Introducing a new baby to a dog

[WestYorkshireGirl]

Just wondering if anyone had any advice on this? We have had a labrador for nearly 10 years and our first baby is due next week. Monty is very easy going and generally well-behaved and certainly not dominant, but just wondering if there were any tips people had for ensuring things go ok? We're planning a home birth so he should be around for most of the action, but can take himself off if he wants to upstairs. Thanks

If you are planning a home birth, it may be sensible to have someone to be with the dog. He will not be happy to hear you in pain. It is important to introduce baby smells, like a towel the baby has been in. One of our dog's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw our first dd! We allowed the dogs to sniff the new baby and to remain part of the family.

It would probably help for your dog to get used to baby stuff around the place, and get used to a certain amount of disruption, although it is important to keep your dog's routine as much as you can.

Both our dogs were allowed to come close and lick the babies, but they were never (and still are not) left alone with the children.

Hope it all goes well!

If you have time try and leave baby stuff around the house, the type he will need to get used to, the stroller, highchair etc. It is important that he knows what these are and that they are not for him.
Secondly (and I am squirming even writing this for fear of sounding daft) but he needs to get used to baby noises such as crying and screaming. You can buy a CD somewhere or ask someone with a baby to visit to help him settle to these sounds.
Another piece of advice that was invaluable to me was to get him walking with a stroller early on and I put a dolly in it (I was lucky enough to work in a school at the time and borrowed a easycare baby which cried etc.) which taught our two dogs to walk with the stroller and that helped me to get out when my DS1 was very first born and beyond.
Our dogs did lick faces when the boys became toddlers but never aggressively.
I have asked our local rescue centre/NCT to perhaps run a one off class about this topic as it is a big reason for people taking dogs into the rescue centre as they think the dog will be a threat to the baby, but handled correctly the situation is very often a loving and contented one!
Good luck

When I was pregnant with DS now 11 we had a young dog and a trainer advised us to carry a babydoll around so that the dog would get used to seeing a 'baby' in my arms.

We also let the dog sniff the baby clothes and let him sniff the feet of our son. Seems weird, but he got used to our DS very quickly and in most photographs you would see me changing a nappy, bathing DS and the dog would be lying a couple of feet away watching us. Those 2 had such an amazing bond.

Good luck OP.

Agree with the other posters, and want to strongly second what silentcatastrophe said about having someone there for the dog. I have has 2 home births my first was a BBA (born before assistance) and my Lab (who was the most chilled out placid dog i have ever had) went bonker, she was very very distressed and upset knowing and seeing that i was in pain, we had to lock her out in the garden :(, as my first home birth wasnt planned.

As for the introduction i let her have a good sniff and a lick of the baby as soon as possible, my dear old girl was fantastic with my DC she would spend hours sat next to them when they were tiny she was fascinated with them.

Good luck :)

I had two dogs when I had DS2 at home, my two dogs slept through the whole thing in the next room (nanny upstairs considerably more traumatised!) When we brought DS1 home from hospital just pretended it was a totally normal thing to do, didn't make a fuss and once the dogs had had a look and a sniff they just decided he was a small human being and treated him as such. Our lovely ( now sadly deceased) long haired dachshund became a sort of leaning post/ armchair for DS1 and loved him very much.

When he had our first ds we made sure that he {the dog} got a treat when ds came home. That wa he associated the baby with good things.
I don't know if this is advised but it worked for us

Thanks very much everyone - some great ideas to try here.