A DOG psychologist has highlighted the risks of mixing pets and children following last week's Shuttle/Times and News report of an attack on a two-year-old boy.

Sheila Howard, who has a diploma in dog psychology from the Berkshire-based Small Animal Institute, said summer is more likely to see attacks as pets get irritated by the heat. dog psychologist Sheila Howard with her french bulldogs Flyn and Sybell.

Mrs Howard stressed rescued dogs were not necessarily a bad idea, but it was important to choose wisely.

"It's not like going to the supermarket and buying a bag of sugar. You're a getting a wild creature into your home - even though it's domesticated," she said. "You have to be able to control the dog because it sees you as the leader of the pack.

"If you're going to get a rescued dog, get as much information as you can.

"Abused dogs aren't worth the risk. A dog that's afraid can be very aggressive - far more dangerous than a dominant dog."

Mrs Howard, 48, of Lacon Close, Cleobury Mortimer, who runs a pet food store in Kidderminster, advised parents to take children along to see their prospective pet to see how they react to each other.

She added: "A lot of rescued dog centres will let you have a dog on two weeks' approval so you can take the dog home and see how it behaves."

There will always be risks with dogs and children, she warned, because "dogs are quite predictable but children are not".

But Mrs Howard said dangers could be minimised by responsible owners. "You should teach children how to treat dogs with respect. When it's eating or sleeping, leave it alone."

She advised "normal" dogs become over-excited and boisterous and will growl when they have had enough of playing

"Always supervise a dog when it's with children. You shouldn't have dogs out in high temperatures with children. It's an accident waiting to happen."