Ideally, a new-born human infant would be accepted by the dog as an offspring to be included in this family unit. For various reasons, most problems between a dog and child do not occur until the child reaches the crawling and walking stages, at about a year or so. Nonetheless, you should be attuned to the small possibility of a problem occurring and play it safe with your infant. The most serious problem that can occur is that your dog may not recognize your baby as a human being to be included in its family unit. If a dog is not familiar with infants, particularly within the family, the dog may interpret the infant as a prey item.
Most dogs are curious about infants.
This is particularly true if a dog has had little exposure to infants or a long time has elapsed since it has seen a baby. If you have observed its reaction to other babies, either in your home, on the street, or in other people's homes, you should be aware of your dog's typical reactions and take any precautions that are necessary. Most dogs adapt quickly and easily to the presence of a new baby. Since the consequences of a problem can be so severe, however, it is wise to assume that your dog could act adversely and to take all the safety precautions possible, regardless of your dog's previous encounters with babies. A baby could be accidentally hurt as a dog attempts to play with or investigate the infant.