I have a baby problem

[pitbullmamaliz]

But if that's where you need to start, then that's where you need to start. Changing a dog's CER about something they find scary/prey-like needs to happen when the dog is below threshold. Just make sure that he's not so far under threshold that he hasn't noticed the baby yet!

[mnp13]

She gets the same look when she sees a new dog. Never reacts aggressively, just fixates, and then says hi, and then she ignores them. I just need to fix the "fixate stare" because not only does it freak out other dogs, but it freaks out the owners and babies parents.
When I say baby, I am talking about 2yo and younger.

Ok, well you may not have access to babies, but if she acts the same way to dogs then start working with dogs. When she's good with ignoring dogs then try babies.

In relation to what liz said, she had already fixated on the baby and then it moved away, so her attention remained fixated - like it was attached with a string. What liz is explaining is that you work her at a distance where her attention is not that fixated yet. So there is not close contact that moves away, there is no close contact at all to allow that hyper focus that is soooooo hard to break. (At least I think that's what she means)

[LMM]

You cannot control all situations, and people do really stupid stuff around dogs. They let their kids do even dumber stuff. I've had kids run up to Ruby in parking lots out of nowhere, no parent in immediate evidence. People are idiots, but that won't excuse a disaster.

Amen.

[LMM]

That's pretty silly. Babies move like babies, not prey. I have yet to see an infant dart about like a squirrel.

Omg I literally just spit my water out. I know you weren't saying this to be funny but still

[Rolex+Deebo]

She gets the same look when she sees a new dog. Never reacts aggressively, just fixates, and then says hi, and then she ignores them. I just need to fix the "fixate stare" because not only does it freak out other dogs, but it freaks out the owners and babies parents.
When I say baby, I am talking about 2yo and younger.

Ok, well you may not have access to babies, but if she acts the same way to dogs then start working with dogs. When she's good with ignoring dogs then try babies.

In relation to what liz said, she had already fixated on the baby and then it moved away, so her attention remained fixated - like it was attached with a string. What liz is explaining is that you work her at a distance where her attention is not that fixated yet. So there is not close contact that moves away, there is no close contact at all to allow that hyper focus that is soooooo hard to break. (At least I think that's what she means)

The thing is, with dogs i can brake it, and get the attention. Its the same thing but in much lesser form. BUT, I have found that with squirrels I cant get the attention back for nothing, so I think we will be working with some unhappy squirrels at the park.
Met another baby yesterday, but it was in a cart, and she loved on it and moved on. I think its when the baby is carried, it freaks her out or something. I know if a dog is carried she has a whining fit about it. IDK, she's a goober.

[plebayo]

Why not teach your dog a solid "leave it" command? Even if you come across babies in your therapy work she should be able to at least ignore them. I understand not wanting to punish a dog over it because you don't want the dog to associate bad things with the baby but I don't think asking the dog to ignore something they're overly interested in is a punishment. When I tell my dogs to leave something, they leave it. They aren't allowed to look at, touch, or taste whatever it is they're going after. My dogs are very squirrel crazy, LiLo and Seth have killed and eaten them, so they know how fun squirrels are and I can tell them to "leave it" and they do. If your dog had a solid "leave it" you could still practice safe interactions with a baby but when your dog becomes too intense, or the child is to be taken away you could tell the dog pretty much that's enough and we need to move on.

[amalie79]

Can you blame her? Imagine being a dog and some person walks in holding a squirmy, squeaky monster?!? Robin is so confused when people are holding babies.

Maybe keep working with breaking attention toward dogs until it is ROCK SOLID. Then with babies in carriages until that is also solid. Then people holding babies at a great distance, before she's been close to them. And so on. Just work up to it really slowly, beginning with something she can easily be successful with. We worked up a "look at that command" very slowly, as well. We'd sit on the porch while people walked by and the instant she set eyes on people, click/treat. Then we graduated to the park and did the same thing. Now I can ask her to "look at that!" and she starts scanning the horizon in all directions until she finds people headed our way. As soon as she finds them, she gets treated. Then she looks at them and back to me for a treat. It's a super exciting game for her. It's been enormously helpful, especially now that she knows most of the basics for a walk and I can reserve treats for ONLY when we encounter people on the walk.

And I'll second the leave it command. That's been really useful with Robin, too. She learned it mainly in regards to messing with the cats, paired with a recall command, so that she leaves whatever it is (even a moving target-- except for squirrels still working on that) and comes to me for treats. When we go for walks and start approaching people, if I see her starting to perk up, hackles, whatever, I start asking her to leave it and she tends to get back to the walk. We did that with a couple of small children on our walk yesterday, which is huge for her-- they are almost as terrifying as the little monsters!

[tiva]

"Look at That' can work wonders, as the others are saying, IF you work below threshold.

If she's too fixated with a real, squirming, screeching baby to stay under threshold, start with a fake baby (ie, a toy, one of those awful things that wiggles and cries).

Once she can stay calm around anything that fake baby does, then have a friend carry the fake baby around, until she's calm with that. Then find someone with a real baby. Start all over again playing LAT at a huge distance, then work until she can stay under threshold at a small distance.

Leslie McDevitt's CONTROL UNLEASHED has full instructions for using the Look at That game to help a dog learn to RELAX around her triggers. That's what you want: the dog to relax and stop fixating on a babe in arms. Hey, if my bike fixated Vanya could learn to stop fixating on bikes with the LAT game (and lots of pot roast as the reward), then I bet your dog can learn to stop fixating on babies with the LAT game. Distance and GREAT REWARDS are key. And lots of practice, even if that means you need to get some fake babies.

[fenella]

I third the suggestions for the Look at That at a further distance.

[Tubular Toby]

Yup, I fourth Look At That. But you have to start it BEFORE she has close contact and becomes fixated. Once she is fixated, it doesn't matter that the baby is down the block. Never let her close enough to get fixated, but eventually you will be able to work closer and closer.

And a toy baby is a great idea if you have someone that can hold it for you!