Boxer Licks Baby's Face Constantly!

[BoxerMom13]

Ok, we have 2 boxers, Joe (3) and Charlie (almost 2). We also have a 5 month old baby girl. The boys are great with her and have never been a problem. Charlie has always been more curious than Joe when it comes to her, but never has been a problem. We recently got her a stationary entertainer and every time we put her in it, Charlie is all over her, licking her face. We dont mind kisses (she doesnt either and actually opens her mouth for them-I know, YUK). But he just doesnt stop with it. You tell him to get "off" and he doesnt! Hes determined to lick her face off I think! Any people with similar experience, and if so, how did you stop it? I dont want to yell at him becuase I dont want him to think that our daughter is a cause for him to get yelled at, but i find myself getting very impatient with him at times. Please, anyone out there who can offer some advice?

Thank you so much.

 

[Shakira's Ma]

I run a daycare in my home so I know all to well what you are talking about. My baby loves to give smoochs to our babies and we have 5 of them all under 2 years old. What I do is let her give them the ususal kiss and then redirect her to something else. I wouldn't want her to just keep on kissing the babies because I think in her mind she could begin to think that she is alpha over them because she is, in a way, over powering them. This seems to help with my problems over this situation.

 

[kassa]

Licking can be submissive or dominant. In this situation it's probably dominant. If he won't respond when you call him away, he's getting somewhat obsessive about it, so I'd leash him and remove him after one request to stop.

Perhaps when she is in the little seat he can be given a special toy/treat he doesn't get at other times? Let him greet the baby, then call him away with the toy and prevent him from returning to the baby. When the baby is removed, the toy is, too.

In a few months the baby will begin flinging food off the high chair for the dogs to chase -- that's always a fun stage and one that dogs greatly appreciate!

Don't worry about hurting the dog's feelings. It's okay for the dog to recognize the baby as YOURS and respect your chasing others away from time to time. It's never too early to teach that the baby is higher on the totem pole than the dog is, so long as that message is conveyed with consistency and enough love for the dog (and treats when baby is around!)

It's always good to have a reliable down/stay, anyway -- especially once the baby starts toddling.

 

[Elyse]

Check out my gallery... There is one picture "pending approval" you need to see.

I hear you... My 9 month son (skin baby) gives Nestle an open mouth
All the time and giggles when she gives him kisses.

What I do is get in the middle and say "no more, give mommy kisses"
and THEN I say no is she doesn't stop on her own while she is giving ME kisses. My son has started to stop her on his own by turing his head sometimes.

They started to have their own relationship thing going on now.
Too cute!

 

[bustermom]

You tell him to get "off" and he doesnt!

That's part of the problem - you're letting him get away with ignoring you. When Buster (our 2 year old boxer) gets overeager in giving my 7 month old son kisses, we also tell him "off". If he doesn't immediately back up a step and stop licking, he gets calmly walked out of the room and the baby gate goes up. Redirection will sometimes also work with him if the toy he's being redirected to is really appealing.

Now's the time to start making sure your furry kids are current on their obedience skills, esp. before your little one starts walking. Grab some treats, put the baby in the exersaucer and have a quick, fun training session for the furkids right there. The baby gets some entertainment and the pups get some treats while honing their obedience skills - it's a good thing all around.

Buster absolutely hates being excluded from anything and has quickly learned that if he doesn't follow the rules he gets put on the other side of the baby gate.

 

[Elyse]

What is it with the baby gate? Nestle is petrified of the baby gate.
It is like instant obedience.

 

[Darien'sDad]

Darien does the same thing. Any time our 6 month old is in his activity center, he likes to give him kisses. We did the distraction thing. When he would start to obsessivly lick, we would tell him "enough" and remove him. Then we would give him a pig ear. Now he doesn't give him anything more than a cursory lick (usually).

 

[Burton'sMa]

Well, now I know we're not the only ones who have experienced this behavior too. Our boxer is our only child, but when my sister comes over with her baby....he commences to licking like the kid was a salt like....I would walk over and say "thank you, that's enough" and move him away....but the second the baby would move around some more.....if someone wasn't eating to distract him....he would be all over the baby again.....But he was gentle with the kid.....I thought he thought the kid was a puppy.....now, I realize it may have been a dominance thing.....my sister lives far away and doesn't get to visit too often....so, I guess it's not a problem for us.....The second time we saw them and the baby was older, my boxer actually left him alone more than he did the first time.....I guess that's to say-it may improve with the age of the child and the training, which again coincides with what everyone else has said here.