New baby and family dog

[blondebaby111]

I'm due anytime and just wondered how some of u mums dealt with your family pet when bringing home your baby for the first time.
We don't have a big dog, just a little terroir but I just want to do things right as he has been our baby for the past six years. Any tips and advice would be very welcome xx

I am in exactly the same situation! I wonder how my dog will be when I bring my baby home my dog has been slightly more protective over me since my bump has got big too, when I was talking to my friend she said her dog sulked for a couple of days then became besotted with baby and never left her side once her dog realised that she hasn't been replaced. Lots of websites say to bring a blanket that baby has been wrapped up in and introduce that to the dog first. I think as long as we fuss them too they will be fine even thought about buying our dog a new toy for when baby comes home lol?! X

I am in exactly the same situation! I wonder how my dog will be when I bring my baby home my dog has been slightly more protective over me since my bump has got big too, when I was talking to my friend she said her dog sulked for a couple of days then became besotted with baby and never left her side once her dog realised that she hasn't been replaced. Lots of websites say to bring a blanket that baby has been wrapped up in and introduce that to the dog first. I think as long as we fuss them too they will be fine even thought about buying our dog a new toy for when baby comes home lol?! X

ditto here too. Im worried as a friend brought her 3m old baby over and after a good harmless sniff starting growling and barking at the baby.

Your lucky my fiancé don't want to get me my lil puppy

We have 2 cocker spaniels, one is almost 10, the other is 3. Both were fine when we brought DS home from hospital, we didn't bother with the blanket thing. When we got in we kept DS in his carseat and put him down in the lounge once the dogs had settled down and just let them sniff him. Made a fuss of the dogs and haven't had any problems.

Follow all the normal obvious things like not leaving them alone etc. You will need to be very careful when first putting baby on the floor/playmat and keep guard very close but just take things one step at a time.

One thing we did do prior to DS arrival was get a few cheap soft toys (from poundland) and put them in the toybox with some baby powder as that was a smell they didn't know so they could learn which were their toys and which were baby's toys.

Also make sure your dog has his own safe place that they can escape to when required, especially once baby is crawling.

do you have any friends with small children that you could start socialising your dog with?

im pregnant with number one, our dog is 6 and also our baby! she is tolerant of small grabby shrieky kids and enjoys trying to lick them!

currently she is allowed anywhere in the house, while baby is small we will use a gate to stop her coming upstairs as she gets under your feet!

Also although I trust her I will make sure not to leave her unattended with baby just in case.

I'm in this position as well. We were given the advice from our dog trainer to have the baby stuff in place for a while to get them used to it being around. And when baby has arrived to make sure the dog associates the baby with positive things I.e. reward the dog for correct behaviour etc

I should add that now DS is a very active 2 year old our older dog is much less tolerant of him whereas the younger one will let DS sit on him and climb all over her. And also we have to be very careful with food, older dog will snatch food straight from DS hand if we don't keep an eye on them.

My experience would be , as difficult as it is, try not to alter yor dogs routine too much and still try and give him a fuss. Agree with a quiet place....we did all this and our old collie is relatively tolerant of our 14 month old, but I do watch them together very closely. I also guess a certain amount of it is linked to their temperament. I do have to say that it is a very big commitment and requires work but certainly doable!

We failed miserably with this and our pooch is now with close relatives living the life of riley.

Hi all,

I have a Shar-Pei and Basset Hound (now 3 and 2 year old). When I had DD1 the Shar-Pei was 6 months old, we got him when we knew were pregnant so we were pretty aware he was going to be big and treat trained him at least 1 session a day without fail :c) When we bought DD1 home the first day he had not seen me for a couplr of days so my DP carried baby into house (as they had seen him over the couple of days between hospital vists etc) and I made a huge fuss of the Shar-Pei, we had previously set up everything and let him sniff baby lotion and powder etc, I can't remember if we did the blanket thing (although we did plan to!). We sat on the settee together and held DD1 and we had treats and we let him sniff her and kept treating him, he clamed really quickly and loved her immediately (he still adores babies and gets very excited when he sees a pram! He is coming around to my DD1 as a toddler, he still oves her but used to give her a wide birth when she was pushing something around as she thought it hilarious to ram into dogs!). She now likes using shar-pei as either a bullseye or Pluto and he likes this just fine. Well after 3 months we decided to get a puppy as we thought Shar-pei might like the company when I went back to work. Best thing we ever did btw. We settled on a bassett hound and have never looked back. DD1 was 3 months when we got bassett puppy who was 8 weeks. Bassett's are great and she is brilliant with DD1 (DD1 tries to ride them cos they are big - too much toy sotry me thinks, they don't mind and casualy move a little out the way till she gives up, then they give her kisses). We never trained her as much as we trained shar-pei but she copied him so it was actually pretty easy. We have another on the way and I am not even concerned about dogs taking to baby even though now older :c) My shar-pei started getting really sookie a week before I found out I was pg (think he smelt the difference in me) and has been bouncing around like a spring lamb (shoulda seen him on xmas day, more excited than DD1) since then, he comes and snuggles all the time (shar-pei's can be really aloof in general even when they are loving) and likes to perch on my lap and give me kisses). My bassett is dosey and I don't think she has noticed any difference except shar-pei wants to play with her a little more, which she is loving lol.

