Whilst I definitely agree that children are not safe with dogs 100% of the time, there are certain dogs and certain behaviours in dogs that are just a no-no. For eg: my dog is a border collie, lovely dog, very protective of my girls, especially DD1 (not really sure why he's more protective of her over DD2). My bil's dog is a kelpie. I wouldn't trust that dog as far as I could throw it. It's an inside dog, and very spoilt. They've recently had a baby and the dog isn't adjusting at all. Tries to push their baby out of the way all the time. Both dogs are very tempermental dogs.
You just can't be too sure. Not only with dogs, but most animals.
I agree that they shouldn't be left unsupervised. The fact is that dogs and babies find it hard to read the other's behaviour. Kids won't pick up warning signs and are naturally curious (e.g. poking fingers where they shouldn't). I think you can be comfortable to a certain extent if you are cluey with dog behaviour and know your dog but dogs can do a lot of damage very quickly and I wouldn't ever say you can be 100% safe. Even the nicest dog has its limits, and if it has a sore part of its body, has a recent bad experience or may even be getting old and slightly senile etc, then it may react as it hasn't before.
Both DH and I grew up with dogs that our parents trusted implicitly - me with a German Shepherd and DH with a Blue Heeler. Not dogs you would trust with kids, right? But neither of us were bitten, threatened or harmed by these lovely dogs. Sheba and Sally were magical dogs that you could poke, prod, ride, tongue-pull, dress up - all with complete safety.
:yeahthat:
I grew up with a shepherd too, but I've been to way too many jobs where kids have been attacked..and some funerals.
I know all dogs are different, but so are kids and you can't predict either of them some of the time let alone all of the time.
My 2 dogs I got when they were pups and my kids were babies so they grew up together. They are used to kids crawling all over them, poking ears, eyes and pulling tongues lol but now that they are getting older I'm a bit more watchful, especially of the male. He can be a bit grumpy. Usually he just moves away but if I see the girls going for him again I tell them off. The female (shepherd X kelpie) is so placid still that I don't worry about her at all. I do have to stop my girls from just going up to other people's dogs though as they are so used to ours being friendly.
I grew up alongside a rottweiler & used to ride her, sleep on her, do anything to her. She slept under our cots, she was a beautiful dog! Have had dogs all my life & have never been injured or bitten.
But my personal opinion is no dog is safe. Our dog who wouldn't hurt a fly - but I would never leave DS with him alone. I don't let DS near the dog's face & I never let him anywhere near him when he is eating/has a bone.
I grew up with dogs and think that supervised play is ok in our house. DH didn't grow up with dogs and it took a long time for him to agree to get one. But when he saw our friends dogs play with DD1 (rottie and greyhound ) they were so good with her we got a dog too - a daschound! Daisy the Daschound is very good with the baby and with kids but is a bit wary and jelous of my attention. So she gets kicked outside when we have a lot of kids around, but she's inside if only a few a here.
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) they were so good with her we got a dog too - a daschound! 
Daisy the Daschound is very good with the baby and with kids but is a bit wary and jelous of my attention. So she gets kicked outside when we have a lot of kids around, but she's inside if only a few a here.
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