Introducing pit to baby?

Question

We're due to have a baby in July (our 1st) and we're wondering on the safest method to introduce our 3 yr. old male pit bull to the newborn?
Until now, Rosko has been the baby and I'm concerned a little about jealousy or posession issues. He's people-friendly, but with relatively no exposure to children or babies. He's also pretty high-energy (you know... pit bull and all that) and I worry a little about accidental injuries.
Has anyone done this before, and if so, what worked best for you?
I intend to keep the dog seperated from the baby as much as possible, but it'd be nice to include the dog in our addition rather than shun him.
(Please no nasty pit bull comments.)

Thanks to those of you with open, intelligent answers and suggestions. I deeply appreciate them!

However, I thought I made it pretty clear in my post that (1) I'm a responsible dog owner and (2) that I am taking no chances with our child's well-being. While it would break my heart, I would certainly give up the dog in the event that he shows a single whiff of being aggressive towards the baby. I'm not one of those idiots you read about in the paper.

I don't have a "my dog can do no wrong" attitude (I know what dogs are capable of, hence the reason I asked) and I would NEVER leave a child of ANY age with ANY dog. That's neglect and an invitation for harm.

I'm not close-minded about pit bulls; I'm just sick of hearing the same close-minded rhetoric from people who know nothing of the breed except what they hear on the evening news. If you think pits are so evil, ask real experts: ASPCA and vets know the breed better than your news anchor.

Answer 1

I raised pit bulls for about 8 years before I moved to AZ, and I still have them. Many years ago, I sold a female pup to a friend of mine and his wife. When the dog was about 2 1/2 years old, my friend's wife delivered their first child. He called to ask the same question of me, and just like your situation, his dog had never been around children.

My advice to you will be the same.
Get rid of the dog. It isn't worth taking chances. My friend didn't follow my advice, and the dog totally accepted the baby, even sleeping under her crib. Heaven help you if you walked into that nursury and the dog didn't know you. The dog wasn't mean, but she really was protective of that baby, and to this day, they have never had problems. So, it can work out fine, but it is a chance you're taking.

I wish I knew exactly how they made the first few introductions, but I assume it wasn't any kind of Dog Whisperer fanciness. Just holding the baby on one of their laps while the other walked the dog closer on a leash, snapping it or pulling the dog back after the silightest sign of aggression (Hackles raised, tail straight up in the air and wagging, but not their whole back end, ears forward, growling, etc). If you know your dog as well as I used to know mine, you can probably tell when they want to grab something well before anybody who looks for the "signs" of aggression.

With an older child, you can have the child feed the dog, make it do tricks for snacks, take him for walks, and other things to lead the dog into understanding that the child is "dominant" to the dog. But there's no way to do that with an infant. Even if the dog understands that it is not allowed to act aggressive towards the child, and obeys that rule, it might not last if you leave the room for a second. And that is all it takes; a second. When I researched dog bite-related fatalities, I found that in many of the cases where a child was killed by the family pet, the dog never showed any kind of prior aggression to the victim.

When you introduce a dog to a child, especially an infant, the dog will react in one of three ways.
1) The dog will consider the child to be a varmint, and will immediately try to kill it, just like a rabbit.
2) The dog will consider the child to be a "new pack member," and will get along with it as best as it can, but will not consider the child to be dominant to it. These types are actually the hardest to deal with. There is a wide range of things that can cause a tragedy when the dog gets mad about something the child does. One of the DBRF cases that I examined was a 3 year old child that was attacked and killed by the family dog when the mother split a cookie between them. Never feed the child and the dog together, and when feeding the dog, make sure the child cannot crawl near its food bowl. A hug from a child can be misinterpreted as a threat towards the dog, and there are so many other mannerisms that children have that can result in disaster. Small children can be both intentionally and unintentionally cruel to dogs. The problem is that young children are so fragile that even a "warning snap" from a large dog can be deadly even if the dog doesn't continue the attack.
3) The dog will consider the child to be dominant to him, human, and respected. These dogs are great to have, but the reality is that most dogs fit into category 2, but are mistakenly placed in category 3.

Pit bulls are great dogs, and honestly, I don't know of many kid oriented pits that have jealosy problems like those that are more common with chows or rotts. Ultimately, the temperament of a dog should be judged based on the individual dog, not the breed, but I'm sure you already know that.

