Baby and dog not comfortable

You can’t trust any dog alone with a child. I have a dog too and I absolutely love her. No matter how much anyone says ‘I know my dog would never hurt my baby’ - you don’t know. I’ve had one time last month where my dog snapped at my LB, it scared him and he cried. But it was my fault. I let him get too close to her. They have emotions just like us. He’d been close to her before and she was licking him, this day she obviously just wasn’t in the mood. It wasn’t her fault. I let her know what she did was wrong, and i don’t keep them apart as I had a trainer come in when I was pregnant to give me advice on how to build a relationship with them and keeping them apart creates hostility and hate in the dog, but I also make boundaries very clear to my LO now, making sure he knows ‘no’ and to leave her alone and I move him. Dogs aren’t toys and they’re not something babies or children can chase and play with and they should just put up with it

I wont be rehoming my dog. I dont think it’s fair at all. She is family too. I just make sure I don’t leave them alone even for a second, I don’t let my LB get too close to her, but I do encourage time we all have together to help a safe bond build with them x

Everything you said is absolutely right. If u read my post I didn’t intend for this to happen, the dog was out the room when I left the room to check bath temp. It was during that time this happened. And I was gone in seconds. I’m so pleased the damage wasn’t worse but I’m so worried I’m missing something.

@Amelia what if your dog caught your baby tho?

How is the dog normally with the baby ? I think that will give you more indication on what to do. Obviously if the dog shows a lot of aggression towards the baby daily then I’d look first into getting trainer/behaviourist and then rehoming as a last resort. If my dog had caught the baby it still would have been my fault. It really shown me that a serious attack can happen honestly in seconds, it was scary so I completely understand your mindframe right now 😢. But it’s the way they communicate. She was letting me know she’d had enough and she didn’t want him in her Space anymore. That’s why I’ve made sure since that he doesn’t get too close her, and there isn’t any chance of them being alone together. It is hard but as they get older and start start to learn more boundaries with the dog it will easier

I have this problem with my dog because before I had my baby he was my baby And now I’ve had to set boundaries as he is a security dog and he is big over 7stone and he barks at every movement outside and now the baby is on he move he is really becoming hostile but more a protection mechanism like what if that baby is hurting me or is unwanted visitor. I have booked a behaviour person to come in and she has told me that I have to have such strict boundaries My dog is no longer allowed upstairs Dog gate is up and his space is downstairs In his space I respect it and make sure baby is away from him but he can still see us all so he didn’t feel left out But upstairs is her space and he doesn’t come kn so I know she can crawl down the landing in peace and feel safe xxxx

@Amelia usually she just wants to lick his hands or feet, she still sleeps in the basket under the next to me crib even tho he’s in a different room now. She’s growled at him before but that’s if he’s accidentally caught her with an arm or foot. Im nervous I don’t trust her around baby because he’s so precious to me. That’s why my error in judgement for the seconds today will haunt me

@melissia thanks for this! My dogs are small but still the teeth hurt. She doesn’t usually bother him to much when he’s on the move but sometimes she follows him around wanting to lick obsessively so I have to remove her

Yeah so instead of just removing dog, you also need to set boundaries with baby too. I would also stop her sleeping in his room now and set that boundary too. Like Melissa said, they need to have two separate spaces, and both dog and baby need to recognise this. It is really worrying and don’t put so much blame on yourself! It happens so quick x

@Amelia she doesn’t sleep in his room now, when he was in the NTM crib in my room she nested there; we haven’t taken the crib down even tho he’s in the big cot as she seems to love it there. I know what you mean though. When baby is playing they need to be locked away but I’ll also get a behaviour specialist to review it all. It’s frustrating because I was supervising. It was irresponsible of me to leave the room even for a min. My poor baby I feel so bad 😫

I don't have a dog but there's no way I'd keep one around that had gone for my baby, especially acting so quickly when baby was unsupervised

@Angharad that’s how I feel. I’m emotionally shattered because I feel so bad for the second I left the room but you’re right it happened so quick. I’ve for a behaviourist coming next week for a review. I’m going to be honest and see what he says and If there is no improvement sadly she will have to go. The dog is family too that’s what hard. But he’s my baby and priority. I feel guilt either way