This Video is an Accident Waiting to Happen

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't written in a bit but the big bad flu bug got me down and I am just now beginning to recover. I may be a little late with this post but they do say better late than never! First I want you to watch this video clip, then we are going to discuss why it was a really dumb idea on the part of this girls parents to film this: (we didn't shoot this footage)

Okay, so we have a four year old girl feeding six  allegedly male pit bulls. I get that her parents were trying to show how "normal" pit bulls are, but in making this video they made several serious errors that could have lead to an all out blood bath no matter WHAT breed of dog this child was feeding.

Firstly, no trainer or behaviorist I have worked with would ever feed dogs in this manner. This is a seriously dangerous way to feed a pack of dogs of any breed. One of the main triggers for dogs is food. That is why when feeding multiple dogs it is best to separate them and feed each one in it's own space with it's own bowl of food. Feeding dogs from a pile of food on the floor does not ensure each is getting the nutrition they need, it also makes fighting over food much more likely. In this case should a fight break out over food, a four year old child is caught in the middle of six large breed dogs. Using a child in this manner to prove pit bulls are just like other dogs is risky business no matter how much control you think you have over your dogs.

Secondly, after she pours the food on the floor we see the child touching the dogs while they are eating, this is also a dangerous prospect. As I mentioned before food can very quickly become a trigger for ANY dog regardless of breed. Allowing a child to move amongst dogs that are eating is bad enough allowing her to touch them as she goes could very easily become a recipe for disaster.

This video is NOT impressive, but it does perfectly illustrate how people cause situations that in turn cause dog bite incidents. The woman in this video that can be heard speaking filmed this clip with the intention of showing the world what peaceful creatures pit bulls are, she just broke every rule we trainers teach parents while doing so.

Believe me I get the need of pit bull owners to try to combat the "demon dog" label that pit bull haters have placed on these dogs. I understand the need to show the world what good dogs pit bulls can be, but I can not condone putting your four year old child into a dangerous situation to do so.

At our house, we have a large pack of dogs of all shapes and sizes. We also have strict rules for mealtimes, and I am about to share those rules with you for safety sake.

Everydogsmom's mealtime rules:

1.) make sure all dog bowls are freshly washed even if you feed kibble.

2.) make sure you have a separate food bowl for each dog in your pack.

3.) crate any dogs that have displayed food guarding in the past (four of our dogs are crated for mealtime)

4.) place proper portions for each dog in a separate food bowl.

5.) feed dogs taking care to ensure that each has a large area of "personal" space around them when eating.

6.) as each dog finishes their bowl of food make sure to remove the empty bowl so that it is not a trigger when dogs are released from mealtime.

7.) you have now responsibly fed multiple dogs.

I know the mother in this video never thought she was putting her child in danger, but to be frank the average dog owner does not understand what triggers can affect their pet. Be safe instead of sorry and let a responsible adult handle feeding time!

As for the theory that pit bulls are "just like other dogs" they can be, but this demonstration would have been just as dangerous if this child were feeding a pack of beagles. It is never a good idea to tempt fate.