How would I introduce a baby to a bull mastiff?
I don't have children but my husband & I are intending to start a family soon. I have a large 72kg male bull mastiff who is very possessive & protective. How would I introduce a baby to him? Obviously I would never, EVER leave any child alone with even a cat.
- dog has NEVER had any kind of interaction with children.
Start small. Walk your dog past children’s playgrounds, or the fences next to childcare centres when the kids are out playing, so that he can get used to hearing the shrieking and screaming and laughing of small children. Give him treats and lots of love when he does not react to hearing them, to teach him not to get worked up about them. It might take a while
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Then start to get him used to the fact that he’s not going to be the “only child”. Get a baby-like doll, like a Baby Born or whatever (anything’ll do, as long as it looks sorta like a baby. It’d be good if it’s got a button that you can press, that it’ll start crying!), and start walking around the house with it, cradling it, doing baby stuff with it. Give it attention, even though it’s a toy. “Burp” it, pat it’s back, hold it up in the air and go ga-ga over it, like you would with a baby, etc. Pass it around to your friends when they come over, and swoon over your little “fake bundle of joy”.
Sit down on the couch and watch the news/whatever while cradling it, and make your dog sit-stay about 2 meters away from you, and do not let him get any closer.
When you’re done “playing mum” (could start off with only being 30 mins a day, start small!), put the doll into the room that the nursery/baby room will be, and make sure that the dog sit-stays at the door and does not go inside.
Praise, praise, praise your dog when he does the right thing, or is calm around the "baby"
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If he tries to jump up to your "baby" when you’re holding it, then tell him no and send him outside/to the "naughty corner" for 30 seconds (not too long, or he’ll forget what he did wrong!) or until he settles down.
See if you can get a tape or CD that plays baby noises and crying, as it will help your dog get used to these sounds until he accepts them as being an “everyday sound”.
If your dog jumps on you out of excitement when you come in the house/come home, this will also need to stop, as you’ll be holding a real infant in your arms eventually! Ignore him completely you come in the house, put your things down, maybe even your “fake baby” into its room, then go back and say hello to your dog and play with him a little bit. You can practice this with your husband, or even with your friends, as he needs to learn to not jump up on anyone. Give your close friend a call and ask them to come help you with dog training. Have them knock on the door and come into your house and start talking to you as if the dog is never there. Talk about anything if you get stuck. Talk about your kettle, your garden, anything. Just make sure that you are interacting with each other and not the dog. Make sure that your friend doesn’t even make eye contact with the dog. Rinse and repeat – send your friend back outside, make her knock on the door again and come inside and talk to you, while ignoring the dog. After getting inside properly, your friend can then say hello to your dog.
Make sure your dog isn’t left out throughout this baby-adjusting time, though. It’s all just teaching him not to be jealous with another new family member around.
Good luck, I hope I helped.
Phew, long answer!
they should be fine-like you said not unattended though.
be careful he may knock the little one over (when they are learning to walk) by accident, they are known for this. im sure you know they are kinda clumsy.
carefully
Well that is a tough one. If he is already possessive and protective, he may never be completely safe around your child. It is best to use a professional for these things, as you obviously so not want to use a live test subject. I highly suggest the "Ceaser method". Try getting some Ceaser Milan (Dog Whisperer) books, and watching the show. We used this method with our dominant dog while I was pregnant, and he is great with our baby. No amount of reading is going to replace a professional trainer, however.
Please, please reevaluate your dog after training and objectively decide if he will be safe to have around your child. As a side note Bull Masiffs are guardian breeds, and generally do very well with children when raised with them, or when they are properly introduced into the family.
slowly. dogs know when your pregnant and sense when your gonna be due, so they know someone is coming. dont ignore your dog the first few months or give him any less attention than you do know, he will get jealous. do start slowly. when he is lying lay down with him and bring the baby, showing the baby is now part of the people he needs to protect. as long as jealousy isnt a factor he will know that a baby means more gentle.
well since your dog seems a bit dominant towards things… you DEFFINATELY want to think twice about having a baby, if you are positive about bringing a baby into your home. please seek a dog trainer before you do anything else.
