Dogs + baby in a Swing...potential disaster?

haswelljme · August 2011

We have two insane huskies in our home, and when they play it is like watching something out of "Call of the Wild". Of course we have a giant backyard, but they feel the need to play in the LR, on top of us on the couch...etc. I'm trying to do my registry, but I wasn't sure if I should put a swing (or even a bouncer) on there for safety reasons. I don't want them knocking the swing over and hurting the baby.

Has anyone dealt with this before? This is my first, so I don't know if swing are all that stable when run into? Should I just do a bouncer?

makinithappen · August 2011

Honestly, I think you need to get the dogs under control or keep them outside. My dog just acts slightly wild when first let in the house then calms down. If you have a similar situation, can you keep baby out of the room until they are calm? Swings are pretty stable. I wouldn't go with just a bouncer; it is on the floor and the baby would be trampled.

kmm2150 · August 2011

I think you could still do a swing, and I would feel a little better about that with baby up off the ground than a bouncer myself. I would recommend getting the swing and setting it up ASAP and starting to work on training your dogs to keep their distance from it, and from other things/places where baby will be - I think it would help your peace of mind a lot when baby comes home to have an area where you know the dogs will be calm. And of course, never leave the dogs unattended with the baby!

haswelljme · August 2011

Both good suggestions, thanks!! We are working with the dogs to calm them down, they are both still pretty young so they have a TON of energy. They already know nursery is off limits, so that is good.

We definitely won't leave them alone with baby, it's not like Nana from Peter Pan Stick out tongue

kmm2150 · August 2011

My DH jokes that we will just put the baby in the dog crate with Scout when we need to run an errand, and they'll entertain each other. I think our dog will be good with a baby, but not THAT good!

RileyGrace · August 2011

Register for baby gates - for the dogs. Two out of control dogs will be a safety issue no matter what the baby is sitting in.

cynasmin · August 2011

I only have 1 dog but I plan on getting and using a swing, bouncer and playmat (the kind w/ the criss cross bars so dog can't walk over baby). will take some training w/ the dog i'm sure and in the beginning might only be while the dog is outside or put her in the crate so we can try it.

I also hope that i'll get items early enough so that i can start dog training early.

We've taught our dog "that's not yours" and she knows she has to leave it alone so I'm hoping it will go well w/ baby items too.

baby3ob · August 2011

kmm2150:
I think you could still do a swing, and I would feel a little better about that with baby up off the ground than a bouncer myself. I would recommend getting the swing and setting it up ASAP and starting to work on training your dogs to keep their distance from it, and from other things/places where baby will be - I think it would help your peace of mind a lot when baby comes home to have an area where you know the dogs will be calm. And of course, never leave the dogs unattended with the baby!

this - i heard this helps and gets them used it. we plan to do that with our little dog (hey, will probably throw a doll in there). he hates the vacuum cleaner and many things that move on their own, so we're hoping to train him early on this one.

laurel22 · September 2011

RileyGrace:
Register for baby gates - for the dogs. Two out of control dogs will be a safety issue no matter what the baby is sitting in.

Ditto this! What are you going to do about the dogs when the baby needs to do tummy time? Or wants to play on the floor? Or starts to crawl? Before you know it, your baby will be spending TONS of time on the floor. You need to invest in some gates to keep the dogs out of the baby's space, or invest in some training if their rough-housing is that bad.

DS is 10 months old and spends almost all of his play time on the floor crawling and exploring. Our dog is fine on her own with DS, but when my in-law's dog comes over to visit, we sometimes have to separate them and gate them away from the baby because of their rough-housing. I just won't take any chances, and those dogs are both much smaller than Huskies.

FabulousMrs.P · September 2011

I would get the bouncer and swing now and just work on training them to stay away from them. We have been getting our dog used to baby items so that it isn't a sudden change. She already know what they do and that they won't hurt her. (And in your case, you can train them to stay away from the items.)

FabulousMrs.P · September 2011

Oh, and definitely up their exercise level. It will help them to be calmer when they are in the house. Take them for a longer walk or to a doggie daycare...just something where they can safely get their energy out.

Dogs + baby in a Swing...potential disaster?

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