Why is my dog nudging my baby? The Ultimate Guide

The reason behind the dog is nudging puppy with the nose:

Now we have understood that nudging is a way of communication for a dog, or he tried to say something through nudging. Let’s discuss why a dog nudges with the new puppy in the house.

  • As a gesture of greeting: After seeing a puppy in the house, it is normal for the dog to be a little bit curious about the whole situation or doesn’t understand how to get along with the new puppy in the house. So first, he nudges the new puppy as a gesture of saying hi to him.
  • Invitation to play: As a new member in the house and as a junior, the puppy may also be slightly afraid of the dog. Sometimes the dog tries to be friendly with the puppy and wants to play with him. So when a dog nudges a puppy, it can be a sign of invitation to play with him.
  • Tell a direction: The dog does that when he wants the puppy to go or run in a specific direction. Also, some breeds of dogs nudge other animals with their noses because of their herding behavior. They nudge a puppy or dog when they want to bring him into their family or group. German shepherd, Australian shepherd, rough collie, bearded collie, puli, and other dogs’ breeds belong to the herding group.
  • To show dominance: Sometimes, your dog nudges the puppy with its nose to establish authority over him. It’s like the dog wants to tell the puppy that he is the boss here, and the puppy should not mess with him. Often the dog is too aggressive to show dominance over the puppy, and you will see other signs like excessive/extreme barking.
  • You can set your dog up for success by preparing for the baby’s arrival months in advance. Teaching him boundaries and commands such as “Leave It” and “Stay” will prepare him for safe interactions with his future family member. Many owners find that setting the nursery up as an “off-limits zone” allows the introduction of baby and dog to go at a slower, safer pace. Allowing the dog into the baby’s space only when asked reinforces this respect. If you’re having trouble enforcing new rules, a professional trainer can help teach your pooch the necessary skills to be the perfect family dog.

    There are many reasons for a dog to hide his snacks around the house. If given access to enough food, he may simply not be hungry enough to eat it at that time. He may also be insecure about eating it because of other dogs or new situations in the home. It’s not uncommon for newly rescued dogs to display this type of behavior. Whether Fluffy is hiding food, toys, or remote controls, he is simply attempting to keep these objects away from other dogs or people.

    The relationship between a child and dog is something special that many parents hope for when they bring home their new baby. You’ve probably seen the adorable videos of dogs covering babies with blankets and gently nudging them with their muzzles. It seems like the beginning of a lifelong bond. Is this behavior as heartwarming as it seems or is it something to be concerned about? Dogs are part of the family but it’s important to remember that dog behavior is different than human behavior. An action that we may view as sweet and caring may not be the dog expressing affection for his or her new human family member after all.

    Despite any caching behavior, your pup may not necessarily view your child as a tasty snack. He might simply be recognizing that your bundle of joy is something valuable that should be protected. If your dog has a history of hiding his favorite squeaky toy or your favorite slippers, you might find him attempting to stash his new family member too. The seemingly adorable action of nudging blankets over the baby may be his way of keeping the child safe from harm.

    If your dog continues to exhibit concerning behaviors or his protective behavior escalates, you may need to consult a behavior specialist. A professional may have just the right tools to help your family grow in a safe and positive environment.

    While I wouldn’t necessarily call this a subtle form of communication, it is certainly a more nuanced one in that a dog nudge can have a wide variety of meanings depending on the context. Below are just a few of the possible things that your pooch may be trying to tell you.

    If your dog is wagging his tail, it’s probably a safe bet that he’s happy. If she’s growling, there’s a good chance she’s upset about something. But what about nose-nudging? What does that mean?black dog and brown dog

    Nose Nudges! What Do They Mean?

    Professor Boo, I have an 11 year old female German Shepherd and a 10 month old baby at home. My dog has always been friendly towards my baby girl and usually kisses her and licks her a lot. My baby is always after the dog, using her as a “ladder” to stand up, grabs her tail and face and usually my dog just walks away but today was the first time she growled at her and showed her teeth when my daughter tried to grab her (my daughter was in my dog’s sleeping area.) Does that mean she might bite her? I love my dog dearly but my baby comes first. What do I do?Pinball gets to see that great rewards come when he ignores the silly toddler.

    This is fairly common when little ones begin to toddle around and use the dog as a walking “helper” as it were.

    Please remember all dogs can bite anyone if they feel they have no other way to stop something that either scares them or hurts them. Cute as it may be to see baby loving the dog, most dogs are not really comfortable with this kind of grabbing as most little ones don’t have really good grip control and can hurt when they pull and tug on an dog especially an older dog.

    It really just has to come down to always remembering that baby doesn’t know she may be hurting the dog and your dog is telling baby with a growl “please stop.” Your job is to stop baby before doggie gets to the point where she feels the need to “correct” the baby. There are some simple rules that will help.

    Please start out by thinking of your dog like an open pool in your back yard. You would never turn your back on your baby around an open pool. You would never let her dangle her feet in the pool without you right there, next to her. You would always be right there to catch her if she fell, etc…

    In addition to all of these I would suggest some review of basic skills that allow parents to get their dog out of a potentially dangerous situation quickly. Very often parents find it easier to call the dog away from baby than to ask baby to stop advancing on a resting dog. This may mean some new or review training either individually or in a classroom. In my book “Please Don’t Bite the Baby, and Please Don’t Chase the Dogs,” I cover a number of quick techniques to get your dog out of a situation before trouble occurs.

    Too many dogs are euthanized each year because they are viewed as aggressive to their toddler. Much of this can be avoided if we try to understand that for most dogs, toddlers can be scary. Most dogs try to warn the toddler away and too many parents punish the dog for the growl. This leads to a dog who feels like they have no alternative but to bite.

    When your dog growls, she has given you a great gift – she has told you she is uncomfortable with some things baby is doing. Take that gift and return the favor to your dog by following the rules above and teaching or reviewing some really basic skills to keep everyone safe.

    For more on Please Don’t Bite the Baby, and Please Don’t Chase the Dogs, click here