Dog and newborn baby...

[JethroTull]

I'm sure this has been done a million times but I'm hoping the vast knowledge of The Doghouse can help.

We've had our beautiful if slightly insane boxer for 18 months. I love him so much & he's such a great dog. We had IVF last year & our miracle boy arrived a month ago. Dog has been good, very interested in smelling everything but definitely no aggression. However dog is into everything & I'm always saying NO or LEAVE IT. Dog just looks depressed or is playing up for any attention. He gets a 40 min walk in the morning with DH & at least an hour at lunchtime with the dog walker. I can't walk him yet as had a c-section. Yesterday & today he's had periods of constant barking / howling which he's never done before.

How can I help my dog to feel loved & settled again? Any advice gratefully received.

[JethroTull]

Bump? Anyone?

[pinkbear82]

I'm no expert, but have two dogs and my 5mth old dd. I made sure when lo is napping I spent time with the dogs when I could. A few extra treats and toys.
I would expect if they could actually talk they'd say they know I'm bribing them and it sucks, but they'll take what they can.

Pretty sure dds first words will be dog related...... Down, no, or bloody dog!

[LtAllHallowsEve]

Hi Jethro, I could be off the mark here, but the Boxers I have known have needed a lot more exercise than that. My friends boxer gets an hour in the morning (at least half of it off lead), half an hour road walking at lunchtime and another hour in the evening, and she says he could still cope with more if she had the time.

How old is your dog and is he neutered? That could make a difference.

Do you give him any undivided attention? - even providing him with a treat filled kong would get his brain cells going - he could just be bored whilst you are healing.

[ButThereAgain]

Once you are recovered enough to go out on long walks with your baby in a sling, or a buggy, things will get lots easier. It is a lovely, soothing way of spending relaxing time with your baby and giving your dog exactly what he needs too. So keep a good heart through these more difficult times! A kong or a safe bone or whatever is a very good idea, and just seizing the odd moment to give him a bit of quality attention when the baby doesn't need you.

He isn't going to suffer from a few weeks of having to make do with scarce rations of attention -- not when he has an owner who clearly cares about him and gives as much as she can (40 mins with DH in morning and then a long walk with the dog walker sounds very committed and kind, even if he could use more). It is more a question of you staying happy and taking care of your stress levels when the dog is demanding attention from you and you want to focus on the baby, or just have a rest. Don't feel too bad if you sometimes have to shut him in another room for a little while and just take time out from him.

[JethroTull]

Thank you. He gets good bribes treats. I ordered a sling which came today so once I've worked out how to use it I'm going to start taking him & MiniJethro for short walks in the afternoon whilst we're still using the dog walker.

I feel really sad for him, he just doesn't seem himself

[HaveToWearHeels]

Sorry I can't offer any different advise sorry (but try to spend time with him on your own when baby is sleeping. We had a 4 year old Boxer when we bough DD home, they are now the best of friends (picture on profile), he is 8 and she is 4.
I used to go out with baby in the sling and the dog, great for weight loss, baby gets fresh air and dog gets exercise. Your boxer will start to settle down soon, they are a bit mental until about 2.

[Booboostoo]

Congratulations on the new baby!

Your dog is still quite young and needs quite a bit of exercise and stimulations. When you say 'leave it' do you then reward him for doing so? It's very important that you reinforce the behaviour that you do want (with a treat, a toy or anything else he likes). You can also easily spend some time training him without moving from the sofa/bed - teach him some new tricks, like give your paw or roll over. 15 minutes of training keeps his brain active and he may be more tired afterwards.

It may be that he is a bit unsettled by the new arrival. Try Adaptil collars/diffusers or Zylkelene tablets to see if they help.