Black Labrador Bites Newborn Baby To Death In Bangkok

[rbrooks]

I have been obedience training dogs for many years and have always had dogs in our household. Dogs were originally bred to work for a purpose before we made them all house dogs and have tried to make them human. Labs were always bred to hunt on water and land and are known for their strong hunting, retrieving drive especially in cold, rough waters. Dogs are also pack animals and do not recognize babies or young children as equals or even leaders but usually a threat when introduced into the family pack. I would never leave any dog no matter what size with a young child let alone a baby because I know that they could be seriously hurt by the dog.

[morpho]

This is a real tragedy but I am not surprised. I am more surprised that it doesn't happen a lot more often. Many Thais teach their dogs to be aggressive guard dogs but the dogs have to be under direct command all the time. I go for walks on the roads and streets near my apartment in Chiang Mai and dogs are constantly threatening me even though I stay on the roads/streets. And what I really hate is that they get behind me and just continue to follow me some times growling and barking until I chase them. And many times their owners are out and they don't do or say anything to call them off. I'm sure if I hit or hurt one of the dogs, I'd have my visa revoked and I'd be deported.

[Andre0720]

Normally I find these dogs quite placid, but again, I would not leave one around a small baby!

Dogs like to chew and play and I imagine a small baby looks no different to a shoe or any other object it can get in its mouth to chew on.

I don't really want to get into the blame / shame game, I am sure the parents are sufferring enough without loads of condemming posts on various forums.

They and the child have suffered more than most, there but for the grace of god go I!

Please please try and teach your children the consequences of actions and behaviour, this seems so lacking in Thais - they never seem to look to the consequences of their actions - sad sad, condolences to all of their family.

Those people who could benefit from your advice...cannot read english...

[LotusBoy]

RIP to th baby, very sad and tragic loss.

On another point Labrador dogs are the softest, gentle, daft dogs and a perfect pet for children!

How a Lab has been made into a guard dog? Killed a child.

Did the dog have rabies?Was it abused and mistreated to make it vicious?

The whole story is ting tong!

+1

R.I.P little baby

Edited August 3, 2012 by LotusBoy

[harrymand]

3 of my neighbour has big dogs. German shephard and some bastards. Only ONE of the owners is in control of the dog. If some of the others get out from the gate, they will attac and kill everybody they se! We have a 3 year old boy, that one day playing close to my neighbor fence, when the dogs attac! This is just a simple bamboo fence with wire. If he had his hand in that fence, the hand would be eaten. There is bad dogs, but far mor bad dog owners. If some of this dogs attac anyone in my family, I go for the leader of the pack first, wich is the owner!

[punisher]

guard dog ? a dog that would bite ? trained to attack ?

there are dogs, that bite and attack...

such dogs have to be removed from society, they dont have any reason to stay in populated areas...

the police might have them, or security guards, but then only LEASHED...

biting/attacking dogs shoulndt be allowed to private people or free in the city...

Guard dog outside,baby inside,easy as that,guard dog has nothing to do in the house.Why blame the dog for stupidity of the parents.The dog probably did only what it was trained for[by humans]

Sorry for the small baby,also sorry for the parents

[tw25rw]

If it really was a Labrador, it quite possibly just picked the baby up and walked around with it, not realising the harm being done.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed, this is not about underage children on scooters.

[skybluestu]

This is a tragic accident but it shouldn't become an anti-dog thread. Dogs and kids live happily together all over the world but unfortunately every now and then there is a sad incident like this one which starts a big 'dogs are evil' furore. The vast majority of dogs that bite people have either been neglected, abused or trained to attack at some point in their life and here in Thailand it is very normal for a dog to have been beaten when it is young. I saw an old woman give her 3yr old grandson a stick and told him to hit her pet dog as it would then be scared of him and wouldn't bite him! That is the mentality of a lot of Thais and this is how many dogs here are treated.

