jaydenjessica Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 (edited) Hi everyone, So we finally brought home our American Staffy girl Sasha. She's 8 weeks old and has been great. I have a 7 month old son, he's not crawling yet but rolling and commando crawling always, so my problem is Sasha nipping him on the ears and feet and face. Its not hard enough for him to cry but it still can't keep happening, she clearly sees him as a litter mate and just wants to play. I've been intercepting her and saying 'ah!' And 'no Sasha!' And she backs away but she seems to get anxious and realllly wants to get at him. Sometimes when she's not overly hyper she will leave him alone when I tell her too. Any advice on how to stop this completely? And also get it to a point where I can leave her in a room with him and not have to watch them like a hawk!?! Thanks! Edited October 27, 2013 by jaydenjessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonwoman Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Hi everyone, So we finally brought home our American Staffy girl Sasha. She's 8 weeks old and has been great. I have a 7 month old son, he's not crawling yet but rolling and commando crawling always, so my problem is Sasha nipping him on the ears and feet and face. Its not hard enough for him to cry but it still can't keep happening, she clearly sees him as a litter mate and just wants to play. I've been intercepting her and saying 'ah!' And 'no Sasha!' And she backs away but she seems to get anxious and realllly wants to get at him. Sometimes when she's not overly hyper she will leave him alone when I tell her too. Any advice on how to stop this completely? And also get it to a point where I can leave her in a room with him and not have to watch them like a hawk!?! Thanks! I hope you won't leave this child alone in a room with any dog for at least the next 10 years!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydenjessica Posted October 27, 2013 Author Share Posted October 27, 2013 Not alone, just not have to watch them and constantly and have to intercept. I'm asking for advice and that really didn't help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty&biscuit Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Hi everyone, So we finally brought home our American Staffy girl Sasha. She's 8 weeks old and has been great. I have a 7 month old son, he's not crawling yet but rolling and commando crawling always, so my problem is Sasha nipping him on the ears and feet and face. Its not hard enough for him to cry but it still can't keep happening, she clearly sees him as a litter mate and just wants to play. I've been intercepting her and saying 'ah!' And 'no Sasha!' And she backs away but she seems to get anxious and realllly wants to get at him. Sometimes when she's not overly hyper she will leave him alone when I tell her too. Any advice on how to stop this completely? And also get it to a point where I can leave her in a room with him and not have to watch them like a hawk!?! Thanks! I hope you won't leave this child alone in a room with any dog for at least the next 10 years!! I completely agree. No matter how much you trust the dog and child, anything can go wrong. I would never leave a dog and child unsupervized, but unfortunately one day my cousins came over when I was at work, 10 year old was outside with Rusty, mum and aunty got caught up and had to rush inside to get something. In that very short minute, Rusty got over-excited and jumped on my cousin. With Rusty being a vocal boy, and my cousin getting such a fright, he thought he had been attacked by Rusty and that's what he told his mum. Now they all think Rusty is a vicious dog, when I know for a fact that he's not, it was just mums easy mistake for leaving them alone for a minute, my cousins over-excitedness would have triggered Rusty's hyper reaction - I know this because Rusty has done it to me before. Sorry for rambling, but the point is that anything could happen - child could enter dogs personal space, and without you there to see the dogs subtle warnings and stop your child, the dog takes a quick snap to tell child off after ignoring signals, then ultimately the dog pays the price. As for stopping the nipping at the moment, I hope someone more knowledgable than myself can step in and offer some good advice - unfortunately I just don't feel comfortable trying to explain things over the computer :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty&biscuit Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Not alone, just not have to watch them and constantly and have to intercept. I'm asking for advice and that really didn't help. Sorry, just saw this. That is very responsible and it's great that you're looking for help early As I said I'm sure someone more knowledgable than myself will jump in with some great advice :) PS, would love to see some pictures of your new puppy :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leah82 Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Until your child is old enough to know how to treat a dog with care (no pulling ears, tail etc) and understand how to read your dogs body language, especially when it wants to be left alone, it will not be safe to leave them unsupervised. At this point neither baby or puppy are old enough to know how to interact with one another safely. You might want to look at getting a play pen and crate for your puppy to keep them separated when the baby is near the ground and you can let your puppy roam around freely when the baby is up high and not in reach. I'm assuming you want both baby and puppy to grow up being best friends but it's a little too early to start the bonding while they are both so immature Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 I would never trust ANY dog left alone with a child. Keep them apart until the child is much, much older (unless you are right there with them) & then only while you are present. A baby gate wont be any good once the baby starts to crawl as he will be easily able to stick his hands through to the puppy. That's just my opinion & maybe others will say that I am just an old worry wort Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 You need a puppy pen and a baby pen so that both can have time out from the other and give you a break from constant monitoring. Having a pup AND a baby is SUCH hard work. It is exhausting, but doable. You need to constantly be watching like a hawk now for years IMO. Bull breeds play rough and your baby looks like a very inviting toy. I wouldn't rely on being able to teach the pup to be reliable, instead you will just have to put in heaps of training but remember your dog will be a puppy for another 2yrs and cant be trusted not to 'play' with your baby. You've gotten a pup at a bad time, IMO, but it can be done if you're vigilant. