I have a three yr old German shepherd X, that I adopted a couple of years ago, who I adore, but does have his issues. In pregnancy we did all the playing baby sounds, getting the dog used to baby stuff, stopping him going on furniture/ upstairs etc. But then we brought home our DD 3weeks ago, and now struggling.
Initially, while he wanted to sniff her, he would whine and moan whenever she made noise, panting, yawning in the same room as her, trying to get as close to whoever wasn't holding the baby for reassurance. then when she was a week old, while I was struggling to try bf, he came up and nudged at me for attention, and when i sent him to his bed, snapped at her face, luckily not making contact.
since then, he is gated in the kitchen, unless my dh is around to oversee, or unless dd is sleeping in the pram. We are trying todo lots of positive reinforcement, treats when he is calm in the same room, walks with the pram ( as well as walks with a dog walker- so he's tired). But he's still no happier in the same room.
can this get better? I have no idea whether I doing the right thing. we have seen/ are seeing a behaviourist, but most the tips seem more about managing them separately. I feel so guilty, that the dog is spending most his life in the kitchen/ garden. But I have to protect my baby, and he snapped at her so suddenly, if he had wanted to actually hurt her, he could have done so easily, despite me there and holding her, and there is nothing I could have done.
I don't know whether with time, this will get better. Or whether I'm being unfair to my DD, to keep the dog when he's already snapped at her. And increasingly. Am being unfair to my dog, because he is so unhappy and stressed out with her presence, and while I adore him, would he be happier in a child free home. I would be devastated not having him here, but need to do what's best. Just wish I knew what that was.