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1st Trimester
pixy_stix
member
Start baby proofing your dogs NOW
pixy_stix
member
It's really important that you start baby proofing your dogs now. Not later, not just before the baby arrives, not "oh we'll just bring blankets home from the hospital for them to smell," but NOW. This also goes for cats. The more you work with them now, the less problems you'll have later on.
Yes, ALL dogs need a little refresher course right now. Even if you think your dog is good with children because your friends/brothers/sisters/neighbors come over with their baby, they'll react different when the baby is yours and in your house constantly.
Some good links to help you start the process:
- Babies and Beasts Blog - What one mother did to baby proof her dogs. Incredibly thorough.
- Humane Society of the US
- NILIF - Nothing in Life is Free - Positive way to assert dominance (and ultimately peace) in your household. (Concrete ways to implement can be found here.)
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Re: Start baby proofing your dogs NOW
And if anyone comes on here and says that they are getting rid of their dog/cat because of the baby, I will shank them.
You have months to train them, and there is no excuse for not doing so.
And... shocker... people have kids and pets ALL THE TIME!
Good luck to everyone with their pets!
Yes, most dogs need to be prepared, but not all. Our dog (a retired racing greyhound) is super mellow and we didn't have to do anything special. We brought DD home from the hospital, he came over and gave her a whiff and went back to bed. That was it.
He's still not the best at walking w/a stroller next to him (so do practice that), but he really didn't need any special preparation. I don't want everyone to think that it's automatically going to be a lot of work or a huge adjustment for all dogs. DD LOVES him, is always climbing on him, etc. We always stay close by when she interacts with him and we stop her if we think she's being too rough. Our dog will put up with it for a little while (we praise him the whole time), but usually he'll just get up and walk away (so he can go sleep elsewhere) if he's had enough. Lately the dog knows to stay close by at meal time because DD is always "dropping" food on the floor for him!
:oD I think I like you.
I no longer have the patience to deal with idiots ditching animals for dumb reasons.
This is a really good post, I think many people don't know how to train animals or don't understand potential pitfalls and exactly how much of an adjustment this can be for their pets... and how smooth they can make the transition with a bit of work.
That said, we 'baby trained' our lab with kids at a day care and my niece. He's a lab, and a laid back one... he still smacks her in the face with his tail though when she's playing with him and chasing him. I think that's just a hazard of a lab though!
A good friend of mine has 2 great danes and they do GREAT with her kids. That's one of the reasons she chose the breed.
Soooo glad to hear that. He is a really sweet dog, but with that giant size comes some giant antics. He did well with friends' children but still needs to learn his size (can't curl up on their lap, etc.) I hope he turns out to be as great with the babies as your friend's danes.
I found this for the cats, but it's basically the same information as it is for the dogs.
We have a Dane & a Dane mix. We refer to them as our "nanny dogs" because they're by far the most concerned of our five about DD's well being. If she cries, they will let you know something is wrong. DD is always saying about the youngest, "That Elli a good girl. Give her cookie." I think the dog may have had something to do with that. lol
Thanks for the link, I'm printing it right now. Mostly I've found stuff on dogs and I wasn't sure it would translate.
Mostly, though, I'm worried the cats will only come out from under the bed for the litter box and dinner. They don't care for short people. (Well, Kali doesn't care for most people.) When my H's nephew came over when he was around 6 months and not even mobile yet, under the bed they went until he left.
Cats take a really long time to adjust to anything. 6 months to a year is about average. As long as you get them used to the "stuff" and "sounds" it will probably be easier for them. Especially as the baby grows the changes will be incremental so they can adjust.
A bigger baby plopped into their midst probably had them thinking, "What sort of dog is that?" :op
thanks for the reminder! my mini doxies aren't exactly great danes, but I still need to give them a refresher course on what not to do.
although, they don't go upstairs and I'm wondering if I'm upstairs, and they're downstairs, and not happy about it, if they will attempt to destroy everything within 6 inches of the floor...guess a good way to find out would be that baby noises website while I'm upstairs, huh.
Baby in a Blue Teapot
Tempest in a Blue Teapot, food and everything else
"You live, you learn, you drink, and move on." ~ Rotty
I love chickens, but they can be sort of evil... well, the roosters anyways! I can't wait to have a small flock again!
As for the husky killing the baby- as you said, it is rare. I'm sure the dog was sweet, but I can't believe that it was fully trained and prepared for the LO to come home. I don't mean to sound like I blame the parents, but if a HEALTHY (mentally) dog accepts a person or animal as a part of its pack, it will not simply kill them. Killing of puppies/babies is a sign that there is some sort of issue with the dog, behaviorly or physically. Perhaps that could have been sorted out by training.
One of the most important things you can teach an animal is that NO aggression towards people is ok. No growling, no teeth on skin (even while playing). No tugging or pulling at clothes. Those 'play' behaviors could kill a tiny infant.
Whoah. You want a dog to growl. Training growling out of a dog is training their warning mechanism out of them. If they can't tell you they don't like something, then they'll just bite with no warning. You want them to growl.
Yep - growling is a dog's way of communicating. Without communicating, bad things happen.
Okay, I'm going to put my two cents in on this one because it hits a little close to home. I ADORE my dog. I am however, aware of his limitations. This dog is my baby. And I can't even fathom having to find him another home.
However, he has bitten 3 people in the past 7 years. 2 of these were family members (brother, husband) and one was a friend. He has gone through intensive training with no avail. I'm talking about years of obedience, socialization (as much as you can do with a people aggressive dog), nothing in life is free, etc.
And he just gets worse. So I have a dog, not a small dog mind you - I'm not telling his breed because of breed prejudices - that growls at my neighbor after 6 months of them living next door. A dog that has bitten my brothers throat and face and caused puncture wounds and bleeding. A dog that I have been advised by pet behaviorists to put down. A dog I can't even take out in public because he will either attack a dog or a human.
My brother (the one that was bitten by my dog) has offered to keep him for me. I'm not dumping my dog into the system. But I understand that my options are to either to find him another responsible owner or put him down. I can't even imagine doing either. But for the safety of my child and for the well being of my dog I HAVE to do this. There is no choice in the matter.
Now, why did I actively TTC while owning a dog like this and knowing he won't be able to be a part of our family? Because I'm a human woman who is nearly 30 and also has a degenerative neurological disease. Time is of the essence if I ever hope to have my own biological children.
This topic makes me bawl. I am going to miss my dog more than any of you could ever imagine. But I have to stop thinking about it because I am having a very obvious breakdown and I share my office with 3 other people.
Another point to make - and I sort of feel like I am justifying my decision but like I said, I cannot take the chance of my dog hurting my child and then having to be put down - but we have two dogs. Only one of them is being re-homed. My great dane is staying because she doesn't bite and never has.
So I'm not looking for approval or acceptance on this topic. I HATE people who act like animals are disposable and not a part of the family. Its just that sometimes you don't know the whole story. So sometimes re-homing is the best option. The only option. And its not a decision I am making because dogs are a lot of work. Or it might not be good with kids. Or that I'm too lazy to work with him. Its because I KNOW that if I have him around a child he will bite the baby. That simple. I know it.
I wish there was any other option. And sorry this is so long. Its just a very painful topic for me right now.