At some time in their growing up years, most children want a dog. They pester and promise until many parents agree; a dog is then picked out of a kennel, or a rescue site often based on size, how cute the dog is, and how friendly it appears to be compared to the other dogs at the kennel or rescue site.

But, what about avoiding dog breeds not generally considered the best choice for kids? This is not to say they aren’t great dogs, many are nice, but they are typically known to be better for adults, not children.  Energy level is also a consideration for most families.  Dogs who are extremely powerful, protective, or have high prey drive are best suited to be owned by responsible adults.  Dogs may be scared by the erratic movements and noises of children.  “It’s all in how you raise them” is a common thing you hear, but this is not entirely true.  Temperament depends a lot on a dog’s genetics.  Not just the breed itself, but a combination of the genetics, training, and how the owner raises and socializes the dog and teaches the children to interact properly with the dog.

This list was compiled based on experience and opinions of  trainers, veterinarians, breeders of dogs, and statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

1. Chow Chow– may not like to be touched, aloof, independent
2. Terriers (Rat Terrier, Jack Russell)– bred to kill vermin, often avoided due to tendency to nip, sometimes too hyper
3. Chihuahua– any toy breed is too small and delicate for kids, ex. breaking a leg falling off a bed, and may be intimidated and snap
4. Belgian Malinois– like many herding/protection breeds, they are too high-energy, high-drive and too impulsive to be suitable as a child’s pet
5. Cane Corso– Large, very powerful, and may not tolerate children well
6. Border Collie– any herding breed is not the best choice, may try to “herd” children by nipping, some have fear/anxiety issues and may bite, very energetic
7. South African Boerboel– can be dominant, too over-protective, and are very large and powerful
8. Siberian Husky– the CDC considers them high risk for bites
9. Doberman– territorial, and some may be too protective over children
10. Shar Pei– guard dog instincts, independent

Other breeds of dogs that might also not be the best choice for young children are:  Rottweiler, Dachshund, Presa Canario, Akita, German Shepherd, and a St.Bernard.

Whatever the breed, never leave your children unattended with dogs. Children need to understand that dogs are not toys. Children need to be taught to respect dogs.

If you are going to get a dog, make the commitment to get the dog obedience training, which is essential for all dogs.

Sources:

 Dynamic Dogs Training & Behavior, The CDC Dog Bite Prevention

 Brigham Young University issued a press release on January 16, 2014  sharing findings of a new study documenting that children who were the object of bullying during P.E. class or other physical activities were less likely to participate in physical activity one year later.

Study findings indicated that overweight or obese children who experienced teasing during physical activity had a lower perceived health-related quality of life (referring to physical, social, academic and emotional functioning) one year later. Even children with a healthy weight who were subjected to bullying during physical activity tended to exercise less often one year later. Many previous studies have already correlated bullying with decreased physical activity among kids who are obese or overweight, but it was surprising to find that the correlation didn’t end there.

“Our finding that this applies to normal-weight kids also was novel,” said Chad Jensen, a psychology professor at BYU and lead author on the study published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

This study looked at associations between bullying, physical activity and quality of life over time, following up with the same participants after a full year.

The participants in this study were 4th and 5th grade students from six different elementary schools in the Midwest. Participants completed three surveys at the beginning of the study and then completed the same three surveys again one year later.

The first survey asked questions about problems with health and activities, emotional well-being, getting along with classmates and academic abilities. The second survey assessed teasing experiences during physical activity. The third survey asked specific situational questions to determine whether the student had been bullied during physical activity and the emotional effect it had. The questions explored experiences such as:

• Being made fun of when playing sports or exercising.
• Not being chosen to be on a sports team or other children looking or acting upset when the child was placed on the team.
• Being called insulting names when playing sports or exercising.

Study results showed a decrease in physical activity of healthy-weight students who are bullied, and a decrease in health-related quality of life for students who were overweight or obese who reported teasing in the first survey.

“Overweight kids who were teased reported poorer functional ability across domains (physical, social, academic and physical),” said Jensen. “If we can help them to have a better perception of their physical and social skills, then physical activity may increase and health-related quality is likely to improve.”

While most schools participate in comprehensive anti-bullying programs, Jensen recommends implementing policies that discourage peer victimization based on physical abilities.

