Dog and baby

New babies are very hard work. Puppies are very hard work.

Both need a tremendous amount of thought and care.

Why on Earth would you saddle yourself with that all at once?

One will lose out and not get the attention needed. That almost certainly will be the puppy and as a result not become the dog it could be with care, training and attention.

Not a good combination.

So my answer is definitely NO.

Be patient wait until your baby is older and can help with the training etc the puppy will need.

Never leave a dog alone with a baby, even the best behaved dog will not understand the sounds and smells. They don’t know it is a little human and their prey drive might kick in. They can be fine together, just don’t take any risks.

I don’t think the majority of people do treat their dogs like children though, they treat them like dogs, and would not leave them alone with a baby. However, that doesn’t mean the dog would attack a baby. As I said, they are pack animals, they don’t just hunt together though, they know their place in the family, and most will love (and protect) a baby as part of their family. Jungle Book is an example, but there are true stories about human children raised by wolves as well. There are of course breed traits to take into account, but generally people do know their own dogs - if they don’t they shouldn’t be dog owners.

I treat my dog like another child. A great many people do. I know my dog wouldn’t hurt me or the adult and teenage family members she’s used to, but if she perceived a threat to one of us or to her security I have no doubt as to what she is capable of doing. Yes she’s a big and powerful dog but I would never trust any dog with a young child. One false move by a playful child can be seen as threatening by a dog and if you've seen a dog kill you will know how quickly and instinctively they act . I’m afraid you can’t equate a story such as Jungle Book with reality. Yes, by nature dogs are pack animals which hunt together but they wouldn’t hesitate to kill one another if they felt they or their food was threatened.

Do you think many people do that in reality though trisher, maybe those who have never had children do, but I think most dog owners are responsible, and would know the character of their dogs, and treat them accordingly. I do think though that dogs are a lot more perceptive than people give them credit for.

Casdon It's not dogs who are at fault, it's owners who treat a dog as if it is human.

I do think dogs are getting a bad press here, maybe opinions are being given in some cases by people who haven’t been dog owners themselves? Does nobody remember Jungle Book? They are pack animals, and the vast majority of them will love and protect babies that are part of their own family. Of course you have to be careful, I’d never leave a new baby with any animal unattended, but I’d be confident my spaniel would never hurt any human - he might lick you to death, but that would be it. I was actually more worried about my cats accidentally smothering my children when they were young babies because of their tendency to sleep in warm places, they both kept jumping in the pram.

I had cats whilst working trisher, absolutely agree it’s not fair to leave a dog if you’re out at work. Cats are much more independent and can be left for the day if they have a cat flap, water and dried food to nibble between meals. We had dogs once one of us was at home all day. Unconditional love plus protection!

DD recently went to a Dogs Trust course on having a dog for an autistic child. She said it was lovely having endless puppies to play with but it had reminded her what hard work a puppy would be.

We inherited an incredibly well trained Border Collie from a friend. He wasn't keen on small children, especially noisy ones, and we always knew when he'd had enough because one side of his lip would start to turn up. That was our sign to remove the child.

My current rescue was sent to the shelter because his owners had a new baby and the dog was "showing signs of jealousy". Now after having this amazing dog for the last 8 years I don't think he has a jealous bone in his body and he adores young children, either visiting us or ones he meets on his walks. I can only assume they couldn't cope with him and felt that the jealousy excuse was a more acceptable one! I had a middle aged dog when my elder child was born and I don't recall any issues at all, other than he used to take sons toys into the garden constantly! Also in my experience the smaller the dog the more bad tempered it is!!

We always had cairn terriers. When our first grandson was born my daughter brought him to see us when he was about 3 weeks old. She put him in the middle of a double bed whilst we all had lunch.
To this day I don't know how this happened but we suddenly noticed the dog was missing. We ran upstairs and the dog was on the bed next to the baby protecting him. He always adored our grandson and walked next to his pushchair.
However, the outcome could have been tragically different.It was a lesson well learned and it still makes my heart stop when I think about it.

I was a small child in the 60s. Many families/freinds/relatives had dogs that were treated as members of the family.

We were all taught to treat them with love. Never tease. Keep away when they're eating etc etc

My 6 month granddaughter sits on her dad's knee and laughs endlessly at one of our pups.

Much loved members of the family. And they're a lot safer than some human members of families as well. Just today in the news a young lady left her toddler alone for 6 days whilst she partied. Child died.

Gsm how weird! I don't have dogs now.I never thought it was fair when I was working and out all day and I've never gone back to them. They were an important part of my childhood and I remember an Aunt's Jack Russell who I thought was cute and wanted to carry about but I was told she was a tremendous ratter They lived in the country and kept her for that purpose. I think people forget why dogs were part of our lives once and that they still keep those instincts.

