XP: moms/moms-to-be with dogs

Meegs10.13.06 · August 2009

I also posted this on BOTB, but figured you ladies would be good to ask, as I know a bunch of you have pups.

Just wondering what you did or will do to prepare your pup for baby's arrival? Daisy will be around 15 months when we bring the baby home. She is a very sweet and loving dog, great with kids, adults, other animals... but she can be a little over exuberant with her affections. We have lots of time to think about this, but I figured it was a good enough way to distract myself from the morning sickness... and I'd love to hear what you ladies are doing/did.

thiswillbe · August 2009

Our dog is 4 or 5 years old, so she's pretty calm already. She never was allowed to jump up, get on the furniture without an explicit invitation, eat without being told to, go up or down the stairs without the command, etc, so I don't anticipate many issues there. She is also very, very gentle when taking food from us, so she knows how to be careful (it sounds grosser than it is, but sometimes S feeds her from her mouth, and the pup takes the food very gently without touching S's lips).

Sometimes our dog and Sylvia play a little rough, but I have banned that kind of play so the pup gets out of the habit. We'll probably get a little more strict about "sit"-- sometimes she makes us do the hand gesture twice before she actually sits. She's good with "go lay down" and "wait," but "stay" could use some work, too.

I've thought about doing all that stuff they say to do, like getting her acclimated to baby sounds and carrying around a fake baby, but I don't know if it's really worth the effort (anyone know?).

thiswillbe · August 2009

Also... we'll put baby gates up on the entrances to the nursery so we can control the pup's access. But that's more a shedding concern than anything else... Smile

mandykatie · August 2009

I've been thinking about this lately... more b/c we're about to be aunts. We have NOT done a very good job at training them. Just laziness, really. We're going to take them (us) to doggie training classes next spring, then go from there. From what I've heard, the most important thing is the way you introduce baby to dog. ...and I can't really remember what's recommended. Really helpful, I know. Let us know what you find out! I'm so happy you're going to have this "problem"

(not really, but you know what I mean!)

ctbride08 · August 2009

as pp mentioned, one of the tips we were given in our foster class was to practice with a doll. Once the baby is born, they recommend taking a baby blanket (with the baby's scent) and introducing it to the dog before you bring baby home. Once the baby is home you shoudl allow the dog to sniff the baby's dirty diaper to signal that they are part of the pack.

We've been doing little things with Lilly like getting her used to getting her tail pulled (since we may start off w/ a toddler) and keeping her out of the nursery entirely. I'm not too worried, though, because she was fantastic when we adopted Kylie as a little kitten - really gentle and patient.

Two*True · August 2009

thiswillbe:
She never was allowed to jump up, get on the furniture without an explicit invitation, eat without being told to, go up or down the stairs without the command, etc, so I don't anticipate many issues there.

This. Our dogs are not allowed on the furniture at all, don't eat until I say the release command, and leave the room when told (expect for the occasional stubborn moment). We'll put a baby gate up the nursery and the dogs and the baby will be left together unattended regardless of how well they get along.

thiswillbe · August 2009

Ditto Two*-- we will never leave the dog and baby alone together no matter how well they get along.

And ditto ctbride-- we have (for years) worked on getting our pup desensitized to her ears and tail being pulled and her paws being touched/held.

kendylann · August 2009

When I was pregnant, we went to a workshop on preparing your pets for a baby. The vet that spoke recommended a lot of the things people have already mentioned and also:

- stop all tug-of-war type games (anything with a "winner") NOW to avoid reinforcing natural competitive behaviors

- get rid of any stuffed/squeaking dog toys and replace with rawhide, ropes, etc. so the dog is less likely to confuse the baby's toys for its own playthings

- take your dog to the vet for a physical to check for sensitivities (i.e. sore ears, paws, etc. that will trigger disproportionate responses if pulled) and also for a handful of vaccinations you might not otherwise get (tell your vet you're expecting and they should know which to give)

- once the baby arrives, set aside 15 minutes of dedicated dog time each day with no baby around (easier said than done!!) - dogs (supposedly) respond to quality over quantity and this goes a long way in helping ease their transition

We haven't had any trouble at all, unless you count feeling sorry for our neglected pooch! She figured out the new family heirarchy right away and has never exhibited the slightest hint of aggression toward Elliot. Animals are so intuitive. They understand our pregnancies and resulting babies better than many people expect.

Good luck!

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