Preparing pets for baby

RondackHiker · January 2014

So we are all in our third tri now, and more of us have outside babies each week.

So everyone's been working with their pets, right? How have things been going?

If you haven't been prepping your pets, what are you going to do TODAY to get started?

Anyone have any concerns?

magentawarped · January 2014

My dog has been through one baby already, so I'm not worried. He's a pretty laid back pup. I may have to just murder the cat.

littlepig2 · January 2014

I haven't really prepped them. our nieces have been over a few times and the dog is fine with them. the cats either steer clear or go over and lay down near them. DH's nieces are 4 and 2, my niece is almost 11 months. the cats seem to like the baby better haha.

I'm really not concerned, though. mostly because my Dad was a K9 cop for years and years so I know he'll help us if we need it. obviously I'm not gonna leave the baby on the floor unattended with our dog because even the most well behaved pets get scared, etc. but I feel pretty relaxed about it.

NoelMarieFrey · January 2014

I have bought a baby doll and used my phone a lot. We have practiced walking with the stroller, and also the car seat. I will swaddle the baby doll, and play a baby crying and we have been doing that for a couple of weeks now. Also practicing walking in the house with the Car seat and baby doll inside. So far she has been a trooper. The only issue we are having is trying to make our pups sleep on their doggy bed on the floor. They always seem to end up with us somehow in the middle of the night. We don't plan to co-sleep but we wanted to teach them as a just in case measure. So if anyone has any advice on that

MamaHollywood27 · January 2014

I was so nervous about this for the longest time because my pup is just that still a pup! She turned 1 in September. As odd as it sounds when my baby had boughts of being active I would invite the dog up on my lap and say "gentle" and then let her lay me yes to me and feel movement and such... This was me preparing her for the arrival because I attachment style and breast feed. I didn't want her to come barreling at me while baby was nursing or jumping all over me. It has helped so much. She came over to me on the recliner, looked at me kinda turned her head, I said gentle and invited her up to see/smell and meet the baby. She got up looked at the baby sniffed his head and laid down next to me some what unphased. Idk if the fact we have other kids just made it easier, but my pup is quite playful but has a pretty good sense on who she can be a lil rougher w when trying to play. She plays a lot different w my 12yo then she does my almost 2yo. So far so good

Oasismomma · January 2014

Before DS1 was born, we downloaded this album on iTunes and played it for our dog and cat. We also set up the baby gear way in advance to let them adjust to the new furniture layout and smells, etc.

They both adjusted really well to having a baby and now a toddler in the house. Surprisingly, our cat was much more tolerant (he's younger and a male...our dog is a 9 year old female and would just walk away when DS1 wouldn't give her space).

A key for us was not slacking on exercise for our dog, which was not easy with a winter newborn. It would have been so easy to let her out into the back yard and call it a day, but we really made it a priority to still go on long daily walks. Otherwise, she'd get really antsy being cooped up.

RondackHiker · January 2014

Rach521 said:

I haven't really prepped them. our nieces have been over a few times and the dog is fine with them. the cats either steer clear or go over and lay down near them. DH's nieces are 4 and 2, my niece is almost 11 months. the cats seem to like the baby better haha. I'm really not concerned, though. mostly because my Dad was a K9 cop for years and years so I know he'll help us if we need it. obviously I'm not gonna leave the baby on the floor unattended with our dog because even the most well behaved pets get scared, etc. but I feel pretty relaxed about it.

Even though your dog seems great, I'd still do a little bit of prep work. It is SO much easier to do work when you're not already tired and stressed.

Since your dog seems already familiar with babies and kids, I'd just set up and run any baby equipment he hasn't seen yet (the swing and bouncer seat especially often cause a meltdown the first time they are turned on, and it's hard to stay calm when your dog is barking hysterically at your newborn sleeping in the swing). I'd also make sure his obedience is solid and that he knows how to walk beside the stroller. Other than that, you should be set. It's just easier to brush up on obedience before baby comes.

