Oh dear Dad worried Lab pup will maul our kids

[Flum]

We are so upset our dog is 14 weeks and really very lovely and good natured but does nip a bit of course. Our two smallest children are 1 and 3 and really don't know how to behave with a dog. The littlest one bashes her on the nose with heavy toys and stuff and I am concerned that the pup will snap at him.

I feel sick to my stomach that I am voluntarily putting my babies at risk but on the other hand people say oh labradors are bred to be so gentle etc.

Should we get rid of her while she is young.

We have a big crate and I do put her in there when I am not able to really supervise the kids but the reality is that there are and will be moments when a child is albeit briefly alone with her.

I wish I knew statistically what the risks are.

Personally, I wouldn't keep a dog in the house with children so young based on horrific personal experience. There will be loads of people saying I'm wrong of course, but I wouldn't. Have no statistics, my evidence is anecdotal.

I think that on the one hand a lot of kids have been brought up with dogs running around in the past and come to no harm, but I personally wouldn't be comfortable with it as they can do real damage. Labradors are one of the gentler breeds, but they can still bite. I don't know, I'm not really a dog person so it's not something I would do

as long as it's not a Rocky, you'll be OK.

Seriously banned dogs and children should not mix. A Lab pup will be fine and lovely for your babies

It would be much easier to rehome a 14 week old puppy rather than a 2 year old dog that had bit a child.

I don't know the statistics, but do think if you are unsure and feel you will end up rehoming the dog, it would be better to do it sooner rather than later.

Is there any chance of doing some puppy classes to train the dog? You will also need to train the children on how to act around the dog.

Really difficult position to be in

I am sitting here, with my 2 year old lab sleeping at my feet. IME labs are bomb proof when it comes to kids, yes yours is a pup, and will nip, but he will grow out of this. Your kids are young, and yes, should be supervised when with the pup, but I would be more concerned about your kids hurting the pup. They need to be taught bounderies, and how to handle pup correctly. Labs are amazingly gentle and soft natured, and in time, your lab and your kids will be the bestest of pals. Please do not give him up because of your children, you call all live happily together.

Or send it to me, my kids are a bit older and sooo want a dog. They are slowly talking me round.

We have a few friends who I think would take her, she is so good already. I have obsessively been training her she sits and lies down pretty snappily and will 'leave it' I think she is going to be a really great dog.

I am not a dog person.

My DH loves her and I got her for him for his birthday as he has wanted a dog since before we had the children but I do 90% of the dog care so he says it is up t me.

I know we should have waited but stupidly we didn't now I feel I am risking the childrens beautiful faces. Imagine if they got horrrific dog bite scars - oh dear.

get a cat Our twin catz are lovely

I am not that enthused by cats. We have two guinea pigs already who are delightful little pets. Although I fear there days will be numbered if the dog gets close to them!

14 weeks is still weeny and puppies do nip.
Are you doing clasees?

I woudl keep him away from the DC's until he is out of nipping stage, put a stairgate in the kitchen or something so he can be 'locked away' but still get used to the DC's

IL's have a nippy puppy and she learnt bloody quickly that polkayful nipping got her removed from human company and put in utility room (where her stuff is)
I insist that her bed etc was nowehere the DD's could go in case of jalousy issues.
She stil forgets so I dn't leave her alone with them and they know to turn their backs and put their hands up if she starts bveign silly. It helps she is only a toy though.

My lovely black lab used to nip a bit when he was a very young pup, rightly or wrongly I used to put my hand in his mouth and praise him madly if he dd'nt chew. Did'nt take long and he justs licks everyone now.
Seriously though, our lab puts up with some shit from our severely autistic ds but has never ever shown anything but adoration to him and the rest of the family.
Puppy training classes are a great idea.
But imo, if you are not prepared to put the work in with your pup then there will be someone who will, easy to rehome now.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Not classes but did have a dog trainer come and spend 3 hours with us and am following all her guidelines pretty well.

