What to Know
Adopting a dog into the family is a huge decision, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Not only is caring for a pet a huge responsibility to take on, but it’s also important to make sure that everyone in the household stays safe — both kids and animals — in the process.
For that reason, many parents are extra thoughtful about only adopting dogs who are known to be good around kids, so now that one mom who did the opposite is sharing her story, it’s sparked quite a bit of debate on social media about whether or not she’s made the right choice.
One mom shared her story about her dog, Bennie.
Mom Michelle Miller posted a video of her Mastiff, Bennie, sharing his relationship with her daughters.
“Shelter bio said I needed a home with no children,” she wrote over the first clip in the video. “I was a large dog, a jumper, and had a fear of them.”
The next clips showed Bennie playing peacefully with the little ones, and said, “Anyway, these are my girls.”
Some people immediately saw the situation as a red flag.
It’s obvious that Bennie has a sweet relationship with the kids, despite what the shelter may have said about them. But some commenters aren’t convinced that taking a chance on this dog was the right idea for this family.
“In my job I’ve seen too many bad things happen with children and the family dog. By the time the adult is aware of a problem it’s too late. I love all dogs but not around children. You were warned,” one person wrote.
Another commenter added, “I think this is wonderful, but I’m really surprised that someone with such young children would knowingly adopt a dog that was labeled as being dangerous to children.”
Others defended her choice.
Plenty of others were happy to see the cute footage of Bennie and the kids playing so well together, and that this story has such a happy ending.
“Be careful! If he is around those girls unsupervised too much he is going to require daily tea parties, cuddles, and story time!!!!!” said one fellow dog lover.
Obviously, Bennie has made himself right at home with this family, but it’s so hard to predict if a dog will do well around kids — especially if a shelter or rescue has already noticed they may be kid-averse. Supervision is key when adding a new dog to the household for sure.
