Dogs and baby - behaviour change

The Mighty Quinn

I have two crossbreed small-medium dogs, 15kg each. Bichon mix.

Both have always been good dogs,, however, one has always been occasionally hostile to the other. For example he'd growl strongly at times if he didn't want the other in his bed, or near a bone he has or whatever. Both very good with people, well socialised also.

They're walked daily, well fed, plenty of attention, almost never alone for more than 3 hours. They are indoor dogs.

Enter baby, first baby in the house. Child arrived a few weeks ago. First few days both dogs were madly curious. They were let smell, got a lick in etc. Interest has waned now, still the odd smell or look into a cot to see baby, but fleeting interest.

The occasionally hostile dog has hit new levels of aggression to the other dog since baby. Daily there is now an incident where growling has intensified and occasional snaps and scraps spring up from nothing. The "good" dog doesn't do anything obvious to provoke, and to be honest is the sweetest dog I've ever come across. Harmless. He looks at me when the other dog growls, you'd nearly hear him talking to you to intervene!

I'm connecting grumpy dogs behaviour to baby, but do not know what to do to change it. Today in the room with me and baby and other dog he really went for good dog. To close to baby for my liking.

Did still feed the same and walked the same, probably less attention, me baby makes everything hard, but we actively try be nice to them and stop with them and give them some time.

What can I do to help this situation? What is the behaviour? Is it a dominance thing?

"bad" dog has never went for a person. He has rarely on occasion growled at me if I rub him, but is mostly a happy dog who appears to love his walls and time with me. The dogs are 2yrs old.

The Mighty Quinn

The Mighty Quinn wrote: »

To close to baby for my liking.

Congrats on the kiddo.

Presume the child is more important than the growler/scrapping dog with a bad dose of jealousy.

Find the dog(s) a good home and enjoy parenthood.

DBB

No need to go for nuclear options until you've exhausted other avenues op Congratulations on your new baby... excitement and stress and tiredness all wrapped up in a bundle!
For starters, it's not a dominance thing. This notion of dogs being dominant is now disproven. An enduring myth! What has been traditionally mistaken for "dominance" is almost inevitably some level of fear-based behaviour around the loss of resources that at any moment in time, happen to be important to a dog.
The arrival of a new baby very often causes a shift in the dynamic between dogs and their owners and/or other dogs in the household. It does sound, from what you've said, that "bold" dog has some resource guarding issues, and I wonder is he now extending this to the baby?
Usually, I'd have a go at helping you out with advice here. But I'm very conscious that there's a tiny baby involved in the mix here, so I think it's more prudent for me to advise that you get a good, qualified behaviourist out to your home, to cast a seasoned eye over what's going on. At least then, you can move things along in an informed way. Is this something you'd consider?
If so, let us know roughly what part of the country you're in, so that we might hopefully suggest some good behaviourists in your area.
You're going the right thing, looking for help before this gets any worse.:)

The Mighty Quinn

JayZeus wrote: »

Congrats on the kiddo.

Presume the child is more important than the growler/scrapping dog with a bad dose of jealousy.

Find the dog(s) a good home and enjoy parenthood.

Part of me is screaming for this option but I know that's - at the moment - an overreaction. I don't want to dump one of the dogs at the first sign of difficulty. Like I said, the behaviour hasn't extended towards humans and I don't leave them alone with baby and never will.

The Mighty Quinn

DBB wrote: »

No need to go for nuclear options until you've exhausted other avenues op Congratulations on your new baby... excitement and stress and tiredness all wrapped up in a bundle!
For starters, it's not a dominance thing. This notion of dogs being dominant is now disproven. An enduring myth! What has been traditionally mistaken for "dominance" is almost inevitably some level of fear-based behaviour around the loss of resources that at any moment in time, happen to be important to a dog.
The arrival of a new baby very often causes a shift in the dynamic between dogs and their owners and/or other dogs in the household. It does sound, from what you've said, that "bold" dog has some resource guarding issues, and I wonder is he now extending this to the baby?
Usually, I'd have a go at helping you out with advice here. But I'm very conscious that there's a tiny baby involved in the mix here, so I think it's more prudent for me to advise that you get a good, qualified behaviourist out to your home, to cast a seasoned eye over what's going on. At least then, you can move things along in an informed way. Is this something you'd consider?
If so, let us know roughly what part of the country you're in, so that we might hopefully suggest some good behaviourists in your area.
You're going the right thing, looking for help before this gets any worse.:)

Thanks. Yes, definitely a resource guarding issue with that dog. But if he's being precious about something (and being snarly about other dog) , i often just reach in and take it. He never reacts to me touching his things.

That said, a lot of the time the two dogs coexist with no issue, lick each other, share a bed rather than take one each, etc. It's just notable that these hostile incidents have become almost daily since baby.

I'm in Midwest, would consider a behaviourist. Would like to try help the situation rather than lose the dog. If I feel he's a danger to the child he might just have to go, but now that feels like a last resource option. We love the dogs, just stressed about them lately, feeling bit guilty too. They were the babies, now less attention (but still far from ignored!)

borderlinemeath

Congrats on the baby OP, the resource guarding dog seems to be picking up on the whole new routine and it's upping the huffiness towards his pal. As you say, it's been ongoing, but only occasionally, so it's been tolerated and you've intervened to diffuse situations.

From the aggressors point of view, it might not even be the baby that's triggering the behaviours. It's possible that it's just the new routine that a new baby brings to a household - ie turning it completely upside down! - is driving his unease. Your daily routine is now centred around feeding, cleaning baby, cleaning house, cleaning clothes, the old child free days are what the dog is used to, relaxed, orderly, predictable. Dogs love routine, and it's been turned on it's head.

It's essential to get a behaviourist in to see what's triggering him. Also a vet visit wouldn't go amiss to make sure there's no pain issue that is giving him cause to act out. Something like arthritis or even a toothache can be well hidden but cause him to act out more frequently.

Good luck with them, I brought a baby home to 3 dogs and thankfully all was great. Now she's 4 she has 4 dogs to mind and they dote on her.

frillyleaf

DBB wrote: »

No need to go for nuclear options until you've exhausted other avenues op Congratulations on your new baby... excitement and stress and tiredness all wrapped up in a bundle!
For starters, it's not a dominance thing. This notion of dogs being dominant is now disproven. An enduring myth! What has been traditionally mistaken for "dominance" is almost inevitably some level of fear-based behaviour around the loss of resources that at any moment in time, happen to be important to a dog.
The arrival of a new baby very often causes a shift in the dynamic between dogs and their owners and/or other dogs in the household. It does sound, from what you've said, that "bold" dog has some resource guarding issues, and I wonder is he now extending this to the baby?
Usually, I'd have a go at helping you out with advice here. But I'm very conscious that there's a tiny baby involved in the mix here, so I think it's more prudent for me to advise that you get a good, qualified behaviourist out to your home, to cast a seasoned eye over what's going on. At least then, you can move things along in an informed way. Is this something you'd consider?
If so, let us know roughly what part of the country you're in, so that we might hopefully suggest some good behaviourists in your area.
You're going the right thing, looking for help before this gets any worse.:)

Congrats on the baby OP! This is great advice and would also recommend the same thing. It is important that you get someone who is qualified to guide you particularly as there is a tiny person around now

I’m sure you already know to never leave baby and dogs unsupervised for any amount of time. Best of luck with behaviourist. I would be confident this is something you could work through under the guidance of someone who is *qualified* to help you if you contact them