, ok. Guess you get the last one.” This child is NOT in danger. This dog would lay down it’s life for this baby so people.. get a grip and do some RESEARCH!
I can’t believe that animals are smarter than humans. That dog look sooo happy on top of its pray. It’s dominating that baby! And the stupid parents think that’s so cute.
If we as rational beings do stupid things, much less a dog that is completely irrational!!!!!
Is it just me, or does it seem like people have seriously started to fear dogs in the past 5 or 10 years? It doesn’t seem like people were always so irrationally fearful.
I can’t see anything wrong with these photos. It looks like the dog adores the baby. And by the way, there’s no question of the two being left unattended, obviously, someone is there taking the photos.
I am in animal resuce, went to the Gulf after Katrina to pull dogs who were lost or abandoned in the storm, and own a pit bull mix (along with other animals). I would never, ever, ever let my dogs display any kind of dominance over a child - it shows a total lack of understanding dog psychology.
My pit mix loves to “play fight” just like my chihuahua loves to sit on laps. It is in their breeding. I had to carefully support a pack order that has the smaller, older dogs on top and the pit mix on the bottom. I live with four cats and four dogs who get along, BUT I have to keep supporting the pack order to keep the peace! It is a lot of work.
p.s. these dogs are not always sweet and gentle, I can attest to that after working with dozens of dogs who were going to be put down unless they could be rehabed. Also, please do not forget the woman who was mauled to death in SF and the most recent tragedy at Ving Rhames home - bullmastiffs mauled a caretaker they had known for years - it is important to remember to always respect how much power these dogs have and educate yourself about how to work with them. The folks who took the photo, I hope, understand that the child must be dominant over the dog - not at all demonstrated in this photo.
We used to own a brown lab that was really mean and my parents were talking about getting rid of him before I was born but decided against it. Then when I was three I snuck out of the house one night and they found me in the morning curled up with the dog.
I’m not quite sure but I think I’m still alive.
Recently we got a dog from the Humane Society and she was shy and skittish at first but now she allows my year-old cousins to crawl on her and pull her ears. She’s one of the calmest dogs I’ve ever owned and throughout my whole life I’ve owned at least thirty dogs (most of which were strays which we kept for awhile before finding homes for)(Also, this isn’t counting the ten puppies my yellow lab had).
I’m not presuming that I know everyone’s dog but the least you people could do is give the parents the benefit of the doubt that they know their dog.
If i hear one more comment about how unpredictable dogs are i’ll puke. People are idiots and that’s the truth. The only way that sweet dog would hurt that baby would be if he stepped on her. Not cool but it would be the parents fault not the dogs fault. I love the i killed nazis with my bare hands comment
We have a Brazilian mastiff @ 175 pounds, 2 Boston terriers,and a 2 year old. With out any training to do so our mastiff is very respectful of our daughter. I don’t think anyone who has commented on this set of pictures was even there. Not one of you has any idea what went on. The comments on bad parenting was really uncalled for, you would have to say that about anyone who has a large gentle dog. My two take naps together should I have CPS called on me? No.. there is way too much fear instilled in people these days.
Come On Guys!
THis dog is PLAINLY responisble and it’s not exactly eating the baby is it!
Get a grip!
That dog is absoloutly NO danger to that baby & you ALL need to get a grip on reality.
If the parents where that worried, then they wouldnt have had the baby in the backyard in the first place,
Its ridiculous how narrow minded you people are.
Get a life and think next time.
Have you heard of cases when other animals accept other kind of anymals to feed them, and help them servive? that goes to readers. Dog has human attitude which I can see from a pic. Maybe that’s a reletive of yours?
“Dogov Says:
February 12th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Dogs are beasts. True, they can be man’s best friends, but they can also be child’s worst enemies. I wouldn’t trust a yorkie with my child, let alone a molossoid like this. And I _like_ dogs! ”
Yorkies are pretty nuts, like yourself, but an italian mastiff is, like most huge dogs who have nothing to fear, incredibly friendly and perfectly safe.
Parents and family members-I, too, love animals. Grew up with pets and our children now have pets and children of their own. Pets are animals-it matters not if they are inside and sleep right next to you on the pillow. I know toddlers that bite each other when they are provoked (twins at 2) dogs may be members of the family but this poor little baby is too close to the dog. Please beware, I know others warn against the dangers of pets snapping. It happened to our dearest friends this past week. Their 8 month old granddaughter was attacked by the family pet-upscale family-inside pet that they’ve had for 4 years. The little girl is still hospitalized and may loose an eye. New york state animal control will have rabies test back tomorrow and the dog will be put to sleep. The family is devestated. Never say it won’t happen to you.
This was one of the scariest series of photos I can imagine! We were just discussing this on a “list” this morning and someone sent this link for us to see… and we all agree… this dog is exhibiting an Alpha attitude! This is NOT cute or adorable! This is scary! I would NEVER leave a child alone with this dog.
Goodness. People are too crazy. Yea, the pictures are cute and I enjoyed them, but I do see reason to be concerned, and I am a HUGE dog lover (always took in strays and found good homes for them, kept some). I can’t believe people would label someone as being a dog hater or not familiar with dogs because they have the common sense to be concerned. Most people who are the most familiar with dogs AND with children would say the situation in those photos is not the best thing for the parent to allow. Vets and animal control officers know how unpredictable, even the best trained animals, can be sometimes. True “dog” people know that dogs don’t typically view an infant as a human and it is easy for them to view them as prey. Pediatricians are familiar with cases of children hurt or disfigured due to a “friendly dog” encounter. I work with a woman whose whole right side of her face is forever maimed from a “friendly dog, who wouldn’t hurt a flea”, that attacked her when she was a child. And when a child is attacked, people say all kinds of stuff like, “The child must have done something wrong” or “the dog was not well trained”. Where are people’s priorities?
I understand both side, sure the dog is big, he could suffocate the baby, or worse become agressive, but i dont think any parent would let their dog or any dog get close enough to their child if it had an agressive streak towards little ones. You dont know this dog, and your not this kids parents so who are you to judge? It seems like some of you will do much worse to your kids with all your “worries” making them afriad of their own shadows as they become older. That dog will be that kids best friend for the rest of his life.
I like and trust dogs more than most people. But if you know a thing about dog behavior, you know the dog is not hugging the baby, he’s dominating it. That should never be allowed. I’m not saying get rid of the dog, I’m saying show the dog his proper place in the pack.
I wonder how old this baby is by now. Probably 10.
This is a Neo NOT a Bullmastiff. Bullmastiffs don’t even come in this blue color. Having a 150pd cane corso mastiff myself, I would not leave him alone with a baby,BUT this baby was not alone and obviously the parents know what signs to look for that their dog is under stress.I doubt they would jeopordize their babies life or their dogs since it would surely be put down if it hurt a baby.And to the person who said dogs are uncapable of having feelings is a frikin MORON! Dogs actually get scared, depressed, excited,angry. They are a social creatures, just like us humans are social creatures. they mourn for when a pack member dies.I think that would constitute as having feelings.Also he is showing dominance, that is exactly what my dog does to other dogs to assert himself. But it is not aggressive and i’m sure in time he will learn that the baby is a leader if the parents teach him that.
Some people can be so naive and ignorant. The bond between my boys and their Staffordshire Bull was inconceivable. This photo is awesome!! The innate ability to bond with mother nature on all levels is what’s to be perceived here.
Goodness. People are too crazy. Yea, the pictures are cute and I enjoyed them, but I do see reason to be concerned, and I am a HUGE dog lover (always took in strays and found good homes for them, kept some). I can’t believe people would label someone as being a dog hater or not familiar with dogs because they have the common sense to be concerned. Most people who are the most familiar with dogs AND with children would say the situation in those photos is not the best thing for the parent to allow. Vets and animal control officers know how unpredictable, even the best trained animals, can be sometimes. True “dog” people know that dogs don’t typically view an infant as a human and it is easy for them to view them as prey. Pediatricians are familiar with cases of children hurt or disfigured due to a “friendly dog” encounter. I work with a woman whose whole right side of her face is forever maimed from a “friendly dog, who wouldn’t hurt a flea”, that attacked her when she was a child. And when a child is attacked, people say all kinds of stuff like, “The child must have done something wrong” or “the dog was not well trained”. Where are people’s priorities?
These are the cutest pictures I have ever seen and show the true personality of mastiffs. I have two mastiffs, Harley and Daisy, and they are the most gentle dogs I’ve ever had. We got Harley a couple weeks after my little brother was born and he wouldn’t leave his room! If Harley wasn’t in Sam’s room, Sam would scream his head off! Once Sam started kindergarten, Mom would have to take Harley to and from school when dropping him off. It was a daily ritual. Sam would be lost without Harley.
