Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

AIBU?

Tell me if IABU? Puppy v Baby

142 replies

PMDD · 26/12/2013 10:38

I genuinely don't know if IABU. I have a 13 week old Labrador puppy. My db has a 5 week old son, my nephew. I totally believe my new dn is far more important than my puppy. A dog is a dog, a human is a human. However, a dog is still a living creature and I wouldn't want to hurt or damage a dog.

Yesterday (Christmas Day), db came round at 4. As I answered the door he instantly said you need to lock the dog and cats away as dn is here. Dn has never been round my house before so I have never faced this.

I have always locked the cats out for my db as my dsil is very anti cats. She sees them as vermin. They can stay outside as I lock the cat flap.

I locked the puppy in her cage. They only stayed an hour and a half so that was no problem.

Today (Boxing Day), the whole family are coming round for the day. Father, Mother, brother, sister, lots of nieces and nephews and my 3 children are here - there will be 15 of us.

I can't lock my puppy in her cage all day, I don't think it is fair. However, with so many people the doors will be opening and closing constantly so it will be impractical to lock the puppy in 1 room. Also, my house is quite open plan so there isn't an obvious room to lock her in.

I know my db expects my puppy to be locked in her cage. I don't know what to do.

OP posts:

Report

dietcokeandwine · 26/12/2013 20:30

I suspect the Spanish thing is a bit of a red herring, tbh. Far more likely that the OP's SIL is simply from a family that doesn't 'do' pets for whatever reason and that's what has coloured her opinions.

My DH is from Lancashire, never had pets in childhood for a number of reasons, doesn't really get why people own animals for pleasure. Tolerates the two guinea pigs we now have but still doesn't really 'get' the pet thing. This is though more about DH and his family and nothing at all to do with coming from Lancashire!

Lweji · 26/12/2013 20:36

No one is suggesting allowing the dog to play with the puppy. Who's the dog and who's the puppy?

Yes, the puppy could get used to the baby, in a controlled fashion. And possibly allowed closer when he stops his biting habit. It was simply the advice to let the dog sniff the baby that didn't sit well.

MidniteScribbler · 26/12/2013 20:45

Sniffing is NOT biting!! Do you seriously not know the difference between the two?

Lweji · 26/12/2013 20:46

And can you not seriously not see how a dog can go from sniffing to biting?
Unless the sniffing is done from a safe distance. Does that work?

NaturalBaby · 26/12/2013 20:47

Lweji - I have read the thread and the mouthing observation which is why I said the puppy didn't have to be let within sniffing/mouthing distance to the baby. That doesn't mean it should be kept under lock and key in a cage in another part of the house.

Lweji · 26/12/2013 20:49

I never said it should be under lock and key. In fact, I suggested the leash. Twice. FGS.

MidniteScribbler · 26/12/2013 20:49

Yes sniffing can go to mouthing - IF the dog is left unsupervised and the baby is left unsupervised. A responsible adult holding a baby and a responsible adult in control of the dog is not going to progress to a situation when the baby is being mouthed.

Lweji · 26/12/2013 20:52

Can you 100% guarantee that you could prevent the first bite/mouthing?

MeMySonAndI · 26/12/2013 20:52

I don't know... If your one year old dog is a jumpy big breed one, I would say I wouldn't feel comfortable having him around a 5 week old baby.

If he is a calm dog, then I would say there is no reason for the dog to be excluded.

MeMySonAndI · 26/12/2013 20:55

I see... It is 13 week lab... I insist, if he is still very playful and willing to jump on unsuspecting people's laps, etc. by all means keep an eye on the dog. A five week old baby is not going to be crawling around.

MidniteScribbler · 26/12/2013 20:58

Yes I could Lweji. I am a dog breeder and have plenty of experience with dogs and bouncy young puppies. Mine are all trained and socialised to be around children. None of them have ever bitten a child (or an adult), because I do not leave them unsupervised and I keep them under control when doing introductions.