RondackHiker · January 2014

NoelMarieFrey said:

I have bought a baby doll and used my phone a lot. We have practiced walking with the stroller, and also the car seat. I will swaddle the baby doll, and play a baby crying and we have been doing that for a couple of weeks now. Also practicing walking in the house with the Car seat and baby doll inside. So far she has been a trooper. The only issue we are having is trying to make our pups sleep on their doggy bed on the floor. They always seem to end up with us somehow in the middle of the night. We don't plan to co-sleep but we wanted to teach them as a just in case measure. So if anyone has any advice on that

Have you considered crate training? If you don't notice them getting up, you can't correct them. It becomes a self-rewarding behavior (dog gets up and gets to be comfy and cozy with you for hours before correction), so it's hard to break. If you really want to keep them off your bed, a crate or a tether would be the way to go.

slwprincess · January 2014

I miss our little dog so much sometimes(we had to put her down last summer), but I must say this is a huge relief for me and DH this time. Not having to think about who will watch her while we are in the hospital or helping her adjust to a new baby -she never had any aggression but their crying sent her into fits of anxiety :-(. We still have 2 cats and other than curiosity and wanting to play with all her dangly toys- they are typically pretty laid back.

RondackHiker · January 2014

njb750 said:

@Rondackhiker -- I had a question for you about this!

Of my two dogs -- one is severely high strung. My husband got him while he was in college and his frat brothers treated him terribly. They used to hold him on his back until he growled and snapped and other unspeakable things that my husband wasn't even aware was going on (According to him). When we started dating I demanded that he send Gatsby home to live with his mom. Luckily she took very good care of him and gave him all the love he could ever want. He is MUCH better, but unfortunately he still has scars and has an "attitude" as my husband puts it.

We have all the baby stuff set up -- swing, PnP, stroller, furnished nursery. He shows no interest. I've tried sitting with him in the nursery and introducing all the things that make noise/move. He has no interest and will just leave the room.

He is constantly at my side and under my feet and I'm just afraid he will not adjust well to someone else being my center of attention. He has been this way since I entered his life, not just since I've been pregnant.

My mother has already offered to take him if for some reason we cannot make it work, but I do NOT want to do that unless it's a very last resort. I love that little guy to pieces and I know it would break his heart and mine. However, I am prepared to do what's best for our child.

Any tips or advice?

Your poor dog. I'm glad that you see how cruel and wrong alpha rolling is. Make sure you never attempt any sort of dominance type training with this dog, okay?

For him, I'd consider training him to go to his place. This is a pretty decent link, but I can talk to you about it myself as well if you like. https://dogs.about.com/od/basiccommands/a/goto_place.htm I'd put a bed in the baby's room and in any room you might be in with the baby. Keep it close enough to the action he feels like he's near you, but not so close he'll feel trapped.

I'd also brush up on simple obedience. Come, sit, down, stay, and back up would help you a lot. Hand signals are lovely when the baby is sleeping. That will let you ask him to back up and give space without feeling annoyed, which would stress both of you out.

If he's stressed once baby is here, I would increase his exercise (perhaps you walk with him and baby in the morning and your husband in the evenings) and consider a DAP collar. Involve him in baby care when you can. Chat to him AND baby while you nurse or change diapers. I played fetch while nursing sometimes, or just rubbed my dog's ears.

Nothing in Life is Free training (that's easily googled) can provide him with a lot of structure and improve his confidence.

The time I'd worry about with him is actually once baby starts to be mobile. He likely has a fear of being trapped or cornered or pinned, and mobile babies and kids just love to chase after dogs and hug or climb on them. You'll have to watch carefully and redirect your child (and later teach and punish child as needed) and make sure your dog always has an escape route. Baby gates are lovely things!