Really this should be fine - common sense says supervise the children around the dog, ensure the dog gets plenty of exercise and stimulation (not just putting toys in for it, actually play with it as toys are mostly not much fun to a dog without someone on the other end). Start trying to teach the children some rules too about not disturbing the dog on her bed as it is not nice to be woken up etc. The children need to learn, the dog needs to learn and have time to grow up. Really 14 weeks is still very young indeed. The mouthing behaviour can be trained out but removing yourself from the dog every time it does it, then returning the attention to the dog again when it is calm. It also needs time to grow out of it a bit too. Puppy mouthing and nipping is very rarely anything more than a normal puppy behaviour, especially in such a docile breed as a lab. We have a 5mth lab pup and she is just starting to become calmer and understand the routine and what is expected of her a lot more. She is hardly mouthing us at all now and my 5year old daughter who has been quite cautious of her whilst also keen to see/be with her is finally getting very comfortable that she will not be jumped at etc now. I also have a 4yr old who plays with her very happily and a 7mth baby who is never ever on the floor at the same time as the puppy is nearby - they see each other but no contact at present. They will get their chance to become friends when both are older.

I think you need to involve your husband more. If he wanted the dog he should be doing more with her to train her and keep her exercised/stimulate with toys/playing etc. Obviously don't overdo it though as she is still very young and developing.

Personally I think it is a great thing for children to grow up with dogs. We had our dogs (beagles) for 8 and 4 years respectively when we had our first child, and it has never been a problem. I think the secret at this stage is to keep them pretty much apart until the pup is more settled and trained and the children can be trusted not to hurt the dog. Ours dogs always had their own space away from the children when they were small, although they were older and were well past the nipping stage.

there are lots of advantages to growing up with dogs, not least that my children have been "walked" along with the dogs every day of their lives, in all weathers, and are fit, active kids, used to the outdoors and dogs. As they have gotten older they have learned to love the hounds, and can be trusted to treat them gently, even my 2.6 yo.

Once your pup is past the nipping stage, it could prove to be a great thing to have a dog in the family, but until then supervision is the key. And remember the pup will need a fair bit of your time and attention too. To me, the main problem that arises with pups and small children is that busy mums don't have enough time to devote to the pup, and this can in turn cause problems with training etc.

x-post with beautifulgirls

It WILL be fine. the 3yo should be old enough to start to understand boundaries (no going in the dogs bed etc). The 1yo can be watched. the dog will nip, and puppy teeth are extremely sharp but have very little power behind them.

Use the stairgates for the dog, rather than the kids (just make sure it doesn't feel excluded or problems may arise)

I personally wouldn't worry too much about formal training just yet - puppy is still extremely young. Maybe another month or so, added vigilance, and you'll end up with a dog that will be a wonderful pet to have around your kids

DH is involved and puts her to bed each night and takes her to work sometimes which does make for the odd VERY relaxing day.

I think we will muddle along for now. She is delightful and when I say lets get rid of her as life would be more simple the kids say they would rather keep her.

I am getting a babysitter to come each evenig for 2 hours when DH is away next week so I can d some training with her and take her out for a little walk.

I just can't walk her with the buggy and the older kids - toohectic and she pulls.
she only needs a titchy walk anyway.

Beautifulgirls you are in similar situation then. YOu got a pup when babe was 2 months - blimey oh riley! I was adamant we had to be past the crawling stage

Poor puppy.

It doesn't seem to have done anything wrong and yet you're expecting it to maul your children, ruin their faces and eat your guinea pigs.

It's a puppy. It has only been alive for 14 weeks. I feel desperately sad for it. And you're allowing a situation to occur where your DC bash it on the nose with heavy toys? Poor, poor dog.

Supervision is vital - and so is time spent bonding and training the dog. Perhaps your DH should step up to the mark. Otherwise it sounds as though the puppy would be better living somewhere else.