The labrador concerned, which are usually very friendly and placid dogs, was used as a guard dog, what sort of 'training' would it have had to become a guard dog? Like another poster has pointed out, dogs are pack animals and a recent addition to the family/pack could well have triggered some jealousy. Dogs need to be socialised and trained from a very early age with lots of love and attention, by doing this you are reducing drastically the chances of it being an aggressive dog regardless of breed. I have had a 3yr old female Rottweiler since she was 6wks old that lives happily with my 2yr old daughter, she is the sweetest and most playful dog you'll ever meet and has never been aggressive towards anyone or anything. Even when other dogs try to fight her she runs off, not even a growl. So please remember folks, there is no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad owner!

[kingbilly]

Normally I find these dogs quite placid, but again, I would not leave one around a small baby!

Dogs like to chew and play and I imagine a small baby looks no different to a shoe or any other object it can get in its mouth to chew on.

I don't really want to get into the blame / shame game, I am sure the parents are sufferring enough without loads of condemming posts on various forums.

They and the child have suffered more than most, there but for the grace of god go I!

Please please try and teach your children the consequences of actions and behaviour, this seems so lacking in Thais - they never seem to look to the consequences of their actions - sad sad, condolences to all of their family.

Those people who could benefit from your advice...cannot read english...

Well hopefully there maybe a Thai/English family that keep dogs and understand - and please don't underestimate the Thais ability to read English despite how they feign being unable to understand!

If one family wakes up enough to keep even the most placid dog away from a baby then that has to be good news. Even to the point where the dog cannot LICK a child - the amount of bacteria in a dogs mouth after licking its arse and dick, sniffing and licking/eating shit, has got to be a good thing to keep away from kids!

[kingbilly]

This is a tragic accident but it shouldn't become an anti-dog thread. Dogs and kids live happily together all over the world but unfortunately every now and then there is a sad incident like this one which starts a big 'dogs are evil' furore. The vast majority of dogs that bite people have either been neglected, abused or trained to attack at some point in their life and here in Thailand it is very normal for a dog to have been beaten when it is young. I saw an old woman give her 3yr old grandson a stick and told him to hit her pet dog as it would then be scared of him and wouldn't bite him! That is the mentality of a lot of Thais and this is how many dogs here are treated.

The labrador concerned, which are usually very friendly and placid dogs, was used as a guard dog, what sort of 'training' would it have had to become a guard dog? Like another poster has pointed out, dogs are pack animals and a recent addition to the family/pack could well have triggered some jealousy. Dogs need to be socialised and trained from a very early age with lots of love and attention, by doing this you are reducing drastically the chances of it being an aggressive dog regardless of breed. I have had a 3yr old female Rottweiler since she was 6wks old that lives happily with my 2yr old daughter, she is the sweetest and most playful dog you'll ever meet and has never been aggressive towards anyone or anything. Even when other dogs try to fight her she runs off, not even a growl. So please remember folks, there is no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad owner!

Exactly! Dogs (and most animals) are treat like shit here by Thais, they are a machine that serves a purpose - they are not pets.

The dog has to bark to ward off strangers, the cat has to eat mice - if they don't perform they get whacked!

[theajarn]

A lot of dog lovers will tell you that dogs and babies CAN mix. Me? I'd never have any dog near a baby... let alone with a baby. The possibility of an attack aside, there are other things to consider, particularly hygiene, ticks and fleas. Still, I'm shocked that a labrador could do such a thing. I always thought they were the most well-mannered of dogs.

As for insulting the parents... I don't think that's needed. They've lost enough. RIP little boy...

[kingbilly]

A long long time ago - I am going back over 40 years, a family that my mother knew had a labrador, they were in the park playing and had a young baby in a pram.

The mother had turned her back for only a matter of seconds and the baby climbed out of the pram.

The labrador retrieved the baby and brought it back to the mother - sadly by the head - the dog didn't know any better and hadn't tried to bite the baby, it just followed its instinct, sadly the baby died. So it really isn't a stick fight and name calling here, it is a bloody tragedy!

