PETS and bringing home baby to them

rainydayluck · January 2014

RondackHiker said:

I have four furbabies - two cats and two dogs...I love them all dearly BUT if I had a dog who was snapping, nipping, etc. at small children and I was pregnant then I think I would have to consider rehoming him/her because I would NEVER risk my child (or anyone else's) being hurt. Nor would I want the dog to be anxious, uncomfortable all the time. I think you should try some serious training with your dog as PP's have said (I know in my area PetSmart has some amazing classes) then if it doesn't work consider rehoming. I know that sounds heartless but sometimes rehoming is in the best interest of both your human and animal baby. Unfortunately some breeds just don't do well with little ones Best of luck!! I hope your furbaby can be helped
It has nothing to do with breed. Some dogs are good with kids and some aren't. It's very possible to have a dog who wants to avoid children living in a house with children without risking anyone. Rehoming rarely works out as well as people hope... There are far fewer child free homes than dogs who "need" them.

Exactly.

Also, Petsmart/Petco classes SUCK. Please use a reputable place. In my area, humane society offers classes that are based on clicker training and positive behavior and are way more reputable than the high schoolers reading from a binder at the pet stores.

Winnieella · January 2014

Op no one was attacking you, they were offering very helpful advice. It does sound like your dog needs classes and from what the pps are telling you, your dog is telling you he is afraid.

To be honest, if my pup was acting like that I would be taking behavorial modification classes with him.

Scottnsaranhenri · January 2014

RondackHiker said:
OP, let me put it another way.

You love your dog. Your dog is likely not a bad dog.

But this situation has red flags everywhere.

I was blunt because if this continues, your dog WILL BITE. Not if. When. It will happen. Just from your short description I know that without intervention this will get worse and it will happen.

I know from your analysis of why he snaps and your thoughts that he thinks kids are dogs and your statement that his litter mates are fine that you are not analyzing or handling this correctly, which means you likely don't know how serious it is and the bite is likely to happen that much sooner since mismanagement will escalate this issue.

So yes, I'm blunt. Because unless you make major changes and get professional help, this dog will bite a child. I don't want that. So I will tell you bluntly that you need to keep him away from kids in an attempt to get you to understand this is serious and it cannot be ignored or blown off.

Ok, I'm going to put myself out there & share my experience so that hopefully someone will learn.
I was stupid. I naively brought home my baby to a friendly, lovable dog who was well socialized, trained etc. I thought we had the perfect situation.
When DS was a year old we had to leave our dog for 6 months. We brought back suddenly this mobile toddler.
Within a few weeks my dear, dear dog who I loved bit my friends daughter. If I had been halfway intellegent I would have seen the signs of anxiety for what they were instead of thinking of him being excited or overly affectionate. The bite wasn't bad & we immediately sought help.
Unfortunately I was a slow learner & next he bit my sons hand as he was trying to feed him. This was all my fault because I failed to supervise them properly.
Do not for a moment think that your happy, well-adjusted, highly trained dog will be just fine or adjust to having a new family member just because they're family too. Never, ever trust your dog. I don't care how much you think you can.
That video that Rhondakhiker posted of the supervised dog. That was pretty much my dog. A smart well-trained dog. But I was the stupid dog parent who falsely believed that because we'd never had problems beforehand, because my dog responded to my commands obediently, because my dog was so sweet and affectionate- it would never be an issue. Major fail, major heartbreak.
I love animals, but I will never trust one so blindly ever again. Please don't do this either. Listen to the advice you're being given here. It's way more painful to deal with the dog who has defended itself then it is to isolate child & dog from each other for a few years. Which would you rather: getting rid of your pet or setting new rules & boundaries? Our dog now, he has his space. DS does not get to play there & dog stays there until invited off. Other kids come over, they do not get to touch or play with the dog. This dog has been trained, worked with & is very loved. But never left alone with any child.

Laurenandshaun · January 2014

I would solicit the help of a behaviorist/trainer to assess your situation. My sister got one for other reasons and it helped us understand what was going on...knowledge is power. What I didn't realize is that nipping/biting is not often out of aggression/dominance, it is out of fear. The problem gets worse when it continues because the dog realizes "hey I'm pretty good at this and it works" and that's when it can turn into an aggressive behavior. But it's based out of fear. She gave us charts too to look at a dogs body language that tells you a lot. You may want to use a muzzle or not put your dog in those situations until you find a solution, to protect kids and your dog.

RondackHiker · January 2014

Laurenandshaun said:
I would solicit the help of a behaviorist/trainer to assess your situation. My sister got one for other reasons and it helped us understand what was going on...knowledge is power. What I didn't realize is that nipping/biting is not often out of aggression/dominance, it is out of fear. The problem gets worse when it continues because the dog realizes "hey I'm pretty good at this and it works" and that's when it can turn into an aggressive behavior. But it's based out of fear. She gave us charts too to look at a dogs body language that tells you a lot. You may want to use a muzzle or not put your dog in those situations until you find a solution, to protect kids and your dog.

Muzzles can make dogs worse (their defense is taken away), so it's better just to remove the dog from the situation.

I'm glad that the behaviorist helped you!

Laurenandshaun · January 2014

Agreed Rondackhiker. This is how I see it. We have 2 dogs a big and a little. So far the kids they have been around has gone well, except them trying to take snacks from their hands!!! But I always remember that they are animals, they aren't going to be perfectly behaved all the time, and they should always should be supervised with children bottom line.

vizonrok · January 2014

When we first brought our 2-year-old adopted dog home, she was shy of everyone but us and suffered from separation anxiety. I became worried about her and children when some neighbor kids tried to pet her and she nipped at them. One she especially seemed to have it in for, which I understood since he would creep up to her as if he was stalking her. He really did not know how to interact with a dog, and I had to be extra alert when he'd come around, as he wanted to pet her despite my warnings (and being nipped once). Since then, however, she has been more socialized and had some very positive experiences with some older kids who played fetch with her and rubbed her belly. She loved them and since then seems a lot more open to kids and much more relaxed with them around. Smaller kids she still is nervous about, and I've seen her avoid them when we have company over. The parents knew she was not to be trusted with the kids so they kept an eye on them and did not let them approach her. She received a lot of positive reinforcement while the kids were around, so I think that has helped also. She is very good about the cat too, who she was trained not to chase or push around. The cat will even come up to her and lick/chew on her when she's in a feisty mood and the dog knows she isn't allowed to be aggressive toward the cat so she just freezes and waits for the cat to leave her alone. The cat is usually very skittish and easy to bully, yet the dog does not take advantage of that fact.
I am hoping that with time and experience, my dog will grow accustomed to the baby (yet to be born), though I will not allow the baby and dog to interact directly until the baby is old enough to learn how to treat the dog (no grabbing, pulling or hugs). I am somewhat convinced that it is better to make the nursery off-limits and not let the dog near the baby to help teach her there are strong boundaries concerning the baby and that the baby takes precedence (these posts about letting the dog sniff and lick the baby I'm unsure about - I wouldn't want the dog jumping on or scratching the baby or thinking of the baby as something she has a right to play with). She can smell her just fine from a safe distance, and until she is used to her and does not seem nervous around her, I plan to reinforce that distance. Not that I won't pet or treat the dog when the baby is near - I think that positive reinforcement will help also, but I want my dog to treat my baby carefully and with respect, as being more important. And even more important than the cat, of course (in regards to hierarchical standing). That way, even if the two are accidentally left alone together somehow the dog will be trained to stay away rather than approach.

Want a personalized experience?

PETS and bringing home baby to them

Re: PETS and bringing home baby to them

Choose Another Board

Search Boards