Calling all pregnant/new mum dog owners

[SeriousStuff]

I have just had my 12 week scan and am already thinking of buying a pram and I need some advice.

Basically, we have a dog which we got as a rescue puppy. He is great - fun loving personality, protective, and incredibly intelligent (he's a border collie) - but, he didn't have the best start in life which means he's very anxious and isn't a fan of unfamiliar, strange moving things! Such as prams...

He once circled a pram whilst on a walk for 10 whole minutes, as if he was trying to herd it. He would never bite or hurt anyone, but try telling that to young parents observing this mad dog circling their young baby! It was awful!

We thought, if we bought the pram now, we could start getting him used to it before the baby comes. But it's one thing to just place it in the kitchen with him, as soon as it moves, I know he'll scurry away and start barking at it, and will try and nip at the wheels!

Has anyone had a similar experience, and if so, how did you overcome it? I would hate it if I couldn't take our baby and dog for a walk at the same time.

3little that is the most adorable thing I have ever read; a nest! What a sweet dog she sounds. :)

Have you considered wraps and carriers instead? We have 2 big dogs and, although both are calm and good on lead, I cba pushing a pram and dealing with them on lead again (ds had a buggy). Dd has been in wraps since day dot as a result. Much easier to walk across fields etc. You can buy wraps cheaper than buggies too.

The nest I fear sounds sweeter then it is in reality.... think a circle of dirty smelly clothes stolen from laundry baskets, which is noisily rearranged for about an hour each night under my bed, and much admired by geriatric dog with bad eyesight in anticipation of her human baby. I think we may buy her a doll and wrap it in the babies first blanket , which we always give to her to cherish and love whilst she waits for me to come home from hospital.

She always knows i am pregnant before I do, and insists on accompanying me to the loo so she can rest her head on me and sniff (according to our vet she can tell more about me from smell then any dipstick). She is notoriously skeptical of the public health nurses/doctors skills, and really does not like anyone outside her family touching the baby. Actually at times I sense she is not sure of my skills and it quite relieved she is allowed to sniff/rub/sneak in the odd lick of the baby. Her pride in walking beside the pram and watching as people admire is hilarious!

I do wonder how she would react if i had a home birth (she would probably insist on trying to get in the pool).....

I would like to add we never leave her unsupervised with the baby, and we ensure she is wormed/vaccinated etc...

She sounds absolutely adorable!

We can't wait for our baby to grow up with our dog. When it works well, there is something incredibly touching about the innocence of a relationship between child and pet. They act on instinct and they can sense things that adults have become immune to.

My grandparents bought a dog only a few weeks after I was born and we were inseparable. It was heartbreaking when she died but I was so proud of having been around for the same amount of time as her.

That is so true serious. The relationship is so pure and innocent. It sounds like you have a lovely canine relationship from childhood to emulate.

Enjoy every moment of your pregnancy, the 1st is so special.

Not a fan of the rattling coke can thing myself with collies, and definitely not if they have an fear issues. It masks the problem, doesn't solve it. Positive training methods are much much more suitable. Post on the dog house for some great advice.

Fishybits I totally agree about not getting non-family friendly dogs, but life doesn't always go to plan. My dogs pre date my family, and I didn't expect to have dcs.

I have a baby and a dog, but wouldn't take a pram on a dog walk. Have you considered not using a pram if the dog is wary?

3littlewoman - my patterdale terrier does the same thing, she follows me to the loo, insists on sitting on my lap with her nose at groin level tries to sniff and lick me there and stuffs her nose too close when she insists on following me to the bathroom - tried shutting her out but i live in a block of flats and at 3am no one wants to hear her bark like mad cos i have shut her out the bathroom! She has now graduated to stealing my underwear out of the laundry basket and running off with them (although she has started to do this with DP's also) I keep finding them under the bed, in her bed, under the sofa, dining table etc. It was quite funny at first but now it is driving me nuts! She is nesting worse than I am!!

We got the dog in November last year and I found out I was pregnant 4 weeks later, so far she has been great with DP's other kids so I am hopeful she will be good with the baby.

I grew up with cats so love the idea that my bean is going to grow up with our dog as its first friend. Just got to get her to leave the toys alone as she is quite possessive!

BabyH I have a patterdale too, she's great with the kids and when I had dd she sat at the side of the Moses basket and if I left the room she would 'stand guard' at the door. She did have to have a good sniff of dd when we brought her home but was just as excited to have her as ds lol. X

-ps she is also quite possessive of her toys but not towards the kids, if they touch her toys she just sulks rather than trying to take them back (as she does with me if I take them) she also lets them go near her food bowl without batting an eyelid and if I am playing rough with her (she play bites me) and the kids get involved she 'noses' them rather than play bites iykwim. She's very conscious of their presence at all times :)

Tinkypeet - that ia good to know thanks!! Mine is crossed with a jack russell so is extra crackers but i wouldn't be without her now. she has play nipped the older 2 but only cos she jumps and catches them rather than deliberately doing it iykwim

I second the sling (and backpack now DS is a bit older). Even the most sooperest dooperest pram really doesn't go far in thick mud. Sling much better.