[sondacop]

My baby has just started to crawl and explore. My 3 dogs love her but sometimes want to be left alone. One doesn't react, and mostly lets her do what she wants, the second tries to avoid her and moves to a different spot. The third growls and threatens, but she doesn't understand. There is also an issue over food, they are all rescue dogs (2 strays and one mistreated). I need to keep my baby safe and their relationship positive.

[cigwyllt]

I have been in a similar position to you - I have 5 children and for most of the past 21 years have had three dogs, although when my oldest was a baby we only had two. We had a very small house with a very small living room leaving very little space for a crawling/toddling one year old and two adult Jack Russells. We coped by being *very* strict with our little boy. He was not allowed to touch the dogs even if it meant that I had to leap up every 5 minutes and distract him from them. They were *never* left alone with him. If I went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea the dogs came with me and he was left behind.

My dogs were very important to me but I knew the safety of my child came first. If they had ever growled or snapped at him then they would have had to go so I made it my business to keep them safe so that they never had an issue with him.

By the time baby number two came along we had moved house and gained a golden retriever. Again my priority was to protect the dogs from the baby but because the house was larger I tended to take the baby with me from room to room.

As time went by the older dogs died, we had more children and more dogs.

My youngest child is now 7. When she was a year old I bought a puppy and for my daughter it was love at first sight. Part of our bed time routine was that we would sit on the sofa and have a cuddle and that included the puppy. The puppy would also have to come to the bedroom and "kiss" her goodnight in her cot. But my daughter knew that she had to respect the dog and never, ever treated her like a toy or was rough with her.

I am pleased to say that none of the dogs has ever growled or snapped at any of the children and I believe it is because the children have known from the start that they are not to interfere with them. Even now the only one of the "children" who is allowed to pick up a dog is our oldest and his is 21. My 11 year old will walk my Patterdale but he knows that he has to walk her and not carry her (not that she would be impressed if she was carried LOL)

I don't know of any way of keeping a peaceful household of dogs and children other than by disciplining the children so that the dogs are never threatened or made to feel uncomfortable by them.

What sort of problems are you having with food?

[Jezabel]

Have you thought about using safety gates?
At the moment I don't have a dog (he died 6 months ago) but I have 2 cats and 1.5 year old boy who can't resist eating catfood I installed these gates on every door to keep him and the cats both safe. When the cats get tired of him they just jump over the gate.