Owners of properly trained dogs should not have any problems between their dogs and their babies, said Dave Pang, owner of The Pet Spot at Ward Warehouse and the father of a 13-month-old boy, Kailoa.
"Proper training makes the difference between having a good dog and a bad dog," Pang said. "In 20 years, I can count on one hand the number of dogs that were nontrainable, and they were trained by being abused.
"That's the only way they know how to respond, by attacking. And if the baby does something they don't like, they respond the way they were trained, by attacking."
All dog owners need to exercise their pets daily and stimulate their minds by teaching them tricks and playing with them, Pang said.
Dog owners who are also new parents need to blend all of their dog's old routines with their new children, Pang said.
"If you suddenly put the dog outside, it's punitive, and you haven't done your job as a pet owner," Pang said. "The No. 1 thing that comes to mind (of new parents) is the fear factor: This dog is going to bite my baby.
"It doesn't have to be that way. If you walk your dog twice a day, you still need to walk your dog twice a day, but bring your baby along. That way, you include him in your new family."
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