Dog really hates toddler DS

[TheHolyGruel]

I have posted about this before. I have two dogs (staffs) and a toddler DS who is 20mo.

My older dog (male) really dislikes my DS. He growls at him constantly and it is just getting worse. We had problems with this dog being dog aggressive but this has been overcome somewhat by walking him on a muzzle and walking the dogs separately. The dog has been checked by a vet, other than a recent worm problem (now sorted) there is nothing wrong.

We sought advice from a dog trainer/rescue person who we had a couple of sessions with. His advice re the toddler/dog situation was to put the dog down, as if something did go wrong then not only would it be a dreadful situation for us, but dreadful for staffies everywhere (another story for the papers etc, another crack in the BSL nonsense defence - I fully believe that BSL is bollocks and that the problem is not because he's a staff, but I'll talk about that in a moment). But I don't feel I can do it. In the meantime, any attempts to unite dog and DS are failing. DS is instructed to offer dog treats, to sit nicely and pet nicely, not to run up to dog, not to touch anything belonging to dog, etc. I make an effort for the dogs to be in the same room as DS as often as possible, but I am becoming worried for DS safety, as dog is really sounding at the end of his rope.

I honestly believe it is because the dog has been usurped from his position of 'first born'. The other dog displays no such issues, and is very fond of DS. The problem dog has always been the established top dog.

DH works away from home sometimes and has his biggest stint of the year coming up next month. He is away for a month, and I am petrified of how I will cope with this situation alone. It is so stressful.

In the first instance, does anyone know of a way in which I could find a foster carer for my dog, initially for this upcoming period, or is this unrealistic? He is fine with dogs smaller than himself and with older children (all children aside from DS it seems, in fact).

Can anyone offer any other advice or solutions? I think ultimately he will need rehoming, but I also know it's not that simple...

Just read more of the thread realise my addition was not that helpful. Sorry! Good luck finding a suitable foster placement soon OP x

Urgently, given the rottweiler-killing-two-year-old story which still has shivers running down my spine

Except...google doesn't seem to think the story exists...

tis true, if its raining she will only go out for 10 minutes and then drags me back to the car demanding her jacket to be put on. Then we come home where she gets dried off with a fluffy towel and then she sits on the sofa while I have to wrap her up in her blanket with her ted. WTF is that about, she should be outside crunching on human remains that I have dug up to satisfy her blood lust surely?

I don't think life is unfair most of the time :)

Must be my sunny personality :)

indeed LtEve....

hairy my pup hates the rain.
He sits down on the step whimpering if a drop of rain hits him :(

There is no flaming. It's an untenable situation. A dog has been snarling at a small child ever since it was a baby. This is skewed. You are not supporting the OP by saying that it's okay. The OP needs support to make the right decision quickly. It would have been kinder to have been explicit yesterday. It is not at all helpful to imply that the dog will 'communicate' ad infinitum without anything bad happening.

You have all extolled the virtues of dog experts. But when an expert says that there's pit in a dog you're mocking all of a suddent. But of course you're going to say that he wasn't an expert... yawn.

Because a toddler is at risk of being attacked. Stay focussed on the real issue here. The OP has clearly said she is hugely stressed by the situation and can't cope. So why doesn't she DO something?

My dog hates the rain too. He doesn't snarl at it.

my google can't find that story either

I was casting my net a bit wider there - thinking about inappropriate but popular dog breeds like huskies. Interesting comment about the mouse - except, when I last looked, there was no breed as small as a mouse.

Perhaps OP would have found it easier too if she wanted to rehome a breed other than a staffy-pit look-a-like?

No one mocked the expert.

But you should know its not as simple as saying "he looks like a pit"

Tulips I beg you, for the love of all that is holy and merciful, please read where the OP IS DOING SOMETHING and stop frothing, your keys are going to stick and they are a nightmare to clean, you have to take the whole keyboard matrix out and everything

And why is that lb

Because of people like you with your attitudes towards staffys.

Of course people that have rehomed staffys might tell a different story.

ok BFG, if its too difficult for you to grasp my point I'll edit my comment to "if a Yorkie turned on my child Id rather it was a minature Yorkie"

I'm on a touch screen phone.

But thanks for making me laugh!

Ahhh, well froth on a touch screen phone is easier to clean, alcohol wipes should do it

Has this dog been put down yet-and if not then why not?

I think the people on here who claim they are responsible dog owners yet who are are either encouraging op to do nowt or to try and foist a problem dog on someone else should be ashamed of themselves.

I also think that shouting down,patronising and generally being snide about posters who offer another point of view is one of the reasons the Doghouse got such a bad reputation for a period and I believe led to one well known poster being banned. No? You so called doggie experts are not doing yourselves any favours whatsoever on this thread imo.

Op-I am sorry to hear about your pnd and I am sure that this situation isnt condusive to helping you recover but you do have the power to do some thing about it right now-have the dog put humanely to sleep.

No I am not a dog hater before I get flamed-we had the same dog for 17 years-mongrel-and the family were heartbroken when we had to put him down.

Haven't read the whole post, only the OP though I can see the discussion has moved on.

In the hope it may be useful...

My friend had this problem though with a different breed (basset hound - very stubborn), but the dog was growling at the child just the same. His solution was to be very consistent and each and every time the dog growled at the child he was sent out of the room and put in a quiet corner. So the dog was moved away from the child, rather than the child walking on eggshells round the dog.

This has the desired effect and the dog stopped growling as it learnt it just meant he was moved and taken away and the child came first. The dog and child now are fine together and the child is coming up to 4 with no incidents or further displays of aggression / intolerance, and are friends.

I am not saying if you think the dog could snap that this will cure it but it could be something to use until you find new home / solution which you can fully trust.

We can all reduce risk hairylemon.

Large/muscular/jawy breeds are gonna be more dangerous than small/less muscular/narrow-nosed breeds.

Saying smaller/even less muscular/very small-nosed breeds are even less dangerous does not negate my point.

Obviously NO dogs is the least risky of all. But that also does not negate my point.