@ Is he over thinking this or overreacting?

The Irish Gal

My childminder is getting a puppy.  My daughter is 10mths old.  My childminder is my SIL (as in my brother's wife)...

So, dh mentioned yesterday that he is not too impressed that they are getting a puppy seeing as our daughter is going to be there.  This is on the grounds that you just don't really know what a dog will do...

I should say that we both like dogs and his parents have a black lab (who is like 14 and never so much as barked in her entire life!).  His issue I think is that you just don't know what the puppy's character is like and how they will react to a small baby who loves animals and loves touching them and goes straight for them.

The puppy is a shnauzer/bichon frise cross if that makes a difference.

I had only thought about it more from a hygiene point of view (as in the black lab sheds loads and I'm always worried N will find a clump of the dog's hair and try to eat it... and dog hair all on her clothes cos she bum shuffles or creeps on the floor...) but he's more worried about snapping and that... and now I wonder should I be worried...

pokepoke27

I wouldn't be too terribly worried. I mean, sooo many families have dogs/cats when they have a baby. But if you guys are uncomfortable with it, just ask them to keep the puppy away from the baby.

Tofumonkey

I'm not sure. We have a shihtsu that is much more shiht than tsu and he snaps at the kids and growls at them all the freaking time. He hates them, until they're eating something. Then he's their best friend. He's kind of a douche, but he's family. He's never bitten or nipped at them and I doubt he ever would - though we're in the camp that if he did they probably did something to deserve it, and they wouldn't do it again. We're kind of waiting for him to die off, poor old guy. However, if he were a giant rottweiler, I'd have a different opinion.

We've also got a cat that is equally insane. Ask NCV2. He's nuts. Found Kaitie with his tail in her mouth the other day, she's fine. 

I think that if you just ask the childminder to keep them separated it shouldn't be a big deal, but be prepared that she probably won't, thinking that the puppy is harmless and that them playing together would be uber cute, which it would.

Huh. Just realized that wasn't helpful at all. My bad! Good luck with that!

kelly321

Puppies can be pretty rambunctious when they play, and that's what would make me a little nervous around a baby. Not that the puppy would mean to hurt LO, but that it would see LO as an equal playmate and might nip / push / roll on, etc accordingly. I personally would ask SIL to keep them separated (LO or puppy in a playpen, for example) until they have some time to get used to each other and to never leave them unsupervised with each other. But I'm a worrier, so I guess that's why I'm tending more toward your DH's pov :-)

ILikePineapples

As long as your SIL is willing to put the puppy somewhere away from and without access to your son, then I wouldn't worry about it. It's great for his immune system to get the early exposure to a dog and a bit of hair never hurt any one (I eat it regularly as my dog sheds like a MF all over, including on our bed).

myblueangel19

It is good for kids to be around animals from an allergy standpoint, but as with any animal, the childminder always needs to be with the baby if the dog is there. No leaving  babies and dogs together alone, no matter how nice that dog has been previously. babies like to grab fur or stick their faces in the dogs face. I wouldn't be worried if your SIL is responsable

The Irish Gal

Thanks everyone.

I suppose I should have mentioned that my SIL/childminder has 4 kids of her own, the youngest being 2.

Anyway, dh was over in my parents house yesterday and was chatting to my mum about it and she reassured him a bit - SIL has had a small dog previously with small children.

Honestly, I don't think there is much hope of dd and the dog being kept in separate rooms... just can't see it happening in their house and they don't have a playpen.

From the allergy standpoint, I agree that it is good that she is in contact with animals and she is - her dad's parents have a dog and a cat. But we are always right beside her when she is anywhere near either animal.  And yes, she has a tendency to go after them and "pet" them...

I'll just have to see how it goes from next week - they are getting the puppy today and she isn't back with them till next week