Dog scratched baby by mistake

[crispysausagerolls]

Our working cocker (3) is a complete angel with our baby (1), and they love each other very much. I never leave them alone together but the problem is DS and spaniel play together (passing a toy back and forth etc) and chase each other round, and it’s not possible/fair to stop this. However today my dog scratched DS on his face whilst playfully pawing him. It wasn’t a deep scratch and DS didn’t cry (or seem to notice) but it was SO close to his eye and I am now terrified and don’t know what to do.

My cocker can inflict quite a scratch when 'playfully pawing'. I stop immediately when he does that to discourage that type of play as I would hate for him to inflict that accidentally when playing.

Please for the love of god do not stick claw covers on his nails.

The problem isn't the scratch, it won't have done any damage. The problem is that a dog close enough to accidentally scratch is a dog close enough to accidentally snap. They wouldn't necessarily do so in aggression, it could simply be a part of a game or an attempt to retrieve a toy. The other scenario of course is that a toddler close enough to get accidentally scratched is a toddler who is so familiar with the dog that they are likely to be completely unwary of the dog. They will, during their normal course of play and exploration pull and pinch and hit (they do this to adults and each other all the time) and make alarmingly loud noises perhaps very close to the dog's ears, which may be painful to a dog's sensitive hearing. Because they are little they don't have any concept in advance of these behaviours that these things might alarm the dog to the point that the dog may be startled or may nip as a warning, and most dogs don't have experience of toddlers to predict this kind of behaviour in advance either.

It's safer for the dog and the child if they aren't encouraged to play together, lovely though it is. It does take a bit of work to discourage it.

It's completely understandable OP and I don't blame you at all for having let them get close. I made exactly the same mistake with DS1 and our cat and had a hell of a time trying to protect the cat once DS1 got a bit older, more boisterous and less biddable.

There is some other nice stuff on that site about how they can have a nice relationship without being all up in each other's faces all the time, which is reassuring because I know it sounds a bit joyless when you see them playing together perfectly nicely most of the time to have this idea that they must always be behind bars and never allowed to touch. (Realistically that's only in the initial breaking-the-association bit anyway).

You just have to consider what happens when your spaniel wants to chase other toddlers. How can he understand that’s not allowed?

Whenever your dog does anything, think ‘do I want him doing that to/with strangers?’

That’s what I try to consider when working with my dog. (Also a mad cocker spaniel)

CrispySausageRolls You have to stop them chasing as I said before and here is a list of ways to do it.

1. Stair gates - I know you said this will not work but it works for most people so think about it for a bit. The dog can see you and will not be lonely, your baby will be interacting with other activities rather than the dog.

1. Train the dog - my dogs will play outside but will not chase around indoors. If they chase each other indoors they are sent outside - soon the dog will learn indoors is chill and outside is for playing.

1. Increase the exercise and brain games for your dog - again this will encourage a chilled dog indoors

1. You do not have to encourage bonding with a toddler and a dog. The toddler will be changing daily and the dog only needs to interact when the child can interact safely - this will be when the child can understand and follow instructions from you. Until then there should be limited interaction - maybe chatting to the dog and gentle supervised stroking but little else.

1. Increase interaction when out and about with your baby and dog so the dog is getting stimulated and exercised whilst the baby is watching - so more exercise for the dog and more fresh air for the toddler in a buggy .

1. It is totally doable, you are going to find a way to keep your child safe for the rest of your childs life - this is just another occasion that can easily be sorted.

Can you get you little one involved in some training? My little one used to help me and it gave them something to do together that was calm. My little one has just turned two and can tell the dog to sit, down, stay and paw. She will also place the treats on the dogs pass etc when I tell her to leave and then little one will say go when she can eat them. Means dog starts taking orders from little one and little one can interact with the dog in a calm and controlled way.

Trim his nails, intervene when play is getting boisterous and redirect onto something else, and chill out.

Thank you this is excellent advice.

overfedstanley

We do most of that stuff. dog is gundog trained and DS watches the training every day in the park.

I think there has to be a balance - I think they play nicely and gently most of the time but I absolutely need to create boundaries/work out at what point interaction needs to be limited or stopped altogether.

bertiebotts

Very good points