September 2011 Moms

Pets excluded from the nursery?

Are your dogs and cats allowed in the nursery?  If not, do they seem resentful about it?

As our nursery is getting closer and closer to done, and LO's arrival is getting closer and closer, I've been thinking about this more and more.  I just know that as soon as I wash the floors in the nursery and put the new rug down, and then my dog is going to go in there and leave furballs all over the place, and little doggie hairs embedded in the new rug.  I feel like I could vacuum our living room rug every day, and still not be satisfied that I got all the dog hair off of it  So once I get the new nursery rug, I think I might want to put a gate up to keep the dog out.  Good idea or bad idea?  I just don't want him to get resentful, and I'm pretty sure I can still interact with him through the gate and train him so that he knows he's not excluded because he did anything wrong, but I'm just looking for some other opinions.


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Re: Pets excluded from the nursery?

  • I'll let my cat in the nursery, mostly because i can't really keep him out, but i'll be keeping tin foil on the changing table, bassinet, crib, etc so he learns not to climb on those. Cats hate tin foil.
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  • We're moving next month, so my nursery isn't done yet, but I am pretty sure my policy is that my dog won't be allowed in at all.  He is a really bad shedder.
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  • kleu9kleu9 member
    Great question, I think this will vary greatly among type of dog owner and your own personal preference. We have a golden retriever that also sheds a ton so no matter how much I vacuum, there will always inevitably be dog hair which DH and I are totally fine with. I do know, however, that I will become anal retentive in terms of vacuuming when LO is here. That being said, if there's going to be dog hair in other rooms, there's no point in trying to keep the nursery completely dog hair free because I think that would cause me more stress than just consistent dusting and vacuuming ya know?
  • Our dogs are allowed in DS' room and the nursery, but they rarely go up there unless we're up there with them.  I figure the kids are going to be crawling all over the floors in the rest of the house, what difference does it make? 
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  • This is a great question. I have been thinking about it too.

    We have an awesome dog who is well trained, however I personally think that animals should have boundaries and it is our job to set them up for success or failure.

    We will be limited dog/ baby interaction until the kiddo can understand more about how to treat an animal. For us that means a few years, but that was just a commitment that we needed to make in order to have a dog that may not be the best with kids (a border collie).

    Anyways, so yeah... there are now going to be areas where our lovely pup can't come and we are starting now before the baby comes. The baby will sleep in our room for the first 6 months or so ( at least that is the plan)- so the dog is now sleeping in another area of the house that he picks. So far, so good. This way we can keep it clean in our room and then outside of that area we will just monitor the interaction and make sure that our dog always has a special place to go if the baby is annoying (like his open crate).

     

     

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  • We also have a golden retriever but he only goes where we are. He follows us around, so if we are in the nursery he is in there. We have hardwood floors though and it's way easier to swiff or vaccuum. We still need a rug for the nursery but I don't mind if the dog goes in there or not since it's easy to get his fur up. I might change my mind once the baby actually stays in there more often though.
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  • Our dog is definitely allowed in the nursery.  First off, she's a member of the family and second off, I don't want to give her any reason to feel left out or not included.  This will be her baby too. 

    I'm one of those weird dog obsessed people though and I treat my dog like she's a person.  She's my first baby!

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  • imagemrsmikey:
    Our dogs are allowed in DS' room and the nursery, but they rarely go up there unless we're up there with them.  I figure the kids are going to be crawling all over the floors in the rest of the house, what difference does it make? 

    I completely agree - I just look at it as one less room I'd have to sweep on a daily basis.  If I don't sweep at least every other day, I could make a sweater out of my dog's hair.  I didn't realize Rottweiller shed so much before I got him, but man do they shed alot.

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  • Our original plan was to keep them out. But as months went on we never really enforced a rule stating they couldn't come in. From time to time they follow me in there just to sniff around. I think at this point DH and I don't care anymore.
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  • We will be letting our dogs in the nursery. The door is currently shut- but whenever we go in there (just about daily!) they get so excited to come in and check everything out. I like to think that we are getting them adjusted to all the changes to come- little by little.  

    We have two small dogs that don't shed.  If our dogs were big dogs or if they shed I might be a bit more hesitant to have an "open door policy" with them.

