Multiples and Dogs

dressmaking.dummy

Do any of you MoMs have tips on bringing babies home to two slightly excitable dogs, a border collie mix and a chihuahua/boston mix.  We have (hopefully) about 12 weeks to go and would like to make the transition go as smoothly as possible.

I have a dog walker lined up already, but I am wondering what I should do beyond that.

 TIA

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if your DH is going to go home when you are at the hospital- have him bring home blankets from the hospital with the baby's scent on them - that helped our dogs get used to the smell of the babies.

They also say to play baby crying sounds so your dogs get used to that - you can google and find some online for free ...

other than that - it's very important to make sure the dogs have NO ACCESS to the babies unless you are RIGHT THERE --- even a small dog can do big damage to an infant - so never, ever trust them around the babies. 

We have our dogs gated off from the kids most of the day - they have free range of the kitchen and dining room - and can see us in the living room - but there is a large gate that keeps them from coming in... and the babies from getting to them.   

When Griffin got older and was more steady on his feet we gave him more time with the dogs in the room - and made sure to teach GRIFFIN how to treat the dogs - as well as teaching the dogs how to treat Griffin.  I still do not let him be alone with the dogs - he's 3 - because kids are just so unpredictable - they fall, grab the dogs, etc.    The twins do not get any time with the dogs in the room with them yet - but do pet them through the gate a lot - they LOVE the dogs

go for walks with the dogs and the babies- and make sure the dogs are always behind the stroller - and the babies are pack leaders.  Cesar Milan (dog whisperer) has great info on doing this - we did this when we had Griffin and the dogs quickly learned that Griffin was a pack leader with us --- and that they were lower on the pack scale than all humans in our house.  This is important.

jcthomas1281

I gave my dogs chewy bones for the first several days to distract them when they got too excited about the babies. Dogs adjust pretty quickly to the new additions...or at least mine did!

dressmaking.dummy

Thanks for the great ideas ladies!