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My dog lunged at a child. Is it safe to introduce her to my baby?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Bulldog | Female | spayed | 5 years and 5 months old | 65 lbs

I'm not sure where to turn, or what to do, about introducing my (almost) 5 year old dog to a newborn baby (in January). We also have a 4-month old niece that my dog seems to fixate on; when being held back, so she could sniff her, she lunged at her. I'm just not sure what to do for this huge transition.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 25th, 2017

I would get Bentley in with a professional behavioral expert immediately, and do not introduce her to your newborn baby at all. I'm very concerned that she has already lunged at your 4 month old niece, and that is an aggressive behavior that could have extremely serious and even fatal consequences. The safety of your baby is paramount, and I would not allow Bentley anywhere near your newborn because she already has a history of lunging at babies. You need professional help managing this behavior, and it may be honestly that rehoming her is best. I know that this would be extremely hard, but you can't have an aggressive dog around a baby. Have her seen by a professional behavioral expert first to discuss training if you want to keep Bentley, but until they feel it's safe, keep her completely separate from the baby. It may seem like I'm overreacting, but I know of cases where this has gone fatally wrong. The last thing I would ever want is for that to happen to someone else, so I will always advice extreme caution. Speak to your vet first thing Monday about a referral to a professional behavioral expert. I hope this helps!

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