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 I think they can get to know each other with one or the other in a playpen for now :) having pup in a playpen may also help with toilet training ..and having baby in a playpen will allow some sniffing by pup ..with no scratches . I think you will find these interesting and very useful! LINK excerpt Don’t put the baby on the floor and wait for the dog to come along and have a sniff. Besides not bringing anything particularly positive to the relationship, this procedure is highly unsafe. You never know what might startle the dog or the baby and develop into an accident. Don’t give the dog more (or less) attention after the arrival of the baby. Keep the relationship the same as before. Mothers will probably need assistance from their partners because they will be very busy taking care of the baby. Newborn babies need their mothers much more than their fathers. The father’s time will come later. Never allow the dog any unsupervised access to the baby, no matter how stable and well-balanced the dog is. Pay special attention when the baby begins to crawl. The dog may want to interact with the baby in the same way it would with other dogs and, if that’s the case, an accident is just waiting to happen. Don’t overreact, just supervise and control the situation. LINK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 (edited) Yes, separation at all times but even a crate or play pen, the baby is going to be able to stick his fingers through, so I would be watching like a hawk. I would be giving some thought to learning how to clicker train your pup, then you can teach him good manners around the baby. Done properly, what a pup learns through using the clicker he will never forget & its good fun for both you and the pup. Could even try it with the baby :laugh: Good luck. ETA I have sent you a PM :) Edited October 27, 2013 by sheena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hankodie Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Your puppy is only 8 weeks old, she has no idea what "no" means. Teaching the word "no" takes a lot of time, best way to get started would be through positive training (clicker training is a great method), rewarding puppy for behaviours that you want and ignoring any undesirable behaviours. I would be separating the puppy and baby until both are much older and supervising any interactions very closely. Puppies are much like babies in that they have no idea what rules are and they need loads of attention and training. Little humans also need to learn to treat the pup with respect - gentle interactions, no ear pulling, eye poking etc and with your baby being 7 months this will obviously take time (years). Dogs are great companions but at the end of the day they are still animals and unfortunately even the most well-mannered dogs can still be unpredictable. A crate or playpen is a great idea, it would also be a good idea to designate a part of your house as the "puppy area" which can be off limits to the baby - a laundry room/area is a good place, or a deck, etc. You can do the same for the baby - teach the pup that the nursery/baby's room is off limits. You can get good quality crates and play pens from here. Also an obedience class is a good idea if you haven't signed up to one already :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Leash one of them to you at all times, either the baby or the puppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasareina Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I have no advise re babies ... just wanted to echo the call for a photo :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydenjessica Posted October 28, 2013 Author Share Posted October 28, 2013 She's such a beautiful little girl. By far the best behaved pup compared to the pups I grew up with. I'm going to give clicker training a go, she's already a good listener and catches on pretty quickly so I think that would be the best thing for her :) we also have our first day of puppy preschool next week so I can get some extra advice and tips there :) oh and I didn't mean leave them by themselves, I meant me be in the room with the both of them and be able to just leave them to do their own thing and relax a little. I know she's just trying to play with him and its not her fault. My son isn't totally interested in her really, he smiles and laughs at her but doesn't grab at her, he's happy just rolling around with his toys. I haven't been able to take a decent photo yet, will post some when I can get her to sit still :) Thanks everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 (edited) I have 2 kids, 6 and 2 1/2 The kitchen is gated off with a baby gate, the dogs have crates in the kitchen. Dogs are only out with the kids if I am supervising, otherwise they are outside or in crates. Becoming a bit more tricky now that the 2 year old has worked out how to open the baby gate and the crate doors :laugh: (have caught her giving the dogs treats, magnets and toothpaste through the crate bars before I found a solution!) so I have to tie the gate shut if I don't want her going in there. Edited October 28, 2013 by Kavik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 (edited) I second the leash but personally I would never leave dog near a child that is crawling on the floor. soon your up will be much more agile and stronger, too while your baby will still be rolling and crawling all over the place. This is a tragic accident waiting to happen, your pup could easily nip your child, even after you thought you trained her out of it, and one nip in the right place can sever an artery and kill your baby within minutes. I would strongly suggest not letting the pup loose while the baby is on the floor but I know many people think this is too strict until something happens to them. At least have a good think