https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 23 Apr 2026 05:52:02 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165503 Tue, 22 May 2012 16:11:59 +0000 heffalump 165503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's scary! We have a 65 lb mix who was a rescue, and he's amazing with kids and babies. But still I would never leave him alone with my LO. If they're interacting I'm always right there next to them. I don't know how old she'll be when we'll trust them together, but it'll be a long, long time from now. I also don't trust taking LO to the dog park, I'm looking forward to the day that we do, but I also know that'll be a long time from now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165458 Tue, 22 May 2012 15:07:52 +0000 brownie 165458@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have 2 dogs and my son (1 year old) loves all animals. So he is around them all the time. He is never left with them alone but we aren't necessarily right next to him at all times. Our big dog is great with the kid and even handles being crawled on. Of course we spend time with the kid teaching him how to behave around the dogs (like not climbing on him). Our little dog is more difficult. He just nipped the baby the other day. We aren't getting rid of him and we were there but the dog felt trapped and did what dogs do. And dad was within arms reach of all of them but it was a crazy situation (all 3 - the dogs and baby) decided to move at the same time.</p> <p>We don't put him in situations that could cause problems such as leaving them all in a room without exits. This isn't typically and issue because either the dogs or the baby will follow us. </p> <p>At some point, the kid and dogs have to be trusted together. I suspect by 3 or 4 the kid will be able to command the dog and then be trusted to control things (better). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165431 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:49:21 +0000 T.H.O.U. 165431@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think babies should be left unsupervised with any animals. There have been reports of this type of thing happening (unfortunately) from dogs, cats, even snakes. </p> <p>We have a big 80 pound dog and we don't leave them alone together. He's in the house around her but if they are both on the floor together, one of us is right there. We also leave instructions for any babysitter to keep the dog outside. He gets more excited with visitors (he loves people) but that makes for a bad combination with someone trying to watch the baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165422 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:40:15 +0000 Mrs. Stroller 165422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't leave baby S unsupervised with the dog, but the dog does always want to be near him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165419 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:38:56 +0000 LuLu Mom 165419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a little dog, and she's been around babies/kids since she was a puppy. We let her around my niece (she's 8 months) but never alone! I have seen the toddlers pull on her hair/ears and her just make a sound she never snaps, but I would never risk her getting upset and snap. She will be fenced in when our young baby is on the floor, but we do want them to grow up together and for our baby not to be scared of her. I know our pup will be very protective of the baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165418 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:37:15 +0000 Mrs. Cat in the Cradle 165418@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pup will never be unsupervised with baby. Although, I really doubt he will ever act out. He is just not aggressive at all, and is nothing but a pile of love. But, better safe than sorry! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165410 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:31:47 +0000 Foodnerd81 165410@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think it is so much about trusting the dogs-- I would hope that most people trust their dogs-- it's that the babies, being babies, can startle them or scare them and their reaction could be to snap. Babies need to be taught how to treat animals and it's really hard for them to pet gently, not pull up on the dogs or pull their tails, or whatever. And of course, dogs need to be trained in tons of ways.<br /> So, yeah, you shouldn't leave a baby alone with a dog because they are both unpredictable. And like @kml636: said, any can CAN bite. My dog has never bit anyone or showed any aggression to a person, but that doesn't mean I would leave him alone with a baby. I think until the kid is old enough to understand how not to hurt the dog and old enough to fend for themselves, I wouldn't leave them alone together. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165401 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:27:47 +0000 DillonLion 165401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This topic is so scary and sad. I love my dog to pieces, but if he feels threatened, or feels like his mommy is threatened, I can see how he might become protective (although I do not know to what extent he would exert his aggression - I've never seen him be mean or nasty before). </p> <p>The threat with my dog would probably be more of an accidental injury like scratching the baby or knocking him over. My dog is large and extremely playful. But, anytime he has ever been around small children he has always been well behaved.</p> <p>I think it is important that the animal and the baby are under supervision at all times. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165390 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:22:43 +0000 mediagirl 165390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Seriously, the story in Ohio just broke my heart. At the same time, that baby was WAY too young to be left alone with a pit bull or any dog!! I believe that animals only act the way they do because of how they were raised/their history. All dogs are born good. </p> <p>I have two dogs (little dogs) that will not be alone with the baby until she is old enough to be able to fend the dog off by herself. If I have to wash dishes or shower or do anything, the baby will go in the pack n play until I'm done. We have a swing and a bouncy chair that will probably get used but will be near me if I'm busy with something so I can keep an eye on the lo and the dogs. There will never be a time when the baby will be fully accessible to the dogs w/o a human right there with her.</p> <p>Like @kml636 said, any dog can bite. My nephew got bitten when he was about 5 months old by one of my SIL's rescue dogs. He was okay - has a permanent scar on his face from it. The dog was overly protective of my SIL, thought the baby was hurting her and bit him because of that. You never know. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165376 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:12:24 +0000 mrs. wagon 165376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have two small dogs and even though they have never bitten any person or dog, they are kept in an indoor fenced in area in our kitchen at all times when Wagon Jr. is awake, unless both of us are at home and on the same floor. We will have big dogs in the future, and the same will go for them-- restrained indoors or kept outdoors at all times unless they can be 100% supervised by us.</p> <p>I love my dogs (and all dogs!) and will always have at least two dogs in our house, big and small. But in the end, they are animals with instincts and babies are fragile, so I do not trust them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165374 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:11:59 +0000 kml636 165374@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it comes down to how well you know your dog, but I just saw an article on the mominformation blog about this. I will not be leaving my LO alone with my dog because... </p> <p>ANY DOG COULD BITE! I have the sweetest dog in the world that LOVES kids but if she was sleeping and a toddler ran and jumped on her belly, her reaction might be to bite. I don't know, so I wouldn't risk it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dogs-amp-babies#post-165370 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:07:35 +0000 Rock n Roll 165370@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you ever trust your dog around your baby? We don't have a dog (and never will- neither of us are really dog people.) But, there was a recent case of a dog killing a three day old baby near my town, and I know there was a big thread on weddingbee where a dog killed a one year old at his birthday party. </p> <p>People's reactions to these stories always seem to include a lot of people saying, "That's what dogs do" and how it's the parents' fault because they should never leave a dog alone with a baby. So, at what age is is acceptable for your child to be left with your dog? It just seems like if dogs are as dangerous as everyone makes it seem, I can't understand why you would want to have them around children at all.</p> <p>I started thinking about all this because my sister is pregnant and has two dogs. My daughter is really scared of her dogs, although they've never been violent. Mostly, I think she's just not used to having them around and they are really loud and jump up on people. But my sister's baby will grow up around them, and it seems like there's a point where you trust your dog to be good with your kid. How do you know when you can really trust the dog and know that it's not going to grab your baby and shake it to death in the minute it takes you to run across the room to stop it? </p>