Your Baby and Bowser

Your Baby and Bowser
Stephen C. Rafe
Alpine Publications, Inc
ISBN: 1-57779-045-6
Non-Fiction, Pets, Dogs
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

Your Baby and Bowser is a non-disciplinarian guide to avoiding potential problems between your dog and your child or grandchild. Small children tend to bring out the best and the worst of dogs. Children may unknowing startle a sleeping or eating dog. Caught unaware, even the best trained dog might react by growling or biting. The crying and flailing of infants may resemble prey behaviours or behaviours of a sick pup. In these cases, the dog may feel the need to stalk or play with the prey. Alternately, the animal may try to comfort the child or drag it to safety. Since dogs use their teeth to undertake these tasks, risk of injury is possible.
The author states that there are several important keys to avoiding potential accidents caused by natural dog behaviours such as chewing, biting, jumping, scratching, and stalking. One of these important keys is good training and proper dog handling. Another important key is socializing preparation before your child actually comes home. By far, however, it is important that your dog and child never be left alone together.
Your Baby and Bowser is an extremely well written, organized guide. This book details potential issues that can potentially occur between children and dogs. Furthermore, the author explains how many of these disasters are simply due to natural dog behaviours. Thus, such incidents are not normally the result of a premeditated, vicious attack by a bad dog. Moreover, the author explains how the dog owner can not only understand and identify these potential behaviours but also use this newfound knowledge to protect both the dog and the child. This book even contains details easy to use step by step training and includes various intuitive problem solving techniques.