Lweji · 26/12/2013 20:59

Well, as far as I can tell the OP isn't.
And this puppy is not well trained yet.

34DD · 26/12/2013 21:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NaturalBaby · 26/12/2013 21:16

Wow Lweji, have a and a chill pill FGS. I never said you said anything about lock and key. There are other posts by other posters on this thread.

MidniteScribbler · 26/12/2013 21:17

::head desk::

PacificDingbat · 26/12/2013 21:23

I am not surprised that the OP has run away - she sounded v reasonable

DoYouLikeMyBaubles · 26/12/2013 21:24

No wonder there are so many children who get hysterical when there's dogs in the room, if some of the people of this thread are anything to go by.

Lweji · 26/12/2013 22:03

Lweji - I have read the thread and the mouthing observation which is why I said the puppy didn't have to be let within sniffing/mouthing distance to the baby. That doesn't mean it should be kept under lock and key in a cage in another part of the house.

How is this to be interpreted, then?

DavenotChas · 26/12/2013 22:11

We've got a dog gate for our kitchen. Not just for when visitors arrive but when he's absolutely filthy from the forest etc. This means we and he don't feel as though we're separating just for visitors, it's just a normal part of life after a muddy walk and it means he can't jump all over everybody. (Bad mannered collie)

I understand this doesn't help you today but it's worth considering for the future.

P.S. dogs are ace and are well worth the upheaval for Christmas/birthdays/days out. Mine is like the world a best councillor x

HaveToWearHeels · 26/12/2013 22:42

so when I brought home my 24 hour old baby with a 4 year old Boxer in the house should I have kept them separated indefinitely, just in case he bit her ?

No I came in first made a huge fuss of the dog then DH came in with DD in her car seat and let him have a sniff while I sat beside her. He gave her a little sniff and from that day they were inseparable, they were never left in the same room unattended. She is now 4 and dog is 8, the only problem is trying to teach her not all dogs are like our dog.

PMDD · 27/12/2013 00:08

Hello. I'm the OP. I didn't run away, I had to host my huge Boxing Day family do.

My db was here for 8 hours so there was no way I could lock my puppy away for that long. Dh walked her as soon as db arrived, puppy then slept for an hour. However, she then started barking so I took my puppy out with my older nephews and nieces for a short walk.

Again, she was put in her crate once we came back. After about 4 hours I said to my brother that I was going to bring her into the lounge but keep her on her lead and I wouldn't let the puppy anywhere near my 5 week old nephew.

My dsil asked if she could kick the puppy if she came close to her. I said she could push the puppy away with her foot, but clearly not to boot her.

So the puppy came in the lounge and after a while barked - she barked twice and my brother asked me to remove the puppy from the lounge as the barking was hurting his 5 week old babies ears.

I was dumb founded. Thankfully my sister jumped in and took the piss out of our brother and said that he was being a plonker and that the baby needed to get used to noise.

At this comment dsil said that their house is very quiet and they watch tv on low but with subtitles.

I refused to remove the puppy as she was quite well behaved and was just sitting down and chewing on a toy. She barked when she wanted to get a toy out of her reach.

OP posts:

Alisvolatpropiis · 27/12/2013 00:10

Your sister in law asked if she could kick the puppy?

Wtf?

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Alisvolatpropiis · 27/12/2013 00:14

Also - they are both being ridiculous. I am glad you stood your ground on this.

PMDD · 27/12/2013 00:15

Yup. I said that she could push the puppy away from her with her foot if the puppy came close to her chair. I don't think this is about my dsil I think it is more my db. Seriously, who on earth would say that the barking was hurting a child's ears. The baby was at least 12 foot away from my puppy and it was a very short burst of barking, not constant at all.

OP posts:

Alisvolatpropiis · 27/12/2013 00:36

Your Dbis being awfully precious. I think you handled the situation well.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.