May 2016 Moms
TheThornBird
member
PSA: Dogs and your newborn
TheThornBird
member
Hey everyone,
I know I've posted before about how important safety is when it comes to dogs and babies, but saw this article (https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/apr/22/dog-mauls-kills-baby/) and wanted to bring it up again since it is SO important. In this instance, the parents were in the room with the dog and baby and still weren't able to prevent the attack or save him. So please, please, PLEASE take every precaution to protect your baby.
And of course, if anyone has any questions on dog safety or training, please feel free to ask away!
I know I've posted before about how important safety is when it comes to dogs and babies, but saw this article (https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/apr/22/dog-mauls-kills-baby/) and wanted to bring it up again since it is SO important. In this instance, the parents were in the room with the dog and baby and still weren't able to prevent the attack or save him. So please, please, PLEASE take every precaution to protect your baby.
And of course, if anyone has any questions on dog safety or training, please feel free to ask away!
Re: PSA: Dogs and your newborn
What's the best way to introduce the dog to the baby?
What types of precautions/preventative measures do you recommend?
This is another reason to not co-sleep, especially if you allow your animals in bed with you. Also as a San diegan, the way this story has been reported, it's making the dog out to be a vicious dog, when the parents failed to take immediate action with the child. They called 911 and were put on hold three times, for a total of almost a half hour, before deciding to drive their child to the hospital.
Regardless, it's a shame that an innocent newborn had to lose his life, and that the dog was ultimately put down even though he had never shown any other aggression besides this one instant.
Happy May!! Here's to hoping for fast, easy deliveries to you ladies!!
For introductions, wait until you're feeling up for it and things have calmed down. If you need to wait a few days until you've recovered, for family to leave, etc that's fine. You don't need to do introductions right away, it can wait.
I'm not a fan of letting dogs sniff or check out babies directly; their sense of smell is good enough that they don't need to smell the baby itself. For a first introduction, keep the baby well out of their reach and give the dogs something to do (such as a Kong toy or bully stick). Keep it short; it's better to have short, successful introductions than try for a longer one and have things get out of control/let your dog get excited or upset.
Keep your dog at distances where he remains calm- no jumping, barking, demanding attention, etc. Ideally, you want them to just "hang out" calmly with you. This will vary from dog to dog- some will freak out if they are kept too far away, some will get too excited if they are allowed to close too quickly. You can use a leash/tether to keep them at a distance, and slowly allow them closer and closer to the baby (over a period of days/weeks, depending on your dog) If you've trained your dog to lay down or stay on a mat, that can be a great tool since it gives them something to do. Again, feel free to use goodies- Kongs, chew toys, etc.
Have lots of goodies ready for training (make these up before the baby is born, or have family do it when they visit). Stuffed kongs/bones, cut up hot dogs, kibble, new toys, etc. If your dog knows any basic commands, or even just tricks, use them! Dogs are happiest when they have something to do, so have those goodies ready to reinforce any good behaviors your dog does. Relying too much on "no" or punishment results in a confused dog-whose life has just completely changed- wandering around wondering what he can do (which is usually getting into trouble). Teaching him what he can do (lay down, go to his mat, sit on the floor, etc) with this new tiny human helps keep them out of trouble and makes the transition much easier.
I want to repeat- never ever allow them access or anywhere they could potentially reach the baby without full, undistracted adult supervision. I don't want to come across as critical of the parents from the incident I posted- I know most people don't have the information needed to introduce babies and dogs- but we can learn from it. The parents were watching TV and the dog had direct access to the baby right after they had brought baby home. These incidents are rare, but it shows that all it takes is one second and one bite.
Obviously not common sense or this baby would still be alive, right?
We do not blindly trust the dogs and also babies/toddlers are also not trustworthy (and they happen to be right at face bite level).
The toddler is wonderful with animals and treats them kindly. The dogs are well trained, very loved, and a part of our family but we never forgot they are dogs. These dogs take a lot- they have a lot of energy, need an outlet for energy, and can be very pushy if allowed by anyone. We never take any chances.
Since we could not watch the toddler while I am getting a c-section we made sure the dogs were well cared for by dog savvy individuals at a different house than our home where the toddler & caregiver are staying during the procedure. This is because so many people lack common sense and animals. It isn't worth the chance. Ever.
Thank you for all of the pointers. It's difficult of course for many of us who view our dogs as family members to also keep in mind that they are still animals prone to reactions we can't always anticipate. I'll be looking back to this in a few weeks once LO is here.
