This is the most adorable sequence ever captured on film, enjoy.
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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.”
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!!
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.
“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.
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?
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.
i would only be worried if this was a pittbull.
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..
@ 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.
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.
These are so cute!!:mrgreen: Totally post more. The baby is so adorable!!!:mrgreen:
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.
Beautiful baby, cute dog, bad judgment..
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!!!!”
that is an amazing picture!
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.
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.
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).
I hope this helps.
Yes, I have seen a mastiff attack a man’s arm. It was ugly and scary. Calm down.
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.
well, that’s a fantastic picture! Never seen such a dog before,the dog was most probably there when the baby was born!
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.
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
Looks just the the one that attacked me. Same size and color anyway.
Wow…there are so many ignorant people in this world. This is a wonderful picture!!!
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.
Lovely baby and a loving dog. Nice