Dog and baby

As A child I was bitten in the face by our dog, I went up behind it just as it finished eating, my dad had it put to sleep. That said. I adore both cats and dogs and my children were brought up with them and now cats and dogs are in all our families. The one thing it taught me was to never take a chance. I looked after my DGD from 6 months until she started school and now am looking after her 2 year old brother. As much as I trust our Springer Spaniel I never leave them along for a second. If I have to go to the loo the dog is shut in the utility room. I never give the dog any form of food whilst DGS is here and all the dog toys are put away. You just have to be careful and especially know the nature of your dog at the same remembering that it is still animal and therefore unpredictable.

Very similar to another poster, when my parents met, my Dad had German Shepherds so I grew up with these wonderful dogs.
I was told that my Mum would put my pram in the front garden with me inside and if anyone approached the gate, the dog's would move in front of the pram...it was a local joke that I was the safest child in the street!
As I grew older, we always had dog's and most were big breeds, Shepherds, Dobermans and Rottweilers. All were well trained, socialised and I adored them. I was also taught how to behave with and around dog's, something very lacking with many children I think and also a reason for some attacks.
As an adult I've also had dog's and my boys grew up with them.
Puppies are hard work though and need a lot of care, attention and time.....add to that a baby?

No

No no and no.

We waited until the children were old enough to look after the dog - after GCSE's. TBF the dog was really for me.
I thought I would bring up the kids then have a dog.
My grown up kids thought I should have another dog as I love them and ours died aged 15 years and I was without a dog for five years.
Great idea except by then we were very involved in childcare for grandkids before & after school and putting a puppy in the mix was not a good idea. How can you always ensure the little kids and dog were never alone together, even for a few minutes?
Not fair on the dog or the kids.
Dog's behaviour became unpredictable around 8 months, was advised to re home the dog.
Heartbreaking, distraught.
Kids welfare came before the dog.
Dog was taken to a national re training and re homing centre by my puppy class teacher to avoid any future danger.
I have been walking someone else's dog under 'borrowmydoggie' scheme for five years now, helping out a nurse who does night shifts etc
My grandkids came before my wish to own a dog.

There have been so many stories of dogs savaging little babies to death. I wouldn’t entertain having both together…if anything happened you would never forgive yourself

And for every rare occasion that happens - and tragic as it is, it is rare - there are millions of children growing up happily alongside dogs from when they were babies. I feel quite sorry for any child who grows up without knowing the love of a dog in their lives. A dog will never let you down - humans do.

When my daughter was born over 30 years ago we already had a labrador who was then 2. He was an absolute angel with her and also my son born a few years later but I never once left him alone with the children.
My daughter has a dog (Lakeland Terrier) and has just taken ownership of a Cockapoo of 18 months who has been rehomed due to a toddler in the family and a new baby; it's owners just couldn't cope as it's such a lively dog.

Depends on the breed of dog and how you treat it both before and after the birth.
If the dog is always treated as the bottom of the pack, there is usually no problems but if the dog is treated like a substitute child then once the baby arrives suddenly goes from top dog to the lowest then they will struggle and so will the rest of the family.

Yes it is. But some breeds are more possessive than others. If you have already got a dog then you need to take extra care. Your dog has become part of the familty and just like children they feel things like jealousy etc. You are going to be taking much more notice of the baby so therefore the dog is going to feel pushed away. You must make time for both. If its a very young dog then it is more than likely to respond with energy if its a playful dog, so need to watch as the dog does not know always that it may hurt the baby.

In this case and others its not always the way the dog is brought up that may cause a problem, as different breeds react differently and remember a dog will not know the rules as this is new to the dog too. Its a careful line you need to take that is, be vigilante, never ever leave a baby alone with a cat or a dog or other animals for that matter if they are loose. Just do not forget the dog came first (if this is the case) and not to suddenly make it feel not wanted by ignoring it or shouting at it if it gets near the baby etc. Calm teaching and love is needed.

If you are thinking of getting a dog then a puppy is a lot of work and it would be better to get a dog a little older so that it house trained etc this will help your time running round after the puppy. A young dog needs a lot of attention as does a baby. It is just like having another child but this one has teeth that can hurt and may not understand always.

The decision is yours but be prepared and get good advise from a professional dog handler is probably best. With all the advice we as dog owners can give along with a professional should help you to decide. Time is a big part to think about as in will you have time for a dog and if not, down the line you then decide to give that dog up will be heart breaking for all and the dog. Good Luck. Hope this does not sound all negative but if you have not had a dog before you need to know these things.

