Pembroke & Cardigan Welsh Corgi - View Single Post

Bayoucorgi · 05-14-2007, 05:16 PM

I had those mellow yellow rug-like dogs called Golden Retrievers. Not at all like Corgis. I had a father and son who HATED each other and could never be trusted together. I had a mother and daughter who established their heirarchy and had a tense peace for their entire lives. I had a weird brother who couldn't stand his sister and bit me in his fight. We have a half sister who hates her sibs, but all the other sibs get along in a pack of 5. So it's not gender all the time. The dog's age, dominance or lack thereof, individual temperament, the existing and future "pack" structure all play.

I personally would not have that many dogs with a 5-year-old child. Old, young or otherwise. One Christmas we had our "pack" out for fetch and play. My dad's Viszla was visiting and my friends' dogs were visiting. All was well as they all knew each other. Then the Viszla said the wrong thing. He caught the bumper and lifted his lip at my friend's male Golden of similar age. That male grabbed my dad's dog by the throat and when he yiked all the other dogs jumped in. It was a melee. We waded in and separated everyone and no humans were bitten. The Viszla required emergency surgery and nearly died.

A 50 yo woman in my suburb was killed recently when she took in her mother's dog. The woman's other two dogs did not accept the new dog and when she was trying to separate one of their battles, they turned on her. She had bites from at least two of the dogs. They were euthanized.

My pastor's 3yo son was bitten in the face weekend before last by a Labrador at a bed and breakfast where they were vacationing. It was unprovoked. The child was petting a pet deer and turned and said Hi doggy and the dog bit him. The top teeth ripped his nose and cheek and the bottom teeth went through his lip. He had urgen plastic surgery last Saturday night.

I've had other incidents of well established packs where a puppy will yark and seemingly gentle dogs will "flip out" and ALL will attack it. There was the time the mellowest bitch in the world tried to yank the fence-fighting Llasa through the chain-link fence.

So my point is even a "trusted dog" can be unsafe with a young child. If a dog hits a child it will almost always be in the face. Multiple dogs means they will form a "pack" and live by their laws and less by ours. If an accident happens or something sets them off, a child could be seriously injured or killed.

My children are 16, 15, and 12. My 15 yo is over 6 feet tall. The corgi herds them if they run. And he's nipped the 12yo mildly on the ankle several times and at very least he likes to push HARD with his nose. Because my youngest is a screamer and he likes to make a scene. And of course we correct both boy and dog but it still happens. I love this dog but he wouldn't be MY first choice for younger children.

05-14-2007, 05:16 PM	#40 (permalink)
Bayoucorgi Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Houston Posts: 207	I had those mellow yellow rug-like dogs called Golden Retrievers. Not at all like Corgis. I had a father and son who HATED each other and could never be trusted together. I had a mother and daughter who established their heirarchy and had a tense peace for their entire lives. I had a weird brother who couldn't stand his sister and bit me in his fight. We have a half sister who hates her sibs, but all the other sibs get along in a pack of 5. So it's not gender all the time. The dog's age, dominance or lack thereof, individual temperament, the existing and future "pack" structure all play. I personally would not have that many dogs with a 5-year-old child. Old, young or otherwise. One Christmas we had our "pack" out for fetch and play. My dad's Viszla was visiting and my friends' dogs were visiting. All was well as they all knew each other. Then the Viszla said the wrong thing. He caught the bumper and lifted his lip at my friend's male Golden of similar age. That male grabbed my dad's dog by the throat and when he yiked all the other dogs jumped in. It was a melee. We waded in and separated everyone and no humans were bitten. The Viszla required emergency surgery and nearly died. A 50 yo woman in my suburb was killed recently when she took in her mother's dog. The woman's other two dogs did not accept the new dog and when she was trying to separate one of their battles, they turned on her. She had bites from at least two of the dogs. They were euthanized. My pastor's 3yo son was bitten in the face weekend before last by a Labrador at a bed and breakfast where they were vacationing. It was unprovoked. The child was petting a pet deer and turned and said Hi doggy and the dog bit him. The top teeth ripped his nose and cheek and the bottom teeth went through his lip. He had urgen plastic surgery last Saturday night. I've had other incidents of well established packs where a puppy will yark and seemingly gentle dogs will "flip out" and ALL will attack it. There was the time the mellowest bitch in the world tried to yank the fence-fighting Llasa through the chain-link fence. So my point is even a "trusted dog" can be unsafe with a young child. If a dog hits a child it will almost always be in the face. Multiple dogs means they will form a "pack" and live by their laws and less by ours. If an accident happens or something sets them off, a child could be seriously injured or killed. My children are 16, 15, and 12. My 15 yo is over 6 feet tall. The corgi herds them if they run. And he's nipped the 12yo mildly on the ankle several times and at very least he likes to push HARD with his nose. Because my youngest is a screamer and he likes to make a scene. And of course we correct both boy and dog but it still happens. I love this dog but he wouldn't be MY first choice for younger children.