about this. And maybe read this: http://www.liamjperkfoundation.org/liam.html Edited October 28, 2013 by BlackJaq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 (edited) I've got three kids and have had three dogs over the last 9 years while raising said kids. It comes down to slow and steady introductions and teaching both the dog and the child the correct way to interact. At this stage it's too early for the pup to be in close proximity to the baby, a bit more training to teach pup how to be gentle and you can start some carefully done introductions and that will also help your bub to learn how to interact properly with the dog. Start by separating the two of them using a play pen or similar, the advantage here is that if you are in the middle of something and the phone rings for example then you can quickly put your baby down somewhere safe and secure where the pup can't get to him. then work on teaching the important basic commands to your puppy, sit, drop stay and 'gentle' and also not to jump up on people, don't allow him to get away with putting his paws up on you for a pat or 'boxing' at you which is fairly common I have found in bull breed puppies, if he wants interaction from you he first needs to sit and be polite. When he can sit politely for pats and be 'gentle' then you could start sitting your baby on your lap and have someone else keep an eye on pup while you do some introductions and teach your baby to pat gently with an open hand. If anyone tells you your baby is too young to learn how to be gentle they are wrong, I've raised three children who have never pulled an animals fur or ears and it all comes down to close supervision and careful teaching from a young age. You'll get there, it may take a little while but don't feel like you can rush it, it needs to be done right for the best interests of your baby and your dog. One of the best things I did was teach my dogs that they had a spot that they were expected to go to and that they needed to stay there unless I invited them off, it meant that as they got older I could have the dog on it's mat and put the baby on the floor in the same room under close supervision. Excuse the nudie bum in the photo but it's a good one because you can see the corner of the raised playpen that I had set up, the dog wasn't usually put in that place, he was normally on the other side of the room, for some reason that day I had moved him. I had been sitting on the floor and got up to take the snap Edited October 28, 2013 by kelpiecuddles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Lovely, KC - but to the OP - please note that this is a situation where the dog is a trained adult. It will be quite a long time, even with super training, before your puppy will reach this stage of reliablility. And as KC says, the raised playpen is there for when she can't pay full attnetion. I'm going to give clicker training a go, she's already a good listener and catches on pretty quickly so I think that would be the best thing for her we also have our first day of puppy preschool next week so I can get some extra advice and tips there That's really good. You and the pup will have fun training. But please, please remember that training is never a substitute for active supervision - but it will give you a good idea of things to watch out for. oh and I didn't mean leave them by themselves, I meant me be in the room with the both of them and be able to just leave them to do their own thing and relax a little. I'm sorry - but this really worried me. Please, please go back and re-read what Persephone has posted and the links. Things can go very, very wrong in a heartbeat, even when you are close by. Realistically, I do not believe, given their ages, that you will be able to leave them 'to do their own thing' unless at least one of them is contained safely - even if you are in the room. Please know that we are not trying to be hard on you - it's just that we want to be able to share the joy of your youngster and the pup growing up safely together, with your baby becoming a responsible child who understands the limitations and needs of the pup and other dogs. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashaflynn Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Young puppies and babies should not be interacting on a one on one basis at all! Your pup is too young to know what is or is not acceptable and is going to do exactly what young pups do with their litter mates! Have you ever seen exactly how rough and agressive litter mates get with each other? It's how they learn to be dogs and they use their teeth, their nails, their body weight .... it's all about interacting in a pack and learning their place in the pack. It's also about trying to be the boss of the litter mates. Your baby is being put at risk by having a young puppy allowed to interact with it! I am not having a go at you but this is a very dangerous practice and potentially volatile situation. Your puppy will be learning that it is equal, if not superior, to your baby by being able to treat your baby as a littermate. You need to stop the interaction now! Pup and baby are to be seperate at all times. Pup is not allowed to interact with the baby - there's no need for either of them to interact with each other at this stage anyway ... they are not going to be interesting to each other at these young ages. Your pup will accept the baby as a member of the household because the baby is always there - but the pup will respect the baby because it's not allowed to jump all over it and do whatever it likes. Once your pup is older you can introduce supervised, calm interactions which teach the pup how to behave around the child but that puppy must always respect the baby as a higher pack member - or you will have problems. Seperation is the only way to achieve this respect at this age! Babies and young puppies are never a good mix! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy.Tea Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 I really like the idea of a playpen set up. Something to keep in mind for the future for me.... I would be thinking about ways to separate puppies toys from the baby too. As he'll want to start playing with them and if there is any sort of possession guarding it could trigger something bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now