As a dog trainer of forty years,and a mum of three, I’d say don’t do it. For the first year your dog should have as much attention as a baby. If you’ve already got a dog then get a trainer in. Don’t wait until you have a problem

I'm always a bit concerned by "the patience of a saint" said about a dog with regard to children.
Some things try the patience of a saint too far, often without even realising it.

Dogs and cats have teeth and claws - nuff said…

Love the way Chardy worded the post, rats and vermin… in the same breath!! ??

Miss Adventure, referring to 'patience of a saint' regarding our Lab and children, as his owner we knew exactly how he would behave and he knew we were always looking after him as well as our children. Maybe I should have used a different description but he was patient in that he happily let them play with him and he enjoyed the fuss and attention from them. Labs come into the category of dogs (usually) ideal for children; they enjoy being part of a bundle, don't suddenly turn, aren't hyperactive and are generous and loyal to their family members... Presumably one not properly trained who misunderstood it's place in the hierarchy, might be different.

I agree.
A dog has to know its place; apparently it is quite stressful for them if they don't, and is more likely to lead them into bad ways.
Not that I've ever had a dog, mind you.

We had our wonderful yellow lab 4 years before our son came along.He thought the baby was his He sat beside the pram as long as the baby was in it.He was .yang on the f.oor Rebel came and lay round him so baby's head was on his tummy.He was gentlest of dogs never barked or made any sort of fuss.We knew he would be good with children when we heard he crying in the garden and next doors children had his head through the fence and were pulling an ear each in opposite directions, they let go as soon as we appeared and Reb went straight back to them wagging his tail and locking their faces!

Agreed. Children and dogs like to know who is in charge and to have confidence that they are valued, safe and cared for. Apologies for my mobile's choice of it's instead of its ?

I wouldn’t

We adopted MIL's neurotic, untrained border terrier (female), a bag of nerves, nightmare to take for a walk, wouldn't walk if anyone was behind us, went for other dogs, risky with visitors until she got to know them (we had to watch people's ankles). So when GD1 was born and spent a lot of time with us we were concerned about safety when GD1 got mobile. But we needn't have worried - it was amazing! The dog was devoted to DG1. She sat next to her on the floor, GD1 could climb into the dog basket, move her food bowl, corner her with the baby walker, the dog seemed to adore her. Never growled or showed any animosity. It was delightful, the dog turned out to be totally maternal.

My 18month old Dalmatian sits patiently the other side of my baby gate when I am looking after my 2 granddaughters who are both 1. I give him plenty of attention when they have their naps. I think they will be great pals when they are all older but for now I prefer them separated.

Dogs are a wonderful addition to a family and my children grew up with them from day one. All of the dogs l had knew their place when baby came along and they were protective and gentle with my babies. I treated my dogs as a dog, part of my family but knowing their place. It made for a content loving animal, well trained,respected dog and children growing up understanding dogs and confident with many other pets. My daughter has 4 children 5 and under with a dog and 3 cats. All are loved and respected.
My son has a huge mastiff and as children my kid’s were used to big dogs. Rottweiler, Mastiffs, German Shepard. The most intelligent, sensitive and trainable dogs.
The thing is, you have to really be a dog person to feel safe having babies and dogs together.
You have to be confident in your choice of breed and training to trust your dogs with your children.
I only had a problem once with my new rescue dog and it was quickly trained.
I believe that bigger breeds are the more intelligent, less spoiled and more easily trained dogs and very protective of small children.
The bottom line is that
“if you put the time in to training your dog, the better he will be for it “

Ibelfry it depends on a number of factors, the breed/size of cat/dog, whether the baby or pet is first to arrive, how well they're (child and pet) trained, etc.
We had 2 German Shepherds before my first son was born and I trusted them implicitly, in fact it was one of them that basically told me I was pregnant (her behaviour changed towards me - more gentle and considerate). They would guard him when he was asleep in his pram in the lounge and I was at the other end of the house in the kitchen. If he awoke and started crying they would take it in turns to come and get my attention.
When my second son was born, we had 2 cats. Knowing that some cats can be a bit spiteful I made sure to keep a close eye on them. The male cat was fantastic with the baby, even sleeping in the cot (at the other end from my son) but the female cat couldn't be allowed anywhere near him because even when I was feeding him, she would sidle up to us and try to nibble his fingers and toes. We rehome her with my BiL whose children were older.
I believe that both of my sons and all our pets benefited from being raised together, as they grow they become firm friends.

I waited until my children were 9 and 11 and then took on Springer. He became a loyal dog who went everywhere when the children were out playing and I had no fear of him being alone with them but they were older, we lived in the countryside and the dog thought he was in the kids gang.

Talking of cats, I use to put a cat net on the Pham when I put my children outside in the Pham to sleep, anyone else remember them