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People tend to misunderstand large dogs, like Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and Pitbulls, so they fear them. They see a video of a poorly trained dog attacking a person and assume that all such dogs are violent. Parents, concerned for the safety of their children, naturally heed this fear and worry if a large dog is unsuitable or unsafe to have around small children. However, this fear is unwarranted, and no breed of dog is inherently unsafe to have around children.

It is true that large dogs are capable of injuring and possibly even killing people. The same is true for small dogs, especially when considering young children. When a dog is abused and mistreated, it will eventually lash out with violence. A small dog, or even a cat, is capable of seriously injuring a child if it is provoked into a frenzy.

The size of the dog is far less important than two other key things - the training that the dog has received, and the respect that your child has for animals. A dog that is well trained and loved will be affectionate and safe to have around. The flip side of the relationship relies on the child not to agitate the dog.

Many large dogs have been trained as guard dogs, because their physical size makes the more intimidating and capable to defend themselves. If these dogs are raised with love and affection, they will be perfectly safe to have around. If, however, they are abused and adjusted to violence, then they will be dangerous. The "safety" of a dog has far less to do with its breed and size than the capabilities of its owners.

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