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We have 2 dogs, one is a bernese (102 lbs) and the other is a bernese/german shepard (60 lbs). Both are really good dogs. Our shepard has an awful bark to him when he sees people, but he is really friendly. Our bernese likes all people and wants everyone to play with him. A problem I have been thinking of is, how is our shepard going to act when a baby comes along. We got him from a pound and he was abused. He is only one, and he loves to give kisses all the time and he is really good. Today my friend brought her 2 year old son over. Our bernese scared him because he is so large, except all our dog ewanted to do was play with him. Our shepard barked at him, and normally he likes all people. The child screamed and jumped up and down on the floor, which made our shepard bark, and even though I don't think he would do anything to the child, I held him back. I am afraid that when we have a child that our shepard is going to bite. My boyfriend thinks I am silly to even think that because the shepard is so timid. I don'y fully trust the dog yet, mind you he has not barked at us or bitten us. Just wondering for anyone who has kids, did you ever worry that your dog would do something to your child? ↓
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| Name: lindalu | Date: Feb 25th, 2007 11:40 PM |
| Hyper or active children can overly excite some dogs it doesnt mean they are going to bite. It can however lead to agressive behavior! German Shepards are herding dogs, some have a high pray drives! Just watch the dog, you are write not to 100% trust a dog not to bite! ↑ |
| Name: momof3 | Date: Feb 26th, 2007 3:19 AM |
We have 3 kids and 2 dogs. Toby is almost 2 and he is German Shepherd, lab mix, and Nika is the same mix and 6 months old.
Toby was just a puppy when I had my youngest. I had the same concerns that you did. He is very shy and can be timid.
When we brought our baby home, Toby came home a week later from training. I never left him alone with the baby, then one day I had the baby sleeping on the floor, and my husband didn't realize that I had gone upstairs and he let Toby in the house, I came downstairs and Toby was laying next to the baby, and when I came into the room he put his paw across her legs. I still don't let the dogs and the kids alone in a room, but he has never done anything to him, and if anything is wrong his first response is to run to the kids and get in front of them to protect them.
My advice is that if you do have a baby, you NEED to supervise the dogs around the baby, NEVER leave them in the room alone together. Also, try and socializ the dogs more. Take them to Petsmart and let them woalk around and get used to people. ↑ |
| Name: molly-may | Date: Feb 26th, 2007 11:38 AM |
| Thanks for your responses. We had him to a trainer, but he has issues with other dogs. He loves his ig brother and a friend of ours had a female bernese and he loves her too. But some dogs he doesn't like. If he is outside and someone is out there he will run to them barking then he will stop about 5 feet in front of them and sit down. We are going to try and socialize him with other dogs more. My boyfriends friend has three dogs and they range from a boston terrier, a shepard, to a mutt. We are going to see how he reacts around them. People come in and out of the house and he loves all people, the only person he didn't like was a man my boyfriend works with and he coward to him. I trust him around me and my family, but kids don't hang out with us. I keep thinking it will be different when we have our own, that way our shepard will be there from the beginning and know the smell of the baby, and we can work with him through the pregnancy and when the baby arrives. I know it is going to take some work, I just don't want him to attack. I am wondering if I started putting a muzzel on him when kids come would that help. He hates his kennel, and when I put him in it when the baby came over. he looked at me with his sad eyes and his big smile on his face and his tongue hanging out, so I let him out. I think that if he wanted to attack the child, he would have just done it. He went to sniff my friend, and he had no problems with her, just when the boy got hyper and was jumping. ↑ |
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