I have a mutt (mostly beagle) and a newborn and he is curious of the baby and will sniff her just as this bull mastiff does in the first part of the pics. Generally larger dogs, as some other people have already noted, are more tolerant of children (toddlers pulling on them etc) whereas small dogs are much more likely to snap. But I have to say I was a bit surprised with the picture before the actual ‘hug’ because that could have been dangerous without the dog intending it to be. Our friends own a bull mastiff and the other day our niece walked into the house (she is almost 3) and the dog ran up and knocked her over. He was happy to see her but his exuberance could have caused her serious harm - as it was she whacked her head on the floor. So just be careful.
These pics are so cute. I love them. Dogs are most of the time wonderfull with kids. In most cases when a dog attacks (i’m not saying in all the cases) he was provoced or hurt. I have a Silky and a Yorkie and when my oldest doughter was born i was verry affraid for the reaction of our Silky because she is really jalous. Well… i couldn’t have been more surprised. They both where (even they warn’t used to baby’s)verry, verry gentle and carefull with her. The Silky even more than the Yorkie. If my little girl cried she was verry concernt and wouldn’t leave me alone until i took care of her. Once my oldest (running a
February 12th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Awesome! Most dogs are like this. Very few are the kind that make it into the news for injuring children.
February 12th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
that is the more cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time.
February 12th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
I like that fence. Also, photo #4 really does look like the dog is getting ready to have a snack…
February 12th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Awesome! Hey what kind of dog is that?
February 12th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
there is a great pic at stuff on my Cat you may appreciate
http://www.stuffonmycat.com/index.php?itemid=3124
February 12th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Unbelievable and excellent!
February 12th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
#4, it’s a Neapolitan Mastiff, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neapolitan_Mastiff
February 12th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
who lets a dog of this size get on top of a baby like this?
Seriously. Its great that it became a ‘cute series of pictures’ but it could have been easily been evidence in a manslaughter case instead.
Yeah yeah, I know… your dog is just ’so gentle and wouldnt hurt a fly’.
Thats what nearly all owners said of their dogs before they attacked someone.
February 12th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Unbearable cuteness!
February 12th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Cute?
Unhygenic and dangerous more like!
I bet the baby now has roundworms ;o)
At least it still has a head.
February 12th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Obviously the owner of this baby and dog knows that this is NOT an aggressive dog and has no worries. Which you would realize if you knew anything about dogs.
February 12th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Dogs are beasts. True, they can be man’s best friends, but they can also be child’s worst enemies. I wouldn’t trust a yorkie with my child, let alone a molossoid like this. And I _like_ dogs!
February 12th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Dangerous? maybe. Unhygenic? by what standard? If you’re using an absolute standard, then yes. Having the dog slobber on the baby is more unhygenic than no slobber. But, using a practical standard… A human kissing a baby is more unhygenic than dog slobber. Human slobber is packed with nasty microbes, dog slobber, not so much. This is why human bites are almost certain to become infected, while dog bites are relatively unlikely.
February 12th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
“You don’t know my dog… you obviously don’t know my dog.”
February 12th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Thanks for the toy. Can I eat it know?
February 12th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
> Dogs are beasts. True, they can be man’s best
> friends, but they can also be child’s worst
> enemies.
Don’t know much about dogs, do you? As someone once said, The more I know of people, the more I like my dog.
February 12th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
I am a consummate cat person but this is the cutest thing in the world!!! Animals all rule!!!
February 12th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
To all you beware-the-dog types:
What are you repressing that you interpret it likely that the dog would maul the baby? Seriously… keep your agression to yourselves. That dog is not going to harm that baby. Period. You, however, are likely to cause alot of harm with your homeland security mentality.
February 12th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
You’re right this is unhygienic. Do you know how sick that dog could get from licking a baby? I think the only aggression you would see from this dog is if she thought the baby was in peril. By the way I wouldn’t trust a yorkie or small dog with a baby either; I know that there are many exceptions to this rule but the smaller the dog, the more intimidated it feels.
February 12th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Ah, come on. I guess the safety culture strikes again.
“Ooh the danger! The germs! The Beast! Won’t someone please think of the children!”
It makes me sick that there’s a whole generation people that are too pansy to enjoy cute photos. in conclusion, I killed Nazis with my bare hands.
February 12th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
Absolutely Adorable- Very sweet Dog!!!
February 13th, 2007 at 12:17 am
I had a 150 pound Great Dane and she would let my baby sister (2-3 years old) pull her tail, smack her ears, try to climb on her, and Roxanne (the dog) was so submissive and loving to my sister.
Just cause a dog is big doesnt mean its going to eat the first human small enough to fit in its mouth.
February 13th, 2007 at 12:28 am
That baby has never been in safer hands. The dogwould die before it would let anything harm 1 hair on the babies head. And yes the dogs lick is probably less hazardous to the baby the a kiss from the babys mother. A dogs lick is antiseptic. Have seen a vet try to heal cut on a dogs head for 2 months. and fail. Brought in another dog who spent hours licking it. with in 2 weeks it was healed
February 13th, 2007 at 1:35 am
I’m a former animal control officer, and I would just like to say that, you will find lapses in judgement everywhere, but to me, being keen on behavior of dogs I would have to say that….
Photo 3… he is getting the smell of his baby on him, becuase dogs love things that smell, good or bad, poopie diaper or baby powder.
Photos 4 and 5: it seemed like a good place to sit to be near his favorite smelly friend,his ears are forward and he is licking his chops perhaps becuase he is relaxed and contented, or to taste the baby smell on his face…my only concern would be with how gently he leans on the child in the third photo, but most big dogs get a sense of their size by being taught to be gentle, and i doubt that the owner would take pictures if they thought the dogs was breaking the child’s ribs, and if you notice, the baby isn’t screaming or crying in the photos. I swear to god sometimes people just need something to freak out about…….
February 13th, 2007 at 2:21 am
Just shut the hell up and enjoy the pictures or close the freaking page you idiots.
February 13th, 2007 at 2:52 am
This baby isn’t going to get hurt because the dog will maul it. This baby is going to get hurt because the dog is F*CKING HUGE. Baby’s are very frail creatures, puppies much less so. One playful nuzzle from the dog could easily seriously injure the baby for life. Which is great because it adds quite a bit of suspense to an otherwise trivial series of photos. Quite a thrill right up to the end.
February 13th, 2007 at 3:20 am
Animals are sweet, when they do attack - it’s because some idiot made them.
February 13th, 2007 at 3:20 am
Those who say anything bad about this pictures are “dogs haters” and don’t know dogs at all!!! I have 3 dogs, big ones, and a 6 yrs old child. I had the dogs before my little girl and I can say that I’m more affraid of people than my dogs. That’s a really nice picture and I’m sure this dog is really sweat! Stop telling dog are beast because human kind is worst! Read the news a little bit!
February 13th, 2007 at 5:38 am
See the joy on the childs face. Priceless.
February 13th, 2007 at 6:20 am
OK, so perhaps the dog will NOT harm the baby in the way everybody thinks (mauling) but on the third picture from the bottom, what kind of parent allows the dog to start suffocating the child like that? Even if the dog means no harm it has no idea of where the baby’s nose is at the time of that particular photograph. Cute set of photos, but irresponsible parenting
February 13th, 2007 at 7:33 am
This is not only stupid but dangerous. This dog is marking out this baby as prey. Absolutely NO dog is safe with children not even a poodle or shitzu. These parents should have the child taken from them and put into care.
February 13th, 2007 at 7:53 am
#4/#7, it’s actually a bull mastiff.
February 13th, 2007 at 7:56 am
“It makes me sick that there’s a whole generation people that are too pansy to enjoy cute photos. in conclusion, I killed Nazis with my bare hands”
*nominated for comment of the year.*
February 13th, 2007 at 8:48 am
This is the cutest set of pictures on the internet.
February 13th, 2007 at 8:53 am
We had a large adult dog and then later a baby.
When the baby was born, the dog was curious and of course a little jealous.
Top show the dog (a little K-9 psychology) that the baby was good, we only showered the dog in attention in the baby’s presence. Otherwise the dog got a friendly hello and a pat on the head. When the baby was present, the dog was played with by one of us, or cuddled, and more importantly - fed it’s food, etc.
The dog quickly worked out the baby was a good thing and the 2 were best friends shortly after.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Its obviously tasting the baby.