“We hope our study will raise awareness that educators should consider bullying prevention during physical education and free play (recess) when kids may be discouraged from being physically active because of teasing experiences,” Jensen said.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued this bulletin on 02/05/2014 regarding child passenger safety.

Little kids and shopping carts can be a bad combination, especially if a child doesn’t understand the dangers of standing up in or trying to climb out of a cart. It only takes a few seconds, while a parent or other adult is intent on picking a product off the shelf, for an accident to happen. The following news release states that new, U.S. research finds a child is being seen in an emergency room every 22 minutes because of an injury related to shopping carts.

Falling from shopping carts caused 70 percent of the injuries, followed by running into/falling over a cart, cart tip-overs, and fingers, legs, or arms getting trapped in a cart.

The study in the January issue of Clinical Pediatrics, found that more than 500,000 children under the age of 15 were treated at emergency rooms for shopping cart-related injuries between 1990 and 2011, an average of more than 24,000 a year.

Seventy-eight percent of the injuries were to the head. Soft tissue injuries were the most common type of head injury, but the annual rate of concussions and internal head injuries rose by more than 200 percent during the study period, from 3,483 in 1990 to 12,333 in 2011. Most of this increase occurred in infants and toddlers.

Voluntary shopping cart safety standards introduced in the United States in 2004 have done little good, the researchers noted.

“The findings from our study show that the current voluntary standards for shopping cart safety are not adequate,” Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, said in a hospital news release.

“Not only have the overall number of child injuries associated with shopping carts not decreased since implementation of the safety standards, but the number of concussions and closed head injuries is actually increasing,” Smith said. “It is time we take action to protect our children by strengthening shopping cart safety standards with requirements that will more effectively prevent tip-overs and falls from shopping carts.”

Suggestions include improved restraint systems, placing child seats in shopping carts closer to the floor, teaching parents about shopping cart safety and having stores promote the use of cart safety belts.

Researchers added that there is even more that parents can do to keep their children safe around shopping carts. These include not using carts that lack safety restraints or have broken wheels, staying with the cart and child at all times, and not putting infant seats on top of shopping carts. Parents would be better off putting their infants either in strollers or in carriers that strap to the front or back of the parent’s body.

“It is important for parents to understand that shopping carts can be a source of serious injury for their children,” said Smith, a professor of pediatrics at Ohio State University College of Medicine. “However, they can reduce the risk of injury by taking a few simple steps of precaution, such as always using the shopping cart safety belts if their child needs to ride in the cart.”

SOURCE: Nationwide Children’s Hospital, news release, Jan. 21, 2014

I don’t know if it is snowing where you are, but it is coming down pretty hard outside my window! The sound of snow blowers can be heard loud and clear, and then there is the sound of a shovel scraping against the sidewalk.

I can’t help thinking of all the men, and women shoveling their walkways who may not know the safe way to shovel. While shoveling snow can be good exercise, it can also be dangerous for optimistic shovelers who take on more than they can handle.

The National Safety Council offers the following tips to help you get a handle on safe shoveling:

• Individuals over the age of 40, or those  who are relatively inactive, should be especially careful.

• If you have a history of heart trouble, do not shovel without a doctor’s permission.

• Do not shovel after eating or while smoking.

• Take it slow! Shoveling (like lifting weights) can raise your heart rate and blood pressure dramatically; so pace yourself. Be sure to stretch out and warm up before taking on the task.

• Shovel only fresh snow. Freshly fallen, powdery snow is easier to shovel than the wet, packed-down variety.

• Push the snow as you shovel. It’s easier on your back than lifting the snow out of the way.

• Don’t pick up too much at once. Use a small shovel, or fill only one-fourth or one-half of a large one

• Lift with your legs bent, not your back. Keep your back straight. By bending and “sitting” into the movement, you’ll keep your spine upright and less stressed. Your shoulders, torso and thighs can do the work for you.

• Do not work to the point of exhaustion.

• If you run out of breath, take a break. If you feel tightness in your chest, stop immediately.

• Dress warmly. Remember that extremities, such as the nose, ears, hands and feet, need extra attention during winter’s cold. Wear a turtleneck sweater, a warm jacket, waterproof pants, gloves and boots, and a warm hat, scarf and face covering when you go out to shovel.