[Brutus'mama]

Originally Posted by MyTrixie143

There are alot of different but good opinions on this thread and this is a sticky situation that is serious and should not be taken lightly.

So here is my two cents...

If I were in his exact position, I would sit back and evaluate the facts and ask myself these questions.
How aggressive is the dog?
Could this dog be helped with training?
Even if the dog was not aggressive, would I still be able to give him all the attention and care he needs when there is a new baby in the house taking up most the time and attention.
Would putting him in the garage make him worse?
Is it really fair for the dog to be moved even further away from the family and get less interaction and attention?
What can I do to help my dog and this problem?
What is best for the family and the dog?
These are all questions you need to ask yourself.

What I would do is this...
The very first thing I would do is evaluate the dog's aggression, some aggression can be corrected while other aggression can not. So I would call in a trainer and have him evaluate your dog's aggression and depending on how bad the aggression is go from there. I would also get more than one trainer's opinion this way I get the most accurate evaluation.

I would start off by putting the dog in a playpen inside the house, somewhere where there is alot of activity going on and the dog will be able to see everything that is going on.

I would give the dog something that has the baby's scent on it so it becomes familiar.

I would spend plenty of time with the dog to let him know that he is still loved and will get just as much attention as the baby so that he does not have to be jealous or feel threatened.

I would let the dog see and stiff the baby through the gate making sure there was no possible way the dog could hurt the baby through the gate, and I would watch the dog's reaction and body language to the baby.

Each day I would increase the number of times that the dog sees the baby.

I would reward the dog for good and correct behavior.

If you wanted the baby and the dog to have contact with each other I would be cautious and start off by one person holding the baby and the other holding the dog and having a firm grip holding the dog and if need be holding the dog's mouth so that you are not taking any chances that the dog can bite the baby.

***Most importantly watch your dog's body language and expressions. I would also do this with the dog trainer there so he can instruct you and be able to tell how the dog will react. You really need a trainer there helping you and your dog because this is a delicate situation and should not be taken lightly.

Listen to your trainer and your instinct, if either of you feel the dog is too aggressive, do not take the chance of even trying to train him but rather try to rehome the dog with a rescue group that is experienced in behavior or aggression problems.

Awesome post! I would do the same thing.