Managing two large dogs and a newborn baby alone

[Vavamum]

I have a challenge ahead and am hoping to read some positive experiences and stories. DH and I have two large dogs that we adore (they're great with kids), and our first baby is on the way. I think it’s worth mentioning that these dogs are ridiculously loved. We’re not in our 20s anymore, and when all our friends were having babies, we had the time to spoil our dogs rotten. We’re definitely the type who love our dogs more than people most of the time - I'm sure you get the gist.

I’ve seen many women have a baby and then seem to neglect their dogs because the baby becomes the number one priority. I don’t want to do that. While I understand that I’ll be busy and focused on my new little human, I still want to make sure our dogs get the same number of walks as they do now. I know I won't have as much time to fuss over them or teach them new tricks, but their walks are something I want to keep consistent.

One challenge for me is that DH works away from home for half the week, and working locally isn’t an option right now. I’ll have support from my mum and MIL for the first few months until I get used to the new routine, but eventually, it’ll just be me managing everything (3 days a week only).

Right now, I can naively imagine taking walks with a pram and my two dogs, and everything being fine. But I realized today that I’ve never actually seen a woman with a pram and two large dogs. Am I being unrealistic? Or will I be fine?

I think it’s a good thing because it forces you to get out of the house a couple of times per day.

I wouldn't clip them to the buggy or to me. Whether you want to call the med or large, they're strong. I dog sit & the 2 labs (one household) are not trained to walk on lead, they're a bloody nightmare just getting them from the house to the car & out the car in the dog field! Yours sound much better trained! I'd spend the time now walking with the pram (put some weight in it & a cover over 🤣🤣) to get them used to it. Personally I don't really like using a sling/carrier and find poop picking very difficult with the baby that way.

id definitely find the local dog fields & try them out now (some are easier than others). I like the ones you can drive in (rather than park outside of).

id also try out some dog walkers now & get them used to going out without you before your baby arrives, so they see it as fun and you have people you can call who you already trust.

be prepared that your hormones may make you resent the dogs & even hate having them around. Do you have a good friend you can vent to & who will stop you rehoming them in the first few hormonal months? (I know right now, that feels completely impossible you might feel like that, but it happens)

best wishes xx

Vavamum · Today 07:06
MrsSkylerWhite · Yesterday 23:02
Which breed are your dogs?
Is there a breed specific advice for this? Would you handle Rottweilers differently to how you would handle golden retrievers?

Yes because they have different characteristics.

Rottweilers for example are very obedient and easy to train. Golden retrievers and labradors, not so much 😁. So for example I wouldn’t consider letting a retriever or a lab off lead if I had a baby with me. They wander and can be a nightmare to retrieve.

Vavamum · Today 07:17
mine are both labs and behaviour isn't an issue - they just walk by my side if it's a leashed walk, and run endlessly retrieving balls if we're in the park

You’re very lucky! I’ve had two in my lifetime and they were both absolute buggers with recall. I’d also categorise labs as medium rather than large.

You have had great practical advice.

But a lot will depend on how the birth goes, I have had two children. I was up and about and one birth hardly affected me, the second one was an entirely different kettle of fish. So be prepared to pay out for a dog walker, I would advise booking one for a few walks before you have your baby so they get used to him or her. I know it’s extra expense. DH worked away loads when DS was born it was just how it worked out. He was off in a Malaysian jungle for a while when DS was a few months old, now that I found stressful and I couldn’t even contact him for a few days, 23 years ago. No close relatives so I’m very glad to read you have some local help.

I’d probably book a dog walker to do one really decent walk per day and take the pressure off.

Then yes to baby carrier, rather than pram. Maybe it depends - quick walk round the block the pram could be fine. Long walk in woods or rural area, the pram just isn’t great and being hands free is so much easier.

I think having that reason to get out and about will be really good for you.

I had 2 dogs and babies, mine were retrievers thought, not sure how large yours are but if they don't pull on leads walking will be fine.

I wouldn't clip dogs to you with a baby carrier.

Just as a slight tangent - don't neglect ongoing behavioural training with your dogs as the new addition to your family arrives. We have friends who had some serious behavioural problems with their dogs who regarded all other humans apart from the immediate family as a threat to the baby and they started being a potential danger to the general public. They had previously been great with kids but their canine psychology handled things rather differently.

I think having a dog walker during the early months who is also a qualified canine behaviour specialist might be a good idea so that if there are any problems you have an expert on-hand.

@MrsSkylerWhite my labs are large. 35-40kg (not a gram of fat by the way), they are tall, chunky and large - I wouldn't categorise them as medium sized dogs.
And recall comes with training.

I don't know if your advise is very valid here- as I have labs and they are incredibly well trained, I don't have any issues letting them off the lead like ever. All you're saying about the breads here is personal opinion and in no way a useful advice to me, or other future mums who will come across this thread.

@Cheeesus mine are large. Not Great Dane large, but not your typical little Labradors you usually see around. That's why in my thread I didn't specify the bread, but mentioned they are large. 🙂

@PolitePearlMoose Jesus Christ. What do you even mean by 'if I decide to keep them', you think people should just give away their dogs when they decide to have babies? Have you never seen cute families with kids and pets? Have you never had pets? Do you even have a heart? Have you smacked your head somewhere this morning or are you always this backward? Very, very sad.

I don't know if your advise is very valid here- as I have labs and they are incredibly well trained, I don't have any issues letting them off the lead like ever. All you're saying about the breads here is personal opinion and in no way a useful advice to me, or other future mums who will come across this thread“

Bit unwarranted and rude! Not personal opinion at all. All dog breeds have certain genetic characteristics, trained or not, as most people who know dogs understand.

Still, you’ve gone on to call another poster a “Karen” and been equally unpleasant to another which tells me all I need to know about you.

I really hope that is a troll. Disgusting.

Anyway, I only had one dog but having a walking belt was really handy and I favoured walks where she could be off lead so it felt like less wrangling. I used the carrier a lot too. DDog learned to walk beside the pram or get run over quite quickly! And having the dog was a good incentive to get out of the house with both DC in the early weeks too.

Oh and buy a good pram! Out n About Nipper has been amazing for us, a real workhorse and handles all kinds of terrain. We've taken it everywhere and it's handled everything thrown at it.

OP I came here to say get a bloody good sling (your back will thank you for this anyway) the best you can afford. I had a bonkers huge staffy when I had a baby. He was the happiest softest pup ever, but if he had a glance from someone he would get excited, so I needed both hands to hold him. Edit to say - he was happy/excited for a hug from a stranger not aggressive or jumping up, he would just shake his fat arse with happiness so I would need two hands to hold the lead.

@PolitePearlMoose that’s really unfair. My dog was a little a lot bonkers but I loved him with all my heart and he WAS a family member. Dogs and families go together. I would never have dumped him as I had a baby. He was my sons best friend.