Dogs near babies/children

[Blue2017]

Aibu to think its ridiculous when people say " oh it's okay my dog won't go near the baby or hurt him/her " how can they be so sure?

The OP is not being unreasonable.

My dog is lovely natured, she loves children and often people ask if their child can stroke her. I always say yes but I always supervise. However I would never ever allow unsupervised access to her from a child because she’s a dog. It’s just common sense really.

Yanbu. I saw a family friendly dog, bite someone's lip off once. She needed extensive surgery.

I've also seen a little dog jump up and bite someone's belly. I always thought of this dog "if he comes to bite me, I'd kick him away" - I didn't know they could practically fly.

Love my dog but he’s never alone with the kids. He’s not snappy but you just never know.

We had 2 dogs when ds2 was born- one large breed and one small. I trusted those dogs 110%, they were both protective of the baby. For example if he was crying in his bouncer at my feet, the little one would go over and just put her head by his hand, as if she was trying to comfort him. If someone came though the door, big one would immediately place himself between the person and baby.

However, we would NEVER leave them in the same room together. I trusted them 110%, but there was always that possibility- they are animals, even though they were our fur babies.

One problem we did have, was they started to come to the dining room table when we were eating which they never had done, as we'd taught them not too. One day Mil was baby sitting and I came home during lunch early as a meeting was cancelled- she was feeding them off her plate at the table 🤦‍♀️

Never left my very lovely dog alone with the children when they were small. Also. Are it very clear that he had his own space that he can access that they are not allowed near, and never to approach him when he has food. He lovely but he's still a dog. And my children can be exceptionally irritating.

My last dog was bomb proof. The sort of dog, who wouldn’t react if someone really hurt him not that that ever happened. My current one isn’t.

In answer to your question, you can’t. People are often unrealistic or even idiots about what their dog will and won’t do. Dd was bitten on the face as a baby by a relation’s dog in a totally unprovoked attack narrowly missing her eye. She has a small scar. Afterwards the owners were aggressive to us because we wanted the dog kept away.

You can NEVER be sure a dog won't hurt a child or a baby, and owners who think their dog would never bite are dangerous and ignorant. I would never trust a dog around my children, and if someone said they knew their dog would never attack, I'd never trust their judgment on anything. I don't want them being licked either - yet dog owners seem to think I'm protecting my child just from being bitten - no, I also don't want them slobbered over by a tongue that may well have just licked its own arse or eaten some other dog's shit.

There's always a lot of talk how unsafe dogs are around kids or vice versa but not much said about cats. My friends two year old was badly bitten by the family cat. People should be wary of them too.

When I was 1 my parents left me sleeping in the hotel room with the dog (a big golden lab) while they ate downstairs. They trusted him over the babysitters offered by the hotel.

I lived to tell the tale

As a general rule I wouldn’t leave children and dogs unattended. But it depends on both the child and the dog. If you have any doubts about either the child’s or the dogs temperament then you shouldn’t countenance it.

I don't think the only risk with dogs and babies in aggression.

My dog is lovely with my 3 month old DD, he has even started bringing her his toys. I am confident he would never deliberately hurt her, however he is young and high energy and bounces around, mostly with amazing agility and misses her my millimeters, but if something exciting happens (like someone at the door, or a sheep invading the front garden) his bouncing becomes far less controlled and I'm terrified he will land on DD. So I would never leave my dog alone with DD and have a play pen for her (also stops dog thieving her toys!!).

Absolutely. They can't.

A small child can't recognise the 'Go away' signs a dog might be communicating. I'd never leave the two alone together.

Posted too soon!

Meant to add - can't trust any animal near a baby. I have two very well behaved cats but when I had my babies the cats were sent to my mums for 6 weeks as I didn't want the risk of them near the baby - different risk in case of cats (cuddling and suffocating) but still a risk. It may sound over the top but I knew I'd be tired and the cats can be so sly I didn't want them getting somewhere they shouldn't.

Anyone who is blind to these risks with cats or dogs is stupid.

I have a very large dog and I wouldn't trust him or any other dog alone with a baby or young child.

My BIL keeps trying to teach his 14 month old daughter to kiss him on the face. I have explained and explained what a stupid idea this is but he thinks it's cute and the dog Would never hurt her. I am going to lose my shit if I see him do it again.

Some prople are idiots with dogs and children. Our dog is very friendly and quiet but he looks a bit dodgy ( big, shifty-looking, black). Children run up to rub him and just touch him without checking. Parents say nothing to stop them. He could bite the hand off them for all they know. It's very dangerous.

I think you have to be pretty stupid to leave a baby or toddler alone with a dog.

I can't even imagine how jealous my poor retriever would be if I were to have a baby. Also, she has teeth. And she's not terribly smart.

My 5 year old is terrified of dogs. It's mainly because she's scared of loud noises and of course a dog might bark. She makes it very clear that she's scared- covering her ears, backing away, sometimes crying. I have to keep hold of her hand if we pass a dog in the street otherwise she'd step into the road to avoid it. So when dog walkers purposely come closer rather than just walking past, tell me it's okay because their dog is friendly, or try to get her to stroke the dog and don't want to take no for an answer.... I do wonder what on earth they think they're doing!

I trust my dog - I don't trust kids though.

I have a 5 month old (v v large!) puppy. I’m concentrating on 2 bits of training as the absolute essentials.....recall and being polite around people and other dogs. This essentially means that I’m training him that his default setting is to be to pass by without jumping up, licking, sticking his nose in toddlers faces/blokes crotches and generally to not make a bloody nuisance of himself. I don’t let him off lead in public places unless I’m certain that I can get him back. I ABSOLUTELY don’t let him off if there are kids within eyesight. Too many people discount the damage that a genuinely friendly dog can do to a child who is scared of them. My DS was scared witless by a friend’s 3 dogs in her back garden when she decided to let them out when he was there. They were excited and jumped all over him.

5 years later and he could just about approach dogs without screaming. Stupid woman.

Baby screaming in a car seat? My dog would be scared and keep away from the noisy thing.
Baby crawling on the floor? My dog would be on a lead or shut out of the room. She doesn't live with babies. She is a sweetheart but she could stand on the baby. And she's a dog. If she was grabbed or got scared? Better to never put a dog and child in that position. Wish someone would tell the fuckwits who share "cute" pictures and videos online of children crawling all over dogs or dressing them up.

My dog is so lovely and friendly but from a kids point of view I can understand that can be scary.

I’d never leave my dog alone with a child. It’s just not worth the risk. I know my dog really well and know his moods but I’m also a very cautious person and don’t see why I’d take a chance with something as dangerous as that.

Thanks for your replies, I knew deep down I wasn't being unreasonable in the past I have been called ridiculous because I wouldn't take my then 9 week old baby near a dog that can be quite snappy and I was told that the dog categorically will not attack my baby! And then today whilst out I was told by someone else that their dog will not go near the baby definitely not and it just got me thinking how can people be so sure when you hear that babies / children have been killed by a dog!! I'm not a dog hater by the way I just would never put my baby at any risk xx

I trust my dog as much as I could ever trust a dog, so like 95% sure he would never hurt my DS or any other child, but he is still a dog and I never ever trust him entirely. I wouldn't ever leave them in a room unattended together, and they've practically been brought up together; DS is 3 1/2 whilst dog is just shy of his third birthday.

No matter how much another person told me I could trust their dog, I would still be completely alert and careful with DD around their dog, because if I don't trust my own 100% I'm certainly not trusting someone else's completely either.

Take your baby near? In the same room? Dog on floor and baby in your arms? Fine.
Baby crawling round the floor whilst dog in the room? Not fine.