Babies and dogs

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marie estey
Posts: 70
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 3:18 pm

Babies and dogs

Post by marie estey »

My husband and I are a young couple with three dogs and have been thinking about having a baby. I was wondering if anyone else have kids and dogs. Any advice tips other then don't do it because I don't want to wait for my dogs to be gone to have kids I'm looking at 15+ years on that. But my dogs have all been around kids are great with them. I just want other parents opinions
Fundog
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Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: Babies and dogs

Post by Fundog »

It can be done. Start preparing the dogs while you are still pregnant, with recordings of baby sounds, objects with baby smells, introduce them to other people's babies, etc. The hard part that we encounter the most on this board is that expectant mothers are always too tired, and their balance is off, so that walking the dogs is very difficult, and of course, the balance being off, and in a fragile condition, the idea of being knocked over or pulled is an understandable concern. Having three dogs only triples this.

However.... plan ahead, get some help, have someone help you walk the dogs, fix a lot of puzzles and mental games for them.

When the baby comes, continue to have someone come and help you with dog walks, since obviously it will be very challenging to walk even one dog while pushing a stroller, let alone three. And you will be exhausted and sleep deprived, and the baby needing round the clock care, so you won't have as much energy to devote to walking/playing with the dogs.
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
marie estey
Posts: 70
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 3:18 pm

Re: Babies and dogs

Post by marie estey »

My dogs have been around babies and I plan to have my friends with babies visit a lot while I'm in the process of becoming/being pregnant. Currently right now each dog gets walked on their own I have three sled dogs that pull actual sled. So on my own I can't normally walk all three. I've got two younger sisters who are more then willing to spend most of their days here helping with baby and dogs.

I guess I was kinda sad to here some people I know saying I should get rid of a dog or two or wait till one goes. Which I hope is a very long time from now. I want my baby to grow with the dogs and learn from daddy and I how to care for animals. Its just good to know that what I'm doing is right to prepare them for having my own baby in the house.
JudyN
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Re: Babies and dogs

Post by JudyN »

I would also consider getting the dogs used to having a 'quiet time' in a room away from you. Then you won't have to deal with the dogs trying to help with changing nappies, and can put the baby down to leave the room for a moment. It will also help when the baby gets mobile as you really don't want him-her crawling over to the dogs and treating them like cuddly toys.

You are so lucky having sisters willing to help out - that will make life so much easier for you :D
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lucyandbella
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Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 7:19 pm

Re: Babies and dogs

Post by lucyandbella »

I really like this woman's blog.http://www.dogsandbabieslearning.com/blog/ She basically raises her kids to respect dogs personal space from the time they are babies by things like not pointing out the dogs to them, not letting them touch the dogs, etc. she believes the real danger between dogs and babies is that babies/toddlers are magnetized to dogs and then want to rush over and bother them every chance they get. Here is the first entry of three on her view on babies becoming magnetized to dogs http://www.dogsandbabieslearning.com/20 ... d-to-dogs/. Very interesting ideas, as I have not had kids I don't know how realistic this is or if it would really help a child be less wanting to crawl over and pull a dogs tail when the time comes but still might be worth a read.
marie estey
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Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 3:18 pm

Re: Babies and dogs

Post by marie estey »

I'm not to worried about the child crawling on the dogs. My dogs see children and get excited idk if it because they only come by once a month or if they just are overly excited with kids? But teaching the dogs space sounds like a great idea Judy. And I'm defiantly going to read that blog.
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Nettle
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Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Babies and dogs

Post by Nettle »

marie estey wrote:I'm not to worried about the child crawling on the dogs

It's so good that you realise that this should never happen. :) If only more people were as aware.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
doggiedad
Posts: 152
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:25 pm

Re: Babies and dogs

Post by doggiedad »

when my children were 2 yrs and 4 yrs old we had a GSD.
we kept our eye on them and the dog. we never left them
alone (or tried never to leave them alone). everything worked
out just fine.
marie estey
Posts: 70
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 3:18 pm

Re: Babies and dogs

Post by marie estey »

As a child who owned cats I was taught animals are not to be crawled on.
Though I do want my guild to form a healthy one on one relationship with the dogs learning how to pet the dogs not slap. (While I know this is an age thing I took very many early childhood development classes for school).

I am much more concerned on learning how to teach the dogs to act around children like not jumping on me while I hold a child. Due to children being so rare in our home they get so excited and most of my friends have toddlers now. So they are running and screaming and while my friends let me run my home and their kids it's hard to teach a child who rarely sees a dog how to behave let alone teach my trio how to respect a child's space. Due to loud squealing running thing is fun.

I think I will start by teaching them that the baby room is off limits and really nail down the jumping thing.
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