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I have had a few clients that really took what I said about “the baby being none of the dog’s business” to heart and they succeeded. I have had a few that didn’t and rehomed the dog due to it becoming too much work to stay on top of things. I have had some (actually talking to one now) that take too much freedom away from the dog and with the baby and extra company and changes in the home, create other side effects. I tell people that I hope to educate them so that they can make decisions for their families and know how to adjust based on the outcomes of those decisions. Any safety issue “warnings” I put in writing. And I don’t mince words. While it is beneficial for dogs to tolerate handling, children have no way of reading an animal, reacting appropriately, and being safe in a way that 100% negates safety precautions. I know people like kids and dogs, and there are LOTS of dogs that are so patient with poor handling and inappropriate behavior (from kids and adults). I still hate the idea of dogs “tolerating” me. I know it has to happen for certain things, but we try to build trust and a predictable association with these times with leadership at the heart (as much as possible) but I can’t wrap my head around that being the ideal situation that people strive for. I have friends who’s dogs constantly have kids climbing on them and getting in their faces, sharing resting places, etc…while the dogs have never advocated against the kids they have other behaviors like destroying things in the home, pacing, GI problems, heavy panting, and one barks constantly. There are drive balance issues to consider, but in general I think the more unpredictable the home environment is the harder it is for dogs to succeed.
