Sassy Family Dog Deserves An Oscar For Cracking Mom Up — And Her Patience

Dogs and kids can make a wonderful combination — especially when kids don't get too wild around dogs. However, while some people may consider to be all in good fun when it comes to pestering a pet, the dog (or cat) may very well experience it another way, and problems arise. Luckily for this family, their dog shows great restraint as three toddlers test her patience while mom just laughs it off while filming. 

"Don't worry Nilla is the best with them, just a little mouthy 😆," claims the caption on the Instagram video that also admits the three children are "ragebaiting" the dog by poking their fingers in her face. As the chaos continues, the dog looks to the human to stop the matter — to no avail. Luckily, Nilla the dog chose not to attack, instead stopping one child by frantically licking her face.

Cuteness spoke exclusively with Russell Hartstein, a certified dog behaviorist who offers dog training services in Los Angeles, who says that children need to be much more supervised around pets, particularly dogs: "The children's faces were just inches from the dog's as the dog was actively barking. A dog bite happens in under one second." Hartstein notes that in addition to the barking, there were other signs of stress in the dog, including whale eye, pulled-back ears, and a stiff tail. "While this dog has a great deal of tolerance for the family, it certainly isn't comfortable and should never be put in this situation," he notes. So, the Oscar for best self-restraint goes to: Nilla the dog! 

While some may find the Instagram video of Nilla the dog being hassled by children funny, it's always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to allowing kids to interact with pets, especially dogs. When speaking to Cuteness, Russell Hartstein says it's a no-brainer: "You should never allow a kid to put their face in the face of [a] dog, especially when the dog is aroused and barking...," as even dog breeds with the best temperaments could be prone to biting if feeling provoked.

Instead of allowing children to act chaotically around a family pet, Hartstein encourages teaching them from a young age how to properly interact with dogs, suggesting "to have a parent holding a child's hand (not filming the interaction) while the child and parent together pet a dog slowly, calmly, and methodically to ensure that a child does not pull, squeeze, or yank on a dog's skin or fur."

There are dual sides when it comes to supervision, Hartstein says. "It's a parent's obligation and responsibility as a guardian and caretaker to look after not just the kids' needs but the pets' needs as well." So, when a dog looks to the adult in the room for help, that adult should be able to read a dog's body language, step in, and end the uncomfortable interaction, going back to square one with the kids if they have to in order to teach the proper way to care for a pet. That way, pets and kids can have a happy, healthy, and long-lasting relationship built on mutual trust and love.