Dogs and a new baby?

[Desiree]

Hello everybody! I just found out I am expecting our first baby. So my question is, how do I prepare my dogs for this over the next several months? I am learning my dogs are not always as quick to learn things as I would like so I want to get started on this as soon as I can. I figure I will have enough stress with a new baby, without having issues with my dogs. Any ideas would be great, and thanks ahead of time.

[Fundog]

Wow, Congratulations! So let's see.... there's Melissa (due in just a few weeks!), Leigha, and Noobs, and now you-- four new babies for 2011. I'll let the currently pregnant/new moms pass on all their new found wisdom.

[wvvdiup1]

Congratulations, Desiree!

Get some CDs/DVDs with baby sounds, a real-life doll baby, and play those CDs/DVDs everyday while you're holding the doll. Make sure you put baby powder and other "baby scents" on the doll. That way, you'll get your dog used to the sound of your baby, and in addition, you can train your dog to be around you and the baby by allowing your dog to sniff the baby. If the dog sniffs the doll and doesn't react aggressively do it (behaves well), reward your dog.

If the dog doesn't come close to you and "the baby", don't force it. Let the dog get used to it. I know some people who were expecting recently noticed their dogs wouldn't come close, when one of them were holding the doll baby. However, they called each dog to come close, sniff, until the dogs felt comfortable in coming up to the baby without reacting badly to the doll baby.

You might also want to train the dogs to walk along side the stroller, too! Make sure you tie the one end of the leash(es) to wear you put your hands on the handle, then when you start to walk pushing the stroller, place your hands so that leash(es) do not slide to the side of the handle, but stays near your hands so that you can have better control of the stroller and the dog(s). Better yet, make your partner walk the dog(s), while you push the stroller!

[missmeg]

hello iam new to this but i know wot u going through, my sons 3mths old and i have a 1yr old german shepherd ***** called meg. we always had dogs growing up so my dad helped me.
the best way is to get them used to babies, if u have friends with children i would advise that u ask them to come round and socailise with your dog, i introduced meg to babies and children of different ages from when i was 4 mths pregnant, also my midwife suggested that once the baby arrived that you let the dog smell the babies clothes once u have changed them as they will hold their scent and also yours. the main thing is not to push your dog away once the baby is here, encourage them to come and say hello while u are with your child, if people visit, and they will in large numbers lol, get them to greet your dog first and give praise and treats before handing your baby over to them and make sure that u hand them the baby and not just let them pick the baby up as from experience your dog wont like this and will feel the need to protect, remember that your dog was in the home first . always make sure u are with the baby while the dog is in the room, even if they are a pet remember they are also a wild animal at heart and can never by 100% trusted round your child, i hope this has helped i followed these rules and now have a good relationship between the pair of them. xxxxx

[wvvdiup1]

That sounds like a good idea, Missmeg, just as long as someone keeps watch over the baby(ies) when doing this!

[***Melissa***]

Hey, congrats

I'm 35 weeks pregnant, and has done a lot of work with my dogs since I found out I was pregnant.

The most important thing I think I did was to socialise them with babies and toddlers (not that easy to find if you don't really know that much people with small children ). But yes, I concentrated really hard on that, and for them to see me holding / playing with babies or children. My goal is not for them to like or play with babies or children - they don't have to be "best friends forever". My goal was to get them used to babies & children, let them see, hear, feel and smell babies and children, and for them to see it's not necessary to be afraid of children (bc I will protect them and give them a safe place to go if they prefer).

Another very important thing I think is to get him used to walking with a pram

For all the other stuff I did, see this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6355&p=42151&hilit=babies#p42151

[Noobs]

Good info so far, but I just want to adjust what WV said - do NOT tie the leash around the handle of the stroller. You never know if your dog is going to lunge for anything - another dog, a person, a piece of food on the ground... So hold the leash, loop it a couple of times around your hand, and honestly I would get used to walking with more power on the non-leash hand as a stroller is probably easier to control than a dog who's sniffing around alongside you.

We're going to start looking into a doll and baby sounds CDs for sure, thanks for that tip.

Also I groom my dog by brushing him and then wiping/cleaning him with baby wipes. I do this instead of baths anyway and now it's going to help him get used to the smell of baby wipes.

[Desiree]

Thanks for all the ideas guys! I will start looking for some of those CDs. I don't really know very many people with little ones so that may be hard, but I will def get a doll and the cds. There is just so much to think about!!!!