RondackHiker · January 2014

DesirreK said:

Good timing! We just got a baby doll last night and started just carrying it around with us and letting our dog get used to it. He was curious but did pretty good about not touching it or licking it. As the week progresses we plan to add in some baby noise and some of the baby toys.
We are also starting to not allow some spoiled behaviors that we previously would allow. As an example, we are no longer letting him just jump up on our lap whenever he wants or jump into the bed and walk all over us. We want to stop these things now as to not create a negative association with the baby.
The thing I am struggling with, is the fact that, I know he is going to want to lick the baby non-stop. He loves to cuddle and it seems to soothe him when he licks. He also will especially try to do it if I have just put lotion on. I don't want him to do this but I also don't want to discipline him for doing so. He seems to be more of a reward based dog and does better at learning new things when we reward him for doing the right thing, instead of disciplining him for doing the wrong. My plan at this point is to reward him when he is sitting or laying quietly next to the baby and not getting too close. I hope I am approaching this the right way.
This is proving to be very difficult! Max has been our "baby" for 2 years and now things are changing for all of us! I hate not just letting him cuddle with me whenever he wants to. I am probably taking all of this harder than he is! Any advice on staying strong and not giving into his cute little puppy eyes?

My best advice for staying strong is to tell you that giving in is actually far less kind than giving him good boundaries. A dog that doesn't listen well and is spoiled is a dog at risk. It's more stressful for that dog when things change, fewer people are willing to adopt spoiled dogs if something terrible happened and you needed to rehome him... making your dog a good citizen is the BEST way to make sure he's a happy and safe dog for life, either in your home or any other home. A spoiled dog=/= a happy dog.

Licking can definitely be a stress related behavior. I don't recommend punishing for it. Usually that just means they lick MORE or will start to lick/chew themselves. I'd just redirect him and send him away. I shared a link above about "going to your place". That's a good one for you. Also, his stress may drop once he's got more clear boundaries. Nothing in Life is free training would be good for BOTH of you.

I'd teach him to give baby a five foot radius at all times. He can lay and look at baby and he can cuddle with you, but if he's a constant licker, I wouldn't want him on top of a newborn.

cauliflowereyes · January 2014

My two cats are very mellow, sociable, and easy-going, but I've still been slowly getting them used to all the new baby stuff around, in the hopes that it eases the transition a little. They're really cozy lap-cats and are used to a lot of attention, so I've certainly taken their feelings into account as we prep for baby, since THEY'RE used to being the "babies" of the household, ha!

I've introduced them to the stroller and all the other baby stuff that's been kicking around, and made sure to have my toddler nephew over plenty in the last eight months, so they're pretty used to kids and a bit of noise and "excessive cuddling" lol. I also started blocking their access to the baby's room early on to set that boundary, because really, I don't want those two mucking about in there or sleeping in the crib, which they're very enamoured with.

Cats and babies - all either of them really want in life is a cozy place to sleep and all the milk you can possibly provide!

RondackHiker · January 2014

elf828 said:

Honestly? I'm a little worried. My 5 year old, 13 lb dog (chihuahua/pomeranian) is high-maintenance and a bit high-strung as you may expect from his mix.

the good - We have had the nursery set up for a while and he likes visiting it. He has sniffed around while I'm sorting baby clothes, and we have turned on the bouncer and the swing so he gets used to the sounds and motions. We played some baby crying sounds and he looked right at me with a concerned look in his eyes (I know, I know, that may be all in my head). He listens well to sit, stay, leave it, off, get up, drop it (well drop it isn't too great but he will trade whatever he's got for a cookie). We stopped letting him in bed with us about a year ago and he is fine with sleeping under our bed at night. And he's sweet - he won't leave one of our sides if we aren't feeling well. ETA he also knows gentle and ouch - if we're playing and he's too rough I can say ouch and he stops right away.

the bad - He is afraid of toddlers and small kids. He does great with adults but little ones freak him out. I think it's because he can't predict their movements, but he growls (more in fear I think) when a little one wants to pet him. Also, since he is a small dog he barks a LOT at nothing - he alerts us when the wind blows.

I have houseguests right now and they will be here for the first month or so after baby comes home, which is great - they will be able to watch him while we're at the hospital, and they can help with walks and pottys if I'm sleeping. I just don't really know where to start with prepping him which is why I have been avoiding it. Do you have any advice for me?

It seems like he'll do fairly well with the non-mobile baby if you think it's the movement that freaks him out.

That is SO common. Children move strangely. They're quick and wobbly and unpredictable! No wonder the dog is afraid, especially since he's little. Children really can hurt dogs and it's totally normal for him to want to get away.

