Personally, I just wouldn't take my baby to the house unless they gave an assurance that the dog would be kept in another room or crated at all times. The baby is too precious and it sounds like they haven't taken the severity of the dogs actions as seriously as they should have done. If it were me and I wanted to visit, I'd probably book in a local hotel for a weekend. That way you could visit the house for a few hours at a time and it wouldn't be too much for them to keep the dog either locked away or crated for a few hours here and there. They could also visit you at the hotel for a meal or something, to spend more time with you.

Sorry but I just don't agree with that. I often use my legs/feet to block or maybe nudge my dogs out the way. I nudge my OH with my feet. They are not a kick.
You may as well say we are all strangling our dogs because we tie things round their necks.

Yeah - she didnt really push him actually - more just stuck her foot out so he couldnt come really near. She did that a few times then gave up.

Hamish's main problem is that he thinks hes a person not a dog imo.

A very important person.

I totally agree with that. A kick is one thing, a foot block or a touch with the foot it something totally different. One is violent, the other is not. Very different things indeed!

Because you have just answered your own question, kicked shoved off with a foot, in such circumstances will be a little more than blocking a dog with a foot/leg/

You also said....

.

Clouted /shouted at along with as you said kicked off when the dog made contact...so you can forgive me if I assumed kicked him off was what it meant...a kick

Dont get me wrong, I understand the severity of the situation and your concerns, but this sort of negative reaction to the dog is NOT going to help his situation.



A nudge and a block in a controlled manner is one thing, something we all do, but in a situation where you have lost control, i.e shouting /hitting and a push with a foot, ,my well be a little more than a "move out of the way"


No, Hamish does not think he is a person at all, he knows he is a dog, albitite that seems to have no boundaries set.



I agree, but from the scenario of the situation where no one seemed to be in control, I think albeit not a full scale kick, this was not a "block" , remember it is accompanied by what seems to be a loss of control by all adults...

I think most of us have been bitten at one time or another as we grew up, so not sure why you think this is a rite of passage, and your in laws see it that way.

To me they seem to be unable to see any danger, they proberbly love Hamish more than you can imagine, and are proberbly shocked at what happened, we all would be, their and your reactions to the situation came from a lack of understanding of dog!!

You took a new baby into a home where none have been before, with owners who never gave a thought to the situation, when it went wrong from the impression of your posts there was panic, lots of shouting.kickign/pushing and isolation for Hamish..

I think you are going to isolate your family /friends if you start to demand they do this and that with their dogs before you visit.

Not all owners are as unaware of the scenario of a new baby.

Why will leaving it till he is older help, a dog that is not used to children will be so whether they are in a Carry cot, or toddling, the sooner you can introduce the DOGS to HIM, the better, and him being so small wiill be an advantage, you can control the situation better, then suddenly taking a toddler who wont stay still into meet dogs that have never been around them beofre.

Caution needs to be applied at all times with all dogs, you baby is thee priority, (I understand your concern) but leaving it till later is not going to help, nor is dictating to others what to do with their dogs.

"Hamish hasnt been kicked btw Jackbox , aside from when he was actually trying to bite the baby his owners have not treated him any differently except when we insisted he was leashed or put in a different room, not sure why you thought that."

Jackbox, I think you have read this as ' Hamish has never been kicked apart from when he was trying to bite the baby'

whereas I believe what the sentence actually says is 'Hamish has never been kicked. He has never been treated differently apart from when he was trying to bite the baby'.

But I would agree that clout implies physical force which is not appropriate.

Yeah ok. Thanks to everyone else who replied anyway.

Some excellent replies here.

To me it is perfectly simple - they do not see your child unless they have taken the appropriate action to make the environment safe when he is around, for the sake of both child and dog.

You cannot expect good behaviour from a dog who has never been taught his place in the pack.

If they cannot train or restrain him properly and without cruelty, then they miss out. Simples !

Hi,

I may be clutching at straws here as obviously I don't know Hamish or your in-laws, but does Hamish behve any differently if he is someone else's house or on someone else's territory? Does he accept that soemone else makes the rules when not in his own home? Do your in-laws accept that also?

The reason I ask is that MAYBE a blanket or something smelling quite strongly of your new baby's scent could be left at your in-laws house. They could allow Hamish to have a sniff every now and then but not to bite, nip, chew o rplay with the item. Then he could be rewarded for sitting nicely and waiting to be offered the blanket to sniff. He'll learn quite quickly that if he's calm and doesn't bite or nip then he gets a treat.

Then an saome point, once this has been perfected, your in-laws could come to visit you. Without Hamish would be better in the first instance so they return home smelling or you, your baby, your house etc. Then when you and your wife are happy, Hamish could come with them to visit. He'll already know the smells in your home which could be but up over time.

It also means that if your in-laws come to visit you it's an occasions where you don't have the 3 hour drive!

Other than that, tobegin with I agree with others in that Hamish should be in a different room or crated whilst you visit your in-laws. Your baby is part of you and more precious to you than your own life (well mine was) so I for one can't understand why you MIL would put Hamish first.

Laura xx

been following this thread and I dont really have much more to input than other folks, all my dogs grew up around my grandchildren, with the exception of my 1 year old JRT, she had never seen a child until quite recently when a friend visited with his 5 year old grandson, quite frankly, to Jess, it was like the aliens had landed, she growled a little but stopped when told, but she was very tentative and wary around the boy, imagine what a 12 year old dog must be thinking, especially as your MIL is the center of his universe, he is bound to be jealous, he should have been crated when first intoduced to the baby, out of the way, but still involved if you know what I mean, i can understand and sympathise with both sides here and there is no easy solution, Hamish is a good age and I would think, very set in his ways, some people cant handle criticism of a cherished pet, even if the dog and owner is very much in the wrong, Hamish doesnt know he is in the wrong and needs to be taught.