As baby fights for life after dog bite, trainer says attack could happen with any dog

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (KCTV) - A baby is fighting for their life after getting bit by a dog.

The incident happened Thursday night in Prairie Village. Police said a babysitter was watching the infant when their Pit bull attacked. The dog was seized at the owner’s request and euthanized as a result.

Victor Farris is the lead trainer at KC Dawgz Dog Training Academy and said, unfortunately, these kinds of incidents can happen with any kind of dog.

“Keep in mind that these are wild animals that we have allowed into our house,” Farris said.

For the last five years, Farris has been training with all kinds of dogs who have all kinds of different things they need to work on.  However, one common practice is to get dogs comfortable around children.

“It doesn’t matter the breed; it more matters the dog’s personality,” Farris said.

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Farris said it’s important to know your dog’s limits and to watch out for potential signs of aggression.

“If you notice the dog having a prolonged fixation with the child or fearful of the child, those are some signs you want to make sure you get the dog into a professional to see what’s going on,” Farris said.

But with positive reinforcement, there are also things you can do at home like create a safe place and if needed use a muzzle.

“Making sure that we spend the time training them with treats, making sure they enjoy being in the muzzle, being in the crate and see it almost as a home away from home,” Farris said.

But at the end of the day, you never know what a dog is going to do, and you never know what a baby will do, either. That’s why he said even with training, you should never leave them alone together, not even for a second.

“Any dog could be aggressive; any dog could be very nice. It’s important that we take each dog as a separate case,” Farris said.

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