Growing children yes, babies no. A child will enjoy the experience, a baby only needs its parents or carers.

The dogs were in my life before the babies!

They grew up together.

As long as you don't leave a baby, ( or child) alone with a dog, all is fine.

Heavens, trisher, this is seriously worrying! I too was brought up with dogs as my grandparents had very docile labradors, who I played with and adored. Things were different back then. Your Dad’s dog was that rare thing, a dog trained by the military. We had an ex-marines German shepherd once and that training shone through. My current shepherd is wonderful and so gentle with us, but I’ve seen her kill a rat and she shakes her fluffy toys in just the same way. I don’t have grandchildren yet, and she’s a very old lady now, but all dogs have that instinct and if the mood takes them even Usain Bolt wouldn’t be fast enough.

I joke with my younger daughter that if I had discovered dogs and horses before she was born she wouldn't be here. She replies that if my contraception had worked, she wouldn't be here. Which is true! We bought our first dog for daughter's 10th birthday and have had dogs ever since (border terriers) I would not mix dogs with very young children, especially terrier types, it is so much nicer for the children to enjoy them when they are older and able to follow the rules and I'm another who would never leave a dog and young child together. I kept my BTs well away from my grandchildren when they were small, which pleased the terriers!

Personally I would rather have a dog than a baby but that's just me. hides behind sofa

I honestly don't understand why anyone would want a dog and a baby (unless you already have the dog). Once the child is old enough to go to school they will thoroughly enjoy the experience of getting a dog and learning about it. Better for everyone all round.

Germanshepherdsmum

Even a little dog such as OP mentions can kill a baby. Personally I would never have a dog with a young child in the family. Not leaving them alone together isn’t enough - a dog can attack in the blink of an eye, and kill before an adult has a chance to intervene.

Wow Gsm I'm agreeing with you now.

I was brought up with a dog- an Alsatian my dad aquired during the war when the army unit it belonged to was sent abroad my mum took it in. So it was there when I was born, but it was a trained dog and attitudes to it were very different than people's today. It was kept out of most of the house. It did however sit next to my pram and guard it when mum was shopping and I used to hold its ear. People treat dogs more like humans now.

Dogs and small children are a lot of work, as others have said.

When I was little, and also when my nearly four year younger sister was born, my parents had dogs and cats.

We children were taught from the time when we started crawling never to go near the dogs when they were gnawing a bone or eating their dinner, or approach them when they were in their dog baskets

The dogs were trained not to snap at us - my father re-homed an Alsatian bitch that took exception to my inclusion in the family, so if things go wrong you will be faced with having to re-home the dog.

Cats need some place out of toddlers' reach. My mother's cat was two years older than me, and my earliest recollection of him, is a picture as clear as day in my memory.

I am stretching up as high as I can to touch the cat who is sitting on top of a chest of drawers. To my fury, I cannot reach him, as my extended finger tips only reach the second top drawer of that chest - and the cat is grinning at me from the flat top of that piece of furniture.

I have a later memory of me, aged, five, sitting in my sister's play-pen while she crawled happily round the dining-room floor. I was reading a comic aloud, to two cats and a fox terrier - all three sitting out of harm's (little sister's) way in the play-pen beside me.

You can have pets and small children together, but it takes time, patience and rules. As soon as we could crawl we also knew not to touch Daddy's medical bag.

If you ask me now at my present age of 69, why that bag had to stand on the floor, instead of being placed out of our reach, I cannot give you a sensible answer. I never did ask my parents about it.

When my boys were 3 and 5 we had a Dalmation who decided my youngest son was her puppy and my eldest son was for me to look after. I frequently found her washing my youngest sone from head to toe.

When my first GD was born my son had two rescue dogs already and they stood guard over her rocked her crib if she made a noise and sat patiently when she wanted to put hairbands, clips and boobles on them.

Again though all down to the temperament of the dogs.

I do feel if children are trained correctly the dogs will be fine.

Zoejory

I grew up with dogs. We had dogs when our children were born. We now have dogs with the grandchildren.

Common sense is required. But it's easily done and can be of huge benefit to growing children

www.parents.com/parenting/pets/kids/the-benefits-of-pets/

Growing children yes, babies no. A child will enjoy the experience, a baby only needs its parents or carers.

I grew up with dogs. We had dogs when our children were born. We now have dogs with the grandchildren.

Common sense is required. But it's easily done and can be of huge benefit to growing children

www.parents.com/parenting/pets/kids/the-benefits-of-pets/

Not clear about what you mean AnnieHernandez have you already got a dog or a baby, are you suggesting you get a puppy as well as the baby?
All depends on the temperament and training of the dog. I have always had dogs but have been aware of the dangers of leaving small children alone with dogs.
A puppy and a baby together can be very hard work.

Why not? Assuming the pet doesnt have behavioural issues that may affect the child