Phew that was long winded and I really did not get to point lol. My advice, don't shut your dog out, best tip ever. I included my dogs in everything, I used treats to get them to sit by playmat etc instead of shuting them out the room. I always let them sniff her and if you set the boundaries when they are small and she is on the floor when it comes to her crawling and trying to walk you won't need to be shutting them out (she started walking at 8 months and I swear it was cos she wanted to run around with dogs). The only thing I did do was shut them out when DD1 moved out of highchair to table and this was mainly cos she has a tendency to feed them (also as soon as she was on her feet I started giving her dog treats to give to dogs, this is an activity they all love and am surprised the dogs are not fat lol). I also walked dogs with pram everyday, it was great with everyone, also the dogs walked controlled by the side of pram and were not allowed in front, this was another great way to show the dogs that baby is top of pack). Now I don't bother ever shutting them out, they don't steal food and DD1 is past wanting to share her food with anyone, even the dogs :c) Also when my DD1 was 18 months she decided she wanted to walk the bassett, so lead training very important, we let her and our bassett is better behaved on lead with DD1 than she is us! DD1 always holds bassett now (she has never asked to hold shar-pei but think that is cos he is slightly bigger) and the bassett responds to verbal commands only without treats or eye contact too (only when out for a walk though lol).

I used a lot of tips from Vicotria Stillwells it's me or the dog book when bringing home DD1.

Good luck and enjoy your baby and dogs (they are all very funny together and I could not imagine my DD1 growing up without them).

My dog was a feisty 11yo when I had Ds in 98. My Mum and Dad looked after my dog as I was in hospital for 5 days, but I brought Ds to their house, put him on his changing mat on the floor and brought the dog to meet Ds with me sat close just in case. He sniffed him vigorously, pressing his snout into baby, big loud intakes and exhales of breath. That was it! they were good friends for 2 1/2 years until doggy had to be pts.

With another dog (adopted at age 7/8 and was by the time Dd was born 11 ) and Dd, I didn't do anything at all; don't think I even thought about it and they were fine!

I think all dogs are different and you have to cautiously make your own judgement. Just remember that your 'baby' animal is just that; an animal and animals can be unpredictable even if you think you know them.

I'm gradually changing my dogs routine so it doesn't come as a shock to them. I won't be able to stick to their usual routine with a small baby and when routines change dramatically is when trouble sets in. (with mine anyway/holidays have proven this to be true).
They need to get used to not being in the same room as us when we're in the house, so starting this weekend getting a baby gate (im 6wks) and building them up to being left alone in the dining room while we're in the living room (20mins at a time, building up).
I'm also presuming i won't be able to take them on their 8am and 7pm walks everyday which they are so used to, so getting them used to different times of day, sometimes only once a day walks.
No more access upstairs and being trained to leave food dropped on the floor through voice tone.
They also will have to start sleeping in the dining room as my boy gets right under your feet and carrying a small baby downstairs in the middle of the night is not the time for dodge the staffy!
I also plan to perhaps get a doll and get them used to me carrying it around, putting it on the floor and getting them to stay away. Also a crying child will be alarming to my boy (he's a nervous dog) so may even go so far as to get a tiny tears or something! (Going to look like a madwoman!)
I love my dogs so much so want to minimise the risks and do things right (by us anyway).

Hi all :-) I am due to have my baby on Monday, I bought a puppy 4 months ago, little jack Russell, I'm soo stressed with trying to train him and I'm worried about not being able to cope with both new additions, any advice wud b great. Also does anyone know what puppys are like with babies xx

I have 2 big dogs and I was a little worried that they might accidentally hurt the baby if they get excited. What we did - DH took some clothes the baby had worn home from hospital, so they could sniff. When i got home, I first took time to greet the dogs and then let them sniff the baby. Interestingly, they were both terrified and would not go anywhere near DS. They are showing a bit more interest now that he's 6 months old, but are always very, very careful around him, almost sneaking around on tiptoes.

They still get their normal walks (our routine was long walk at lunchtime, shorter in the evening). As walking is pretty much the only way DS agrees to nap, this works out well for both baby and dogs.

I have not trained them to leave food on the floor - quite the opposite, they are most useful now that DS is experimenting with finger foods

Lol HazelNutt- that is too true, I let my dogs eat what is dropped on the floor, very handy :c)

Blimey mumov4xx that's a 'brave' move! getting a puppy when you know you are pg. Not something I would have done personally! especially a JR.