[kingbilly]

A lot of dog lovers will tell you that dogs and babies CAN mix. Me? I'd never have any dog near a baby... let alone with a baby. The possibility of an attack aside, there are other things to consider, particularly hygiene, ticks and fleas. Still, I'm shocked that a labrador could do such a thing. I always thought they were the most well-mannered of dogs.

As for insulting the parents... I don't think that's needed. They've lost enough. RIP little boy...

Too true, they should not be left together, even if the animal is the best behaved animal in the world. They cannot make decisions like people, they are animals. I agree too, the mud slinging against the parents needs to stop, they have gone through enough, imagine having to live with the " What if only"?

[theajarn]

This is a real tragedy but I am not surprised. I am more surprised that it doesn't happen a lot more often. Many Thais teach their dogs to be aggressive guard dogs but the dogs have to be under direct command all the time. I go for walks on the roads and streets near my apartment in Chiang Mai and dogs are constantly threatening me even though I stay on the roads/streets. And what I really hate is that they get behind me and just continue to follow me some times growling and barking until I chase them. And many times their owners are out and they don't do or say anything to call them off. I'm sure if I hit or hurt one of the dogs, I'd have my visa revoked and I'd be deported.

Seriously, for your sake, don't chase them - they'll chase you back. I just look them in the eye and bark back at them and they leave me alone. They seem to understand me.

[OILMAN13]

RIP Little child. That dog is clearly NOT a purebred Labrador Retreiver. It looks like a mix between a Lab and a Doberman. Labs are retreivers who "mouth" the masters bird or duck ot whatever it is retrieving. They are one of the gentlest breeds. The owners are responsible for this and they have already paid a very high price.

[theajarn]

We never trained our dog to bark (it's an Alsatian, by the way) and yet she does. It's NATURAL INSTINCT for most dogs, unless specifically trained NOT to bark -- but this is Thailand -- where do you think you can find trained, well-bred dogs?

Now, we DO our best to call off our dog when she does starts barking, and she's learned. She has particular barks. We can tell if she's barking at a relative or a complete stranger. For relatives, she knows when to stop. For complete strangers we have to call her off and tell her to stay put. She obeys. But let me just get this clear -- dogs bark. FF sake, they don't good@mn meow.

Edited August 3, 2012 by theajarn

[kingbilly]

When we first made a home here for some reason we attracted a couple of wild cats that seemed to hang around for food, along with a wild dog or too.

The dogs were very placid, in fact they were absolutely terrified of people and avoided us as best they could.

We had a small child at the time, he was about 3 years old.

The cats were a different kettle of fish, they would come near to the house for food, but as children tend to be inquisitive, they could turn really nasty against a small child. In the end I shot them.

[Arkady]

RIP Little child. That dog is clearly NOT a purebred Labrador Retreiver. It looks like a mix between a Lab and a Doberman. Labs are retreivers who "mouth" the masters bird or duck ot whatever it is retrieving. They are one of the gentlest breeds. The owners are responsible for this and they have already paid a very high price.

So has the dog.

[Kananga]

If it was up to me I would eradicate the world of all dogs. Smelly animals that shit everywhere and destroy peace and quiet wherever they go. And kill the occasion child while they are at it.

And while we are on the subject you just can't trust babies with mother in laws in this country. A combination of an atrocious education, ridiculous folklore beliefs and a culture of thinking just because they are old they know best and don't accept when they are wrong is a deadly combination when it comes to the responsibility of child safety in the 21st century.

[Arkady]

When we first made a home here for some reason we attracted a couple of wild cats that seemed to hang around for food, along with a wild dog or too.

The dogs were very placid, in fact they were absolutely terrified of people and avoided us as best they could.

We had a small child at the time, he was about 3 years old.

The cats were a different kettle of fish, they would come near to the house for food, but as children tend to be inquisitive, they could turn really nasty against a small child. In the end I shot them.

