Popular pediatrician on TikTok warns parents never to trust their dog around kids
"I know that you love your pets and that you trust your pets, but never trust your pet."
yes, even this adorable little face could cause severe damage.
We love our fur babies. Even after we transition from purely pet parents to full blown baby parents (for those of us that do, anyway) we still see our cats and dogs as pure and precious creatures in need of our attention and care. Cause they are. Duh.
In some cases that means sharing the same activities, wearing matching outfits…heck, it wouldn’t be out of this world to see a baby sharing a stroller with a dog from time to time.
But sometimes, love and trust are two different things. And when it comes to our pets being around children, some experts recommend not placing your faith in the paws of your beloved pets.
Pediatrician Dr. Sami, of the popular Pedi Pals on TikTok, recently warned parents that “you can never be too careful around dogs” when they’re with small children, “no matter how much you love them, no matter how gentle they've been.”
In the clip, she explains that when her kids were very young, they were always kept separate from the dogs until they were old enough to interact safely with them—to know to not come between them and their food, to know when they’re irritated, etc., etc.
And while Dr. Sami admitted that her dogs have never shown aggression, it doesn't mean that their instincts wouldn’t kick in at an inopportune moment. Hence why she always used a partition for her kids or when her kid’s friends came over, and why she encourages parents to ask other parents to keep pets separated during visits.
“I know that you love your pets and that you trust your pets, but never trust your pet,” she says, all while cuddling with an adorable puppy named Daisy.
@thepedipals The worst cosmetically damaging dog bite I saw was actually done by a chihuaha. Of course larger dogs can even unalive people. So if you love your dog and kids, stop playing into the fairy tales of the internet- and be cautious, vigilant and smart. Im sure someone will say they didn't like me whispering and for that, I pre-emptively apologize.
♬ original sound - The PediPals (Pediatric Pals)
Dr. Sami also points out that those all-too-common videos on social media showing dogs and babies cuddling in harmony is not a reality.
“Anytime I see these like videos on TikTok of people that have like their baby sleeping with their husky, I'm like, ‘Dear God, this animal can't talk, okay?’” she says, adding, “you just don't know what's going on in their brain and they might be okay with everything 99.9% of the time, but then the one time they're not, their instinct is to bite and their instinct is to go for the face. They rarely ever bite extremities. It's always the face.”
“And if I had a nickel for every single one of my patients that has been bitten by a dog and required stitches, I'd be rich. It's way, way, way too common in the pediatric world. Just be careful,” she concludes.
Judging by the comments to her video, D.r Smai is not the only person with this viewpoint. Several parents and even fellow doctors chimed in to agree.
One parent wrote, “My son is two and I JUST started allowing them to walk around each other under VERY careful supervision bcuz my son started to understand my dog’s boundaries. But I never trust ANY dog or ANY toddler 🤣”
Another added, “People always wonder why I’m so cautious with my sweet dog, it’s because she’s still a DOG and toddlers are crazy!!!”
Meanwhile, a doctor shared, Most of the dog attacks we see in the pediatric ER are from the family dog that they thought would ‘never do that.’ 🥺.”
Dr. Sami’s opinion is also shared by The American Academy of Pediatrics’, which states that parents should “never leave dogs and children alone together.”
And as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reiterates on its website, “any dog can bite: big or small, male or female, young or old. Even the cuddliest, fuzziest, sweetest pet can bite if provoked. Remember, it is not a dog's breed that determines whether it will bite, but rather the dog's individual history and behavior.”
Furthermore, the AVMA states that children are the most common victims of dog bites and are far more likely to be severely injured. In addition, most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs.
When it comes to dog bite prevention, the AMVA has a few basic guidelines, including but not limited to:
- Teach kids how to respect animals: that it’s not okay to pull their ears or tails, tease them, how to approach dogs calmly, just as a few examples
- Break your house into zones: one for the kids, the other for the furry kids. Note that there’s a difference between zoning, like using a partition, and imprisoning your pet.
- Always, always, always supervise interactions between pets and young children.
- Avoid the assumption that because a stranger’s dog has been friendly in the past, that it will be in the future. This, of course, goes for the family dog as well.
"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
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Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."