Troubles With The New Baby

[MishB]

I would definately be keeping the dog completely seperated from your daughter, she is only 16 months old & doesnt have the understanding of a dog growling means you stay away from it.I hope the behaviourust helps.

Im sorry to sound a bit harsh but if it were me Id be rehoming the dog, my childrens safety in their own home is first priority, no matter how much I love my dogs, if they bit one of my children once they would be gone.Twice and its a no brainer.

I have a real issue with these comments. The dog was there before the child and as such, the dog's owner needs to do everything in her power to ensure the dog remains in the home so long as it can be done with the child's safety as a priority. The dog didn't ask for a child to be introduced to the family and we don't know what if any strategies were implemented to prepare the dog for the new baby or what has been happening in the past 16 months to push the dog to the point where it has felt the need to bite. If a dog is too dangerous to keep because it is biting children then it is extremely irresponsible to rehome this dog and hand the problem over to someone else and unless exceptional circumstances exist, probably needs to be PTS.

It doesnt matter that the dog was there first,or it didnt ask for a child to be introduced! if it is biting my kids for whatever reason then it would go. Im not prepared to risk my childrens safety with a family pet simply because it was there first.

I hope that the behaviourist helps, but for me the risk would always be too great.

I definately wasnt intending to suggest that the OP rehome the dog to just anyone, it would have to be to someone without children who knows why the dog needs rehoming.

If that is not possible then yes PTS.

That's why I said that "...the dog's owner needs to do everything in her power to ensure the dog remains in the home so long as it can be done with the child's safety as a priority. Like I also said, we don't know what has led up to the point where the dog feels the need to bite but as owners, we have an obligation to ensure we are proactive in helping our dogs adjust to new members of the family and not just get rid of them because they weren't able to adjust all on their own.

Im sorry that you had issues with my comments.

I did say firstly that I hoped the behaviourist helps.

I agree with you that as pet owners we have a responsiblility to ensuring they are given every opportunity we can to adjust to a new baby.

I offered my opinion if it were my toddler.Parental responsibility trumps pet ownership responsibility, I have seen too many parents excuse a dog biting a family member so I am fairly unforgiving of a dog that bites a toddler, no matter the reason.Especially more than once.

Thankfully, it does sound like the OP has been proactive and is doing everything she can.Lets hope that this situation ends up happily.

I'm sorry too if I sounded too harsh. I hate it when people place unrealistic expectations on their dogs and expect them to handle anything and everything, then get rid of them because the dog has been left to fend for itself to the extent it resorts to growling and/or biting and I took your post to be suggesting that just this. It does sound like the OP is doing everything she can to help her dog while keeping her baby safe, which is all anyone can really ask. I would never want a child to be put at risk by the family pet and don't excuse any dog biting as being okay but I do think we have to look at why it's happening and do everything we can to try and fix it, before giving up the dog becomes an option. Hopefully the OP won't have to wait too long to get an appointment with the behaviourist. :)

oh cool, Im glad to have cleared up the misunderstanding!

Note to self: Think before writing

[erinonthefarm]

Update: Tomorrow I will be calling the behaviourist to make an appointment for her to visit us and help us with a training plan. My partner and I have been very careful with both dog and child to keep them at a distance from each other. We have been giving big rewards to the dog when he has been relaxed around the baby which he is enjoying. The dog has also been having little breaks over at his friend's house (my parent's dog), and also getting out and about.

For the discussion about what has been happening- we did do preparation for the dog for the new arrival of the baby, which we sought from professionals. We also looked at how to settle them in together. This has obviously not worked yet. I think with the baby getting more active - crawling and now walking - he's been taken aback by her ability to move toward him.

We will be doing everything we can to help the dog with the baby as we see our dog as another family member. But for now, it's space, support, guards and love!