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  • We have a cat and her current most favorite place to sleep is right in the middle of the nursery.  She isn't a jumper so I don't worry at all about her getting in the crib or pack n play and she's scared to death of the car seat and stroller so I'm no too concerned about her interacting with those items either.
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  • imagemrsmikey:
    Our dogs are allowed in DS' room and the nursery, but they rarely go up there unless we're up there with them.  I figure the kids are going to be crawling all over the floors in the rest of the house, what difference does it make? 

    This is a really good point.

    It's not like he'll be living in his nursery.  He'll spend most of his time in the living room, as does our dog.  He's bound to encounter dog hair and will be just fine.

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  • That's a really fair point about there being dog hair around the rest of the house, so why be so strict about the one room.  I know that once LO arrives, I'm going to be a lot more anal about cleaning all the floors and vacuuming and dusting, but I just keep feeling like I'm doing all this work to redo LO's room, I want to try and keep it as nice as I can for as long as I can (nice = dog hair free, I guess.  LOL!).

    Like windsongs, we're also going to have to limit baby/doggie interaction for a while, though we're hoping that they can learn to get along with each other pretty early on.  Our dog is great with kids, he's just really hyper and full of energy (he's a fox terrier), so I worry about him when kids are really small.  He's good and won't bite or anything, but he can be a little overbearing.

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  • Our cats go in DD's room and will be allowed in this baby's room as well.  If we went in there and locked them out they would go nuts crying at the door and I really don't want to start any resentment or behavior issues, they are fine.  Most of the time 2 of the 3 of them don't want to stay long anyway.  The third loves DD and likes to come in for his pets and snuggles.  We do keep the door to her room shut at night but they don't care because they are with us.
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  • Both the dog and the cat are allowed in the room. The cat has never had an interest in getting in the crib, he's fat and lazy so he hangs out on the bed in there just minding his own business looking out the window. The dog, she doesn't really care and just sniffs stuff in there and will just lay on the floor in there if we're in there. We used a gate to train our dog to stay out of the master bathroom, gate is no longer there and she never ever goes in there.
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  • imageSusieBW:

    That's a really fair point about there being dog hair around the rest of the house, so why be so strict about the one room.  I know that once LO arrives, I'm going to be a lot more anal about cleaning all the floors and vacuuming and dusting, but I just keep feeling like I'm doing all this work to redo LO's room, I want to try and keep it as nice as I can for as long as I can (nice = dog hair free, I guess.  LOL!).

    Like windsongs, we're also going to have to limit baby/doggie interaction for a while, though we're hoping that they can learn to get along with each other pretty early on.  Our dog is great with kids, he's just really hyper and full of energy (he's a fox terrier), so I worry about him when kids are really small.  He's good and won't bite or anything, but he can be a little overbearing.

    We had (still have) a really hyper chocolate lab when DD #1 came along and we were concerned about his hyperness and the baby.  Man that dog was the most mellow, protective being toward our baby.  He would sleep under her crib if the door was open and if the door was closed he would sleep at the door and NO ONE was allowed past him unless he deemed you worthy.  It really surprised us since he is a HE, but he was like a MAMA bear to her.

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  • I allow my cat Sophie in the nursery. She has no interest in the crib or anything else. She only likes to be in the window.
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  • imagechargermama:

    We had (still have) a really hyper chocolate lab when DD #1 came along and we were concerned about his hyperness and the baby.  Man that dog was the most mellow, protective being toward our baby.  He would sleep under her crib if the door was open and if the door was closed he would sleep at the door and NO ONE was allowed past him unless he deemed you worthy.  It really surprised us since he is a HE, but he was like a MAMA bear to her.

    Thanks nice to hear.  I'm PRAYING that our dog gets like this once LO arrives.  I have a few friends whose dogs have gotten the same way, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  He's a really friendly, people dog, and he tends to follow us around the house for the most part.  When it's just us at home, he's pretty mellow, so I know he's capable of it!

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  • Our dog has limited access to the nursery, mostly when we are in there. Reason right now being she loves toys and we are going to have to watch her with the baby things. The cat doesn't really care for that room. I think they are both going to be great when the baby comes. 
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  • imagesolsburyhill:

    Our dog is definitely allowed in the nursery.  First off, she's a member of the family and second off, I don't want to give her any reason to feel left out or not included.  This will be her baby too. 

    I'm one of those weird dog obsessed people though and I treat my dog like she's a person.  She's my first baby!

    ditto this.  Our pets are part of our family and my puppy is totally my baby!  She is a year old so her and LO will be buddies :)  I have baby things out in the Living room and leave the nursery open so she gets used to all the baby items.  I'm actually surprised how good she has been with all the baby things.  The cat does go up onto the changing pad but it's plastic material anyway that can just be wiped down. 