Mmm….. Baby.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Very sweeet and adorable photos…The dog is tooo cute
February 13th, 2007 at 9:12 am
cute. but the dog is an animal. evolution at play. stupid ppl do stupid things, so there r less of them. by this i mean this: on the news we see many children hurt by ignorant parents. this is such a case. what if the dog all of a sudden attacked the child? Perhaps killing it. It would be tragic. So beware. In conclusion, the photographer, and parent of the child r idiots.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:15 am
also dog slobber. dog dont get sick, bc their tongues prevent germs from getting down their throat. the germs r in the dog’s saliva. check with your vet. get ur facts straight, from books, not from here say not from wut ur gut says. this is just perfect. all ur dumbass responses. sure there is danger everywhere. but some, if not most dangers can be avoided and prevented.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:17 am
and the dog is an animal. well, even with ppl we cant predict behavior. so reduce the chance by not doing this kind of thing. hopefully the child is not hurt.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:38 am
As cute as it is, don’t you think it’s a bit irresponsible, animals can turn at the slightest things. I wouldn’t take the risk.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Awww…. I don’t care what anyone says, THAT IS CUTE.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:45 am
See how the dog’s pressing the baby’s face down into the floor on #3, see how its paw is then under the baby’s head in #4?
It’s obviously been moved by the photographer to make it “look more cute” and to stop it looking like it’s just sitting on top of the baby, squashing it into the ground.
This is crazy- have you ever seen the way dogs play? How can they be expected to understand that a baby needs to be treated more gently than another dog or adult human.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Cool pics – but did you know that in pic three the position the dog is adopting is subjugation for pack order – a dog that attempts to put its head over the kneck of any other pack member is dominating that member of the pack – you notice that when dogs behave naturally in the wild. One of the best ways of training a dog, particularly a large dog – is when they do something wrong – you hold them and place your kneck and head over theirs and hold that position for a few seconds – true!
I’m a dog - I know!
February 13th, 2007 at 10:08 am
Great photos.
Little guy is a bit small for such a large dog though. Bit scary. Good job.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:24 am
looks like this dog was around when the child was born,obviously they will have a great life together protecting each other.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Very cute. The dog obviously cares a lot about the baby.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Bigger danger to this baby comes from men…Sometime dogs are aggressive, but are we not more aggressive than dogs ? So, should we forbid our children to communicate with people ? For me it would be stupid, but everybody has to decide for himself… The worst thing on this world is fear… just look the modern world, commercials, American politics (our Croatian also)… All are based on fear…
Uuups, I went to far…
I love those pictures…
February 13th, 2007 at 11:19 am
It makes me sick that there’s a whole generation people that are too pansy to enjoy cute photos. in conclusion, I killed Nazis with my bare hands
Right, so we’ll definitely keep you away from the baby!
February 13th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Dude, as cute as this is, that dog was not hugging the baby, he or she was *dominating* the baby. The dog now thinks that he or she is more important on the social scale than the baby. …at least until the first time the dog gets yelled at for pushing the baby away to get some food, anyway. Eventually the dog will get the idea. So this is cute and relatively harmless, but it ain’t what you think it is. Once the dog gets the idea that the kid is the junior member of the senior pack, she or he will probably be your kid’s best pal.
Believe me, my dogs did the same thing, and had to go through the same learning process. But now everybody are all big buddies.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:26 am
I can understand why it might look like a dangerous situation to some people, but photos are deceiving. None of us except those who were there can really can a clear idea of how the moment took place–the photographer could easily have set it all up–but that doesn’t take away from its absolute cuteness
February 13th, 2007 at 11:31 am
I like the flowers at the back.
February 13th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
You get more germs from biting your fingernails… and think of how many people do that….
February 13th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
They don’t show the last picture in the sequence… that’d be the one with an empty blanket with a little yellow jumpsuit on it… lol.
just kiddn’, that’s pretty freakin’ cute.
February 13th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
too cute! reminds me of my dog at home! absolutely adorable.
February 13th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
all animals are dangerous to a baby, this is very unresponsible …
perhaps when you have almost lost your child you will think twice …
February 13th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
I’d be uneasy about having the baby near the dog just because of the differences in weight (much like I had to repeatedly remind my older son to be very gentle with the younger son when he was a baby) the dog doing something aggressive doesn’t concern me a bit, most big dogs are marshmallows… and obviously the owner felt comfortable with the dogs level of aggression so I imagine it is a marshmallow.
February 13th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Cute, but a little scary!
February 13th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
It’s a stupid thing to let happen, let alone photograph and encourage, it’s flat-out dangerous. Not only could the dog crush the baby, but…as pointed out above…that dog is in a dominant position over the baby. That dog has at least a big of Neopolitan Mastiff in it…they are not goofy playthings, they are capable of a considerable amount of damage and…funny…once they get going there is not a damn thing you will be able to do about it.
This pic has been around for a long time and has generated a lot of negative criticism from people that actually understand dog behavior and dominant dogs. It’s pathetic that it keeps showing up as an example of this wonderful bond between a 100+ pound animal and a baby…IT IS NOT BONDING WITH THE BABY. It is treating it as a littermate, and that is dangerous as hell to allow. The correct thing to do would be to correct the living hell out of the dog for EVER positioning itself like that over any human you do not want bit.
Any d-bag dumb enough to let a nervy pile of junk like a mastiff play around with a baby like this deserves jail time. This is how people get killed by dogs.
February 13th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
derrick Says: “that is the more cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
That is the most grammatically incorrect sentence I’ve read in a long time.
February 13th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
people should have to get a license before they have children. what kind of idiot lets any dog get this close to a child?
February 13th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
I agree with what Langosta said!! LMAO Very well put!!
February 13th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
dangerous…
the dog eaysily thinks his hierarchy is higher which could sooner or later have a very bad outcome for the small child (which is preferred by the parents)
February 13th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
“Hey Fishfeet, Dogov” - Perhaps it’s not aggression that they’re interpreting, but an intense and sometimes well founded fear of dogs. When I was four, I was at an aunt’s house playing with Barbie’s and My Little Ponies, not even paying attention to the dog she had… he came over and nuzzled my cousin. I didn’t respond. He came over, looking like he was about to nuzzle me. I remember my aunt saying “oh he likes you!” And then he bit my ear. I’m fortunate not to have any serious scarring or damage from it, but these things do happen. Yet another situation where the owner said “I can’t believe it! He wouldn’t hurt a fly!” It is not, perhaps, aggression that leads to concern for this child, (which I find it odd that you could condemn - concern for children is something this world does not have enough of) but the experiences with a “gentle” dog turning vicious, literally unprovoked.
February 13th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Hey anyone who says that they would not trust a dog with a baby, they obvoisly dont know dogs.
Mastifs are the calmest and kindest dogs out there and the owner obviously knows the dog and i would like to gongtratulate you. this is really cute and it is also building links between the dog and the baby. i have been raised with alot of dogs and i have been bite, and all it has done is make me more aware on how i should treat dogs. humans make dogs violent. this dog is lovely and the baby will probably grow to love dogs.
February 13th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Are you guys kiddin’? That dog is squishing the baby, like an anaconda!
February 13th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
What is with some people? Dogs are so dangerous! Kids should never be around dogs! Please, you people that think this should go preform some stunt that allows you to receive the darwin award. ANYTHING can be dangerous but I would rather take my chances with a dog or even a freakin lion. They at least go with their instincts and can learn unlike most humans. Humans area danger to EVERYTHING. It is people like you safety freaks that allow all these laws to pass that take away freedom in the name of “safety”. Screw you all, you damn safety freaks.
February 13th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
WTF is wrong with you naysayers? Have you ever OWNED a dog? If you were afraid of its aggression YOU RAISED IT WRONG. The photo with the dog “suffocatig the baby” is fine. 1) Babies are not made of glass and 2) if something was wrong, the parents would have known immediately. People like you all that complain about this are clearly the kind that were never raised around animals. At least this child won’t be afraid of its own shadow like you.
February 13th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
My neighbor had a mastiff. It went in the barn with my foal. I was worried and when I checked the two were playing!!! All dogs are unpredictable, most attack from fear or pain, but this appears to be a big lovable pooch and the people taking the pics obviously knew that.
February 13th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
I can’t believe everyone is upset about the dog hurting the kid, when everyone knows it is the kid that is the danger to the dog. Have you seen baby bites?
Babies typically carry lots of nasty diseases and will attack anything that moves quickly or makes a noise. You’re very lucky nothing startled the baby during these “cute photographs”.
How do you know the kid didn’t have rabies? What if it bit the dog?
February 13th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
I think this is the cutest thing I have seen in a long time!!!! I have an English Mastiff and he is just as loving………..they are just BIG ol’ babies!!!!!
February 13th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I agree with the pack hierarchy theories, however I also agree with the owners allowing this close a bond between the dog and baby.
There is obviously close supervision in this series of pics.
All I see is a loving dog, happy baby, and although you can’t see them, obviously doting parents.
There is nothing wrong here, those bite-fearing people need to chillout.
