Introducing your beloved pets to your new baby can be incredibly daunting; regardless of how friendly you think your pet is, there is always possible risks that a family can face, especially if your dog is particlulary large or has the potential to get jealous of your newborn.
However, one family think their 12-stone pitbull Hulk (who is the world's largest pitbull), is the perfect companion for their sons Jackson and Jordan.
So much so that they let Hulk babysit, lick and cuddle their sons for lond periods of time, and have no qualms about the potential safety worries.
Appearing on This Morning, American parents Marlon and Lisa Grennan explained why they think their pit bull (a breed which is banned in the UK) is the perfect companion, arguing that it's not about the breed but how well it's trained.
Marlon said: "There's nothing to do with the breed of dogs, it's absolutely how you raise dogs. I've lived among my family my kids and lots of these dogs for years and years and we've lived in peace and harmony."
He then added: "These dogs have to be the most stable type of dogs and that's how we raise them at an early age."
Marlon also admitted that although he has never left his sons 'completely unsupervised' with Hulk or any other dogs - he did admit to letting his children be surrounded by 20-30 dogs at a time.
You can watch the full interview here:
However, animal psychologist Roger Mugford was 'massively shocked' by the decision to have such a huge and potentially dangerous breed of dog around their children.
He said: "In this country I'd say send in social services. This is a desperately bad model for dog owners and parents to follow."
He added that no matter how well trained the dog is, Hulk's size makes it still incredibly dangerous.
"The size and power of this dog means the parent holding it couldn't possibly intervene if it launched an attack." he continued.
Roger also criticised the parents for letting Hulk lick their son, calling it a 'health hazard'.
What do you think of this? Would you leave your large family dog alone with your young child?
Have you ever had to choose your child over your dog?
**Let us know your thoughts over on Facebook and Twitter (@CloserOnline). **
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