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The dog, according to animal behavioral specialists, may have reacted out of instinct and perceived Alexis as prey. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, an estimated 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year, and 60 percent of victims are children. About 12 people die each year.
Alice Moon-Fanelli, a clinical assistant professor at the Tufts University's Animal Behavior Clinic, said in an interview yesterday that all dogs -- but particularly those with strong latent predatory instincts, such as Siberian huskies have -- may interpret the cries and jerky movements of an infant as the sounds and actions of a wounded animal.
''Clearly, those breeds, a lot of northern breeds or herding breeds, are very sensitive to stimuli that mimic prey," she said. ''It's nothing personal; it's just lunch. It doesn't mean they are savage. . . . It's an instinct that is being triggered."
Moon-Fanelli and Scott Giacoppo, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said families need to carefully prepare for the arrival of a newborn into a home where a dog is already living, regardless of the breed.
Before an infant comes home, they said, a family should share objects rich with an infant's scent with the dog, a blanket or even a soiled diaper, so the animal can use its most potent sense, that of smell, to familiarize itself with the new family member and not see it as prey. The dog should be restrained and the child always held in an adult's arms during initial encounters.
''Our hearts go out to the family," Giacoppo said. ''They probably never imagined that their dog could do it. But leaving a young child or an infant with a dog who is unsupervised -- things like this happen."
Moon-Fanelli said parents should keep a wary eye on interaction between child and pet for as long as six years and never assume that a breed's reputation for friendliness toward children automatically carries over to their pet.
''There are not guarantees that the dog is going to be well adapted to living in your particular home," she said, adding that a golden retriever was recently euthanised in Connecticut after twice biting someone.
A Coventry police spokesman said it was not known if the McDermott family had taken any steps to prepare Shadow for the arrival of the infant.
The McDermotts couldn't be reached for comment yesterday, nor could their relatives. Several neighbors declined to comment.
Police said there has been no decision on what to do with Shadow, who will stay at the Coventry Dog Pound until further notice.
Moon-Fanelli, while stressing she was speaking in general terms and not about Shadow specifically, said that some dogs just cannot coexist with humans, especially children. ''It really boils down to underestimating the length of time and the effort involved for successfully raising children and dogs together."
John Ellement can be reached at
ellement@globe.com.
© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.