What with?

[Kananga]

When we first made a home here for some reason we attracted a couple of wild cats that seemed to hang around for food, along with a wild dog or too.

The dogs were very placid, in fact they were absolutely terrified of people and avoided us as best they could.

We had a small child at the time, he was about 3 years old.

The cats were a different kettle of fish, they would come near to the house for food, but as children tend to be inquisitive, they could turn really nasty against a small child. In the end I shot them.

What with?

A compact camera most probably.

[Arkady]

If it was up to me I would eradicate the world of all dogs. Smelly animals that shit everywhere and destroy peace and quiet wherever they go. And kill the occasion child while they are at it.

And while we are on the subject you just can't trust babies with mother in laws in this country. A combination of an atrocious education, ridiculous folklore beliefs and a culture of thinking just because they are old they know best and don't accept when they are wrong is a deadly combination when it comes to the responsibility of child safety in the 21st century.

That's it then. All dogs and mothers-in-law off the glue factory and for those that remain Thailand's carbon footprint will be hugely improved by the reduction in methane emissions.

[Arkady]

This is a real tragedy but I am not surprised. I am more surprised that it doesn't happen a lot more often. Many Thais teach their dogs to be aggressive guard dogs but the dogs have to be under direct command all the time. I go for walks on the roads and streets near my apartment in Chiang Mai and dogs are constantly threatening me even though I stay on the roads/streets. And what I really hate is that they get behind me and just continue to follow me some times growling and barking until I chase them. And many times their owners are out and they don't do or say anything to call them off. I'm sure if I hit or hurt one of the dogs, I'd have my visa revoked and I'd be deported.

Seriously, for your sake, don't chase them - they'll chase you back. I just look them in the eye and bark back at them and they leave me alone. They seem to understand me.

Looking genuinely threatening dogs in the eye is not a good idea as they understand from that that the person or dog they have growled at has returned the challenge and might go in for the attack immediately. Standing your ground without looking directly at them is safer. Most Thai dogs have been beaten regularly and will retreat if you wave a stout looking stick at them. Swishing a stick right in front of an oncoming dog's nose is, in my experience, usually more effective than whacking the dog directly. I have saved my own dogs from attack by other dogs more than once this way. Once the adrenaline is up they will not back off when hit, unless you can hit them hard enough to temporarily disable them. Throwing water on dogs that are attacking humans or other dogs is also totally ineffectual, except perhaps in the case of very small canines like Poms or Tsizus.

[ElliePoo]

What a tragedy. The dog should have never had access to the baby unsupervised. But I wouldn't trust a Thai granny to watch little ones anyway. Too many things could go wrong. Imagine your average Thai with no common sense but much older. And I agree with earlier post about guard dogs should not be in the same household as infants. Hopefully parents will learn from this tragedy. RIP little baby.

[ElliePoo]

If it was up to me I would eradicate the world of all dogs. Smelly animals that shit everywhere and destroy peace and quiet wherever they go. And kill the occasion child while they are at it.

And while we are on the subject you just can't trust babies with mother in laws in this country. A combination of an atrocious education, ridiculous folklore beliefs and a culture of thinking just because they are old they know best and don't accept when they are wrong is a deadly combination when it comes to the responsibility of child safety in the 21st century.

Don't agree about the dogs. There are plenty of well trained and clean dogs. That is up to the owner to train it.

As for the MILs, completely agree. Met too many and they are all the same (even my own Thai mom). I wouldn't trust her watching my kids. I still think its a miracle that I somehow survive growing up with her. Lol

[scotbeve]

yet another tragic story because of retarded parents.

