Consultation Files: My St. Bernard Attacked My 8 Month Old Baby
This is such a grave topic. I never like getting calls like this, but I’m so, so glad when I get the chance to have a conversation with anybody who is in a situation like this because I know how stressful and sad and alarming and scary it is. And I know how hard it is to know what to do or what to expect.
Dogs and babies don’t mix! And it is so common to have issues blending the two into the family. But when something like this happens and your dog actively growls at or snaps at your baby it could literally be a matter of life and death. You are absolutely a parent before a dog owner, and I think most parents would agree.
But just tossing the dog out seems heartless and people are left wondering if there is any way to fix the situation. In most cases, yes! There is hope to live a normal life with your baby and your dog, even if your dog is not having it right now. But it will require some training and some change and a real commitment.
I’m going to break down exactly what that means and what I suggested to these folks and what they could realistically expect life to look like.
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Minute-by-Minute Breakdown
- 00:00 – Host Kati Peppe opens the episode and asks listeners to subscribe.
- 01:00 – Caller reported a serious situation involving their approximately five-year-old St. Bernard.
- 02:00 – Primary question: what realistic outcomes can training achieve for this dog’s behavior?
- 03:00 – Kati emphasizes dogs don’t inherently value human life or understand a child’s wellbeing.
- 07:00 – She states parents’ priority must be child safety, above dog ownership.
- 08:00 – The St. Bernard has history of resource guarding and a dominant streak.
- 10:00 – Owners must teach dogs guarding people or the home is not the dog’s role.
- 13:00 – Babies’ small size, abrupt movements, loud noises, and prolonged eye contact can unsettle dogs.
- 16:00 – Common advice to let dogs sniff babies and share space can be counterproductive.
- 18:00 – Instead, send the message that the baby belongs to you and you will guard them.
- 19:00 – Correcting a dog that approaches the baby teaches respect and enforces distance.
- 20:00 – In this incident, wife misinterpreted sounds, then found the dog snarling over the baby.
- 21:00 – Immediate imperative: strict management and complete separation of dog and baby.
- 22:00 – Never leave baby and dog unsupervised, even for short outdoor tasks.
- 24:00 – Kati says euthanasia is an acceptable option if a dog is unsafe in the home.
- 26:00 – If keeping the dog, Kati recommends enrolling in a structured, committed training program.
- 29:00 – Use high chairs, tummy-time mats, and boundary devices to teach the dog to keep distance.
- 31:00 – Train neutral, respectful shared space with calm boundaries, not terrorizing the dog.
- 35:00 – Goal: reliable place, down, and kennel behaviors to maximize household safety post-training.