February 13th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
I am reading this with my 8 month old son, and my 135 lb greatdane’s head in my lap. That being said isn’t it a little silly to judge a dog’s character/baby’s safety/parents’ competence based on a few photographs? Who are you people, Bill Frist wannabes?
February 13th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
I’m a little concerned about the pic where the dog is licking his chops - I’m assuming he wasn’t thinking “Mmmm, lunch!”
February 13th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
So cute! The baby and dog obviously are familiar with each other and hopefully will be best buds for a long time to come.
P.S. Dogs(and other animals such as cats) have a different body temperture so everyday germs they carry should not be a concern for humans.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
I am due in a month and I have a 150lb mastiff. He is the best, most gentle dog- ever. I can’t wait till my baby boy meets him and they play together like this. My mastiff loves kids. Toddlers have hung on him and he had been great with them. I am not worried about introducing my dog to the baby. Sure- the size of him and the baby is a concern because of the weight. But we also have a 10lb cat and the two of them play great in fact- the cat beats him up and I am more concerned about what the cat would do to the baby than the dog.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
That really takes the cake on being the most adorable sequence of photos I have ever layed eyes on! Dogs and babies… always a cute combination.
BTW to all the anti-big-dog-with-baby-ists: Get over yourselves.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
This baby will be more likely injured/killed in some war than by this dog.
How many babies are killed each year in war?
How many babies are killed each year from the dog bites?
February 13th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
If your baby is the exception, it doesn’t matter how many other babies are killed in war or from dog bites or any other cause, or how many people write that their dog never hurt their child. My sister’s calm, loving, reliable 90-lb. dog - unprovoked - tore apart her son’s face requiring over 80 stitches. Maybe the odds are that this dog in the photos will not hurt the child, but why take such a chance with a baby who cannot protect itself? It can happen in an instant.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
When I read all these comments, I just laughed, it’s like a full fledged debate, personally, I think that all people have their own opinions or conclusions of what the dog is doing to the baby.we would like to think that it is innocent, but then again, we don’t really know. the baby is real cute. That’s all that matters
February 13th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Ummm…I think I’m in love with your dog.
February 14th, 2007 at 12:12 am
Totally adorable!
I do have to say, as a former dog lover, that once you’ve been bitten by somebody’s “gentle” dog, you never feel quite the same way. Fyi, I was walking down the street, and some 30 pound pooch tore a chunk of meat outta my leg which took two years to heal. Now I’m inclined to shoot dogs on sight.
February 14th, 2007 at 12:59 am
This dog is only showing his love for this child and showing that he is protecting it as well!! The people that think that this dog is trying to harm this child obviously doesn’t own a dog of this size & doesn’t know that this kind of dog is a “Gentle Giant”!! I’m sorry, but i’m an owner of this breed & i know for a fact that they are BIG BABIES, end of story!!!
February 14th, 2007 at 1:49 am
This is cute and I’m sure Jr. is fine. . . BUT I was once a victim of a dog that “never even nipped at anyone before! I’ve never seen him jump up like that in his life!!!” . . . as I was being taken to the emergency room for 9 stitches on my face. So it DOES happen.
February 14th, 2007 at 2:01 am
Ok. All you people who are attacking the photographer and parents judgment are either inexperienced with dogs, or just loudmouthed idiots.
The dog is obviously very sweet, and bull mastiffs are one of the most gentle breeds around. In the picture where he is rubbing on the baby, he is doing two things. First he is getting some of that baby smell on himself to enjoy, and second, he is being dominant. However, just because a dog acts dominant, does not mean he would ever hurt the baby. Mother dogs act dominant to their pups all the time, but would never ever hurt them.
This dog could view the baby and one of its own children, or simply just one of its pack. I wouldn’t worry about the baby being hurt by this dog (it is being supervised). I would worry that anyone else who hurt this baby would be attacked by the dog. AND RIGHTLY SO
PS. I have a big old boxer and a buncha cats. My dog has never ever done anything harmful to the cats and never would. I am confident the photographer knows this dog just as well.
February 14th, 2007 at 3:00 am
Hey, Missy E:
Some guy pushed another guy onto the tracks on the London Underground last year.
So, in your esteemed opinion, do you think we should ban all guys from the London Underground to prevent such an occurence from happening again?
February 14th, 2007 at 3:05 am
The picture is super cute. I just had to leave a comment for all the negative responses. If you can’t trust a dog that you raised around your child then maybe you shouldn’t be raising a child. Aggressive dogs take after their owners. Besides Mastiffs had been breed since 100 BC to defend and protect their owners. That dog would give up its life before it let someone harm that baby.
February 14th, 2007 at 3:08 am
No, I wouldn’t trust a yorkie with a kid, either…. People are more likely to train their big dogs than little dogs… And yes, I’m serious. 10 years as a trainer, and I was bit by little dogs. Only. One of them was a yorkie that actually launched at me.
As long as that kid is taught how to interact with dogs, it has small chance of being hurt by one. More often it’s children terrorizing a dog that gets it hurt. ‘Oh, it was just being a kid’. Well, the dog was just being a dog and protecting itself.
And the comment about the ringworm? Brilliant. *rolls eyes*
Please stop listening to dog illiterate news reports and start actually learning about dogs before opening your mouth, please.
Very adorable pictures…. Good to see someone not getting rid of their dog when they have a kid… That’s gonna be one happy kid growing up with a close friend.
February 14th, 2007 at 4:25 am
well said jd. Look at the baby, he loves it! You are underestimating the ability of the dog to decide how delicately to touch the baby. It’s a dog. It gets it. It probably thinks the baby is like a puppy with artificial fur. My dog used to sit under my crib when I was an infant. Anyone who wasn’t escorted by my mother or father into the nursery was NOT allowed near the herd. Some dogs know better than humans how to treat the youngest members of the pack. No matter what species the pack.
February 14th, 2007 at 4:40 am
wow, people are getting all worked up about these pics. down people, DOWN! Looked like the kid was having a ball!
February 14th, 2007 at 5:43 am
yeh dogs seemed scary in the 2nd and 3rd pic, and you’d think it will maul the baby. BUt it doesnt. What dog hating humans don’t see, is the dog’s feelings and emotions. Its bonding with the baby so that if any harm comes to the baby it will protect it as if it was her/his own pup.
Sadly to all those dog hater MFz… you all should lighten up a bit, cos u dont see dogs blowing up $hit in the world and killing innocent people. Its the idiots in this world that kill each other. Same goes for the idiots that teach and intimidate dogs to be aggressive to every living thing.
These photos truly signify that the owner of the dog and parent of the baby is quite respectful and adoring people themselves, thats why both dog and baby is adorable and loving.
Those of you who hate dogs and scared $hitless of them, then y do u bother to go outside and live? just stay in your lifeless mindless shacks and gnaw at ur fingers until u rooll over and fart then decay!
btw… i like ur grass. so soft and green… looks like you live in a state with no stage 5 water restrictions
February 14th, 2007 at 8:56 am
WOW
I like this. Good job from the fotgrapher.
It is like Joost says. Dogs are friendly. But some people are not.
February 14th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
This is awesome! I am deeply in love with these pictures.
February 14th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
You can clearly see that the Dog is the one in danger. The baby has just got the dog in a wrestling move and has the situation under control!
February 14th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
This psychology student says:
Please stop anthropomorphising your dogs, it’s idiotic- they don’t have ‘personalities’ or ‘thoughts’, they are simply a bundle of classical/operant conditioning processes and genetic instinctual predispositions.
If a baby does something the dog doesn’t like, e.g. grabbing its tail, it’ll jump like any dog and may even attack. We can’t predict human behaviour and we certainly can’t predict canine behaviour.
Many of us have anecdotal evidence of friends who were bitten by “perfectly loving” dogs as children because the dog flipped and noone forsaw it. I hate to point this out but dogs have no emotions- they harbour no love for you or your children.
February 14th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
William James, you’re crazy.
February 14th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Great pics Neos are great with family.
February 14th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
it’s in the dog’s nature to care for the young, it was merely protecting it.
February 14th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I had to laugh out loud at all the “dominance theorists” above who are concerned about this being some sort of “aggression sign.” That theory went out with like, bell-bottoms. Get with the times people. This mastiff is simply treating this baby with all the gentle playfulness it would a puppy. There is absolutely NOTHING about this dog’s posture that indicates dominance. A dog signaling dominance would stand with legs stiff, tail upright and ears tense, eyes staring and head up. Please do your homework before spouting opinions on such
matters.
Second, babies are HARDLY fragile. You could probably bounce a baby like a basketball and it would be fine (and NO I am not advocating this, simply exaggerating to make a point) because babies and kids have the cellular rejuvenation skills of a gecko tail. They can heal within minutes. It’s us old adults that have to worry about injury.
