Socializing Young Dog Towards Toddlers?

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin is six months old and great around kids, adults, cats, etc. The thing that worries me, however, is babies. My sister just had a baby and they want Darwin to be introduced to him from early on. (Their baby is four months old.) Darwin hasn't ever been around babies, and has consistently only been around eight and up. He is calm and good with kids... but I don't know about younger ones? Do you think he will be okay? How should I introduce them? Any way to better prepare him for it?

[Debbie, Brianna and Duncan]

Two thumbs up! One for all of the great advise listed here. The other thumbs up is a rule we have around our house that I would like to mention. If a toddler ever grabs or wants to hold the the dog it is usually the leg or tail. The MUST is thumbs up, that way the dog will never have to react to having a littleone holding onto a body part. I had four toddler age girls three dogs, and now they are 5 and 7 with four dogs... plenty of oppertunity for little ones grabbing out and holding on and now they doodle-dance with thumbs up....the dogs love it and can get down free-will . Key is constant supervision like what everyone has already mentioned and then directives..quick responses when they are around the dog. When they where littleones this is an easy to understand request and they could react quickely to it if the grab is on, before a dog could try to pull away and react or snap/nip. Then after I would explain the reasons why you can't hold on, etc. This idea holds too with the hugging, I allowed it with the dogs/toddlers but only after I said...."yes you can but can she get free? Please do not hold too tight sweety that the dog can not freely get down or loose" Toddlers love to sqeeze, it is in their dna,