I know you don't want to get rid of the dog, but you should give it serious consideration. Regardless, if you are careful throughout the lives of both dog and child, you SHOULD be able to avoid any accidents. Still, however, you ARE taking a very big risk.

And another thing to think about is the tendency of some pit bull owners (I'm not accusing you, but you should think carefully about this) to think that their dogs can do no wrong. Especially when one gets their first pit, one can be blown away by how intelligent, tractable, affectionate, and gentle pit bulls are. I saw a picture and a story in the American Pit Bull Terrier Gazette some years ago where a toddler was clumsily holding a very young pup with the mother (dog) right there watching. The owners wrote to say what a great dog she was because she didn't ever get upset with the child. However, one could clearly see that the dog was distressed by the handling of her pups, based on her expression and posture. One could also see that this toddler had no business carrying a pup around upside down by both hind legs (It wasn't really that bad, but it wasn't good, either, as the pup didn't look comfortable). What those pit owners refused to realize is that if at any point she became convinced that that child was a danger to her pups, she WOULD defend them. Luckily, that family never had to learn the hard way.

Please read the following information, and think about it a bit more. Whatever you decide, I commend you for trying to seek out information. Too many dog owners think they know it all.
-Dog bites are the second leading cause of injury in children.he first is playing in a playground.
-In 75 to 80% of dog bite cases, the biting dog was familiar with the victim, and most were the family pet, with the victim being a child.
-Most dog bites go unreported.
-The median age of patients bitten was 15 years, with children, especially boys aged 5 to 9 years, having the highest incidence rate
-The odds that a bite victim will be a child are 3.2 to 1. (CDC.)
-Children seen in emergency departments were more likely than older persons to be bitten on the face, neck, and head. 77% of injuries to children under 10 years old are facial.
-Severe injuries occur almost exclusively in children less than 10 years of age.
-The majority of dog attacks (61%) happen at home or in a familiar place.
-The vast majority of biting dogs (77%) belong to the victim's family or a friend.
-When a child less than 4 years old is the victim, the family dog was the attacker half the time (47%), and the attack almost always happened in the family home (90%).
-Since 1975, fatal attacks have been attributed to dogs from at least 30 breeds.
-The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family's Pomeranian dog. The average weight of a Pomeranian is about 4 pounds, and they are not thought of as a dangerous breed. Note, however, that they were bred to be watchdogs! The baby's uncle left the infant and the dog on a bed while the uncle prepared her bottle in the kitchen. Upon his return, the dog was mauling the baby, who died shortly afterwards. ("Baby Girl Killed by Family Dog," Los Angeles Times, Monday, October 9, 2000, Home Edition, Metro Section, Page B-5.)

Good luck, and feel free to send me a message if I can help with anything.

El Chistoso

Answer 2

If he's not neutered and you're not breeding him, please get him neutered.
When we had our first baby, we had two dogs. The dogs were always included as part of the family, and that part never changed. This was their sister and they got to love her as much as anyone else. I think shooing them away makes them jealous and distrustful, and that's when problems start. They got to sniff her and kiss her when we held her. We used encouraging voices when they were being gentle and nice, and if they got too rough or excited, they got shut down with a strong no and removal of the baby until they settled down again. Baby was not left on the floor when dogs were running free to prevent trampling if somebody came to the door or whatever. Everybody grew up happy.
However (big however), realize that your dog is very big and strong and has thoughts and instincts we can't predict. Do not leave the dog and baby alone together unsupervised until the child is much older. I have a German Shepherd and a 4 year old boy, and they can't be alone together. When I take a shower, the dog comes in the bathroom with me. My dog is good, my son is good, but I can't intercept a problem if I'm locked in another room. It takes a matter of seconds for a dog to kill or maim a child, and while you can't dwell on it, you have to be aware of it and make sure you've got it covered. I am totally a dog person and I'm not prejudiced against Pits or any other breed, but you have to be a responsible parent first and foremost. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially when it comes to your baby.

