3 month old baby cries at dog

[Mama297]

Hello,

I’m a first time mum to a 3 month old and also have a 5 y.o. beagle.

The last couple of weeks my baby has started to cry if our dog comes near her. She seems to be ok if we go up to the dog e.g. if I sit down on the sofa next to him she will either not notice or look at him calmly and happily. However, if the dog jumps up onto the sofa when we’re already sat, or walks past her play mat whilst she’s playing, she screams.

It’s a very sad cry and it feels like she’s afraid of him. He’s never done anything to make her afraid and is really a gentle dog.

Has this happened to anyone else? What can we do to stop her being scared?

Please no suggestions to get rid of our dog - thank you :)

Could it just be the shock of the dogs sudden movements? The sudden leap onto the sofa must be quite startling to a baby tbh. If I was lying down and our old lab trotted past my head I’d probably brace myself in case a paw came too close. Could you get the dog to lie down near the mat as you sit on the floor next to her on the play mat? Her being used to the dog being so close might help. We couldn’t sit on the floor without our lab wanting to be as close to us as possible so she was up close to DC from just a few days old.

Think of how fucking huge the dog is from her perspective! If he suddenly jumps up or walks past it must be terrifying!

But don't worry, she'll get bigger and the dog won't! It'll right itself in time. In the mean time stop the dog jumping up near the baby/walking past her (if she's on the floor, keep the dog away - that's just good practise anyway!).