Please, never ever discipline a growl. A growl is his way of telling the world that he needs help and isn't happy. If he thinks growling is bad, he has no obvious way of telling the world he isn't happy. He may turn his head or shift his weight or lick his lips, but nothing very obvious and suddenly he will bite the approaching child "without warning". He didn't feel like he could growl, but he told the world he was upset without growling, and the child kept coming.

Try to give him baby free spaces once baby starts moving. A crate or two in different areas of the house, a gate he can duck behind, a closed bedroom, whatever helps him feel safe. Before baby is mobile, watch those jumpers in doorways--baby can bounce at him as he tries to pass. Basically, you want to make sure he knows he can always get away from the scary thing and that it is GOOD to move away and that you will always protect him.

When I'm pet-sitting a dog afraid of children or have a young child who doens't know how to be gentle, the dog is constantly by my side. I need to leave the playroom to go to the bathroom or stir dinner? Dog comes. The key is that you watch all interactions so you can redirect the baby and help the dog "escape".

Children should learn never to pet without help, never to approach a dog without permission, never to run at or yell at a dog, to give dogs a few feet of space when the dog is laying down, never to hug the dog or pick it up, etc etc.

I think you can easily make it work. Just always give him an escape route and make sure he knows you'll never punish him for warning that he's upset.

shellbell3845 · January 2014

@RondackHiker you are so knowledgeable! I don't have a dog but I learned a lot reading your responses.

I do have cats. We let them go in the nursery to check things out. I can tell they're getting used to it because when I open the door, it's not a mad dash to get in there anymore.

My question is that I was considering moving their food and water down to our finished basement. I thought they might need their own safe space away from the action. Do you think that's a good idea? I don't want to isolate them from us or the baby, and I don't want them to not come upstairs with us. My boy kitty is a total scaredy cat, and this is going to be a big adjustment for him. Girl kitty is bolder and more able to handle stress.

RondackHiker · January 2014

shellbell3845 said:
@RondackHiker you are so knowledgeable! I don't have a dog but I learned a lot reading your responses.

I do have cats. We let them go in the nursery to check things out. I can tell they're getting used to it because when I open the door, it's not a mad dash to get in there anymore.

My question is that I was considering moving their food and water down to our finished basement. I thought they might need their own safe space away from the action. Do you think that's a good idea? I don't want to isolate them from us or the baby, and I don't want them to not come upstairs with us. My boy kitty is a total scaredy cat, and this is going to be a big adjustment for him. Girl kitty is bolder and more able to handle stress.

Could you put a secondary food/water/litter box down there in case scaredy kitty doesn't want to come up? That way they can be close but they can also escape.

You'll also want to think about how you'll keep baby out of the bowls/litter box eventually. A baby gate across the room door often works well if the cats are healthy enough to jump.

shellbell3845 · January 2014

RondackHiker said:

shellbell3845 said:
@RondackHiker you are so knowledgeable! I don't have a dog but I learned a lot reading your responses.

I do have cats. We let them go in the nursery to check things out. I can tell they're getting used to it because when I open the door, it's not a mad dash to get in there anymore.

My question is that I was considering moving their food and water down to our finished basement. I thought they might need their own safe space away from the action. Do you think that's a good idea? I don't want to isolate them from us or the baby, and I don't want them to not come upstairs with us. My boy kitty is a total scaredy cat, and this is going to be a big adjustment for him. Girl kitty is bolder and more able to handle stress.
Could you put a secondary food/water/litter box down there in case scaredy kitty doesn't want to come up? That way they can be close but they can also escape.

You'll also want to think about how you'll keep baby out of the bowls/litter box eventually. A baby gate across the room door often works well if the cats are healthy enough to jump.

Thanks! We've already got a baby gate plan (but no baby gates yet). Litter is in the unfinished part of the basement that LO doesn't have access to.

This is hard! I've had these cats for 5 years, and I stress over how they're going to handle new things. Four years ago I moved half way across the country for a new job with four days notice. I didn't stress about packing, moving, leaving friends, or the new job, but I freaked out worrying about how the cats would do in the car and in our new living environment. (They were fine.)