It’s clear that this baby and this dog are both enjoying a lovely interaction. Lighten up people.
February 14th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
These are the most ADORABLE photos I think I’ve ever seen. My dog, Harley, a Maltese just had pups and so I feel for this Mastif and baby…SO ADORABLE!!!!
February 14th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
Fishfeet, Dogov - I was never the one to suggest that the dog not be allowed to play with a child. I was simply saying that perhaps these people were not responding out of aggression, as you said was the case, but perhaps out of past experience which led to concern for the baby. I’m sorry if you misinterpreted what I wrote. I think that the pictures are adorable; I’m glad that the mastiff is a gentle creature who seems to have genuine love for the child. But I think you may be misinterpreting genuine fear and misunderstanding of dogs from others as “aggression.”
February 14th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Ah, come on. I guess the safety culture strikes again.
“Ooh the danger! The germs! The Beast! Won’t someone please think of the children!â€
It makes me sick that there’s a whole generation people that are too pansy to enjoy cute photos. in conclusion, I killed Nazis with my bare hands.
LMAO….that cracked me up…I totally agree….People should just get over it, adorable pics!!
February 15th, 2007 at 1:55 am
It amazes me that no one has any care for the dog. Doesn’t anyone realize how much DANGER this dog is in?
If he puts the baby in his mouth he could easily choke and die. Also, there’s no telling what kind of germs are on that baby…it’s probably slobbering all day long…then the dog goes and licks up those germs.
More dangerously is that the baby hasn’t developed any good sense of motor skills yet and could easily reach his arm out and poke the dog’s eyes out and not be aware of what he is doing.
Truly I must say, the owners of this dog like living on edge. Please have more concern for your dog’s safety.
This dog got away with one, but what about the next time?
February 15th, 2007 at 4:41 am
William James: You’re supposed to be a psychology student? Have you ever cracked your textbook? You mention conditioning-all evidence of conditioning is based purely on the fact that we can predict how a person or animal will respond to a given stimlus. Does the name Ivan Pavlov ring any bells?
February 15th, 2007 at 7:22 am
Who does this for the sake of a cute picture. My nephew got bit in his face by his so called loving family pet. And my sister still kept the dog. I have seen dogs smother the last runt of the litter and these photos remind me of just that. Careless irresponsible parent whoever had this bright idea does not need to own a dog or a child.
February 15th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
As a owner of Mastiff dogs and 9 newborn Mastiff pups,these are one of the best breeds of dogs we have owned.They are very large and most people find them intemidating,but they are very loving and love to give and receive hugs.I have pictures like this of our dogs and the children in our family.This is a great picture and untill you have owned one of these gentle giants you cannot relize how many loving and candid moments you will see like this one.Very beautiful dog,three pups from our litter are solid blu and I hope the look as good as this Mastiff.Thank you for sharing this picture.
February 16th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
“This is crazy- have you ever seen the way dogs play? How can they be expected to understand that a baby needs to be treated more gently than another dog or adult human.”
Have you ever seen a mother dog care for her puppies? Go see. It’s pretty cool. My dog Bear was protective of her little babies in the extreme.
February 16th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
“Now I’m inclined to shoot dogs on sight.”
Awwwww… you never liked dogs. Don’t try to say you once did. To blame every dog for that one instance is silly.
February 16th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
David said:
> More dangerously is that the baby hasn’t developed any good sense of motor skills yet and could easily reach his arm out and poke the dog’s eyes out and not be aware of what he is doing.
If the baby did that, who knows how the dog would react?
February 16th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Cute. No. Irresponsible, yes. This dog is dominating the child with alpha behaviour leaving the child open to injury or death. The endless stupidity of sub-standard parents and animal owners never ceases to amaze me. The weight differential alone is enough to give pause even if the pooch doesn’t bite to further the alpha posing. I maintain no one should be permitted to parent without training/licensing and their IQ should be greater than their shoe size.
February 16th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
The Company for which I work as an animal behaviorist, does much to educate people about animals. It is a defining characteristic of human kind that we fear what we don’t understand. I, in no way wish to cast aspersions upon some of those who made comments, but many are fundamentally flawed. A dog is the only creature on earth that will love you more than it loves itself; the evidence of this is legion. Whilst it is true that dogs have attacked people, when you consider ratio demographic in this equation, it is apparent we face a greater threat merely crossing the street than a dog attack. Certainly, when an attack occurs it is reported in the media, often quite graphically, but that is the nature of the news, if its not sensational it won’t sell. The unfortunate repercussion of such an instance however, is to paint all dogs the same colour. I could continue this dissertation in defence of dogs but I think I have made the point I set out to establish, and I appreciate the time you have taken to read it; now I ask that you consider it before drawing a woefully erroneous conclusion.
February 16th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
SteveH, You are one SMART man!! I would fear people before i would fear a dog! I think that humans are more unpredictable & more aggressive than dogs are!
February 17th, 2007 at 12:12 am
why do ppl haf 2 turn great fun and cuteness in 2 political correctness? this is perfectly fine and obviously ppl who made comments about being irresponsble and dangerous, etc, know nothing about dogs. the owner of this dog obviously knew that this dog was harmless and wasnot in the least bit dangerous. ppl, u really are pathetic.
February 17th, 2007 at 12:14 am
i would only be worried if this was a pittbull.
February 17th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
These pictures are super SUPER cute!! I’m sick and tired to all those over-protective people who think that animals should be kept away from children, and/or people in general. Animals only become dangerous and ‘evil’ when we teach them how to become that way. I would leave my kid with a dog like that anytime of day and wouldn’t worry for a second. You want to protect your children? KEEP PEOPLE AWAY FROM THEM THEN - cause they’re a lot more likely to physically or mentally scar them..
February 17th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
@ William James
“I hate to point this out but dogs have no emotions- they harbour no love for you or your children.:
All you have managed to point out is that your understanding of animals is archaic and ignorant.
February 17th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Dog bites are most often due to miscommunication between children and dogs or inappropriate expectations. Good dogs bite as it is one form of communicaton after others have failed. Like toddlers when they get frustrated. The sad thing is dogs do not get another chance and their family and society turns on them the second they communicate in doggie ways.
February 19th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
Yes the pictures are cute. However, they are also irresponsible for the reasons already pointed out. No matter how cute or happy or well trained a dog is, they are still dogs. This dog is dominating the baby. In a second this could have been a tragedy. People really need to understand dogs better if they are going to own them, especially a dog this powerful. BTW, I have owned and bred dogs for 36 years now. Anyone who leaves children and dogs unattended or allows a child to pull, crawl over or whatever a dog, is not the sor tof person i would allow to have one of mine, and mine are small! Dogs are wonderful creatures but need to be respected and understood.
February 20th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Cute pic. Have bullmastiff myself. Love him to bits and trust him absolutley. To do that with a baby???????????? 100% trust????????????? ……………. WOULD JUST NEVER CHANCE IT
February 20th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
This is absolutely crazy. The parents obviously know their dog and believe their baby is safe. Of course there is the slim chance the dog will snap but then again, maybe we should keep that baby away from it’s mama…afterall, member that chick that snapped and drowned all five of her kids? Yikes! Just enjoy the pictures - don’t look if you don’t like! Good for you parents! Nothing is better than a kid with a four legged best buddy!
February 21st, 2007 at 1:34 pm
that is so unbelivable I wish my dog could do that how did u make him or her do that i’ve been tring to get my dog to do triks since ever but … u amaze me realy.wow.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:01 am
it is highly impossible to believe that dog will hug a litlle baby like that,i am felling very happy to see that a dog can also care a child like us.really great to see all thes things.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:36 am
These are so cute!!:mrgreen: Totally post more. The baby is so adorable!!!:mrgreen:
February 26th, 2007 at 4:43 am
The dog is asserting its dominance over the baby. Dominance (I’m in charge) is not quite the same as aggression, but I’m pretty sure the person behind the camera doesn’t grasp the distinctions. They shouldn’t be allowed to have a kid or a dog. Primate body language is different than canine body language. Dogs and wolves do not greet each other with hugs, handshakes, or slaps on the back. A dog putting its head or paw over another dog’s shoulders is a classic show of dominance, and a warning that a squabble or fight may ensue if one doesn’t back down. Contrary to most people’s anthropomorphising of dogs, most dogs are stressed out by being squeezed. Also, dogs lick their lips either when they’re anticipating dinner or when they are stressed/in conflict/etc. (for more photos see
http://www.familypaws.com/communication/ and the book The Other End of the Leash)
March 1st, 2007 at 6:03 pm
When parents bring a new born baby home from the hospital they should NOT ALLOW any dog to come and smell the baby or lick the baby. In fact the dog needs to be trained to stay away from the baby.