I know poor puppy. The toddler and puppy do adore each other and they love to lie around on each other given the opportunity but he did wack her on the nose with this toy tank engine train from Aquadraw - quite heavy and now when she hears the music she runs a mile.

Of course I do 90% of the care I am a housewife so am up with dog at 6.30 and we have an hour alone with her. DH runs own business so not really available for puppy playing between the hours of 8 and 8, but he is great in the evenings and at weekends. He has taken her fishing with him twice and she had a gay old time.

He is much more relaxed and lets her off the llead whereas I am obsessively trying to teach her to heel all the time. I just see her as another baby that I have to look after and teach stuff too!!!

What's your puppy's name?

Go on have a guess! I bet you know us.

Dog breed statistics are extremely unreliable. See this magazine's example for an explanation as to why.

We all differ in our experiences. DrNortherner considers Labs bomb-proof. Clearly she hasn't met mine. In Ireland my GSD would be legally viewed a potential danger and on the restricted breeds list. Yet my GSD boy is as good natured as DrNortherner's Lab. I have 2 DDs who help alongside me in a rescue. I've had large breeds, and SBT/SBT X all their lives, both as my own and foster dogs. I've only been bitten twice in 45 years (and one of those occasions was due to my own stupidity, the other by a badly injured, scared dog). My DDs have never been so much as scratched.

So what makes us different?

I do.

I would never have put my (or any) dogs in a situation where a child could hit him. If the child can't be trusted, whether because of age or pure bad behaviour, then keep him away from the dog. My exact words to my DDs have always been (get your flame-throwers out ladies, you won't like this):

"If you get bitten by one of my dogs. don't come to me expecting me to turn on him, because it will most probably be your fault".

I know my dogs, as well as anyone can be expected to. I know they won't bite unless provoked and going by the millions of contented dog owners out there I'd say I'm in the vast majority. And of course it's my responsibility to make sure of that... and I have.

Likewise it's your responsibility to protect your DC AND your dog. It isn't that hard, I managed it as a lone mum who has had dogs since the DDs, with 19 months between them, were born. I would honestly say that you would be premature to get rid of a dog without trying, and you've only had pup a few weeks. And god knows there are enough being killed for want of homes, in their thousands each week, I'm no advocate of rehoming unnecessarily... and I do think it is unnecessary, provided you are willing to make changes to your way of doing things and both teach your DC whilst seperating them whilst they are too young to fully comprehend. If you don't, it would imho be because you won't, in which case Kid is completely right, it is far better to rehome now.

It's in your hands. It is possible. Training classes are a good idea, but you can only train a dog to have a certain behaviour so far. The rest is down to how you behave with him.

For the record, I have only ever used crates with foster dogs - ie unknown quantities or at the request of the rescue concerned and/or owner-to-be. My DDs were left unsupervised with my dogs when small, because I had the measure of both. I'm not advocating this for you, perhaps far from it, but am pointing out that I didn't achieve safe DDs and safe, well behaved dogs by being a helicopter type of parent.

Honestly, it can be done. A Lab pup shouldn't be an excessive risk to any child, you have a blank canvas to work with, not a dog with any established behaviours or issues from the past. On that score I'd say, ime and imho that the risk of harm is very low, in the same way that crossing the road sensibly is, but ONLY if you are willing to prevent your DCs from inciting it.

Perhaps have a word with your breeder and Labrador rescue, or one of the rescue forums such as DogPages for tips and advice to suit your own home/lifestyle/set-up? Don't give up yet!

Flum - you think? I don't know anybody with a puppy.

What colour lab? (we want to get a lab when we have a bigger house/garden)

I know puppies are hard work. The amount of times I wondered if we were right when we got our puppy. But we stuck with it, decided on the rules and all worked together.
We attending puppy classes and practised the advice given.

By the time he was 6 months old, he was the most perfect dog in my eyes. But lots of stages between 7 weeks and 6 months were very hard work!
We got there in the end though and it was worth all the hard work, effort, mopped up wee, half eaten shoes etc.