    I agree with all t he posters who say if there is fur around the rest of the house it
    doesn't matter really if the pets would be allowed in the nursery.  I haven't had any issues with them trying to get in the crib or bassinet which would bother me.  The cat will sleep in the bottom of the bassinet but not the top Smile

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  • Our cat is not allowed in the nursery, or in any of the other bedrooms.

    My reason for this policy is mostly to avoid getting cat hair and dander all over our clothes (especially clean, folded clothes) and on bedding. It's particularly important for us because I have several family members who are deathly allergic to cats. The fact that I keep our bedroom cat- free means my dad was able to sleep over last weekend without incident.

    On a day-to-day level, I LOVE not having to worry about going to work in cat hair covered clothes.That used to drive me nuts.

    The only time it bothers the cat is when we are in the room and she is out. Sometimes she'll whine until we come out to pet her (which we usually do), or sometimes she'll take a couple of steps into the room to test us or get our attention.

    I don't think that setting boundaries makes her any less of a member of the family. My son won't be allowed in my bedroom or private bathroom without special permission either. (when he is older)

    Boundaries= happiness in a family if you ask me, and that includes pets!! 

  • We're not purposely keeping him out, but our dog is confined to our living room, dining room and kitchen (non-carpeted areas). We bring him upstairs every once in a while but we never leave him alone upstairs because he tends to mark and get himself into trouble. The cat currently has free reign of the house, she is allowed in the nursery but I dont think she will be allowed in there when the baby is sleeping. 
  • in the past I would have said yes, but now my two dogs are not allowed up stairs for the we have a 1 year old puppy who is still learning...and after too many attacks they needed restriction, and it really has help!

    so as of right now, no...but that might change in time.

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  • We're pretty much doing things backwards.  We have 2 beagles and they've never been allowed upstairs where all the bedrooms are.  They don't seem to mind a whole lot since DH and I only go upstairs to sleep and if we sleep in on a Saturday or something, we invite them up to our room to hang out. 

    When LO arrives we will be spending more time upstairs and in the nursery with her so we'll probably invite the dogs up more frequently.  I agree with PP - our dogs are family and this is their baby too =)

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  • There is no area of our house that is off limits to my dog or cat (except the counters....ew!) and the nursery is no exception.

    My dog and cat both shed a LOT, but honestly I figure the baby will be spending minimal amount of time in the nursery so to me, there's no reason to keep them out of there.

    This will probably sound ridiculous, but I actually encourage my pets to explore as much of the baby stuff as they possibly can.  I'd rather them get all of their curiosity out now when there is no baby than start exploring when the baby gets here.  My cat has started sleeping in the bottom part (it's like a storage area) of the bassinet and I just let him.  I'm also hoping that it will taper any resentment that they may have.

    The only place my pets won't be allowed to go is the PNP or the crib.

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  • imagecamdenfaithful:

    There is no area of our house that is off limits to my dog or cat (except the counters....ew!) and the nursery is no exception.

    My dog and cat both shed a LOT, but honestly I figure the baby will be spending minimal amount of time in the nursery so to me, there's no reason to keep them out of there.

    This will probably sound ridiculous, but I actually encourage my pets to explore as much of the baby stuff as they possibly can.  I'd rather them get all of their curiosity out now when there is no baby than start exploring when the baby gets here.  My cat has started sleeping in the bottom part (it's like a storage area) of the bassinet and I just let him.  I'm also hoping that it will taper any resentment that they may have.

    The only place my pets won't be allowed to go is the PNP or the crib.

    I don't think this is ridiculous at all.

    When I come home from my showers, I unpack everything in the living room and go through it all with my dog.  I play the music on the toys, I let her smell them, I show her everything.  And then she comes with me when I put it away in the nursery.

    When we come home from vacation next week we're going to set up the swing and bouncer in the living room so she gets used to those as well.

    I'm not going to limit any dog/baby interaction.  I want her to become comfortable and learn how to be around the baby right from the start.  We have a female boxers and I've heard nothing but great things about how they do with babies.  She's been great with any kids that have come to our house.

