- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
May 2016 Moms
businessmama
member
Post Partum - Pets and Baby edition
businessmama
member
Since we have a good pet loving group here, wanted to touch base to see how everyone's pets are handling the newborns.
1. What pets do you have?
2. How did they react to first meeting LO?
3. How are they acting on day to day basis?
4. Any questions for the group?
1. What pets do you have?
2. How did they react to first meeting LO?
3. How are they acting on day to day basis?
4. Any questions for the group?
Re: Post Partum - Pets and Baby edition
2. I had been in hospital for nearly 2 weeks so I came in and played with them for ten minutes or so. My DH made them stuffed kongs and then handed our DS to me while I sat on the couch. My lab realized we had a baby and came over to sniff. My DH was careful to stay close and we watched his tail to make sure he was wagging it. Then he backed away and finished his treat. My boxer didn't notice for 30 minutes, but once he did, he became obsessed and wanted to be near him all the time.
3. They both get alert when baby cries. The boxer follows me everywhere with him and lays down while I attend to him. He tries to lick him a lot -- that is something I have to work on because his sit and down commands aren't strong when there is a distraction. DH and I have definitely had some learnings where we can't put him in his seat and walk away... While I know he just wants to be close to the baby, I don't want him to have unsupervised access, though I can say I've made the mistake a couple of times. The lab sniffs him a few times every day, tail wagging, just checking on him, but seems to understand he is a baby and lays down nearby.
4. How is everyone handling giving their pets attention? I don't want to expose baby to too much so we have done a few walks with baby, and then I did one without, but I want to make sure I'm doing enough.
it sounds like you adjusting and learning to adapt well. It's a big change for the whole family!
I have an American Bulldog and my parents have an American pit bull terrier. Both dogs will see LO frequently so both will need proper introductions, training and management. The ABD is older (9) and generally aloof. He generally is disinterested in strangers and is not even that cuddly with us (but fiercely loyal). My parents' pit bull is around 4 (she's a rescue so we don't know for sure) but a very juvenile 4. She is very high energy and excessively affectionate with humans.
2. How did they react to first meeting LO?
The ABD reacted just like I expected. My SO went inside first and greeted him and came prepared with cut up pieces of beef. I then entered the house carrying the car seat and we placed the car seat on the coffee table so the dog could sniff it. SO would have him sniff LO and then reward him with beef for good behavior. The ABD reacted relatively disinterested as we'd suspected. He has been primarily distressed at the new furniture in the apartment as he generally dislikes when we move things around. We do not allow him unsupervised access. I anticipate more training and work once LO is older and more mobile as the ABD likes 'his space'.
We haven't introduced the pit bull and LO yet as I haven't travelled to my parents' house yet. We opted to have them leave the dog at home when they visited me as it would be too overwhelming for the dog to see me again (as I was hospitalized for months, she's only seen me once since December and will be very excited), be in an unfamiliar setting (my apartment) and meet LO all at once. I anticipate her being extremely excited and loving toward LO but my chief concern with her is making sure she stays calm. She tends to need to do 'zoomies' and jump on my lap when she's excited and will need to learn baby is fragile. I will likely enter the house when she is shut in a separate room and will greet her separately. Once she is calm, we will then bring out the carseat to allow her to sniff. We've gotten a pack and play and will have only supervised interactions between the two. I anticipate them being great playmates when older as no more patient dog was ever born. However, short term, we need to keep her energy in check.
3. How are they acting on day to day basis?
I think I covered this off above.
4. Any questions for the group?
Generally just interested in hearing other experiences for ideas.
Two mixed breed rescue dogs, litter mates that are about 3.
2. How did they react to first meeting LO?
While I was in hospital H brought home several blankets with the LOs scent on them and left them
around the apartment. We were more worried about them jumping on me and hurting my incision after not seeing me for four days, so we focused on controlling our reunion first. My H leashed them up before I came in, I went straight to a chair and gave them lots of love and affection while setting a boundary to keep them from jumping on me. My husband brought the baby inside about 15mins later (my parents were watching her) and put her car seat on top of the table. They didn't quite realize she was a living thing until she hiccuped, which startled and scared them both. They tentatively sniffed her with tails wagging and proceeded to avoid her for most of the day.
3. How are they acting on day to day basis?
They are slowly overcoming their fear of the big scary infant. They sniff her more closely and have started to sleep next to us while I'm nursing on the couch. They are totally respectful of the boundary around me which extends to the baby, and haven't jumped on me once. They are definitely hungrier for attention than ever before and I'm doing my best to give them each some devoted attention every day. All in all I've been so thrilled and relieved with their behavior and I'm sure they will become great friends with LO eventually.
4. Any questions for the group? None at the moment!
@seasalt123 You're dogs sound like mine and almost are an exact match! Except my American Bulldog is OBSESSED with kids (and somewhere between 5 & 7) . I'd share a picture of him with one of my friends kids when she was little- but since it's not my kid I won't. My 2nd is an American Staffordshire Terrier- also a rescue between 4-5 years old and has the same personality it sounds like as your parents pup. I'm looking forward to introducing them to little girl- as it is they both are obsessed with cuddling the bump.
