So Frustrated (pregnancy and dog related)

yvonka.row · February 2012

We are in our 26th week and I feel good but my dog is driving me absolutely crazy! And just thinking about having to deal with him and the baby at the same time makes me want to cry. I don't know if anyone else is experiencing this but I feel like a horrible mom to the dog. DH reminds me I'm the one that pushed for the dog so I feel extra guilty. His anxiety has increased, especially in relation to our wood pellet stove being on. However, we have had him and the stove the same amount of time. I don't want to put him on meds but I am so frustrated and I don't want to feel like this while I'm pregnant. Please tell me I'm not alone!

amberlynnr7 · February 2012

I have two dogs. & they always want to lay on my stomach. So, I can only imagine what it will be like when I am paying attention to a baby & not them anymore.

Needless to say...I feel your pain. & I'm not looking forward to it either.

LaurenCase89 · February 2012

We have four dogs. Yeah, four. Ranging from 100lbs to 35lbs. And they are also making me insane! I don't know how I'm going to deal with the four of them when the baby comes. I love them, really I do, but I just can't handle them lately.

didi1078@aol.com · February 2012

I get frustrated as well. We have a yellow lab and a 3 y/o and I feel like I could scream with all of the dog hair. I feel like I sweep 7X a day and still see it everywhere. Also, he spend an entire week chewing/eating everything(i.e bag of apples, bananas, milk cartons, toliet paper and an entire package of juice boxes) like he was a puppy again. My husband would get rid of in a minute so I feel like I cant even complain to him...

ErinR2012 · February 2012

I don't own a dog, and I don't own this product, but your post made me think of the Thundershirt I've heard of for dogs. Its a wrap you put on the dog and its supposed to reduce their anxiety. One of the local news stations did a "Does it really do that?" segment on this, and it did help the dog's anxiety. I guess its like anything...might work for some dogs but not others...but maybe its worth a try though? When I googled it I saw its also sold on Amazon and QVC.

Sorry you're having a stressful time Hope things get better soon!

jenniferck015 · February 2012

My dog is driving me crazy too! He drfinitely can tell somethings are changing, I'm sure the closer to when baby comes it's just going to get worse...

cmurphy09 · February 2012

I have two dogs myself, one has a super personality the other is a handful, she's fear aggressive & territorial but unquestionably loyal & protected me in a few scary situations.

Luckily though, both are crate trained when I start feeling overwhelmed. I say go in your house & they both go in their houses. One great thing to do if your dogs aren't crate trained, is to start. Treat the kennel as a reward, not punishment by getting KONGS, filling it with peanut butter & dog treats, freeze them & when you want them to go in their kennel, give the frozen treat stuffed kong to them as a special treat whenever it's crate time for dog.

Also look into books by Dr. Ian Dunbar - the breeder I got my dog from recommended his books & have been super helpful in the training process & understanding the simple mind of a dog. Here are my two faves:

Before & After Getting your puppy

Dog Behavior

Also check out Dr. Ian Dunbar's website for helpful tips

My main concern isn't necessarily taking care of the dogs & baby together, more so taking care of the dogs & baby immediately post labor & trying to heal ~ my husband travels frequently for his job & we have absolutely NO family support whatsoever... You can also look into hiring a dog walker or dog sitter, to help out with the dog, that's what we're thinking of.

With my dogs, my head says one thing (get rid of them) but my heart says another because they're such sweet, loving, loyal companions & no matter what they're always there, whether I am sad, angry, etc. & see them being great buddies to my daughter one day, they're fam... there's the easy way to do things & the right way.

nerdbaby · February 2012

ErinR2012:
I don't own a dog, and I don't own this product, but your post made me think of the Thundershirt I've heard of for dogs. Its a wrap you put on the dog and its supposed to reduce their anxiety. One of the local news stations did a "Does it really do that?" segment on this, and it did help the dog's anxiety. I guess its like anything...might work for some dogs but not others...but maybe its worth a try though? When I googled it I saw its also sold on Amazon and QVC.
Sorry you're having a stressful time Hope things get better soon!

Thundershirt works wonders. It's a miracle blanker for pups.

overtonhayes · February 2012

Is this your first? All of my advice is advice people have given me: my baby won't be here until July, so I don't know from experience how well it works, but the most important thing is to make him realise that there will be new boundaries now. Our dog is always allowed on the couch and our bed, but we've trained him to wait until we give him permission now, so that he'll never leap onto the couch when the baby's there and cause an accident. Sounds to me like he's a little needy, like my dog, so it's important to do simple things like buy a doll and treat it like a real baby, so your dog gets used to the idea of there being this thing in your arms that gets more attention than him.