This dog can possibly hurt your child later when he starts crawling and what not.
has your dog been around children? if not, seek a dog trainer and invite younger family members to help and introduce your dog to young people.. do not get pregnant, have a baby and wait to see what happens even introducing.. your dog can be unpredictable since he doesn’t seem like he’s met children or infants.
Mastiffs don’t have a reputation of being bad with children but because of the size alone are potentially a hazard to an infant. As hard as it may be to find, a crate is always a good idea. It allows them to get use to the situation while keeping the baby away from a potentially harmful reaction.
PS. you may want to socialize you pup with some older children so he gets use to loud noises and all the perks that come with children. Use the same methods at first though to avoid harmful reactions.
Do not allow the dog in the room where the baby will be, EVER.
Let the dog smell the things that the baby will wear and any lotions (don’t let the dog lick or chew anything that’s the baby’s), that will get the dog used to the smells that the baby will have.
A good slow introduction to the actual baby is best.
Don’t let dog jump up on you, furniture or anything that will be the baby’s.
Check out this website and join the forum-I’m a member: http://www.leerburg.com
There’s alot of info on there and lots of people with big powerful breeds and they know even more than I do about dogs and can answer tons of questions you may have.
I would not have a baby if you are going to keep this dog. Sound like a recipe for disaster. Things can happen in the blink of an eye. You don’t want to take any chances in this situation, I don’t care how much the dog people try to convince you that it can be done. Better to be safe than sorry.
I have 2 German Sheps that are 100+ lbs – before my children came I was told to put all the babies things out early, like swing, bouncy chair, bassenett etc. to let the dogs get used to them around the house and then after I gave birth, my husband took home a blanket that we had swaddled her in to let my dogs smell it, and they did really fine with her, my kids are 5 & 3 and I still have to watch them the dogs are so big they can accidentally knock them over. It will take time, but there is no reason you can’t become one big happy family
Remember that in the wild, wolves are not allowed to meet the new pups until they are 5-6 weeks old and can scamper.
On the first day, let the dog sniff the baby while you are holding the infant; if the dog leans in close enough to actually touch, growl at him. Just pitch your voice low and say something like, "Keep your distance, mister!" He’ll back up. You are the alpha b!tc# wolf in your little family pack, and he is subordinate to you and to your husband.
Obedience classes now, continued and repeated a couple of times a year because it’s fun, also function to enforce the natural fact that you and your husband are the alpha pair.
Don’t allow the dog close to the baby. Don’t freak, don’t grab the baby… just growl at the dog. I’ll bet you only have to do it a few times and he’ll set up his perimeter a safe distance away.
Make sure you set aside time, perhaps when the baby is napping, to romp and play with your dog as you have always done; you don’t want him to feel as if he’s been exiled from the pack, you just want him to keep his distance from the baby.
I firmly believe that until they are old enough to stand up, make a fist and yell,"I said ROVER SIT!" no child is accepted as a human by a dog. Babies don’t talk and they smell funny; they are small and soft and wiggly and they are often on the floor. That sounds a lot like a wounded prey animal… which is, I believe, why infants are attacked by family pets: mistaken identity.
I believe that you ordering the dog to keep his distance from the infant, and feeding the baby in the dog’s presence while he is ordered to keep his distance, will impress upon him that the baby is yours. Your husband, when he is present, should do the same; in the wolf pack, the alpha pair both defend the pups, even from the rest of the pack.
When the baby is safe in his crib napping, you can play and snuggle with your dog as before.
Just in preparation, you might take him to a public place,perhaps a park, where he can see children from a distance. Don’t let him get close; just let him observe. Walk him near moms with infants; walk slowly and don’t stop; you just want him to familiarize himself with the sounds and sights and scents of small children and babies.
If there is a therapy dog training program in your area, sign him up for it. He’ll learn to remain calm and obedient around all kinds of odd things. And if he’s certified in time, he can come to the hospital to visit with you.
OTOH, if he shows any aggression at all, and you have any concerns about the baby’s safety, you must separate them entirely. But you know that.
Good luck!