Would you let your small dog curl up beside your newborn on a playmat?

[Amidoingitcorrectly]

I love dogs, had them as a child and hope to have one again one day when we have appropriate space for one. But for ages I've hated photos on social media of small children posing with (usually big) dogs, often the dogs don't look particularly happy or relaxed, and people seem to think it's cute.

Was shocked today to see an influencer's (who I generally really like) very tiny premature baby, not long home from hospital, with a chihuahua curled up beside it on the floor - the dog is tiny but still about the same size as the baby or a big bigger. And definitely stronger. It seems really risky and I can't get my head round it, the nicest softest dog can have an off day, or a moment where they snap by mistake?

AIBU and daft though? Is this something seen as ok and not risky if the dog is very little?

I'm a long time dog owner and personally I think there should be a law which prosecutes anyone who is so ignorant regarding this. Every week we are reading about children being maimed and killed by dogs these days.

Absolutely not. I watched a piece on TV a few years ago about a woman who had her nose bitten off by her dog. It was something like a poodle and was seemingly asleep but suddenly out of the blue bit her and caused horrendous injuries. Had never shown any hint of that behaviour and they think the dog was dreaming so it wasn't even out of fear or aggression. This could actually kill a newborn so why even take the risk, even for 1 photo.

And while trying to find that story online I've just come across this hideous news story involving dog diarrhoea. https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/sleeping-woman-hospital-three-days-7629747?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

Sounds to me like whoever this person is needs to get off social media and get in with her life with her new baby.

i honestly thought my dog was going to kill my newborn, I didn’t have him in the same room as us for 6 weeks.
he would just bark and lunge at her.
we almost rehomed him.
he started relaxing around 6 weeks, and stopped barking every time she cried. Took another 3 months before I even let him sniff her.
now at 18 months they are best friends- still don’t leave them alone together.
i remember having the idealistic return home in my head, dog sniffs baby best friends from the start. I think instagram misleads a lot of people into putting their babies into dangerous situations.
mum so glad that I could read my dog right and knew he wasn’t happy with the new addition.

Definitely not. Even with an older baby I wouldn’t risk it, but it’s a newborn so you have no way to know how the dog will react.

SM is full of those ‘kid and dog best friends from birth’ video montages so people idealise it and forget they’re dealing with an animal.

Absolutely YANBU.
I adore my dog...and I adore my grandchild and consequently they are both kept safe from eachother at all times.. and as grandchild grows he is learning safe respectful interaction with my dog, and she is learning that he's ok (although she does want to lick him to greet him)
Safety is paramount and anyone who thinks otherwise is not a sensible parent or dog owner!

No, I have two chihuahuas. One I would absolutely trust around a baby and the other, I wouldn't. Even so, neither would be cuddled up with a baby, no. Even when my toddler niece is round I put dogs upstairs as you just never know, I get worried they snap. I have a ten year old daughter who is obviously fine with the dogs, she could easily chuck them off and she knows how to handle them.

Nope a baby is defenceless and could not fight off a dog. Also babies can suddenly cry or scream and might frighten the dog. The dog might react by biting or snapping at the baby especially if they are jealous of the attention the baby is getting. Dogs can get very jealous.

Absolutely no way. Neglectful parenting. And having a small dog is no defence, as a child I was bitten quite badly on the foot by a shitzu.

I really do despair for humanity reading things like this, what sort of an idiot would do this to their baby any baby for that matter

No way! Dog owner and dog lover but have become good friends with a veterinary nurse who has known incidents of dogs being woken up from a deep sleep and biting children's faces reactively.

i honestly thought my dog was going to kill my newborn, I didn’t have him in the same room as us for 6 weeks.

I’m amazed that anyone wouldn’t revoke a dog at the first instance of aggression towards any family member especially a newborn .

A family friend of mine had a staffie that was supposedly friendly. It had been with their family for several years and out of nowhere bit their daughter in the face when she was around 9. She’d grown up with that dog as well.

This is why I don’t trust dog owners when they claim their dog wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Rehome* not revoke.

I’m a massive dog lover but it’s a no from me. Utterly irresponsible and quite stupid.

No. It's stupidity at it finest for the sake of a photo. Didn’t even allow my (4) cats to get close to DD when she was small. They've been thick as thieves since she was about 7. Stupid to let a dog (or cat) so close when they're small and it's not hard to keep them apart.

If we're talking about the same photo the dad is literally right there bending over the baby and the dog is asleep? It's about as low risk as it can get TBH. The dog would have to wake, get pissed off, and decide to do something quicker than the dad could move his arm 3cm.

Two thing. One, there is an actual saying "let sleeping dogs lie". There's a reason it's a thing!

Second, you clearly know there's a risk because otherwise why would dad need to be 3cm away. So why bother? The answer is for Likes. Which is terrible. I'll put my kid on SM for Likes and do something I know to be risky, which other people will copy, so I can be popular. Bad for the dog, bad for the child. But you get Likes.

I don’t have IG or FB so no idea who the influencer is. I do get videos popping up on my YT rails of babies or toddlers with big dogs. I don’t get the psychology of people who do this.

What are they trying to prove? That they’re such amazing, loving dog owners and parents? That they’re superior dog whispering skills have cultivated a unique bond between dog and child?

Urgh, their

This

I would not let any animal lay next to a newborn. Firstly, it's unhygienic, animals lick their arse then clean themselves, I don't know why anyone would allow one next to their new baby. Secondly, they are animals..animals are unpredictable..because they're animals.

Well I wouldn't but then I have no idea what an 'influencer' is anyway so I cant comment on what they should and should not do

Gosh, aren't you so highbrow. I'm really impressed.

You say high brow, I say ignorant and uninformed. Especially given the negative impact certain types of influencer are having on young people in society. It's a genuine issue of concern.

And yes, I know OP was being tongue in cheek.