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  • Great idea!
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  • IMO its awful to exclude pets from places in the home esp when it has to do with the baby.  The pets are going to feel left out when the baby comes home because the baby will be new so why add to it?
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  • We want to get a 3ft gate for the nursery, but it's really just to keep the cat out while Evan is in his crib sleeping. I want a 4ft gate but have yet to find one. The "kids" will be allowed in Evan's room when we're in there, or when Evan is not in there alone.
  • imagesolsburyhill:

    When I come home from my showers, I unpack everything in the living room and go through it all with my dog.  I play the music on the toys, I let her smell them, I show her everything.  And then she comes with me when I put it away in the nursery.

    When we come home from vacation next week we're going to set up the swing and bouncer in the living room so she gets used to those as well.

    I'm not going to limit any dog/baby interaction.  I want her to become comfortable and learn how to be around the baby right from the start.  We have a female boxers and I've heard nothing but great things about how they do with babies.  She's been great with any kids that have come to our house.

     

    I think that those are all great tips and I 100% agree.

    I just want to offer another perspective (not to you- just in general) about limiting interactions.

    I think that sometimes (some people), just assume that their animal will understand that the baby is part of the family and that they will get along well. 

    I guess that I have just seen the look on a dogs/ cats face as a baby or 1-2 year old charges forward with their unsteady walk or crawl and grabs or falls on them. It is very natural for an animal to either avoid the child or to try and tolerate it.  However animals send clear signals (like looking away from the baby, trying to leave..etc..) that need to be watch out for and a parent must monitor them (being a good parent to both) and allow for a safe distance. If those are not looked for, then the animal could potentially harm the baby- which would just be so awful and even unfair to the animal too.

    So as far as "limiting interactions" I just simply mean that we will keep an eye on things to make sure that we give our child and our furry child the very best and safest home possible. Not all breeds of dog (no matter how well they are trained) will allow a child to fall on them or grab their fur..etc...

    My hope is that my dog will be perfect with the baby and I plan to do whatever I can to set them both up for success. I would never ever ever want to put our family in a situation to choose baby/dog..etc... so that is why it matters to me so much that we do it right from the start and just anticipate any issues that could arrive. 

     

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  • I have no way to stop my cat- I could train the dog not to, but if the cat is already in there, I don't see the difference. The more I try to get the cat to avoid something, the more he will want it, so it would just make it worse to keep the door closed or try to train him.

    We are working on training him to keep out of the crib and at some point the PNP/ cosleeper but thats about it.

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  • ac5008ac5008 member

    I agree with PP who have said they are letting the dogs see the baby items, sniff the nursery, ect. We have all the baby things set up around the house (Rock N Play in the living room, highchair up, ect) already because we want them to be normal parts of the home. Our dogs have been our babies for 4 years now and Im hoping for a great outcome with baby.

    They arent restricted as of right now, but we will make the introductions responsibly. Our goal is to impact the pups as little as  possible while still being safe with the baby. 

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  • Originally with my first DS, my plan had been to keep the pets out of the nursery.  But it never did work out that way.  My glider was taken over by one of my cats, and, for awhile, I had a cat in the crib or on the changing table all the time.  I was very stressed about it.  A good friend who already had kids told me that being around the pets would be good for the baby (obviously not IN the crib with the baby, but, being around hair/dander/dirt is good for them).  You can't keep the baby's area 'sanitary' - it just isn't realistic.  Besides, it was a losing battle!  My DS is almost 3 now, and he has grown up with cats and dogs around him from the beginning.  Sometimes, I catch him sitting on the bed with his arms around a cat, snuggling while he watches TV. 

    I have heard that, especially with cats, if you 'punish' them by keeping them away from the baby and don't give them a chance to interact and get to know the baby, it can become a disaster with the cat peeing inappropriately in the house.  Most cats are absolutely terrified of the baby when it first comes - it makes funny movements and weird noises, and they want nothing to do with it at first!  That was my cats' reaction to my son when he first came home - they stayed away from him for the most part, and came around when I was nearby (so I could protect them!  LOL).  But, they had already gotten comfortable with his room and the things in it before he arrived, so I didn't see any resentment on their part when I brought him into the house.  My dogs never really cared about being in the baby's room unless I was in there; they've always been attached to my hip and could care less about the baby's room unless they followed me in there - although, after DS arrived, my mastiff took up residence outside his bedroom door while he was sleeping and was a sentry - NO ONE was entering that room unless he OK'd it, and I kind of liked seeing that protective side of him. 

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