can we talk about dogs?

cookiemonster03

We have a fairly high energy border collie mix. So far (after the first two days) he seems pretty uninterested in the baby. I'm sure we'll go through the interest again when DD1 comes home from the NICU. Right now he's getting a lot of love from my MIL, and that'll be a challenge when she leaves in a week to get him enough exercise, but on 30 min of walk a day, he seems ok. We plan to try to keep that up (probably baby-less walks for the forseeable future so I can run with him a little) and bring him to day camp a day or two a week.

We have no intentions of leaving him and the babies in the same room unattended (a huge fear of my mom's....I don't want to get into all the backstory, but he has never ever shown aggression towards any human babies included).  But, eventually, the babies will be mobile. While I plan to make a dog free space for them to play AND him to be baby free, I need to work out a plan for introducing leave-the-baby-on-the-floor alone so we can be in the room together. Any ideas? Dog training tips in general? He's pretty good and has done basic dog training but is a little spoiled. When we move, we're also planning on hiring a trainer to help work on COME since dropping everything to retrieve him isn't going to happen anymore obviously.

fwiw, we also plan to keep him out of the kitchen while they're eating when the time comes and then let him in the clean up. I think it sounds rewarding. hopefully it'll work.  

rjl07

I have the exact same concerns with our dog. Our girls are still in the nicu but should be home in the next few days. He hasn't seemed too interested in the stuff we gave him to smell so far so I'm hoping that is a good sign. Our problem is that our dog has anxiety issues and he is on meds for it. He also very protective so we will see if he feels that way towards the babies. Hope everything works out for you!

zsvendsen

No "real" advice, per se, since our twins are still in utero. But we also have the same issue looming - we have two Irish red and white setters. They can be a little nutso. They're sweet and "get" that we're a family, but the younger one (one's three, Penny, and one's 9, Mac) can get really excited and then she just launches into orbit. It sounds like your dog and ours are at about the same level - they understand basic commands (although usually if they're being told to "come here" they've done something wrong, and they turn and slink outside through the doggie door), but they more have the attitude that we're a team and their ideas about what they should be doing at any given time are just as valid as our ideas. They don't really "misbehave" but they also have never had to live with babies before.

Despite all that, I'm not terribly concerned. I don't want to get caught with my pants down or anything, but I feel very confident with my dogs' natures. The reason I feel this way is because my in-laws (who live around the corner) have a large (like, really big) golden retriever who is a very sweet boy. He also has a rambunctious side, and in general has a relationship with his family much as our dogs do with us. Our in-laws have been grandparent day-care for our niece (now 3) and nephew (3 months) since our niece was born - and the dog has adapted beautifully. Of course, preventative measures were taken (slow introductions, blocking the dog in a certain area or outside for when the baby would be in a risky spot - like the floor, etc.) and it all seems to have paid off.

I'm sure others will have more specific advice, but good luck, and I'm sure your dog will show that he's able to adjust to a new family member!

cookiemonster03

I'm glad I'm not the only one My mom sounds like we should be reported to child services for considering having babies and a medium dog in the same house!  

zsvendsen:

Of course, preventative measures were taken (slow introductions, blocking the dog in a certain area or outside for when the baby would be in a risky spot - like the floor, etc.) and it all seems to have paid off.

Good to hear. this is what we're thinking. I'm hoping if blocked-off if the norm, it'll make the introduction easier and smooth! 

sarabrad79

We have some sort of small Australian Shepard mix, so close to the energy level of a Border Collie.  She did awesome when the babies came home.  She was a little hesitant to get to close to them, but now whe just walks up to them and licks them both to say "hello" and then she's on her way.  We've trained our dog to know that she is not the pack leader, though, and we've even made it clear to her that she is not above the babies on the pecking order.  Whenever we come in the house from a walk or running errands (with the dog) she has to wait to for everyone to go into the house before her and then she is told she can come in.  We also wouldn't let her lay on blankets that the babies were on.  Those are the babies spaces not hers. 

 

I don't know if this helps at all.  Our dog is very protective of me also.  During my pregnancy she really "took care of me".  She was always right by my side (unless I was at work).  When I came home, she was still taking care of me post C-section, and now she takes care of her babies, too.  Your dog probably gets it more then you realize.  She probably knows that her babies will be coming home soon, and she will have the very important job of taking care of them.

UsedToBeGoldie

while it's important to teach your dog how to behave- it's even more important (i feel) to teach your children how to behave with a dog... and until around 2.5-3y/o, you really can't expect a baby/toddler to know the right things to do... and should never have the dog around the kids unless you are RIGHT THERE to supervise.

We have the dogs gated off in the diningroom/kitchen area. The kids can see them all day - but are not in the same space with them.  When we have the kids go into their area- we put the dogs into their crates.

Griffin, who is 4 now, can go into their area with them alone now - he knows how to open the gate, etc- and he's very good with them. We have been teaching HIM proper behavior with the dogs since he was a baby.

The twins  are still too wild and unpredictable- they don't get much time around the dogs yet. As they grow and understand more they'll get more and more time with them.

I hate reading stories about a child jumping on a dog and getting bit --- and the family gets rid of the dog.... it's not the dog's fault to react to being jumped on, tail pulled, knocked into while eating, etc -- that's how dogs are, no matter how kind they are normally... so it's most important to teach your children what is OK and what is not OK around the dogs.