Answer 3

To those of you who have little to no educated on the APBT breed. Let me teach you something. Temperament tests DO NOT LIE. In a recent study, where 122 breeds were tested, done by the American Temperament Testing Society, Pit Bulls achieved a passing rate of 83.9%. Beagles passing rate is 78.2% and your lovely family dog, the Golden Retriever was still below the Pit Bull at 83.2%. Can't argue with facts, can you? Don't believe me. I post my source. Where are your sources? Need some more schooling? The Pit Bull (APBT) was bred for DOG aggression, not HUMAN aggression. The attacks on humans are the fault of irresponsible owners. The fact of the matter is in the past 20 years we have seen some sad examples of poorly bred and badly treated dogs that are byproducts of irresponsible breeders and cruel and abusive homes. These improperly raised and poorley socialized creatures can show temperments far removed from that of the authentic Pit Bull. Do not believe that all dogs attack? They do. Any dog can attack and they will. This misconseption that some of you have can be dangerous and even deadly. Did you know that a child in the United States is over 100 times more likely to be killed by his or her parent or caretaker than by a dog? Even more surprising is that approximately 50 infants die each year from broken baby cribs, and 250 newborns die at the hands of their parents or guardians. In comparison, two infants, on average, die a year from dog attacks. Pit bull and pit mixes account for 21 percent of all human fatalities, while mixed breed dogs account for 16 percent and other nonspecified breeds, 15 percent. So many things factor into dog attacks. NOT JUST THE BREED. Factors include inherited and learned behaviors, genetics, breeding, temperament, surgical sterilization, environmental stresses, owner responsibility, victim behavior, size and age, timing, and the physical condition and the size of dog.

So Please, before commenting on a subject, learn your facts and do your research. If youdon't, all you have are uneducated opinons and the world has enough of them.

Answer 4

My friend is in the same situation. She has 4 dogs, a lab, jack russel, chihuahua, and a pit bull. She has started introducing them to baby things. She lets them smell the things, like baby powder, diapers... and also to help them get used to them being around, and she teaches them that they absolutely can't put their mouth on it. She also has already set up the baby room, and is teaching the dogs that this room is from now on off limits. And it is NEVER a good idea to leave a baby or young child unattended with a dog, any dog. I'm sure you can search on the internet, or find books to help you more.

And my friend, out of all of her dogs, she is least worried about her pit bull and the baby, as he is so gentle. She is most worried about the chihuahua, as he is the boss of all the dogs, and barks and growls at everyone. Good Luck, I hope everything works out for you.

Answer 5

Ok pitbull+newborn=bad news!!!! First thing a new baby will get most of the attention and with any other dog the dog would just get jealouus and sad but weither u like it or not pitbulls have the reputation of snapping ( A.K.A short tempured) even the best trained ones can snap. First thin u shoud do is figure out how much attention u will take away from him. Then when u have 1 month until the babies born only give him that much attention. I no it seems mean but its the only way for him not to become aggresive when the baby comes. This way when the babie comes he will b use to getting that much attention. But b careful he might feel threatend by the baby like he is being replaced. And might try to "get rid of the replacement" Im not trying to scare u but its the truth my friend had the most well behaved pitbull she sat when u said sit went when u said go ec. but then when my cousin was over and we didnt pay attention to him we paid attention to my cousin he seriusly almost killed my cousin. My cousin had to be rushed to ER and have 2 operations because of the damage the pitbull did!

hope this helps

Answer 6

there is tons of info on the web about this stuff also at the library. definitly do not scold or threaten the dog for inspecting the baby you do not want a jealous pit.you can gently pet the dog as he smells and looks at the baby and make him feel comfortable. probably do this in the evening or when the dog is calm and got all his playtime out of the way.pits can be one of the best dogs around children as long as they are properly trained. if you have the $ seek the help of a trainer.Just make sure your dog doesnt feel replaced by this new addition to your household.good luck

Answer 7

Well im 18 due july 15 yeah and well umm.... i have a pitbull well my sister does to and when she had her baby she introduced them and the dog acted fine for a while then when the baby was olde enough to go play with the dog she let them play but don't ever let them out of ur sight

Answer 8

My roommate has a dog. My daughters also wanted their own dog. We decided to get a small dog. My roommates dog is lab and half pit. We were worried at first. My dog is part wiener and unsure of what else. At first the larger dog seemed aggressive, but we continued to show them that they were important. She has accepted the smaller dog and realizes that she is not taking away any of the attention. I guess I am saying you can get your dog to accept the baby, but it takes time and it takes your time to show the dog that it is going to loose you.

Answer 9

I think you should let the baby be with the dog, just not alone...because when the baby grows up, he or she will not be afraid or the dog nor will the dog!

Answer 10

Get rid of the dog or give up the baby for adoption.

Sorry, that is not what you want to hear but that is reality.