Your goal is to teach the dog that the baby is YOUR BABY and has NOTHING to do with the dog. The baby should not to be smelled or touched. The dog needs to learn that the baby is a higher ranking member of the family pack and that you (as the pack leader) enforce the babies rank. This is no different than a mother wolf who does not allow other pack members near her newborn pups.
With that said watch the Dog Whisperer or read books on canine behavior, this dog is owning this child.
Beautiful baby, cute dog, bad judgment..
March 2nd, 2007 at 3:54 am
well as for the slobber, big deal, the pictures are adorable but at what risk. chances are that this dog is sweet and the owners know him well enough to trust him. All animals, no matter how sweet can have a bad moment. Even a warning nibble if the child was pulling on him could cause extreme damage to a child that size. My friends daughter used to hang on their dog and he seemed to love it and allow it. never growled or showed any signs of intolorence towards her extreme affection until last summer. He decided, I suppose that he wanted her to stop hugging him and put 3 holes in her face with one quick bite. My dog recently just showed his first sign of aggression towards a child. I would not have beleived it myself had I not been right there with him. The child did nothing to provoke it. she simply tried to walk around him to step out of the bedroom and he lunged at her face growling and barking like kujo. If I hadnt been there to scream and grab him, I dont know what would have happened. I have worked with animals for many years and have a new prospective. Just please, love your dog but use your common sense when it comes to the kind of contact you allow them to have with small defenseless children. LOve and protect your children. Dogs are a great asset to a family but they are living breathing animals who can shift moods just like people. All too often when they have an unexpected mood swing they bite.
March 4th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
It’s obvious none of you have seen a mastiff chew the flesh off the arm of a 6′5″ 230 lb. man. It’s pretty horrifying and happens in a split second. That said, I’m a parent and hate when people chide me about something they think is wrong about my parenting.
March 5th, 2007 at 2:18 am
Awwww these pictures are so cute. The dog is probably thinking “What am i going to do with this? Wait a minute… i might get a treat… yea me… go me, go go go, go me!!!!”
March 5th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
that is an amazing picture!
March 8th, 2007 at 1:33 am
I’m totally shocked by these dog haters. Children are more likely to be injured by family members, teachers or other members of society than a flipping dog. Get a clue people. I have 2 Boston Terriers, my female does not like small children so we keep her away from them as any responsible dog owner would, however my male Boston will allow toddlers to pull on his ears, ride him whatever he doesn’t mind. Every dog is different & for these STUPID people to ASSUME that every dog will turn on a child pisses me off. As a good dog owner you know your dog & act accordingly.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
I’ve been bit by a dog, in the face, and I still find this cute. (I was bit as an adult, but a known aggressive dog.)
Everyone who says “that dog could snap” hasn’t spent time enough with that particular dog to say so. It’s like saying “that person could snap.” I say trusting the dog with the baby is like trusting a 4yr old child with the baby. If you know your 4yr old, you know if you can trust them with a baby, and you wouldn’t leave them alone together. I’ve seen some 4yr olds snap & lash out. Considering how many dogs and babies there are in the U.S., and how few babies are killed by dogs each year, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say well-raised dogs are trust-worthy with babies, as long as the parent is around.
Dogs should be introduced to babies if they are to live in the house together. If the dog doesn’t meet the baby, then there is potential for bad things when the dog doesn’t know what that thing is. (Actually, this should start before the baby is born, getting the dog used to the smell of baby-powder, the mother carrying around a toy baby-doll, etc.) And good parents socialize their puppy early and often with other dogs, children, and lots of people.
And to whoever said “This is no different than a mother wolf who does not allow other pack members near her newborn pups,” you don’t know much of wolves. Perhaps very newborn pups are hidden, but in nature, only the alpha pair of wolves in a pack mate, and the whole pack takes care of the puppies. Often the omega dog is left as baby-sitter while the rest of the pack, the alpha dogs, hunts.
March 13th, 2007 at 12:50 am
Wow. I have to be critical of both sides here. To say there’s a 100% certainty any dog would never bite a person is incorrect. Most dogs are caring loyal companions when trained properly and loved. Some mistreated dogs are aggressive, and will remain so for the rest of their lives. It is a sad fact. Either way, there are far more people killing people and harming society. When has anybody here ever heard of a serial killing dog? However you slice it, dogs are neither 100% perfect or 100% the spawn of satan. Either way they have a better track record than people and most other animals. I have been bitten far more by small dogs than large dogs. And… have spent my whole life around dogs, trained service dogs, muts, etc.
March 15th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
As much as we want to believe that dogs are unconditionally protective (of us and our infants), or that they are loyal or compassionate and understand our thoughts, our tendency to anthropomorphize dogs means we often forget that dogs don’t in fact possess these emotions. Dogs adopt seemingly “human” behavior because we reward it over other behaviors. And the rewards aren’t trivial, they include some of a dog’s basic elements of survival: food, shelter, etc. (Unfortunately, this can also lead owners to ridiculous extremes, like dressing dogs in sweaters and Halloween costumes, feeding them better than most homeless people, and dog “pageants”). I suppose there’s nothing wrong with this, but it explains why dogs don’t actually posses the underlying emotions that we associate with behavior we find endearing and human. This includes the characterization that the dog in the pictures is protecting or expressing its love to the baby.
Search-and-rescue dogs don’t realize they’re saving lives, they’re simply playing fetch (after repeated rewards for detecting certain scents). A dog that appears to smile is actually merely displaying one of many submissive displays. Your dog’s apparent kinship, love and loyalty displayed by licking your face or lowering its front legs and wagging its tail, rolling onto its stomach, sitting and staying are actually the same displays that a subordinate wolf or dog displays when confronted by a more dominant member of its pack or group.
As others have mentioned, dogs’ behavior is driven by submission and dominance. When an adult owner interacts with its dog, the owner establishes its dominance in part by rewarding submissive behavior. We extend attention, food and other rewards when a dog follow orders, wags its tail, etc., all examples of submissive behavior.
In a new context, such as the dog with the young baby on a blanket, a dog may be confused as to whether it should adopt a submissive or dominant position. Good owners establish very early on that a baby, like the adult owner, will always be in a position of dominance.
No one knows if the owners of the dog and baby in the picture have trained their dog by rewarding behavior that puts it in a submissive position to the baby. However, I think that even with training it is too great a risk because in a new context outside of the one in which the dog learned its submissive behavior, you can’t reliably predict whether a dog will adopt a submissive position while on a blanket with a baby that it has never encountered before. If the dog believes it’s dominant (and others have pointed out signs that it may be), the results could be catastrophic.
March 17th, 2007 at 7:40 am
1) THE DOG IS NOT EATING THE BABY.
2) SERIOUSLY THE DOG IS NOT EATING THE BABY.
3) Humans and dogs co-evolved for thousands upon thousands of years. Do you really think that would have happened if they ROUTINELY ATE OUR YOUNG?
(The answer, is NO.)
4) I’d give you some basic canine behavior reading suggestions, but that would put a dent in how excited you are about this. And I’m sure you need that time to host your weekly SHOELACES KILL: ALL-VELCRO SHOE CLOSURES NOW!!! meeting.
5) If you have kids, YOU are what is going to hurt your kid. You and your insane THE WORLD IS FULL OF HORROR AND DOGS WANT TO EAT YOUR BABY!!!!!! attitude. Not some big galoot of a dog who’s cuddling up a grinning infant.
Finally:
It’s obvious none of you have seen a mastiff chew the flesh off the arm of a 6′5″ 230 lb. man. It’s pretty horrifying and happens in a split second.
REALLY, guy? REALLY?
Does that happen a lot? Is this something you just see on the streets constantly?
REALLY? where do you live?
You guys, your mania is what happens when you watch too much fear-mongering local news. Put down the remote and go for a walk. Really, I know the great outdoors are scary, but A DOG IS NOT GOING TO EAT YOUR BABY. Or rip your arm off.
For pete’s sake.
Those pictures are delightful. Stop being so thrilled to be offended. Your life might improve.
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Jeeez people. Training training training. My Dobe will listen to my kids. She knows damn well her place in the pack. My daughter has been handling her since 3. Walking, feeding, and giving commands. Dual leash, just in case, but my daughter has complete control.
Never leave pets and kids unattended. But I fear my in-laws Boston terrier much more than any other dog. That bitch is nasty.
Responsible ownership. That’s what it boils down to. Thank heavens you Nancys don’t have dogs. It would sense your fear and be a wreck.
March 25th, 2007 at 1:05 am
Well, I hope to give a “voice of reason” response to all of this: I grew up with dogs, cats, and horses from literally before I was born. Never been hurt by one. Never. Been licked, swatted, dumped-off-of, and played with a LOT, but never hurt (and certainly not deliberately).
