dogs and babies. Any tips????

[stareyes76]

i have an 8 and a half year old border collie he is the most amazing dog who is good with my friends babies/kids. obviously i would never leave them alone in the room together but im still abit worried about the strange noises my little on will make etc. im 28 weeks pregant now due 11th Jan 2010.

have you any tips on how to introduce them etc and how to live with the two?

our springer spaniel (similar-ish temperaments to collies??) was our baby and 7 and a half when DC1 arrived on the scene.

She had grown up with my nephews and nieces and was really, really good with children - very chilled, had never growled when one of them had pulled her ears/fur/tail - so we weren't too concerned.

I think she knew what was coming, tbh, and my DH did take home a worn sleepsuit before we came back from the hospital so she could get a whiff of the new addition.

The transition was fine, and we just made sure that we paid her lots of attention and kept our dog walks up. Within a couple of months they were lying together on the playmat and I felt pretty much 100% happy that there wouldn't be a problem leaving them there even if I did go out of the room for a minute.

We didn't bother doing anything when DC2 arrived...so I think we just took her previous reaction for granted!

Unfortunately she died when DC2 was 6 months old, but have a new bouncy puppy that will have to get used to DC3, when they arrive. TBH, I'm more concerned now about DC2's reaction to the new baby than the dog's!!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll all be fine.

thanks!!i noticed you had a dog on another thred i did and it was you who gave me the idea to put this up. i think im just getting a bit freaked now as i only have like 11 weeks left on monday.

love my dog to pieces and will def give him the attention he deserves. he has changed to me at the min he won't jump up at me at all if i ask he will jump at my husband. thats a fun game i would recommend to any woman.
im so sorry for your loss they are part of the family i don't care what anyone else says.

xxxx

We have an 8 y/o mongrel. He was always shy around children (nieces and nephews), and still worries about other people's children.

However, he's always been brilliant with DD, (now 21 months). I think that there were benefits to him... I was always at home breastfeeding so very 'still', lots of long walks with the offroader puschair.... When she was being weaned he took advantage of high chair scraps from heaven, and now they do actually PLAY together. I am always careful. I think you just have to look at everything from the dog's point of view.

Good luck.