Are we over reacting?

LegacyUser

We have a 2 and a half year old cocker spaniel (bitch who has been neutered) who is very well trained and very very lovable. We've just had our first baby who is now 4 months old. Up until now, the dog hasn't been too interested in the baby. Has a look when he cries and has a little sniff every now and then. Our little fella is getting more active and this evening was lying on his playmat kicking his legs. The dog was lying next to the playmat beside our baby's legs. I was sitting beside both of them. Every now and then the baby kicked the dog on the bum and suddenly the dog turned quickly to the baby and either snapped or growled at his leg. I can't be 100% sure which it was. Don't know now if we can trust her around the baby. I'd never forgive myself if she hurt the baby down the road. I know I should have moved either the dog or the baby earlier but the dog is usually so easy going and has been around our 2 year old nephew with no issues.
Also about two months ago she had taken something out of the bin in our bedroom and was hiding under the bed eating it. My husband tried everything to coax her out but eventually had to reach in and try and to pull her out to see what she had (she has previously eaten a razor from the bin and required emergency surgery!) and she snapped at his finger. There are the only times something like this has happened. Should we try and rehome our dog or are we overreacting? She knows she did wrong, she has been sitting outside in the other room on her own since it happenend. Normally she is following us around or sitting on our laps! It would break my heart to lose her but I'd never forgive myself if she hurt our baby.

January

Did you prepare the dog for the baby coming?

Jenniflower87

We have a dog that we were really worried about with our baby. But she is great now thank god. I think the main thing to do is scold the dog if she goes near the baby again in any way of a threatening manner. She needs to know that she is below the baby in the pecking order. You also need to really pay a lot of attention to your dog as well as she is probably feeling a bit put out now that she is not "your baby". Don't break any of the routines that you would have done before the baby came along. Going for walks with the buggy is always great for the dog to get used to the baby.

I think it is important to have the baby and the dog close (but obviously not sitting on her back close lol) but that they know each other.

They are going to grow up together and love each other and your little baba will give your dog all the attention in the world when a bit older.

I think you just need to supervise your dog around your baby and never leave them on their own.

Orion

This is a dog issue rather than a baby issue so I'm going to move this to the Animals and Pet Issues forum.

cocker5

quen of sheebs..

firstly congrats on your new baby

Secondly, i wouldnt panic or over react ... what i would do is take these two incidents on board, and make some changes to your dog relationship.

I have a cocker too there are fab dogs... and make wonderful family dogs, its just takes time and adjusting on everybody's behalf.

what i would do is dont allow the dog to sit beisde your baby on the playmat, your baby is getting more active as you mentioned up until now he has been really not active at all... and this is what your dog is used to... your baby moving his legs and tipping the dog on his back is a new thing for your baby, plus a new experience for your dog as up until now your baby didnt move much. so your dog is a bit surprised by this new behaviour etc... what i would do is have a small blanket in the sitting room for your dog (a 2nd bed etc) in the corner...and when your baby is on the mat or on the floor at all have your dog on his blanket etc ... she learns your baby has his place and and the dog has his area too.. maybe give her a teat in her bed etc..

also with my cocker if im annoying him (ie when he's sleeping sometimes i touch his bum with my toes) he too spins his head around and looks at me...NEVER grows etc, or shows his teeth... he just looks at me...but he does this as if to say... leave me alone... its annoying for him etc.

If she ever growls i would say a swift NO! and put her outside for 5 mins etc... but your not sure if she did so i think it may be a case of like me dog, spinning his head to tell me to leave him alone...

Best of luck.... have patience, if you in doubt at all i would contact a dog trainer / behaviourist etc.... these concerns / issues can be sorted out by simple methods and consistent training

falabo

I agree with cocker5

sounds like it can be sorted fairly easily. if you feel unsure about how to deal with this, contact a dog behaviourist. it is money well spent that you will NEVER regret. you will see your baby growing up alongside the dog which is just fabulous.

Once the dog knows his place everything will be fine. :-)

Whispered

OP - I'd suggest you get professional help on this. It's not like it's a behavioural problem that can potentially be allowed for or ignored. When it comes to kids, it's best not to take any chances in my opinion. I agree with the others that it could be very easily fixed. But like Fabolo said, you'll never regret getting a trainer or behaviourist involved.

I feel it important to add that when dealing with potential aggression you should never try to "dominate" your dog. It would bring the situation to a head and is not likely to end well.

