Preparing our dog for new baby

[ChickenLidl]

We've recently found out number 3 is unexpectedly on the way. I'm only about 6 weeks, so we have plenty of time to think about how we need to prepare.

Dog is a golden retriever and will be 3 by the time baby is born, she's fantastic with our two older kids who are 11 and 8, but has never had much to do with babies!

Apart from getting her used to crying etc. like I did with fireworks, can anyone recommend anything we should be doing with her or training her to do before the baby is born?

[ChickenLidl]

Is there anyone out there? Can I tempt you to my thread with ?

[Mamab33]

Have heard that someone taking a muslin that has the baby's scent on it home from hospital before you and baby arrive home lets the dog get familiar with the baby's smell. When you arrive home go in first to make a fuss of the dog then once settled bring DH and baby in for the introduction. Good luck!

[Spotti]

Things to get dog used to:

Crying/screaming/laughing (you'd be surprised how many dogs react to laughing more than full on tantrums).
You carrying LO (could practice with a doll, or even a cushion held like a baby).
Having fur/ears/tail pulled...not that you should ever let your LO do this to your dog, but there's no harm in making sure your dog won't react, just on e off chance.
Disturbed nights.
Car seat.
Walking with a pram/LO in a sling.
If they don't already know the cue, teaching "leave it" or something similar can be a god send when dealing with nappies, dummies, baby food, baby toys etc.
Create a 'dog space' (such as a crate or 'den' behind the sofa etc) where doggy can take themselves away if they feel like they need some space.

I'm sure there are tonnes more things you could be doing with your dog but depending on how confident you are at training/how much time you're willing to put into training, maybe you could teach your dog to help you out around the house - for example, picking things up off the floor is helpful when heavily pregnant/carrying a LO in your arms; fetching various items can again make life easier; doing the washing/recycling etc...

I'm in the process of getting some video footage of my dog, Oscar, carrying out some of the tasks I've mentioned above and they will hopefully be on YouTube relatively soon if you fancied a nosy? Also, where abouts are you based? If you're nearby then I'd be happy to help :)

[Helgathehairy]

I have a 2.5 year old golden and I was a bit worried but not as much as other people as DDog can be a bit bonkers. Think my post was something like "apparently my dog will eat the baby".

Long story short they love each other. She's a year old now and after mama and dada, his name was her next word. Obviously we watch them but he's never shown even a hint of aggression. We didn't really do much preparation. If we're playing tug he puts all his strength into it with me but with her he just drops his toy! The ONLY issue is him stealing her toys (cause I've messed up training and now I think I'm rewarding him for stealing things).

[Thegreatunslept]

My ds now 15 months and we have a jack russell dog who is 3 years old.
The day I had ds dp took home one of the babygrows or vests ds had been in home with him and the dog slept with it that night.
He knew ds then when we got him home and apart from a good sniff wasn't too worried.
We also had alot of the baby stuff sitting out round the house like the Moses basket and bouncy chair so the dog was already used to these things.
My son loves our dog and calls for him in the morning from his cot.
My ds also shares food with the dog if I look away for even a second.

[Helgathehairy]

thegreatunslept DD loves to share with the dog as well! Probably why he lives her so much!

[tomanyanimals]

If the dog is abit hyper I got told to buy a doll that cried and laughed and walk round even leave it on the floor and teach him to leave and not go near but that he could alert me to it ( not that I wouldn't hear a full on tantrum) also to out anything out like bouncer Moses basket as that was downstairs and again teach him he wasn't to go near it to be fair as soon as baby started crying he either came and nudged me or got up and walked out the room like for goodness sake will it not be quiet :)

[TeenaH]

Good on you for asking! When I was pregnant with my first child, Sara I used a book called Tell Your Dog You're Pregnant: An essential guide for dog owners who are expecting a baby. It was really helpful and came with a baby sounds and toy noises. Max (my fur child!) took some time to get used to the sounds but the book helped on how to do it. It gave me advice on what changes will occur and how to prepare my Max for them. It also talked about the causes for aggression and why it might occur and how to avoid it. It is written by a vet behaviorist too so it cover health issues as well - I got it from //www.babyandpet.com.au or Amazon too i guess - mayb that will help you too. :)

[helenbaker183]

Ah I was going to post pretty much exactly what Spotti said, all good advice!

I'm expecting my first at the moment and not sure how my dog will take it, as I'm 6 months pregnant now I'm going to start doing things like the dolls... i've done so much research Plus I also read this article that suggested you buy a cd of baby noises and play it to your dog, it'll get him/her used to the strange noises.

Here's the article.. it's got some really good advice actually, stuff I never would have thought about
content.tailster.com/blog/expect-youre-expecting/

[SquidgyMaltLoaf]

There's also a good book by Silvia Hartman Kent called Your Dog and Your Baby - worth a read.