I hope this helps.
March 30th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Yes, I have seen a mastiff attack a man’s arm. It was ugly and scary. Calm down.
April 3rd, 2007 at 4:57 am
well, after repeated warnings i see the so-called dog lovers and experts are hell-bent on ignoring classic dominant behaviour in a large hunting dog - good luck, I say. Please go ahead - allow your babies to play with large dogs - and do go attend that phone call in the kitchen. Oh, and btw, I have owned 4 dogs and own one presently. She’s a medium size mix, absolutely would not hurt a fly and allows me and my kids to do anything with her. Oh, she also growls occassionly when smaller kids pull her ears etc, but she wouldn’t BITE them - she loves them, etc, man.
April 5th, 2007 at 5:37 am
sure, the pictures are cute without going into it too much. but this is dominance at its worst. dogs dont hug folks. got it? i am not a dog hater, i am a dog lover. i just dont think anthromorphism is a good idea. i would never allow my dog to do this and if she ever tried i would be very worried and would seriously doubt my training. i can forgive the average joe for not knowing any better on this but to all the so called ‘dog trainer’ ‘animal control’ experts who have commented and think this is ok, you should be ashamed of yourselves. all it takes is 2 seconds for this dog to kill the baby, intentionally or by accident, and i guarantee you the photographer aint gonna get there in time.
April 8th, 2007 at 9:46 am
I find dogs to be far more worthy of love and respect than a lot of humans I’ve met in my life, however I would not leave a tiny baby with such a huge dog for the simple fact that it could be injured by accident
April 10th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Friendly dogs are the one in the picture are being killed all over Karnataka, Bangalore India. The best part is all the Government authorities, the courts, the police have been bought up so we who care about life can not save these animals.
They are killing 300 dogs a day….can anyone stop it
April 11th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
I have read all of the replys to the series of photos taken. I am biting my tongue the whole way through when reading things about germs, beasts and killing babies. Obviously the owner trusts the dog and vise versa. I own a french mastiff/rott mix and I would definately rather have a molosser next to my child than a yippy yappy dog who has no idea what the heck is going on. Mastiffs have been great babysitters of autistic children and adults alike. They understand the babies and adult emotions better than other human beings! Before you go on and ridicule the owners of these “beasts” first do some research on them so you know how gentle they can be and are. Thanks!
April 11th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Oh and by the way…germs! Why would it be so bad to have a dog lick a kid? In the World Wars they would have dogs come in and lick the wounded so that they didn’t have to “waste” the antibiotics with just the minor infections. Dogs have a bacteria fighting agent in their saliva that helps heal quicker than antibiotics do alone! Germs? Bah humbug. Again…do research before you start talking.
By the way…GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY! Love the smiles on the babe and on the molosser! Captured love.
April 16th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
well, that’s a fantastic picture! Never seen such a dog before,the dog was most probably there when the baby was born!
April 18th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
OMG !!!!!!!!!!! I cant believe what I am reading.
I hope this is no indication as to what society has become. I bet the ones that are afraid for the baby in these pictures have helmets when riding bikes, don’t eat Popsicles because of fear of choking on the stick and have 15 airbags all around their car.
The pictures are great and these dogs are too kind. Me and my wife were at a dog pound picking up a puppy for our son, who was 3 or 4 at the time, we both think that a boy should have a good dog, and we were looking at a bull mastif through a window, well the were going to let us pet it and this thing was HUGE, my son walked up to the dog, with both hands grabbed it by the jowls and kissed it right on the mouth. The dog was sweet sweet sweet and did nothing but lick him…..
People grow some back bone.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
lol i think this is soooooooooooooooo precious it sounds like some of these people have never owned a dog lol…i think this baby is loved
May 1st, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Looks just the the one that attacked me. Same size and color anyway.
May 9th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Wow…there are so many ignorant people in this world. This is a wonderful picture!!!
May 11th, 2007 at 2:32 am
My husband and I think these are adorable! Most parents we know wouldn’t put their baby in a dangerous situation just to get a good photo. I’m sure these parents knew the child was safe. We have two large dogs and a 15 month old daughter, and they’re thick as thieves and do nothing but follow each other around all day and play. My daughter pulls their ears and tails when she’s feeling feisty (even though we try to teach her to be gentle) but they couldn’t care less. If it gets to be too much, they just walk away. If you know your dog well, the baby playing and cuddling up close to the dog is just not that big a deal.
May 20th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Lovely baby and a loving dog. Nice
May 21st, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Terrible parenting…. A dog, no matter how friendly, is still an animal. Dogs and babies should be kept apart, it is a disaster waiting to happen. That dog is well over 100 lbs, it could have easily smothered that baby. That dog isnt “hugging” -hugging is a primate instinct, not a canine one. Dogs dont hug each other. In fact, in the 3rd picture, it looks like the dog is asserting domincance over the baby. Big no no.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Grip, whine, bitch, moan…repeat after me, “It’s going to be okay.” Just enjoy and get over your opinions as far as how horrible this is. I’m definitely not a real lover of animals, but even I can see this is okay.
June 1st, 2007 at 10:44 pm
For Sale: 1 Bull Mastiff. Eats anything…LOVES children!
June 9th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Dog owners and lovers are THE WORLDS STUPIDEST LOT. It won’t harm the baby, oh how cute! One bite and that child is gone..how dare you endanger that childs’ life you freakin idiot!!
I HATE DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and their owners as well.
July 2nd, 2007 at 11:01 am
that was crazy! Im a new dad and i would never put my child or watch someones else child be smothered by a animal. I love animals ,im a dog man honestly i real do but im more responceable when it comes to a child. check yourself,
July 18th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
awww most amazing thing in the world and all you ass holes who think that sweet dog is going to attack the baby need to go somewhere else and stop complaining. that dog is one of the safest places in the world for that baby to be near at this moment. that baby is protected.
July 19th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I LOVE these pics! I too have an English Mastiff and yes, they are HUGE… BUT… they are the most gentle dog that you can get. I’ve read these comments and those that think that the baby is in jeapordy should spend a few minutes researching the breed before being so stupid! My 8 MONTH OLD granddaughter was eating cheetos in her high chair one day and my dog reached up and grabbed the last one off of her tray. My granddaugher (without missing a beat) grabbed my mastiffs jaws, reached her hand INSIDE the dogs mouth and RETREIVED the cheeto! My dog just looked at her as if to say “Well, ok. Guess you get the last one.” This child is NOT in danger. This dog would lay down it’s life for this baby so people.. get a grip and do some RESEARCH!
July 24th, 2007 at 3:01 am
I can’t believe that animals are smarter than humans. That dog look sooo happy on top of its pray. It’s dominating that baby! And the stupid parents think that’s so cute.
If we as rational beings do stupid things, much less a dog that is completely irrational!!!!!
August 2nd, 2007 at 7:07 am
Very cute picture, thanks to all involved. hav question tho : in the last pic is the baby’s head bending dangerously backwards
August 4th, 2007 at 6:12 am
Is it just me, or does it seem like people have seriously started to fear dogs in the past 5 or 10 years? It doesn’t seem like people were always so irrationally fearful.
I can’t see anything wrong with these photos. It looks like the dog adores the baby. And by the way, there’s no question of the two being left unattended, obviously, someone is there taking the photos.
August 5th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
I am in animal resuce, went to the Gulf after Katrina to pull dogs who were lost or abandoned in the storm, and own a pit bull mix (along with other animals). I would never, ever, ever let my dogs display any kind of dominance over a child - it shows a total lack of understanding dog psychology.
My pit mix loves to “play fight” just like my chihuahua loves to sit on laps. It is in their breeding. I had to carefully support a pack order that has the smaller, older dogs on top and the pit mix on the bottom. I live with four cats and four dogs who get along, BUT I have to keep supporting the pack order to keep the peace! It is a lot of work.
p.s. these dogs are not always sweet and gentle, I can attest to that after working with dozens of dogs who were going to be put down unless they could be rehabed. Also, please do not forget the woman who was mauled to death in SF and the most recent tragedy at Ving Rhames home - bullmastiffs mauled a caretaker they had known for years - it is important to remember to always respect how much power these dogs have and educate yourself about how to work with them. The folks who took the photo, I hope, understand that the child must be dominant over the dog - not at all demonstrated in this photo.
August 13th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
We used to own a brown lab that was really mean and my parents were talking about getting rid of him before I was born but decided against it. Then when I was three I snuck out of the house one night and they found me in the morning curled up with the dog.
I’m not quite sure but I think I’m still alive.
