Rescue dogs and babies

[RRG]

There is a new baby expected in our family. The parents have recently adopted a bull mastiff dog which had been mistreated. I am fearful that the dog will be a threat to the baby. I'm looking for advice about how to handle this situation. Am I being overly concerned?

[coneye]

Nothing anyone can say really except , the  soon to be parents if they have half a brain wil watch the dog very very carefully to suss out its temprement , and when the babys born , double , treble and quadruple watching the dog with the baby , and that  is for all dogs be it the old or the new dog .

 

When my youngest was around 12 months old ,  i was given a really really nice doberman , it was  from memory  around 18 months maybe 2 years old , a bit scatty but  a very nice dog , it  very quickly became my jogging partner  , came to work with me and become my mate , but  the wife said get rid ,  and she meant it , the dog had not done anything wrong   it was really a good dog , BUT the wife just did'nt like the way it looked at the baby , she said she simply did'nt trust it , i started to watch it very carefully and soon agreed it did tend to just stare at him , it never went to interact in any way shape or form with him , and when he went near the dog , it would simply walk away from   my lad ,  i myself then become a bit uncomfortable with how he was looking at  the lad , so , i found a home ,  gave him away , to  a guy with teenage kids ,  over time i would ask how the dogs doing , they were rapt  there boys took the dog everywhere ,  he said he was the perfect familly dog . but he also said  to me  i think you done the right thing , we don't think he likes  babys and small children  ,  i was sad to see a good dog go , but heh ,  it was my son , we  my wife and i both just  had a gut feeling   and  never regretted it , the dog went to a good home  and we  were never put in  a bad position , , really they just have to watch it and remember , no matter how much you love your dog , they are just that a animal  and personaly   i feel people have to remember that , there not human   sometimes we think they are , but there not . and jeez  this just reminds me i'm getting old , the youngest lad is now 36 LOL

[Rebanne]

I'd never adopt an adult dog with a baby.

[Mairead]

No, not overly concerned. Rightly concerned. A killing bite can happen in seconds and in a moment of inattention by parents or grandparents.

Young children and babies are regularly killed by dogs. Look it up.

Not as often as children killed by parents (left in a hot car, run over in a driveway, unsupervised near water etc) but why take the chance?