Dog and baby

Should be pram pressed post message by mistake.

I got a ,jack russell cross puppy 10 weeks before my first child was born and all was a huge success. I went on to have 2 more children and all loved the dog who lived to 16 yrs. I love dogs and have had 3 more dogs since we lost the first one.
During the time before my daughter was born I had time to train the puppy and give her lots of attention. I always took her for a daily walk with the pram/pushchair/children and the babies and children were taught to respect the dog. I did not leave dog and baby alone together.
Animals need attention and I would not get a new dog or cat if I had a child under 3 as there is insufficient time for this.

FlowerNanny, I agree that it's best to have plenty of time for training and attention - without a baby to care for too.

The little JRT I have now is very lively and enthusiastic for walkies - so inclined to pull a bit when I walk her.

However, if I let my small grandchildren hold the lead - she immediately changes - and carefully walks to heel and waits if they stop. She wasn't trained to do it!

So long as you have the time patience and determination to train your dog and your children properly. A dog MUST know that they are the lowest rank in your 'pack' and that baby and all his/her things/room/toys/ are completely out of bounds ! Once a dog knows its place , it's ecstatic and a joy to have. It's not human , it's a dog. It has to fit in with you lot, not the other way round.
viel Glück!

Ooh I dunno?! One puppy of mine did- waiting in queue at post office he suddenly turned round about 6 times then did the biggest....well you get the picture!]? Most people were full of sympathy...I wasn't one of them!?

Moggycuddler

If the dog is already a member of the household and well behaved, then be careful and never, ever, leave the baby and dog alone together, not even for a minute. Even small dogs can do a lot of damage to a baby. If there's not already a dog, then I'd recommend waiting till baby is three or four before getting one.

So true. Dogs recognise mostly by scent, and a baby doesn't smell like a human! The only time EVER my Jack Russel went upstairs was whenI took my 3week old DGS upstairs for a happy change.dog was SO curious he threw the "no upstairs" rule of 9 years straight out of the window! I asked him what was he doing upstairs, he panicked and quickly tried to runback down but struggled cos he'd never been up before ! Hilarious but oh so revealing of dog behaviour.

#NAPPY!

Goodness.

In defence of small dogs, we have a little Jack Russel Poodle cross, no bigger than a cat. He never showed much interest in our GS when he was a baby, but of course we never left him alone with the baby, we never left the baby alone.... As the GS grew older the relationship has been just fine. As a toddler he never tried to tease the dog in any way , just enjoyed 'throwing' sticks and balls (all of 6 inches) for him and lots of petting and cuddling on the dog's terms (i.e when the dog came to him).

Of all the thousands of dogs in families with small children how many incidents are there of dogs attacking children?

I am puzzled by the OP, though. The context of the post isn't at all clear.

Our JR never bit or attempted to bite anyone in his long life. He accidentally caught my grandson's finger while they were playing with a toy. For a while after that our JR hid himself in the corner when my grandson came into the room.

It is best to have the baby first as dogs can be jealous of a new baby whatever the breed but having a dog after your family is complete is a lovely combination. I was 13 when we got a dog and he became my best friend. You should NEVER leave a pet in alone with a baby as they can injure the baby unintentionally. Cats like comfort and could lie on the cot for warmth which could smother the baby and a boisterous puppy could hurt a toddler if left alone with it.

DD and DSiL had a Jack Russell before they had DGC and the dog is fine with the children. Having said that she was very well trained before DGC arrived and has never once been a problem. As others have said, it depends on the dog and you should never leave a baby or small child alone with any dog.

My daughter had a baby when my dear old dog was 8. Then another baby shortly after! So I helped out a lot and my dog came too when I went to their home to stay for weeks at a time .
My dog adored both children. Guarded the pram which was hilarious as she was a tiny dog and played with them when they were toddlers. The first thing she did every morning was run in to see them.
A real nanny dog. Little mongrel called Lucy locket fits in your pocket ! How I miss her ?

AnnieHernandez

It looks like you have asked the question and not returned to the post since?

Do they/you already have a dog or are you talking about getting a puppy when the child is still a baby?

It makes a difference to the answer!