We took the dog out with the pram (and looked like nutters) a few times before dd arrived. When we came home I entered first and made a big fuss of him and dh entered a little while later with dd in the car seat. We kept him on the lead for a while as he was very excited. He is not allowed to lick or paw her but gets the odd sneaky lick of the hand in. The biggest problem is that lots of her toys look like dog toys!
The most important thing is to make sure your dog keeps the same routine and gets plenty of exercise.

Also dog and dd are never left alone together.

We had one scary incident with one of our dogs, when she nipped DS on the nose when he was 12 months and started to bottom shuffle. Apparently this is quite common, as crawling and bottom shuffling can appear quite odd to a dog. We did a lot of soul-searching but decided to keep our dog, on account of her being blind in one eye and realised that she panicked rather than acted out of malice.

My son is now 28 months and our dog has not put a foot wrong since. She is so sweet and gentle with my son, but I suppose I'm trying to say that "things" can happen, even when you're diligent and the dog in question has never so much as growled at anyone, never mind nipped.

My son is now involved in giving our dogs treats in exchange for tricks, and he sometimes holds the lead of our very gentle pug while on walks.

mumov4xxx, I was given a JRT pup a few weeks before I gave birth. The house I was due to move into was broken into a few days before I moved. My mum panicked and asked the local police what would be the best thing to deter repeat break ins. Police advised that dogs are the best deterrent, not large, guarding breeds, but noisy dogs, cue me being gifted an 8wo old JRT pup two weeks before giving birth

It was hard but do-able but and it is a big but, I had lots of experience with dogs and a very doggy family to fall on for back up.

In your position I would seek the advise of a professional dog trainer, who uses positive training methods, avoid anyone who talks of pack theory.

Start adjusting routines now to one you think you will be able to cope with with a newborn. Could you afford a dog walker for the first few months?

If the dog will need to start sleeping in a different room, do that now. Bring out baby stuff now and teach the dog to ignore it, using positive, reward based training.

Set the dog up a den/crate in a quiet area of the house so he can escape the chaos of a new baby when he wants to. Teach all children to stay well away from the den/crate. Hide treats and special toys in there to encourage the dog to see it as a good place to be. Put the dog here and make him secure by closing the crate/door when you need to do things that would not allow supervising the dog.

Never leave the dog and baby unsupervised. Ever. Not even for a second. Not even if you think the baby is out of the dogs reach in a pram/moses basket/whatever. Teach the dog to follow you around the house by calling him when you leave and giving him a treat when you get to the next room.

Make sure the dog still gets enough attention, exercise and training after the baby is born. My Dad walked mine for me for the first few weeks with his own dogs and she came everywhere with me, ensuring she was well excerised and socialised.

JRTs are quite feisty but very smart little dogs, at 4 months training should be well under way, what is it you are still struggling with? They're a working breed, high energy with a good hunting instinct, if you don't give them a job and enough physical exercise, they will find their own job and it won't be one you are pleased with, the most common issues being barking and "killing" clothes/teddies/beds/everything and anything. A regular obedience or puppy class with "homework" would help keep his little mind busy and keep him out of trouble or work your way through a good training guide, Jean Donaldson How to Train Your Dog Like a Pro, would be a good start as would Pamela Dennison's Idiots Guide to Positive Dog Training (which covers basics like toilet training and lead walking)

My JRT loved dd1 and was always very gentle with her and naturally protective of her, but that was luck as much as anything else, the JRT X I have now does not like any children other than dd2, he will tolerate them as long as they don't invade his space, but he does not actively like them.

We were told to bring a blanklet home from the hospital that the baby had been in to let the dog sniff before you are discharged if possible. also when you get home bring the dog out of the house to greet you then all go in together when he is calm. something to do with not entering his territory. Also as pp have said still make a fuss of him. Anyway we did it and they've been fine though i would never leave the baby alone with him

mumov4 my only advice with a jack russell puppy & new baby would be to be very strict with the dog, set the rules firmly and make sure everyone in the family sticks to them. Do you have a playpen or travel cot you can set up so you always have somewhere safe to pop baby into should puppy misbehave you can then put baby straight down and discipline dog if required.

It would be worth doing some proper puppy training classes asap, ideally with your older children (depending on age) so they can help out and see what is expected of puppy as well.

Do not discipline a JRT if you want a well balanced, friendly JRT. They are a very feisty, fearless working breed with strong instincts and will think nothing of acting to protect themselves. A neurotic, fearful JRT is the last thing you want near a new baby.

Use only positive methods. You can be firm without being harsh. Simply reward good behavior and correct bad behavior by diverting it to a good behavior i.e if you want the dog not sit on the sofa just teach them an off command, give the off command every time you spot the dog on the sofa and treat when they respond, teach them where you do want them to sleep and treat them every time you find them there.

I should clarify, i agree completely with what D0oingMeCleanin has said. When i say discipline i mean if you are needing to physically do something, like if puppy is stealing food or needs to urgently be moved outside as they need a wee etc.