If your dog growls at your child he is sending a clear warning that he is very uncomfortable with the actions or proximity of the child. Be grateful that your dog chose to warn with a growl rather than going straight to a bite.
If a dog shows his teeth or growls at a child, he's clearly feeling uncomfortable and aggressive. But it's unwise to wait until you see these dramatic behaviors. It's much safer to learn to recognize your dog's early, subtle warnings.
Your dog needs to back away, not you. Stay calm and firm and hold your ground. Communicate that this is not acceptable behaviour, it won't intimidate you and that they need to solve their problem in a different way. As long as you are assertive, not aggressive, your dog will never be offended.
Dogs who show aggression toward a new baby in the home often do so because they have not been well socialized to children and find them foreign and frightening. Some dogs don't fear babies, but they become aggressive when guarding their food, toys or chew bones.
Introduction. Dogs are extremely loyal members of the family and just like humans they can experience a variety of different emotions - including jealousy. This can especially be the case when someone new becomes a member of the family, such as a newborn baby and seems to get all the attention and affection.
Dogs are brilliant; they understand that babies are defenseless family members and not just a tiny human. They strongly feel the urge to protect and be gentle with babies for various reasons our experts have observed.
If your dog growls at your child he is sending a clear warning that he is very uncomfortable with the actions or proximity of the child. Be grateful that your dog chose to warn with a growl rather than going straight to a bite.
If your dog is reacting aggressively to babies, children or other dogs, you should never use verbal or physically harsh punishment. If she is doing things like growling, snarling or even snapping, she's giving signals. She's telling you that she isn't comfortable.
Don't push your dog over his tolerance threshold. Whatever you're doing, just stop. If your dog's growl threshold is near his bite threshold – that is, if there's not much time between his growl and his bite, get safe. If his growl doesn't mean a bite is imminent, stop what you're doing but stay where you are.
Growling is part of normal canine communication. People usually think of a dog's growl as a warning or as a sign of defense. Often, growling means that the dog needs space or is uncomfortable. However, growling is a complex vocalization that also occurs in other situations.
Bottom Line: When your dog growls at you I recommend that you listen to what your dog is saying. Immediately stop doing whatever it is that you're doing and move away.
Also, your pup's whining, or even barking, when the baby cries could be a sign of anxiety. The loud crying could be uncomfortable for your dog and he simply wants to get away. Besides just the sound being an issue, your pup may be picking up on the discomfort that is causing the baby to cry.
Here are some training tips to stop your puppy from growling: Distract them from their bad behavior. Yelp or call out if they're growling at you and step away from the situation. Remove them from the situation if they show signs of aggression.
The baby should be introduced in a quiet room where the dog has few associations - not in a place where they usually sleep or eat. Hold the baby and allow the dog to sniff it. The dog will appear interested for a few seconds and will then lose interest. When they back away, praise them and give them a treat.
It's not at all uncommon for dogs to experience some level of anxiety when they're introduced to a new baby, or even when their owner is pregnant.
Remember, NEVER LEAVE YOUR BABY AND DOG TOGETHER UNSUPERVISED, even if you trust your dog. As your child grows up you will have to continue to supervise interactions with your dog since many attacks occur against children that do not realise that they are irritating or threatening animals.
Dogs Growl to Communicate
Growling seems like an aggressive act. After all, it usually precedes a bite. But, at its core, growling is about communication. Dogs growl to indicate they're unhappy, uncomfortable, or even fearful about a particular situation.
Dogs can hear, smell, and see babies, but they don't really know what a baby is, so it is shocking when dogs treat babies differently than adults. While your dog may not care much about adults, you might notice that your dog seems especially interested in babies.
A newborn brings a whole range of new smells and sounds into your home, and perhaps the most worrying is crying. Remember, your dog picks up on energy, and the energy that your baby is giving off while crying is anything but calm and assertive. Your dog may become distressed, too, whimpering, whining, and barking.
Most dogs adjust to the infant within a few days, while others may take several weeks.
A dog's mouth carries a lot of germs, which can easily be passed to people. This is especially problematic for babies and immune suppressed adults. Both are at an increased risk of contracting infections and parasites from dogs. So, even though it may look cute, a dog licking a baby's face should not be allowed.