Had a reminder this weekend when my 2 year old nephew fell on my very loving 9 year old dog. I was on the floor next to my dog (not distracted) when my nephew took my dog by surprise by coming up to his back and then inadvertently falling on him. Needless to say my surprised dog growled (warning growl) and leaned in... Scaring himself and us. Of course all was fine, my nephew wasn't phased and my dog recovered instantly- it was a defensive reaction. But it was a huge reminder that even though my dog doesn't mean to harm anyone (and I don't believe he ever would intentionally) that boundaries and close supervision must be kept to so as to not set anyone up for failure or a potentially dangerous situation. Even a non-aggressive dog in the wrong situation could do harm.
edited because typing is difficult today.
ETA: Oh, and I think it is smart to have a space that is ONLY the dog's space. Like a bed or crate or something where he/she can go if things get nutty and feel secure.
DS: Born 5-17-16
For us (three dogs atm, first baby) the biggest challenge has been that between all the baby cuddles, it's easy to forget that the furry family members need some attention too. We've set strict rules, when baby's being cuddled the dogs stay at a distance, when dogs are being cuddled, baby isn't in the vicinity. Dogs need to learn that they have to wait their turn but will not be forgotten. Once they have that down, there won't be any jealousy.
LO is a preemie so I'm not allowing her close to the dogs until she reaches her due date anyway. Once she's a bit older, I might be in the minority but actually think it's very important for her to be able to come in closer contact with the dogs (of course while being strictly supervised) and allow the dogs to get to know her from more than a distance. I want them to get used to each other, not to separate them all the time.
I think growing up close with pets is an invaluable experience. The biggest factor is learning not to avoid dogs but to behave properly around them. Even toddlers can learn how to approach a dog without inciting it to play or fight. My agility trainer has four ex-service or ex-police dogs, all "huge and scary breeds" and they will literally roll on their backs around her one-year-old.
One thing I would really urge everyone to do is to not shield the kids from the dogs but teach them how to act around them. I've lost count of how many times random kids spooked my rescue dog in public by touching him without asking and the parents thinking it's okay because he was on a leash. This is what causes accidents, dogs misunderstanding human signals, not dogs just randomly flipping.
That said, yes to all the precaution with a newborn. Once baby gets more mobile, teach dogs and kids equally how to behave around each other. My two cents.
ETA: allowing the dog to sniff at LO while holding her can have pros too. At least for our dogs I know they'll be curious about this bundle we're keeping at a distance and keen to get to it, but once they're actually allowed to sniff, they lose all interest.
Home, healthy & happy
~ A., A. & L.J. - our family is complete ~
@camillaandcarson YES. Toddlers are a whole 'nother ballgame, and usually way more difficult than an infant. Mobile+grabby hands can be a disaster. Once all our LO's are up and moving around, I'll have to do another post on how to handle that! And that's a great suggestion to let the dogs stay with someone else for awhile (or you can board them at a boarding facility). I also tell my new parent clients to use outside help as much as possible; if family or neighbors offer help, have them help with dog care (walks, feeding, making toys, etc). Hiring a dog walker can also be helpful.
@TinaTho Yes, it is very easy to forget they are animals and can be dangerous! When I used to work with Big Scary Wild Animals back in the day, I saw people forget how dangerous they were all the time
@vinerie Yup, short sweet and positive does the trick
@SunnySurprise I do agree that dogs and children can be taught to be in close contact (as long as there is supervision), but I think it needs to be trained in a controlled manner that is age-appropriate with necessary precautions in place. And YES to teaching kids how to behave around dogs! A website I like for that is www.stopthe77.com- it has handouts and videos geared towards children. It blows my mind parents allow kids to come up to your dog without asking (but it doesn't surprise me one bit). I know people who trained their shy (but perfectly friendly) dogs to wear a muzzle when out on walks in order to scare off parents/owners that let their kids/dogs come right up without asking permission. And yes, dogs don't just randomly flip. On average a dog gives 20-30 signals before biting, and often there is a long history of these signals being ignored or punished before the dog finally does resort to biting.
HA yes, Mine are no different. We joke that if someone were to break into our house our big one (Am. Bulldog/pit mix) who isn't crated (he broke every single one we tried) would just show them around the house and invite them to stay for a cuddle. He gets really offended we think when we walk them and people look at him and don't pet him. If he sees someone looking at him, he stands by them until they walk away, we drag him away, or they pet him. He's a doofus
Great tip about the muzzle, thanks. For now we've settled on putting one of those "please don't touch me" vests on him when we're in a place where such a situation might occur. Usually that alerts parents to keep kids away.
Home, healthy & happy
~ A., A. & L.J. - our family is complete ~
Lol at the thought of my nice neighbors, family, & friends offering to walk my dogs.
My dogs would run all over anyone that doesn't have working dog experience who is walking them. It would cause way more harm than good as far as people can't generally handle them as if you give them an inch they take miles.
That is why we chose the people who watch our dogs very carefully and have known them for years.
But I do understand what you are saying
Well meaning people could totally help with the other things you listed though.