I went through this (8 years ago) with my son when he started pulling himself up and walking, we had four dogs (two outside, two inside) and the inside dogs were quite stressed when my son got mobile. I decided to rehome my old Jack Russel with my parents who had cared a lot for him while I was away studying, as I thought it wasn't fair on him to have to try and adapt at such an old age to being poked and prodded, my Dobermann who was 1 at the time was scared of my son crawling ect. I guess I was lucky as without really doing anything except keeping them separated unless I was with both of them, that the situation settled down with my Dobe and she turned into a baby luva! I think she just needed time to get used to seeing the way kids behave. My Jack Russel happily lived out his days with my parents who spoilt him rotten, without the stress of trying to adapt to kids when he never had much to do with them before. He never liked kids much even when my son was older.

Just my perspective on the way 2 different dogs adapted to the same situation.

[Skye GSD]

Feel very sorry for the people who come on to this forum seeking advice only to be told "seek a behaviourist". Some people do not have the surplus funds for these fees at a particular time so are trying to get some kind of feedback from people who may have, or are, in the same position.

We had much the same problem with my two youngest grandchildren and their family dog. Dog was great when they were babies but once they started moving around it became a different story. It never resulted in a bite but the growling was there and so the situation called for action. Dog was crate trained and kiddlies were taught not to go near the crate - it was off-limits. Likewise, dog was either in the crate or outside when the kiddlies were playing in the house or inside when the kiddlies were outside. Now that the grandchildren are older, there is no problem and through the training they had as toddlers, they are very respectful of all dogs. Young children have a tendency to crawl up or teeter over to dogs and many dogs feel threatened by this behaviour, especially when they feel cornered.

My advice would be to crate train your dog with the crate in the main living area, teach your child that this is a dog-only zone and supervise both dog and child when in the same area. A definite NO to either one of them if lines are crossed.

[Weasels]

Feel very sorry for the people who come on to this forum seeking advice only to be told "seek a behaviourist". Some people do not have the surplus funds for these fees at a particular time so are trying to get some kind of feedback from people who may have, or are, in the same position.

I think when the stakes are high, it's the responsible thing to do. If someone comes on with a problem of training tricks or sports etc. where the consequences of getting it wrong are low, then people have great advice. But in cases of aggression or potential aggression, the stakes are higher, and people recognise that they can't see the dog, the child or the handler, and therefore giving wrong advice could have bad bad outcomes

[persephone]

Feel very sorry for the people who come on to this forum seeking advice only to be told "seek a behaviourist". Some people do not have the surplus funds for these fees at a particular time so are trying to get some kind of feedback from people who may have, or are, in the same position.

..and , unfortunately, those in the same position may not be managing their own problem successfully ...

Any case where a dog has actually bitten a child is serious..and as said, no one here can see the body language of the dog, the interactions between dog & baby , or family dynamics.This makes any advice purely guess work , which is not ideal.

yes behaviourists are not cheap , however, if someone is struggling with any form of aggression in a dog, there is not much option.

[piper]

Feel very sorry for the people who come on to this forum seeking advice only to be told "seek a behaviourist". Some people do not have the surplus funds for these fees at a particular time so are trying to get some kind of feedback from people who may have, or are, in the same position.

I think when the stakes are high, it's the responsible thing to do. If someone comes on with a problem of training tricks or sports etc. where the consequences of getting it wrong are low, then people have great advice. But in cases of aggression or potential aggression, the stakes are higher, and people recognise that they can't see the dog, the child or the handler, and therefore giving wrong advice could have bad bad outcomes

Well said Weasels. I read the OP an thought no way I am commenting, too complex, too many variables. Someone needs to see it and several people had already said that.

[Skye GSD]

I'd like to try some home training first if anyone has any suggestions? I can't afford a behaviorist at this time (though I know this would be fantastic).

I was merely referring to Kate's post as above. I see she has now booked a session with a behaviourist so no doubt she will get the advice she so desperately needs. I have nothing against professionals being involved and use them so know what costs are involved but a lot of people who do not have the available funds can be left feeling terribly isolated when they are given no other options to try. I am not the only one who has suggested crate training so at least that is something to consider while she waits for the behaviourist meeting.

I agree that safety for all concerned is paramount but I suspect that the Maltese X is used to being top dog (my husband has one who is spoilt rotten!! - but crate trained by me and will now happily take herself off for a siesta on her own).