"Even tethered, he will still jump up on me, DD and DS. So I tug the leash down quickly and firmly, with a "no!". If he does it and it isn't allowed, doesn't it have to be corrected to keep it from happening again?"


Not with the baby. Foot on line with the baby.... no physical way for the dog to jump onto him (or touch him, period). Pre-emptive work (managing the environment) with the dog vis-a-vis the baby.... or the baby will be afraid of the dog, and that's an all-around bad situation.

Well, actually, you have already seen this. Scared baby with chew-marks.

There is a bubble around the baby. The dog does not enter that bubble unless you are attached to the dog and you allow it. That is, in the perception of the dog, you own that baby and he is not allowed to touch on his own.

And his mouth and teeth and claws do not even get CLOSE to the baby. Ever.


(All JMO. Folks with more recent baby experience than mine -- maybe even this century! -- will see the thread tomorrow and help out. )

Thanks for the clarification. It makes more sense now.

I've read through various responses and a crucial piece is missing. A dog/puppy that is not respectful of children should not be allowed to touch them and a kid too young to understand how to interact with a dog like this needs to be protected from themself. This is a living situation problem not a training problem and needs to be addressed accordingly.

I'm not sure how many of you have lived with a 2 year old but it's maddening to keep them out of stuff secured let alone stuff unsecured. We are all fully aware of how quickly dog bites can happen or how kids make behaviors in dogs worse by acting like well... kids. Random movements, squeels, and high squeeky tones are well known for making dogs excited in a predatory way.

Personally if it were my dog and my two year old the two would only be interacting through a kennel door or chain link fence at this point. Because this puppy (soon to be a dog) is willing to draw blood in my mind tethering is 100% out of the question unless your kid is out of the room. Use a crate when it's kid time and tag team interacting with the puppy with your S.O. for needed interactions (walks, potty breaks, etc) and then get the puppy out after your kid goes to nap, bed, daycare, etc.

The sad truth of the matter is that your dog may NEVER be safe around your young son depending on the dog, depending on your kid, and depending on your training ability on both of them. You need to set up your life in such a way that your kid will be safe first both physically and mentally and that your dog will have a consistent experience in how he interacts with your kid.

Hey Danity, you said kids. How is he with the older kids? Does his prey drive kick in with their running or screaming?

 Quote: Melissa Thom

... You need to set up your life in such a way that your kid will be safe first both physically and mentally and that your dog will have a consistent experience in how he interacts with your kid.

Billboard time!

Very well said.

Manage the environment.

 Quote: melissa thom

.... a crucial piece is missing. A dog/puppy that is not respectful of children should not be allowed to touch them

Unfortunately, this pup has not had that "this baby is mine; do not approach and never touch" respect taught.

And I agree with you that the puppy can't touch the baby.

I'm not sure I agree about tethering being insufficient, but we may have very different ideas of what it means. I mean that the puppy is attached to my jeans with a 5-foot line.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

I'm not sure I agree about tethering being insufficient, but we may have very different ideas of what it means. I mean that the puppy is attached to my jeans with a 5-foot line.

Maybe it's because I recently lived with a 2 year old and a five year old. Unless the kid is securely tethered to the opposite side of the room (which DSHS frowns upon) there is no way to get anything done without eyes on them both which eliminates the intent on tethering.

Telling a 2 year old to not touch a dog is a little like telling them this chocolate is off limits and then leaving it within reach. A puppy doesn't have the self control and the kid doesn't have the self control... I like my life simple I suppose and tethering to me without control of the environment around the tether is pointless and unfair to the dog.

Ah. Gotcha.

I think my wooden pen and x-pen mentions were kind of similar to your "kid is securely tethered to the opposite side of the room," but you are correct; it has been a loooong time since I've had a two-year old, and I never had one with a puppy. My grandkids are around well-trained adult dogs. Very different.

Danity, welcome and try not to take offense at what you perceive may be a negative 'tone' to any particluar post. Everyone has the best interests of your child and pup in mind... (really )

Read Melissa's posts a couple of times; IMO she has hit the nail on the head. You have to manage the environment better. That doesn't mean that there can be no interaction between the pupppy and your son, but it has to be extremely well-supervised and done when the pup and child are both calm.

If you are not right there, (and I mean, puppy and son at your fingertips), then you must separate them by whatever means is most effective, whether it's a crate, baby gate or ex-pen.

My son was 5 when we got our pup, and even at 5, his movements and actions revved the pup up. I have learned some hard lessons about puppies and kids, and the biggest takeaway is that the environment has to be controlled to ensure the safety of your child.

Please continue posting and let us know how things are going.

PS, at 5 months your pup is probably just starting to teethe, so you have a ways to go yet with the obnoxious biting/chewing...

 Quote: steve strom

Hey Danity, you said kids. How is he with the older kids? Does his prey drive kick in with their running or screaming?

The older two (16 and 10) haven't met Kaz yet, as they live with their mother in Ohio. They'll be introduced at Christmas when they visit. Kaz does well with our 8 year old, but she has been reading with us, watching the videos and also participating in some of the training.

The only time I see Kaz get excited is when both the 8yo and 2yo are playing and running through the house. He wants to run along with them, and gets frustrated that he can't because he is leashed and I am at the other end. In the mornings, he has to go to each bedroom and make sure everyone is okay before heading outside.

I know thhe is not trying to hurt the baby, but is interacting the way puppies do. The two year old also does well stopping, putting his back to the dog and pulling his arms to his chest and does it consistently if Kaz jumps up.

But we are going to go back to tethering and separation. Perhaps once we get him proofed on "sit" and "down" we can introduce them calmly to one another.