Oh no....JJ is not gonna approve of the dog licking.

# 1. Thunders. JJ wasn’t wrong in his disapproval of dog licking for children, infants in particular, and I don’t know why he was slammed with so many down votes. A paediatrician will tell you that a dog (and cats) saliva can and will contain faeces due to grooming habits (amongst other potentially human harmful bacteria or parasites ) and that happy face licks should in fact be avoided. Especially as young children are building immune systems. This also holds for adults with compromised immune systems. This is routine practical new parent advice but somehow JJ took it on the chin.

No one has said pets and kids shouldn’t interact and play and be best friends. But common sense and paediatricians will strongly advise against encouraging contact with pet saliva.

#1 You are absolutely right Thunders I don't.
#2 Thanks for the support Austin.
One of the best descriptive points I read recently is "Remember that your dogs tongue is also it's toilet paper" So perhaps after you let your dog lick your babies face and mouth you should take a dump wipe your bottom and to save water don't flush give the paper to Baby to play with. Yummy.

Love dogs. Cats? Not so much.

http://i.imgur.com/XsBHw6a.jpg

#2 #3...Humor aside, this is good information you both shared. It totally makes sense too, when one thinks about it, and is probably information that should be provided to young parents that frequent pediatric clinics with their children. And I know JJ has talked about this before on other dog videos in the past. Definitely something to keep in mind. And as you said, common sense and a bit of mindfulness is all it takes.

#4 Same here, appreciate cats as part of the animal world, but never cared much for cats as pets. Love, love, love dogs ............and foxes and hens and roosters of course

The dog just likes the taste of milk around the baby's mouth and the assorted snacks dropped from the high chair.

#5 When I was younger, dogs were very much a part of our family life. My parents had German Shepherds, so did I when we had children. My last one died almost 20 years ago. Never replaced her, kids were grown up by then and I travel around too much now to make owning pets a sensible thing to do (Top Secret Missions). Never understood the cat/kitten thing. Cats were just something that my dog chased, and that messed on our lawn.

PS. We have a fox frequently visit our garden, and he/she will often lie and sunbathe on the garage roof. Foxes rule!

#7 Nothing beats growing up with a dog or owning one as an adult, your true best friend for ever. I didn't own one as a child, because the circumstances did not allow it, but wanted one really badly, so we've had dogs when the kids were growing up. I still have a 15 year old dog, that is laying beside me on the couch as I'm writing this, Harvey, but he has declined significantly over the last six months, and I'm afraid he will be gone soon....I won't be able to get a new dog, because of the long shifts I work, up to 14 hours sometimes....Harvey grew into that and is used to it, but not sure how to get a new dog used to that, especially not a puppy.....can't imagine life without a dog though....

Sounds like a lot of snotr users are dog lovers/owners too, besides you, I know JJ owns dogs, and so does Scotsman and Geekster etc...

To have a fox frequent your yard is quite a treat. They are really cool animals.

#8. You are right about dogs being your best friends. They just love you unconditionally. Harvey sounds lovely. Very saddening to hear that he may not be with you much longer. That is very sad indeed, I remember when our first family dog was very ill and my father had to take him to the vets to be put to sleep. My dad cried his eyes out. Years later I found out first hand what that experience was like, when I was placed in an identical situation with my own dog. I still miss her today.

#9 To love unconditionally is the key word here, something humans are not capable of doing, I think that's why we are so attracted to dogs, they never let us down...yeah, you know, you prepare for that time, we all know how many years dogs live, but then you're not ready when it is about to happen...when my other dog died three years ago (Laika), I found a wonderful service here on line, for a vet to come to the house to put her down. She came with a tech, comforted me more than the dog, and the dog "fell asleep" in my arms in her own familiar surroundings without anxiety. I costs more than at the vet, but it was all worth it. I buried her "illegally" in the backyard.......you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.......and yes, you miss them for ever!

Noooo!
Don't ever let dogs lick anywhere on you OR your babies face, let alone inside your mouths.
- Just remember that dog was probably licking it's ass/balls/dick/a steaming pile of dogshit, minutes earlier!
(And NEVER believe that load of old bollocks abouta dog's mouth being sterile.)

#7#8#9#10 I've had dogs all my life, as a child and as an adult. I've noticed a pattern over the years, where young couples get together and almost to cement their relationships they get a dog. Usually a bad idea because they often both work and I'm sorry to say often the wrong breed of dog (but I won't go into that now). A few years later if things work out along comes the babies, it's a little like the song 'Lonely boy' by Andrew Gold, only with a dog. Of course then the attention changes to the child and the relationship with the dog often suffers, sadly this is a time so many dogs get re-homed.

I have experienced the death of a dog, too many times in my life already. Five times to be exact, plus three others when I wasn't actually present as I was too young, I then only experienced the empty space they left behind. I also saw my Father cry on those three occasions and no other times in his life.

Unless you have lived with a dog, shared toast and other tit bits with them, slept with them on the couch, had them follow you around the house, greet you when you have only been gone for an hour, just the same as if you had left them for a week. Watched them sleep, watched them dream and smelt the fur at the side of their face as they nuzzle up close to you. Unless you have lived and loved a dog, you could never understand the way they make you feel, how they get under your skin and the absolute pain of that final day, when they say goodbye, for the last time. It's a pain that is almost unbearable and dog lovers will tell you, that they cried more when their dog died than when they lost a relative. It really is indescribable and each time it happens, a little part of you dies with them and each one leaves a void in your life that can never be filled. Each time you think about them in the future the pain is still there forever raw and your eyes fill with water at your loss.

Some people never have another dog so as not to suffer like that again, others can't live their lives without one. I would be the latter. Sometime over the next five years, it is highly likely I will be saying goodbye to four more dogs and I am absolutely dreading each one.

#12 Beautifully expressed!

Yes, I have too often heard about this issue with young couples (and I'm sure there are exceptions), and there was recently a snotr video on that issue, that made me well up with tears. It's a very sad situation.

https://www.snotr.com/video/18041/Do_Not_Abandon_Your_Pet

#13 Yes I remember that video very poignant.