Safety tips for integrating kids and dogs

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - It's not just about tricks and developing good manners, for the dogs Michael Baugh has been training for the last 20 years, it's about understanding your furry babies. 

Baugh specializes in dealing with dogs that show aggressive and violent behavior, something he says stems from fear. 

"The main driver behind aggressive behavior is fear. Like I don't know who you are, you gotta go. I don't know what you're doing, you need to stop. Or this is my stuff, you can't have it," said Baugh.

Baugh said that fear can lead to a dog bite. They're rather common in fact. But how serious the bite-- is a different story. 

"Incidents that involve severe injury or fatality are incredibly rare. They're shocking though because they are violent and part of what makes them shocking is that they are so rare," Baugh said.

According to a study from the CDC, roughly 4.7 million dog bites happen in the US each year. However, only 800,000 of those bites result in medical care.

Last month, a 13-year-old boy and a responding Harris County Sheriff's deputy were attacked by multiple dogs in Spring.

On Friday evening, the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office said a 2-year-old girl in Alvin was mauled and killed by her family's dog. The Brazoria County Sheriff's Office said that dog has since been euthanized and sent to the lab for testing. 

No charges have been filed. 

Baugh said in most cases, the unfamiliarity of the child can be tricky for a dog, and the key is to integrate your pups into the family.

"That's a new stage of development so even though this child is part of the family, there are still new things that are happening as the child matures. And those can be novel to the dog," Baugh said.

Other dog owners agree.

"We had different people over, different looking people, different age groups, kids and stuff like that. And now it's time to get him introduced to other dogs now that he has all his shots," said Erik Stricker.

"It's a tiring process. It's just like having a bunch of kids. You have to keep repeating yourself over and over again. Find what works for you," said Lindsey Stricker.

Contrary to popular belief, Baugh said the type of breed-- pitbull or not-- does not play a factor in a dog's aggression.

"Breed is inconsequential. Aggression in dogs is a human problem," Baugh said.