@AliciaD39@js8812 Maybe it's a boxer thing, but my sister's boxer is so good with my 6-month-old niece. He is about 4 years old and has so much energy, but he's so calm and gentle with my niece. He sleeps on the floor by her crib, and he jumps up and runs to her side as soon as she cries. They're already best buddies. It's so cute!
we have an eight year old cat and an 18 month old border collie/chocolate lab mix
2. How did they react to first meeting LO?
the cat hid in the baby's room for a few days but the dog instantly fell in love.
3. How are they acting on day to day basis?
the dog will check on the baby if he makes the smallest noise and won't leave him alone even if we're changing his diaper. The cat comes by to smell his head every once in awhile but mostly leaves him alone. I did get him exploring a little closer when LO was in his rocker.
4. Any questions for the group?
ond behavior DH and I have noticed is some more guarding behavior from our dog. He barks at every outside sound now and is way more energetic around adults. Part of the reason of course is he hasn't been for a walk in a week but were worried part of the reason is that he's guarding the house more to protect the baby. I'm wondering how we can relax him a little while still letting him use his instincts to heard and protect.
One lab/chow mutt
2. How did they react to first meeting LO?
She is very protective so after sniffing and generally being curious the first time GE cried she was headed to go get whatever was making him fussy (because all things that need barked at come from downstairs she immediately hightailed it down there).
3. How are they acting on day to day basis?
The next day things were better and she was starting to learn that babies will cry sometimes. She now just follows us around and is my companion for night feeds and diaper changes. She still comes to sniff and check as I don't think she still knows what he is but she knows he's part of our pack and that she's got to take care of him.
@seasalt123 I didn't even think about my parents' dogs, but you brought up a good point. I love the inside car seat idea... I wrapped mine in a blanket but the car seat frees up hands. So smart!
@ladysamlady just curious- are your dogs still going to the dog park as much? I'm giving them attention indoors, but struggling with how to make sure they get exercise.
@swfljd I love that you know someone personally who is a dog trainer. I really want to find one to do one on one with my dogs but haven't been impressed by the ones I've met.
@jomunson hmmm, interesting on the guarding. I wonder if @thethornbird has any suggestions?
@astraphobic your dog sounds so sweet!
here are two where we were practicing with dogs to enjoy baby from a few feet away :-)
Has anyone else planned for this?
DS: Born 5-17-16
Deactivate the front airbag if you do that. Otherwise, he should go in the back. We have a harness that buckles into the seatbelt. She goes in the back and lays down when she's buckled in.
DS: Born 5-17-16
We aren't encouraging it but Birdie licked Holly's hand today for the first time and it warmed my heart. I think she's officially part of our pack now!
i didn't even think about deactivating the front airbag... How does one do that?
We are also doing the same plan on baby and parent in the back seat and dog and parent in the front seats. It might look a little funny, but I think it's the best arrangement for us until babes is a little older.
Two cats
2. How did they react to first meeting LO?
One could not care less but he is mostly outside anyways. The fur baby of the family (aka Jones,the majorly spoiled cat who sleeps in our bed every night) was not happy. The day she came home he ran out of the house and stayed away all day. He came home only to eat and did not sleep with us for 3 days.
3. How are they acting on day to day basis?
He started to come around recently and now will hang out in the same room as Lucine but still refuses to look at her and even show any interest unless she is fast sleep. He ignores her while she is awake. It's as if he doesn't want her to know that he is interested. This morning while she was having a meltdown on the bed ( we were snuggles together as I tried to calm her) he stood up from sleeping and just stared at her for about 5 minutes while she wailed on. He turned around and went back to sleep. He clearly wasn't very impressed.
4. Any questions for the group?
Any cat people around? Are you concerned about kitty scratching baby?
I know know I posted this photo already but it's the only baby & kitty pic I have so far.
ETA: why does it sometimes embed the photo and other times not? Very annoying!
ignore the sloppy woman in the pic that hasn't showered since Weds...
2. How did they react to first meeting LO?
3. How are they acting on day to day basis?
4. Any questions for the group?
2. How did they react to first meeting LO? At first Nico didn't care about her and was only focused on me, Freya was interested in her from the get go- we've been watching them mostly because they don't realize they are big and heavy. Freya is now obsessed with Evelyn.
3. How are they acting on day to day basis? Great! If Evelyn starts crying Freya becoming very alert and starts focusing on her- licking etc, to try to calm her down, though we try to stop the licking. Nico just wants to cuddle with us too. Freya also is a dirty diaper alert if it's a poop one- she has a new bark that she starts doing if Evelyn poops and we don't change it right away.
4. Any questions for the group? Nope
And here's a picture- don't worry hubby is close by as well and I was prepped to get between the dogs. Also please ignore how rough I look. This whole water retention thing after pregnancy is killing me. I also promise I'm not choking Nico- he shoved his head there.
2. How did they react to first meeting LO? Raja didn't realize exactly what was going on until Jacqueline whimpered and moved. Raja had the biggest eyes for about 10min. Mocha smelled her for a second and was over it. We have newborns come over frequently, so Im sure he thought nothing of it. But when she was still here a couple days later he figured out that she is part of the pack.
3. How are they acting on day to day basis?Raja had smelled Jacqueline a couple times but hangs out in the garage most of the time. Anytime Mocha comes in from outside/ walk he comes to look for Jacqueline and "checks on her" So cute.
4. Any questions for the group? No questions but just have to share this pic of Mocha helping out with Jacqueline's newborn shoot.
DD: 05/14/16