With regards to the stove... You can train him to not be afraid of it anymore. We got dog from a shelter as a puppy, and were told he was 'unwanted'. We took it to mean that he was just an unplanned litter and didn't even think about abuse until one day I picked up the broom and he ran away in terror. We soon realised that at some point in his life someone must have beaten him with a broom, and we've had to train him out of it. We did this by making him stay put while we brought the broom near him and going crazy with petting. As he became a little more confident with it, we (now I'm sure some people won't agree with this, but it worked) brought the broom down very quickly, as if we were going to hit him with it, and stopped before it even touched him, then again went crazy with petting. He learnt that we will never hit him with the broom and he doesn't even flinch now when it's brought out. Obviously you're limited with something that's fixed in place like the stove, but even something like putting his food near the stove (so eventually he has to be near it) might help.

chigator · February 2012

get a behaviorist and deal with it now. the problem will not resolve itself and it won't get better once the baby is here. Good luck. you can do it!

camillaandcarson · February 2012

Maybe a special treat only for when the wood stove is on? Getting a behaviorist instead of just a vet opinion (I noticed you mentioned meds) would be beneficial to helping. Even with just meds behavior modification oftentimes needs to be done in conjunction anyway.

I also have big affectionate, energetic, and high energy dogs. They are a big part of my life so I am looking into doggie daycare to help with some of their energy needs when our new baby comes.

megolsu3 · February 2012

I posted the other day about my three dogs and being a FTM. I got a lot of good feedback about how to introduce the dogs to the baby and establish clear boundaries. I also called a wonderful local dog trainer and she is going to come to our house and work with us (and I was shocked at how little she charges)- it might be worth it to look into. On a side note- I just wanted to tell you that I have a terribly anxious lab mix that looses her sh*t anytime there is a storm, people yelling, fireworks, etc. We tried different things but ultimately- our vet put her on a very- very small dose of doggy xanax. We dont use it much but if she starts panting and breathing hard, shedding, shaking etc.- it works like a charm and she visibly feels so much better. Ofcourse, first we use physical reassurance (like the thundershirt) and verbal reassurance- we also give make her a pallet in a small confined space because it soothes her. Your situation sounds a little different with the stove thing but I just wanted to let you know that meds can work if the situation is severe.

HappyMama2011 · February 2012

We have a 125 lb fearful dog and have spent a ton of money over the years on training. She is finally in a really good place. A few tips that work for us:

Walk your dog every day. Seriously - every day. It is amazing how much different her behavior is if she isn't walked. She is a pleasure when she is.

Dont coddle her when she is scared. If you do, you are giving her affection for unwanted behavior and she will think that you want her to behave like that. It is hard not to hug a scared pup but it is the worst thing for them.

Because we walk her so much, she has a positive association with the leash and she knows that we are in control when it is on. When she is scared, we leash her and give her commands. She usually relaxes much quicker than if it weren't on.

Good luck - a fearful dog is one of the hardest and longest to train. Just be consistent and always positive. These dogs can take huge steps backwards with negative techniques.

FemShep · February 2012

I third? fourth? getting a trainer ASAP. In most cases, when there are behavior issues, it's not the dog but the owner. And I can't agree enough how important exercise is. We walk our dog around 2 miles a day, and on the rare occasions we can't, the change in her behavior is huge. You have time to help correct your dog's behavior, but you need to get help and start now.

singingirl96 · February 2012

Exercise fixes everything! He's probably bored. Regular walks, dog toys... keep him occupied and he'll forget about the stove.

Get him busy bones, real bones and other chewies that will distract him!

NewStepMom2ndBride · February 2012

I also read yesterday, on the bump actually, about after the baby is born sending a blanket home with the baby's smell on it to the dog so they can sniff it and get more used to the smell before the baby actually comes home.

newbeachbride · February 2012

We don't have a dog but a very high maintenance cat! We are having baby # 2 soon soon and he has done very well with our DD. Our cat is notorious for using our carpet or furniture as a littler box when he's mad at us and he did do it when our DD was born. But overall he's good we just have to keep tabs on him and if he hasn't used his box, he can't come out of his room. It's very stressful for me to deal with his issues making sure he's locked up in the laundry room if I know he hasn't gone # 2 but what else can you do, but deal with it. I had told my husband early on if he shows aggression to our child he's gone but he hasn't and really likes our DD, so I hope it will be the same with #2. I do have to say I really don't like cleaning up after a cat and all his fur and a child As much as I LOVE animals I think once this one moves on to greener pastures we will remain pet free for awhile.

You are not alone in your feelings, sometimes when a baby comes into the picture it changes how you feel and how you deal with things. I would just give your dog some time to adjust to the baby and do what some of the other posters have suggested to get him ready.

JG362009 · February 2012

I've noticed that my dog's behavior improves A LOT when he gets tons of exercise. I mean like 3-5 miles a day of running or walking. Have you tried that? I try to take my dog on at least 2 long runs or walks per day.

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