Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have a high needs child and a high needs child, look into a live-in nanny with experience training dogs. I've done it before, and it works well, because child and dog both have nanny and parents who can be consistent together.

What did you do?

I trained the dog, taught the child how to act around the dog, taught the parents how to deal with both child and dog and taught the child what was acceptable behavior in different places.

Training a dog is relatively easy, it's harder to make sure that all of the people in the dog's daily life act in a consistent manner. Dogs with a consistent routine, plenty of exercise and interaction with their people act better, dogs who are given a job to do act even better.

Exactly. How often do you get parents who want to learn anything from the nanny?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have a high needs child and a high needs child, look into a live-in nanny with experience training dogs. I've done it before, and it works well, because child and dog both have nanny and parents who can be consistent together.

What did you do?

I trained the dog, taught the child how to act around the dog, taught the parents how to deal with both child and dog and taught the child what was acceptable behavior in different places.

Training a dog is relatively easy, it's harder to make sure that all of the people in the dog's daily life act in a consistent manner. Dogs with a consistent routine, plenty of exercise and interaction with their people act better, dogs who are given a job to do act even better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have a high needs child and a high needs child, look into a live-in nanny with experience training dogs. I've done it before, and it works well, because child and dog both have nanny and parents who can be consistent together.

What did you do?

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are very happy with the quality of our childcare arrangement (nanny share, hosted by other family). However, anytime nanny is on leave we have no back-up and have to stay home w/ DC. The reason is we have a neurotic dog that we can't take to dog daycare, can't confine, and can't leave in the house with a stranger. In any of these situations dog will bark all day long (literally).

I'm thinking about asking neighbors if we can drop DC off at their house with their nanny on these occasions, but that seems really unfair to ask (of course we would pay her, but still, she wouldn't be used to caring for 2 and our DC is a high energy toddler). The past couple of months our nanny has been out sick about one day every other week or so (plus she has some vacation coming up) and it's getting hard for us to take off work all the time. Has anyone else BTDT with a crazy dog and what was your backup plan?

Anonymous wrote:If you have a high needs child and a high needs child, look into a live-in nanny with experience training dogs. I've done it before, and it works well, because child and dog both have nanny and parents who can be consistent together.

Anonymous wrote:You have a high needs child AND a high needs dog?

I'd let the dog go and maybe your child will stabilize.

Anonymous wrote:Oh you've tried everything EXCEPT behavioral training? Could you please elaborate on what that included?

As a former owner of multiple "pit bulls," who require heavy training and a confident owner, this dog may not be the right dog for your family. It sounds like he is miserable - you can't give him what he needs and you aren't giving your child or your marriage what they need.

Find the dog a home that can give the training and time he needs, due to breed, trauma, or personality, and focus on your child and your marriage. Please.