When I was little I'd go and stay at one of my friends grandparents farm. We'd run around the farm yard, play on hay bales, go into the grain silos and go through the barn (where more than cows called home...mice). The only thing I recall getting "sick" with was ring worm, which if anyone's had it know, that it's pretty easy to get rid of.

I have also grown up with cats, dogs, guinea pigs, fish, hampsters and a gecko. Never once did I ever get sick from them because I know well enough to wash up after playing/handling them, granted I'm allergic to cat and dog dander, but that won't stop me from owning them although, I don't think I'd ever french kiss any of them :P gross! lol

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Michael_Wise

... But I am sure Koen has touched a blade of grass that has once touched dog butt.

I am SO REPORTING YOU!

Go ahead! I'll just throw poop at them when they come to the door.

 Quote: melissa blazak

 Quote: lori hall

...and don't french-kiss them!

But when you have a dog who's registered name is "Rudolph Valentino" what are you supposed to do???? LOL JK

There are exceptions.....this would be one.

Some things are worth the risk.

It's one of those things where we bring cautionary tales so people think twice about something. For instance in every manual we have at work it says don't kiss your dog and wash your hands after playing with your dog. Personally... I don't follow those directions because I'm fairly confident in my health and constitution unless my dog has been rolling in chicken gore.

Then again we come up with these cautionary tales and then see stupid stuff like toddlers kissing red eared sliders they pull out of algae filled stagnant tanks. Surprise surprise we get the giant salmonella warning about turtles. Then we start swabbing anything else little kids come into contact with which of course has salmonella, lead, and feces on it because what doesn't have that on it and it makes a good news story.

The bottom line is that if you're an immune compromised person or in a target group that by nature is immune deficient(the very old, the chronically ill, the very young) you probably should be a little more careful about sharing a sucker with the dog or letting little Billy eat out of the dirty dog dish. It's not really a matter of when you get sick because alot of people do this and don't get sick, but IF you do get sick it's that much harder to get well.

My kids and now my gkids have always played in the same yard that my dogs run in. Aside from occasional butt scooting by the kids I've not see a problem. I just hose them off before they go in the house.

 Quote: bob scott

My kids and now my gkids have always played in the same yard that my dogs run in. Aside from occasional butt scooting by the kids I've not see a problem. I just hose them off before they go in the house.

Ah. There we go! Sage counsel indeed!

"Aside from occasional butt scooting by the kids I've not see a problem." You just didn't hose them off well enough.

 Quote: connie sutherland

 Quote: bob scott

My kids and now my gkids have always played in the same yard that my dogs run in. Aside from occasional butt scooting by the kids I've not see a problem. I just hose them off before they go in the house.

Ah. There we go! Sage counsel indeed!

"Aside from occasional butt scooting by the kids I've not see a problem." You just didn't hose them off well enough.

I think they're wormy. It would be in your best interest to get them to a vet.

 Quote: Michael_Wise

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Michael_Wise

... But I am sure Koen has touched a blade of grass that has once touched dog butt.

I am SO REPORTING YOU!

Go ahead! I'll just throw poop at them when they come to the door.

This whole thread has gone a little silly, but I'm going to keep this particular sequence of mental images in my head all day - too funny!!

~Natalya

Me too.

And notice how I made NO MENTION of monkeys throwing poop when that was posted?

I'm so self-controlled .....

This is the reason I belong to this forum and ask you guys questions - I always know that the answers are going to be professional, accurate, and weird!!