Recently we got a dog from the Humane Society and she was shy and skittish at first but now she allows my year-old cousins to crawl on her and pull her ears. She’s one of the calmest dogs I’ve ever owned and throughout my whole life I’ve owned at least thirty dogs (most of which were strays which we kept for awhile before finding homes for)(Also, this isn’t counting the ten puppies my yellow lab had).
I’m not presuming that I know everyone’s dog but the least you people could do is give the parents the benefit of the doubt that they know their dog.
August 21st, 2007 at 8:06 am
If i hear one more comment about how unpredictable dogs are i’ll puke. People are idiots and that’s the truth. The only way that sweet dog would hurt that baby would be if he stepped on her. Not cool but it would be the parents fault not the dogs fault. I love the i killed nazis with my bare hands comment
August 22nd, 2007 at 4:42 pm
We have a Brazilian mastiff @ 175 pounds, 2 Boston terriers,and a 2 year old. With out any training to do so our mastiff is very respectful of our daughter. I don’t think anyone who has commented on this set of pictures was even there. Not one of you has any idea what went on. The comments on bad parenting was really uncalled for, you would have to say that about anyone who has a large gentle dog. My two take naps together should I have CPS called on me? No.. there is way too much fear instilled in people these days.
September 4th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Dogs are mans best friend …….
But we should be careful with … it it s an animal anyway
September 13th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Come On Guys!
THis dog is PLAINLY responisble and it’s not exactly eating the baby is it!
Get a grip!
That dog is absoloutly NO danger to that baby & you ALL need to get a grip on reality.
If the parents where that worried, then they wouldnt have had the baby in the backyard in the first place,
Its ridiculous how narrow minded you people are.
Get a life and think next time.
October 11th, 2007 at 5:24 am
Have you heard of cases when other animals accept other kind of anymals to feed them, and help them servive? that goes to readers. Dog has human attitude which I can see from a pic. Maybe that’s a reletive of yours?
October 17th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Regarding:
“Dogov Says:
February 12th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Dogs are beasts. True, they can be man’s best friends, but they can also be child’s worst enemies. I wouldn’t trust a yorkie with my child, let alone a molossoid like this. And I _like_ dogs! ”
Yorkies are pretty nuts, like yourself, but an italian mastiff is, like most huge dogs who have nothing to fear, incredibly friendly and perfectly safe.
October 29th, 2007 at 2:17 am
Parents and family members-I, too, love animals. Grew up with pets and our children now have pets and children of their own. Pets are animals-it matters not if they are inside and sleep right next to you on the pillow. I know toddlers that bite each other when they are provoked (twins at 2) dogs may be members of the family but this poor little baby is too close to the dog. Please beware, I know others warn against the dangers of pets snapping. It happened to our dearest friends this past week. Their 8 month old granddaughter was attacked by the family pet-upscale family-inside pet that they’ve had for 4 years. The little girl is still hospitalized and may loose an eye. New york state animal control will have rabies test back tomorrow and the dog will be put to sleep. The family is devestated. Never say it won’t happen to you.
November 7th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
This was one of the scariest series of photos I can imagine! We were just discussing this on a “list” this morning and someone sent this link for us to see… and we all agree… this dog is exhibiting an Alpha attitude! This is NOT cute or adorable! This is scary! I would NEVER leave a child alone with this dog.
November 19th, 2007 at 3:42 am
Goodness. People are too crazy. Yea, the pictures are cute and I enjoyed them, but I do see reason to be concerned, and I am a HUGE dog lover (always took in strays and found good homes for them, kept some). I can’t believe people would label someone as being a dog hater or not familiar with dogs because they have the common sense to be concerned. Most people who are the most familiar with dogs AND with children would say the situation in those photos is not the best thing for the parent to allow. Vets and animal control officers know how unpredictable, even the best trained animals, can be sometimes. True “dog” people know that dogs don’t typically view an infant as a human and it is easy for them to view them as prey. Pediatricians are familiar with cases of children hurt or disfigured due to a “friendly dog” encounter. I work with a woman whose whole right side of her face is forever maimed from a “friendly dog, who wouldn’t hurt a flea”, that attacked her when she was a child. And when a child is attacked, people say all kinds of stuff like, “The child must have done something wrong” or “the dog was not well trained”. Where are people’s priorities?
November 30th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I understand both side, sure the dog is big, he could suffocate the baby, or worse become agressive, but i dont think any parent would let their dog or any dog get close enough to their child if it had an agressive streak towards little ones. You dont know this dog, and your not this kids parents so who are you to judge? It seems like some of you will do much worse to your kids with all your “worries” making them afriad of their own shadows as they become older. That dog will be that kids best friend for the rest of his life.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:46 am
I like and trust dogs more than most people. But if you know a thing about dog behavior, you know the dog is not hugging the baby, he’s dominating it. That should never be allowed. I’m not saying get rid of the dog, I’m saying show the dog his proper place in the pack.
I wonder how old this baby is by now. Probably 10.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
This is a Neo NOT a Bullmastiff. Bullmastiffs don’t even come in this blue color. Having a 150pd cane corso mastiff myself, I would not leave him alone with a baby,BUT this baby was not alone and obviously the parents know what signs to look for that their dog is under stress.I doubt they would jeopordize their babies life or their dogs since it would surely be put down if it hurt a baby.And to the person who said dogs are uncapable of having feelings is a frikin MORON! Dogs actually get scared, depressed, excited,angry. They are a social creatures, just like us humans are social creatures. they mourn for when a pack member dies.I think that would constitute as having feelings.Also he is showing dominance, that is exactly what my dog does to other dogs to assert himself. But it is not aggressive and i’m sure in time he will learn that the baby is a leader if the parents teach him that.
December 29th, 2007 at 12:31 am
for all the people who think negative of these photos should watch the dog whisper!
on another note
very very cute pictures!
January 1st, 2008 at 8:01 am
Some people can be so naive and ignorant. The bond between my boys and their Staffordshire Bull was inconceivable. This photo is awesome!! The innate ability to bond with mother nature on all levels is what’s to be perceived here.
AA++ Nice pic!!
February 11th, 2008 at 1:16 am
Goodness. People are too crazy. Yea, the pictures are cute and I enjoyed them, but I do see reason to be concerned, and I am a HUGE dog lover (always took in strays and found good homes for them, kept some). I can’t believe people would label someone as being a dog hater or not familiar with dogs because they have the common sense to be concerned. Most people who are the most familiar with dogs AND with children would say the situation in those photos is not the best thing for the parent to allow. Vets and animal control officers know how unpredictable, even the best trained animals, can be sometimes. True “dog” people know that dogs don’t typically view an infant as a human and it is easy for them to view them as prey. Pediatricians are familiar with cases of children hurt or disfigured due to a “friendly dog” encounter. I work with a woman whose whole right side of her face is forever maimed from a “friendly dog, who wouldn’t hurt a flea”, that attacked her when she was a child. And when a child is attacked, people say all kinds of stuff like, “The child must have done something wrong” or “the dog was not well trained”. Where are people’s priorities?
February 11th, 2008 at 4:14 am
These are the cutest pictures I have ever seen and show the true personality of mastiffs. I have two mastiffs, Harley and Daisy, and they are the most gentle dogs I’ve ever had. We got Harley a couple weeks after my little brother was born and he wouldn’t leave his room! If Harley wasn’t in Sam’s room, Sam would scream his head off! Once Sam started kindergarten, Mom would have to take Harley to and from school when dropping him off. It was a daily ritual. Sam would be lost without Harley.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
There’s moments in between the three pictures. Plenty of time for a parent to judge what the dog is going to do.
Love the dog, love the pictures. Would love for more to hit the net.
March 8th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I have a mutt (mostly beagle) and a newborn and he is curious of the baby and will sniff her just as this bull mastiff does in the first part of the pics. Generally larger dogs, as some other people have already noted, are more tolerant of children (toddlers pulling on them etc) whereas small dogs are much more likely to snap. But I have to say I was a bit surprised with the picture before the actual ‘hug’ because that could have been dangerous without the dog intending it to be. Our friends own a bull mastiff and the other day our niece walked into the house (she is almost 3) and the dog ran up and knocked her over. He was happy to see her but his exuberance could have caused her serious harm - as it was she whacked her head on the floor. So just be careful.
March 10th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
These pics are so cute. I love them. Dogs are most of the time wonderfull with kids. In most cases when a dog attacks (i’m not saying in all the cases) he was provoced or hurt. I have a Silky and a Yorkie and when my oldest doughter was born i was verry affraid for the reaction of our Silky because she is really jalous. Well… i couldn’t have been more surprised. They both where (even they warn’t used to baby’s)verry, verry gentle and carefull with her. The Silky even more than the Yorkie. If my little girl cried she was verry concernt and wouldn’t leave me alone until i took care of her. Once my oldest (running a