RondackHiker · January 2014

shellbell3845 said:

@RondackHiker you are so knowledgeable! I don't have a dog but I learned a lot reading your responses. I do have cats. We let them go in the nursery to check things out. I can tell they're getting used to it because when I open the door, it's not a mad dash to get in there anymore. My question is that I was considering moving their food and water down to our finished basement. I thought they might need their own safe space away from the action. Do you think that's a good idea? I don't want to isolate them from us or the baby, and I don't want them to not come upstairs with us. My boy kitty is a total scaredy cat, and this is going to be a big adjustment for him. Girl kitty is bolder and more able to handle stress.
Could you put a secondary food/water/litter box down there in case scaredy kitty doesn't want to come up? That way they can be close but they can also escape. You'll also want to think about how you'll keep baby out of the bowls/litter box eventually. A baby gate across the room door often works well if the cats are healthy enough to jump.
Thanks! We've already got a baby gate plan (but no baby gates yet). Litter is in the unfinished part of the basement that LO doesn't have access to. This is hard! I've had these cats for 5 years, and I stress over how they're going to handle new things. Four years ago I moved half way across the country for a new job with four days notice. I didn't stress about packing, moving, leaving friends, or the new job, but I freaked out worrying about how the cats would do in the car and in our new living environment. (They were fine.)

If you haven't already, you can put a pet door in the basement door so that kitties can come and go without being closed in there.

Before the baby comes, I'd recommend stocking up on some enzymatic cleaner for pee spots, an extra litter box with litter (in case one kitty decides to hide elsewhere and needs a nearby box), and some feliway sprays/plug ins. That's a "feel good" kitty hormone that will reduce their stress. That way if your boy is having issues you can help him immediately without running to the pet store.

littlepig2 · January 2014

RondackHiker said:

Rach521 said:

I haven't really prepped them. our nieces have been over a few times and the dog is fine with them. the cats either steer clear or go over and lay down near them. DH's nieces are 4 and 2, my niece is almost 11 months. the cats seem to like the baby better haha.

I'm really not concerned, though. mostly because my Dad was a K9 cop for years and years so I know he'll help us if we need it. obviously I'm not gonna leave the baby on the floor unattended with our dog because even the most well behaved pets get scared, etc. but I feel pretty relaxed about it.

Even though your dog seems great, I'd still do a little bit of prep work. It is SO much easier to do work when you're not already tired and stressed.

Since your dog seems already familiar with babies and kids, I'd just set up and run any baby equipment he hasn't seen yet (the swing and bouncer seat especially often cause a meltdown the first time they are turned on, and it's hard to stay calm when your dog is barking hysterically at your newborn sleeping in the swing). I'd also make sure his obedience is solid and that he knows how to walk beside the stroller. Other than that, you should be set. It's just easier to brush up on obedience before baby comes.

woops, I thought you meant what are we doing in terms of classes or having someone come to the house. we have her swing, PnP, and other things set up all around the house that he's getting used to. we already know he will not go on walks with us when we have the stroller because he's a shelter dog and does not do well on a leash around other animals. off the leash? fine! on it? freaks out. we're not taking any chances with having the stroller and him at the same time if he sees another animal so he'll go on his separate "special time" walks.

RondackHiker · January 2014

BlueDot818 said:
Our dog has been around kids, and generally ignores them. A little sniff here and there and basically the fun is over for her. Even still, once the baby shower is over this next weekend we plan to set up the swing, and rock-n-play and just see how she reacts to it.

She is afraid of ceiling fans, and any new things that hang on the walls (just hung a train station style clock that she sits and stares at... to make sure it won't attack her I guess...lol)

A friend suggested that once LO is born to have DH bring one of his swaddle blankets home with his scent on it. Also to pack a few doggie treats in the hospital bag and wipe babies saliva on it, so that she gets familiar with his smell and associates the saliva with something good.

