Dog walking with a newborn in January?

[Jabbythehutt]

Hello everyone, I’m expecting my first in January and am the first of my friends so feel pretty clueless 😅 this might just be me overthinking.

We live in the country with Good Dog and Huge Idiot Dog. They get 45-60 min walk off lead a day and a quick run in the evening. We bought a big, all-terrain pram because HID weighs nearly as much as I do and has sent me literally flying before, he ran straight into my legs and I was flat on the ground before I knew what was going on, so didn’t like the idea of having a baby attached to me on a walk. Also it’s probably easier to grab HID and get a lead on him in a pinch if baby is safe in the pram. However I’m having second thoughts about dragging the pram over frozen bridleways and muddy fields 🤔 so would a carrier or sling be better? Will baby get cold without a pramsuit or footmuff?

NB I’m making HID sound out of control, he’s generally good for a pubertal dog he just has no concept of his size 🙄

We've done both with ours tbh, we have a small idiot spaniel who has no concept of personal space who has knocked me over a few times!

As long as babies extremities are covered in a sling - we wore leg warmers and mocossan type shoes and hands and head covered - your body heat will keep him warm. I wore my OH rain coat over the top (we were in the NW on the coast so chilly in the winter!) Be sensible and check baby regularly to make sure they aren't getting too hot or cold and after a while you'll get the hand of what they need to wear.

That being said....like you I found it was easier to get hold of the dog when DS was in his pram. I did fall over once while wearing him when I slipped on mud (DS was 8m by this point) and it shook me up. The other thing to think about is how the dogs will react to the baby once he's here. Ours got very protective, and wouldn't go very far away, he also made sure he was between me and anyone else we met. He was never agressive, but he would pelt in my direction at top speed if he saw anyone coming, and shoulder barge other dogs out the way. The other dogs were always curious to sniff at the dangly feet and often jumped up to see.

Sorry, not sure if it answers your question very well. Yes the baby will be fine being worn, as long as you make sure they're the right temperature. You will need to try both ways to see which works best for you and which you are most comfortable with.

I used a wrap sling but the dog walked off lead and wouldn't knock me over.
You've got the pram (you'll use it anyway) so buy something like a Moby wrap too and see how you go. In the meantime keep training! Try reward for controlled recall only. Lavish treats for 'come back in civilised manner' (sit for treat if necessary) and not for crashing returns!

We have a GD and HID too. HID is both the love and bane of my life.

Strange post though.

I use a carrier to walk my dog every day and DD is 8 months old now. It’s so much easier to be hands free. I do sometimes walk the dog with DD in the pram too, but she’s very well behaved and will trot nicely by my side whilst I have the lead looped over my wrist. She never pulls nor would make any sudden movements. I don’t know how you’d manage two dogs and a pram on your own, especially if one is strong and not that well behaved. If your pram is very heavy, it will get pretty tiring to push off road too.

I use the Boba X carrier and really like it. I also have a baby wearing coat, with a zip up panel that can be added in to go over the baby. I wear it loads so it was a good purchase for me. When DD was newborn, I used a stretchy sling wrap and then moved to a more structured carrier at 12 weeks or so.

I didn’t mean for it to be strange! I was just interested to see what other people did. This is all totally new, my husband works away a lot and no family in the area so I’m working out how I’ll manage everything by myself in advance as best I can 🤷🏻‍♀️
Luckily he walks very nicely on the lead so no concerns there, it was more whether people found dog walking easier with a pram or carrier and whether baby would be cold in a carrier. Thanks for your thoughts everyone.

Sorry, my bad. I think I was dozing off back to sleep when I read that and misread

Something called 'bug in a rug', or 'nodpod' are both good. They are basically a blanket with legs for baby. you can then use for baby in sling. They are also great for in car seat as you can safely strap baby in and then blanket over straps, and can use in the pram. Its far better than a pram suit imo as easier to open up without waking baby when you go indoors ie arrive home or go into shops, as its usually far too warm indoors to leave them in pramsuit.

I'd say sling as you can just let go of lead if necessary so dog doesn't pull you ovet.

Easier to have both hands free

My dd was born in December. We dog walked from day 4. Then twice a day for the first year of her life. She was in a baby sling, and I just used to wear dh's coats to cover both of us. Also used to breast feed while walking in the fields if I needed to.
We used a Pram on occasion but it was hard work pushing it through long grass (live very rural)
You find a routine looking after babe and animals on your own, animals just have to put up with a less than adequate lifestyle for a short while or the occasional very very short walk. But they get over it fast.

Spinning your big pram 360' holding HID in public is not funny.
Ime.

Sling and walking boots.

Training ddog to walk to heel with a pram was an amazing tool. One false paw move and scrunch. ...
Big gap between ds's and I almost heard ddog groan when the pram came out again!!

Feel really bad I may have stopped OP from coming back now. Sorry @Jabbythehutt -

I always found baby in a good all terrain pram worked best for me. Would suggest footmuff might be a good idea

I walked my dog at 4 days and 2 days after giving birth to my girls. It was great as it got me out of the house and helped me get fit again. I've tried both our buggy and carriers and find the Caboo sling (with generic sling cover from Amazon) works best for first 6-10 weeks followed by our Ergo baby Air Mesh carrier. My eldest was born in December 2016 and youngest in July 2018. I found the buggy (Icandy Peach) just too tiring to push through the mud and I always worried it was too much of a rough ride when my babies were tiny. Good luck.

Sling sling sling. DD was born in the freezing February of 2013 and she would come out with me and my 2 JRTs in the sling, I took a blanket but I was so warm (and she's always been a sweaty Betty) that she didn't need it

@yeahmum no need to apologise, I hadn’t checked back as assumed I’d had all the responses I was going to get.

@zzzzz good points, guess it’ll partly depend how I’m feeling after the birth, I’ll get a dog walker on standby just in case. You might be right about dog walking in late pregnancy with a big bump although it may be the pelvic/back pain that gets me first.

@Emmafh3 breastfeeding and dog walking all at once, now that is impressive! I agree it’s important that not being walked for a day or so isn’t an excuse for them to go off the rails, if I feel under the weather they may have to make do with sofa cuddles only and no walks for a couple of days and they learn to behave themselves anyway.

Lots of food for thought here, thanks again everyone 😊

We used a full body snowsuit and a sling. Baby loved it and was toasty warm. Plus hands free for dogs.

Sling and a bundlebean. DS snuggled in this for many a winter walk. It now is used as car seat blanket. www.bundlebean.com/buy-now/baby-range/

This is such a lovely normal thread. I often see really weird ones regarding dogs and babies. Sling OP. Although the pram will come into its own at times too.