They made dog a guard dog and left 9 day old unattended with easy access for the dog.

honestly some people i am certain have less brain than a chicken and should not be allowed to breed, or better yet should be locked up so they do not cause any harm to others

you are permanently trying to defend dogs, calling people stupid and the dogs normal...

but in fact, you are permanently saying, dogs are monsters...

dogs that are aggressive, dont belong in private hands nor running free...

im not saying, dogs are monsters or they are not, but you are saying it really all the time - in that really weird attempts to defend them...

on the other thread, when a dog bit a 3 year old to death, you would basically say, that the child has to be locked up, because it was ok to have such dogs running free...

dont you see it ? really not ?

Timestamp is correct - in a fashion - ... The way some dogs are treated in Thailand is abominable! It's no wonder that there are not more fatalities due to dogs killing their owners and families. Labs are very good with families. I suspect the owner was severely mistreating the dog and not even knowing he / she is doing so!!

[BangkokHank]

This is a very usual case for several reasons.

(1) It is a documented fact that even wild animals seem to have a sense that infants are different and do not pose any threat. Short of flat out predators, who would still have to be very, very hungry, it is rare to see an attack on a baby.

(2) It is much more rare to see a dog attack an infant

(3) The breed, Labrador is known for a gentle nature and at least in my part of the world, is not classed as "guard dog" material.

(4) What is not surprising is that Thai Visa Peanut Gallery, with little or no facts to back them up, has condemned the parents. Perhaps if they had been "nice people" (Read: "White") you could see this for what is is. A tragedy few can compare with. You are a hard-hearted lot indeed, and in that, I am being generous, since it means you might have one.

here is the result of a 10 second Google image search

https://www.google.c...1ac.IILFXVnfx3w

Yes, but, in every one of those pictures, there was apparently an adult nearby - taking the photo. Presumably this adult would have been in a position to come to the baby's aid in the unlikely event of an attack. What happened in the case at hand is that a dog was allowed access to a baby - with no adult around.

That being said, it's not like the parents left the dog with the baby in the same room. Apparently the dog came into the house - unbeknown to the grandmother, who was cooking in another room.

Leaving the baby with the grandmother was not the cause of the problem, nor necessarily was leaving the baby alone, provided, for example, the baby was sleeping at the time. The real mistake was leaving the room open to entry by the dog. We don't know who is responsible for that mistake.

[annabel]

Definitely a problem there with the dog being jealous or seeing the baby as a perceived threat to the dog.

Condolences.

There is a story in Canada just recently of parents coming home to their dead baby of 9 months old and assumed right away that their dog had killed it because of the blood found all over the room and near the bed and they also beat the dog to death only to realize after that, that a fox had gotten into the bedroom and the bloodshed was from the dog trying to kill off the fox to save th baby ... ironic nah...?? They had 2 loses ... their beloved child and their beloved dog who tried to save their child... Yes they found the fox and it was half dead from dog bytes ... Life is indeed strange and I don't believe what is being said in this story at all!! .... I know dogs t well to believe this ////

[Equalizer]

yet another tragic story because of retarded parents.

They made dog a guard dog and left 9 day old unattended with easy access for the dog.

honestly some people i am certain have less brain than a chicken and should not be allowed to breed, or better yet should be locked up so they do not cause any harm to others

you are permanently trying to defend dogs, calling people stupid and the dogs normal...

but in fact, you are permanently saying, dogs are monsters...

im not saying, dogs are monsters or they are not, but you are saying it really all the time - in that really weird attempts to defend them...

on the other thread, when a dog bit a 3 year old to death, you would basically say, that the child has to be locked up, because the dog would run free...

dont you see it ? really not ?

are you trolling or really are serious?

dog is a dog and acts on instinct, whats peoples excuse?

if you have a 9 day old baby, for starters you do not leave it in another room while you go cook or do whatever else.

secondly if you have a guard dog you do not leave doors open to the house where you left your baby sleeping on the sofa.

man i hope you do not have dog and a new born

What you supposed to do then hold it in your hands whilst you cook up a nice fried egg. Then we will have the story line incompetent grandmother throws hot fat over new born <<disguised profanity removed>> wake up will you. Cant blame the Granmamar for this dood.

Edited August 3, 2012 by metisdead