What would you do? help and long sorry

[elsielouise]

looking for opinions really as not sure what to do - if anything.

To cut a long story short we took on two rescue greyhounds three years ago and a year later got a JRT puppy. We had been trying for a family for a few years and nothing was happening but we checked with the rescue centre and both greys said to be 'good with children'

fast forward three years and we finally after much heartache have a wonderful little boy now 12 months. he loves the dogs and is desperate to touch them etc

The problem is the greyhound bitch - i just don't trust her. She has never actually done anything (never had opportunity we have baby gates every where and they are only ever together under very close supervision).

But she has attacked other small dogs, she can be vicious with the Jack over food and I simply daren't let her be in the same room as my son unless we are holding one of them. This means the rest of the pack are also banished as she howls if left alone. my other grey is too dopey to be a risk and can't often be bothered to get up!

I don't feel she is as happy as she was (tho this may be my guilt as though they all get walked they don't get the same attention as pre-baby) e.g no more sleeping in our room (the others are fine with this she seems 'sad') She also suffers from corns and has cost us over £1200 in surgery fees since we got her so we can't insure her anymore.

my oh and I have said we'd rehome her if the right person came along (she is sooo gentle with adults, leans to be stroked for hours and would be fantastic as an only one in an adult household we think) but we feel too guilty at the minute to go back to th rescue kennels...

what would you do? we are just asking around people we know who like dogs but more and more i am worrying about it.

sorry about no uppercase my son pulled off my shift key

 

[CorvusCorax]

If you are really, really unhappy and she is picking up on that, then you can rehome her, maybe to someone on here, maybe to someone locally without her having to go into a kennel situation.

Or you can keep things the way they are and keep supervising them.
My old bitch, the one I grew up with, was a bit of a witch with other female dogs, but was fantastic with humans and loved children, my mum just had to keep an eye on her.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do x

 

[FinnishLapphund]

It is hard to judge from a written text but from how I read it, it could just as well be a case of that she is picking up on your worries. But she doesn't know that your worry is about that she will do something, she just knows that there is something that worries you, as soon as she is in the room with your baby and then she will not act naturally.

Maybe the changed circumstances and routines is behind why she acts so that you don't trust her?



You can't necessarily judge her behaviour with babies from how she acts with small dogs. A crawling baby or a young walking baby doesn't move with the same balance etc. as a small dog. Greyhounds and similar dogs are bred to run after small furry things that runs fast but some can see/are taught the difference between e.g. a cat and a prey, some doesn't have the same talent for hunting prey etc.

But most small babies doesn't move as fast and with the same balance or looks, like small furry prey animals! Babies can however act and seem a bit unlike the rest of us humans, for a dog who hasn't been around babies before.
E.g. I had one dog that, when my sisters first child began screaming a while into their very first visit in our home, sneaked up and hid herself in a bedroom. Next day when my sister came over for a new visit (they lived close), as soon as the dog had finished saying Hello and she noticed the child, she sneaked away up to a bedroom again. It took about 6 months, before she was comfortable staying in our living room while my nephew was also in the room. And I had made sure that she had met children before, yet she was uncomfortable around babies.



In fact, my sister have had three children and they've all spent a considerable amount of time in me and my parents house. They've all been very interested in my dogs and cats but besides never leaving them alone together, e.g. just as we wouldn't let them fiddle with the oven only because they could see it and wanted to investigate etc, we over and over again made it clear that when the dogs was in a dog bed, it was a 100% absolute no no to approach.
The dogs quickly learned that it was their "child free zone", the children had a longer period of "I see dog so I'm going to the dog..." but they learned it eventually.

By the way though, one of my dogs, when my sisters children got older, we had to train in our garden because as soon as she saw them run, she wanted to herd them.

Regardless, if you feel unsafe with her and your child together, then maybe it is for her best, to try and rehome her.

 

[MurphysMinder]

As above replies , it may be she is picking up on your anxiety. However if you really are not happy with her around your child it may be best to rehome her. I am sure if you contact the rescue and say you don't want her to go back in kennels but would rather rehome her from your house they will be happy to help.
I do understand your concern, my then husband took in a collie which was very snappy . He had obviously had a bad past so not his fault, but I could never trust him round the children (who grew up with GSDs and were sensible around dogs). When husband left but didn't take the dog I tried for a while to keep him, but he was spending all his time in a kennel which wasn't fair, so I rehomed him to an older couple with no children. They knew of his problems but he was fine and lived with them till old age.