Oh help. My dog seems to have lost patience with DD.

[LeoTheLateBloomer]

He's a 6yo chocolate lab, she's a 17mo toddler.

He's had the patience of a saint despite his life being turned upside down. She jumps on him, pokes him, rides him like a horse, all the usual stuff.

In the evenings he's allowed on the sofa and after her bath DD comes down for a play before bed. She always has a cuddle with the dog on the sofa during this time. This evening for the first time he barked at her. Twice . She was, admittedly, being a bit manic, but no more than usual.

I'm always talking to her about being gentle with him and giving him kisses and cuddles instead of clonking him around the head but it's so hard for her to understand.

We live in an open plan shoe box so there's nowhere he can go to get away from her.

Has anyone experienced this? I'm really hoping it's a one-off. I'm scared of leaving them together now. Normally I don't think twice about popping upstairs and leaving them together but now I don't want to risk it.

Any suggestions?

Yes I just wanted to say good for you OP, for being prepared to listen to advice and make some changes. It might have sounded harsh but it's just that no one wants your little girl to get hurt, or for your lovely dog to lose his home or his life over a preventable incident, and these things sadly do happen all too often. I'm glad you see it that way anyway, and didn't just get angry or defensive as many people would have!

I also think it's OK to send the dog to the porch (or to his bed, or wherever you choose) for a short period, as long as it's not done as a punishment, and a chew or toy is a good way to signal that it's not. 'Go to bed' and 'stay' have been very useful commands in our house sometimes!

leo you, your dog and your DD all sound lovely.

leo can I say well done for taking on board everything everyone has said in such an adult way. I hope you, your lovely dog and DD go on to have many happy years together.

The doghouse is a fairly robust place, however, everyone here does have the best intentions. I have it on good authority that for chocolate labs a very small amount of manchego cheese rind can make anything fab so maybe this could be your super good girl in the porch treat.

If you keep an eye on ebay, you can pick up a crate for chips. We had our dogs long before children, and frankly we would not have been allowed to take them home with little people in the house. So... we have had to deal with 2 dogs who don't like small people, and 2 small people. I get to growl and snap a lot if the dcs are getting too close to the dogs. You are quite right in not allowing your dc near other people's dogs. I think everything else has been said. Well done for posting, and hopefully you will get on and have a happy family which includes any animals you may have too! Dogs DO need a quiet place where they will be left alone.