I wouldn't want the dog to associate baby with food.

sdlaura · January 2014

We have a 16-month-old, so other than putting out the baby stuff, we're not doing any prep. We're lucky that the dogs are 8 and 12 years old, so they are really laid back and low maintenance.

djtippietoes · January 2014

ashleen223 said:

What is your suggestion about at dog that jumps? She doesn't jump at DH or I so we've never had the opportunity to train her to stop it, but if someone she doesn't know comes over or someone that overly excites her like my stepdad is over, she will jump on them. We fuss at her and will pop her for jumping on others, but she doesn't seem to care.

I'm curious about this too. Mine gets super excited when someone comes in the house, though he calms down in a minute or two. @rondackhiker any suggestions?

edited for grammar

lihau88 · January 2014

I have two kitties that hate loud noises and I'm thinking I need to get them ready for baby cries. My friend has been bringing her son over since he was a baby (now he's 4) and he's pretty loud, and the two cats always hid from him. Is there an App someone knows of that has baby cries? This way I can get them a little more comfortable with the sound.

sdlaura · January 2014

djtippietoes said:

ashleen223 said:

What is your suggestion about at dog that jumps? She doesn't jump at DH or I so we've never had the opportunity to train her to stop it, but if someone she doesn't know comes over or someone that overly excites her like my stepdad is over, she will jump on them. We fuss at her and will pop her for jumping on others, but she doesn't seem to care.

I'm curious about this too. Mine gets super excited when someone comes in the house, though he calms down in a minute or too. @rondackhiker any suggestions?

Our dogs are the same way - it's the only bad habit we've never been able to totally break them of, even with obedience training, so now we mostly just don't allow them to greet new people at the door.

For us, it was never an issue with our daughter. They have never tried to jump on her.

TM14.defunct635821369925797514 · January 2014

My fiance and I have 4 cats and a dog. The dog we are not worried about since in her previous home there were children. Now my cats I do worry about. Two of them are very possessive of me. Both of them are rescues, one 8 years old, and one only a year old. The 8 year old does better, and has been around young kids, but the year old boy has only seen a baby once. He sniffed and tried to lay near it, but I don't know how he will do with MY baby.

I've been introducing all of the animals to the baby stuff, teaching the animals what is for baby so they know it is not for them. They all did great. But the cats are very keen on rubbing up on everything to put their scent on it, which doesn't really worry me too much since they aren't "marking."

We've gotten them a bit used to crying noises, which we are still working on. The dog doesn't seem to care, while our two youngest cats gets very agitated and try to hide by me. We just have to keep working on it.

I really do think they'll all be fine with baby though.

funny bunny · January 2014

We have a 14 yr old cat who is very agile and will jump on everything just to get his little bit of attention. To be quite honest I was very nervous about what to do to prepare him for the new person in our home.

What I did was set up the nursery a few weeks ago, and basically put foil on every surface and around the legs of everything I think he may be interested to jump on.

I read somewhere that cats hate the sound of foil, and it would deter him from doing this again.

Unfortunately this has not gone well yet, as he has no interest in that room that no one spends time in..

So I've been trying to spend a little more time there on the glider so that he comes in and explores a little.

Cats are so unpredictable!

If anyone has any additional suggestions I would love to read more about this.

TM14.defunct635821369925797514 · January 2014

@funny bunny I'm glad you are letting him explore the room. Most people would lock a cat out, which is a bad idea. Cats are very territorial, and he will want to make sure the room smells like him and that he can come and go as he pleases. I've worked with cats that get mean or start misbehaving because they are not aloud in a room. When my cats inspect the crib, or other things, and behave, I give them treat and praise. If they do something I don't like, I just pick them up and set them where I would want them. It's all about repeating and not giving in with cats.

Also I put a cat tower (a short one) near the crib so my cats have a place they can see the baby from, but all from a distance away. It allows them to fulfill their curiosity without getting right up in the little one's space. The cats won't be aloud alone with baby for quite some time, but some steps will allow them to be safely around one another, which to me is soooo important since I love my cats so much!

Good luck!

RondackHiker · January 2014

@djtippietoes @ashleen223

It sounds like both of them don't jump on you, just on guests when they first come in?

That's a fairly simple fix with two parts. Part of it is learning to manage/teaching your dog to manage it's excitement over visitors, and the other part is teaching your dog what to do when someone comes in.