Latatian

I second (fourth?) the recommendation for a dog trainer or behaviourist.

quen of sheebs wrote: »

suddenly the dog turned quickly to the baby and either snapped or growled at his leg. I can't be 100% sure which it was. Don't know now if we can trust her around the baby. I'd never forgive myself if she hurt the baby down the road. I know I should have moved either the dog or the baby earlier but the dog is usually so easy going and has been around our 2 year old nephew with no issues.

You shouldn't trust the dog with the baby, you shouldn't trust any dog with a baby- for one it's not fair to the dog. The dog was reprimanding the baby, the same as you might if a child was kicking your seat, but the dog doesn't know that the baby won't understand its warnings and the dog may escalate if it feels it has to: "It didn't listen when I growled, so maybe if I snap it'll get the message. Look, it's still ignoring me, maybe if I nip or bite". Dogs generally give off a few subtle warning signs first- some dogs will growl or lift a lip, other dogs will just look uncomfortable and show the whites of their eyes. If that's 'ignored' they'll do something worse. If the dog actually wanted to hurt either your husband or the baby the skin would have been broken: dogs are good at snapping the air deliberately (kind of "This is what could happen if you don't stop right now").

So in other words the dog probably wasn't just being ill-tempered in either case, it was trying to enforce appropriate behaviours: it's treating the baby like a pup, and it's normal for dogs to prevent others taking what they have, even higher-ranking individuals. But that's not the dog's job, so the dog shouldn't be left close to the baby, or where one of them can frighten or get to the other, without close supervision. Any dog can hurt a child, and a nip or bite that would be shrugged off by another dog can seriously injure a baby. Heck, some dogs hurt kids trying to play with them- a 6 week old pup has killed a child before. I'm not trying to frighten you, just saying it's best to be aware. It certainly doesn't mean that your dog's a bad dog or you need to rehome it, just supervise them together at all times.

The other thing is that you need to start lessons now that the dog needs to give you whatever it has, immediately. We do the 'mine' and 'yours' game- you hold a treat down at the dog's level with your fist closed around it, and say 'mine' in a warning tone if the dog tries to take it. Then you say 'yours!' in a chirpy voice and let the dog eat the treat. After a while you do this with open hand, do it with tastier things or while waving the food around in front of a hungry dog, do it for longer periods, do it when feeding the dog dinner, and don't let the dog take any food at all until it's let. My sister's dog can literally be poked in the side of the face with a treat, or have it thrown on the floor in front of her, and she'll turn her head away until she's given permission.

When the dog has a toy it's not too bothered about, walk over, say 'mine', pick it up and inspect it, and return it immediately to the dog with a treat and walk off. Repeat it 2 or 3x per day until the dog drops the toy immediately, giving a treat occasionally but not always just to reinforce it (and without any pattern so the dog never knows if it'll get a treat or not). Tug's a good game for reinforcing this as well: once the dog's got the message down, you can start a game, say 'mine' and stop the game, and once the dog's calm and has let go and waited you say 'yours' and start it again.

This is all because we had a few kids get really scared when the dogs took food from them, or picked up objects they'd dropped, and dogs can find it hard to resist temptation when a small toddler's waving biscuits at their eye height. Plus young children sometimes bend down and try to take away things from dogs quicker than you can stop them. Sorry, I know this is all really long-winded and basic stuff, but it's just some simple things you can do which might help. It doesn't obviate the need for professional guidance or for close supervision.

Gareth2011

This is ually what happens (not always) but usually when the pet has been the child as such and when a baby comes along the dog can sometimes be pushed aside cause of the baby and the dog blames the baby for that. Same thing if you have a dolg you have had for years and he/she is getting old so you get a puppy. the older dog prob doesnt like the puppy cause you pay more attention to it than the dog you have had for much longer. I think it all comes down to the feelings the dog has, we all know dogs are not stupid by any means (depends on breed) but when the dog gets pushed aside or isnt the "baby" anymore it gets cross and will get angry and snap and growl. As people say behavourist or someone that can help the pooch.

laoch na mona

overreacting

jandm

Congratulations on being owned by a cocker and a baby :-D

Would recommend getting a behaviourist but please get one that used reward (of good behaviour) based methods rather than those promoted by a certain Mexican limo driver.

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers Ireland have a list.

A trainer on that list was a great help to us when we got our cocker - helped us understand that all his barking and lunging at other dogs was down to fear and not agression - he's a lot better now. Their intelligence and love of food helps with their training imo. Hope it all works out well for you all.

jandm

laoch na mona wrote: »

overreacting

Very constructive reply there