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February 2012 Moms
hizah05
member
WWYD Unfamiliar dog with your child?
hizah05
member
So, our good friends are coming over to babysit tonight and just sent a text to H to see if they can bring their dog. He's an approximately 1 year old Vizsla. He's a good dog and all but DS has only been around him a couple of times when he was a puppy... Like 8 or 9 months ago.
I said no. I don't feel comfortable with a dog that isn't used to DS and vice versa being in my house while I'm gone. We have a dog who is 10 years old and has never hurt a fly but turned and tried to bite DS the other day because he hit her. She just got scared and nipped and she's a tiny dog so I'm not worried. DS is still learning to be gentle and when he gets excited and sees our dog he runs over and sometimes hits her, trying to pet. Anyway. I just worry that something could happen with a much larger unfamiliar dog. Especially if DS hit him and scared him.
I felt bad saying no and now the husband might stay home with the dog. I'm not changing my mind but I'm wondering what you all think. Am I being overprotective?
I said no. I don't feel comfortable with a dog that isn't used to DS and vice versa being in my house while I'm gone. We have a dog who is 10 years old and has never hurt a fly but turned and tried to bite DS the other day because he hit her. She just got scared and nipped and she's a tiny dog so I'm not worried. DS is still learning to be gentle and when he gets excited and sees our dog he runs over and sometimes hits her, trying to pet. Anyway. I just worry that something could happen with a much larger unfamiliar dog. Especially if DS hit him and scared him.
I felt bad saying no and now the husband might stay home with the dog. I'm not changing my mind but I'm wondering what you all think. Am I being overprotective?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: WWYD Unfamiliar dog with your child?
If this is a situation that might come up frequently, I would work at socializing my baby and their dog more, at least to the point that the two are comfortable around each other and I'm comfortable with the dog around my baby.
Why would the husband stay home with the dog? Surely they have to leave it home alone from time to time? That's a little ridiculous, IMO.
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I agree with all of this. They shouldn't expect you to automatically be comfortable with your child around their dog. We have 2 dogs now (we adopted a dog a week ago), an American Pitbull Terrier and a Lab/Pit mix and I would never think to bring them somewhere with a child they barely know even though they are great with Audra.
I've gotten tired of saying, "Oh man, I knew that would happen". When it comes to my son I don't let anything slide. I would have said the same thing.
My DHs grandfather had a dog that he was so in love with, but the dog was vicious. He tried to attack me a few times when I was pregnant. After Seth was born, the grandfather wanted to introduce the dog to him so they would be 'friends'. I had a huge fight on my hands as the man would not respect me when I told him to keep the dog away from my son. I hurt a lot of feelings and got the dog chained up. But I never had to say, "we'll make sure it never happens again" about my son getting hurt.
I think it's reasonable to be weary of letting someone else's dog near your kid. Is there somewhere in the house they can put the dog where it can't get to your DS?
My new daycare provider has a dog, and I really didn't like that idea at first, but her daycare stuff is in the basement where she has everything gated off and the dog can't get to the kids, so I'm okay with that.