If you've got a few friends who take payment in beer, they can help you out with this, but you can also just do this as guests arrive to visit baby. First, let guests know the rules. Absolutely no petting dog when it jumps and no encouraging dog to jump. This is hard, since many people "don't mind". Make it a safety issue (we don't want her to jump up on baby/on someone holding baby) to get people to cooperate. If she does jump on a guest, ask them to immediately spin to show her their back and make no response at all. Once dog is off them, they can turn to pay attention to the dog, ready to turn their back if needed. That helps a lot because the dog learns that jumping doesn't bring any sort of fun or attention.

As for you managing the dog's excitement, keep a short leash by the front door, or clip it on the dog when you expect guests. Leash the dog and have it sit before opening the door. Tell the dog to sit and let the leash dangle straight toward the ground. Step on it so there's no slack and hold the other end in your hand. If the dog tries to jump like this, it'll self correct with a pop on the leash and be forced to sit again.

Sometimes simply being on a leash for five minutes helps a dog calm down. Having a few treats for visitors to give the dog for doing "tricks" can help the dog calm down as well. Have the visitor tell the dog to sit, down, stay, and offer treats. Really, the goal is to make the dog only get attention when all four feet are on the floor and to help the dog work through its initial excitement.

RondackHiker · January 2014

@clb2196 Yeah, you're not going to convince a siamese cat to be quiet. :-) Baby will get used to the talking/crying. You can always try to have white noise running in the room where baby is sleeping and fuss over noisy kitty in another room if baby is going through a restless time.

RondackHiker · January 2014

lihau88 said:

I have two kitties that hate loud noises and I'm thinking I need to get them ready for baby cries. My friend has been bringing her son over since he was a baby (now he's 4) and he's pretty loud, and the two cats always hid from him. Is there an App someone knows of that has baby cries? This way I can get them a little more comfortable with the sound.

I just googled baby noises on youtube and played them softly at first and later played them more loudly. Try offering yummy treats while you do that.

For stressed kitties, I REALLY recommend having an extra litter box on hand to put near their hiding spot and getting some feliway before baby comes. That way if they're really stressed and take some time to adjust you're set ahead of time (with no accidents, hopefully).

RondackHiker · January 2014

funny bunny said:

We have a 14 yr old cat who is very agile and will jump on everything just to get his little bit of attention. To be quite honest I was very nervous about what to do to prepare him for the new person in our home.
What I did was set up the nursery a few weeks ago, and basically put foil on every surface and around the legs of everything I think he may be interested to jump on.
I read somewhere that cats hate the sound of foil, and it would deter him from doing this again.
Unfortunately this has not gone well yet, as he has no interest in that room that no one spends time in..
So I've been trying to spend a little more time there on the glider so that he comes in and explores a little.
Cats are so unpredictable!
If anyone has any additional suggestions I would love to read more about this.

I bet once there's a squirmy, loud creature in the nursery equipment he'll be less eager to explore it. :-)

Vestaria has good suggestions. Just like with dogs, make sure he gets attention and exercise daily (ear rubs and laser point chasing while nursing or feeding baby is always good).

RondackHiker · January 2014

mamajop said:

Confession: I haven't REALLY done anything yet.

We are in a state of turmoil right now with renovations, so as soon as possible we will be setting up the nursery and all the "stuff" to help both dog and turtle (yeah, joking! she'll be confined to her cage for a good while - poor baby!) ready!

We do consistently work on obedience, though. She can take off at a dead run and if we say stop it is immediate. She does not jump up, unless commanded to give a "High Five" and she does not bark, except for sometimes when she's dreaming. My husband trained her when he got her 9 years ago, and he did a fantastic job. My family doesn't train well, so it was odd for me to get used to giving so many commands, but I love her and she does so well!

I know a screaming baby will be new, so that will definitely be something to deal with. She has been around infants and children though, not a ton, but some, and is really great with them, so hopefully that will tranfer well.

If you've got solid obedience, you're off to a really good start. You can use those commands to help her. Send her from the room if she's stressed, have her lay down if she's underfoot, have her come so you can fuss over her or let her sniff at baby... a solidly trained dog will do well.

As for the turtle... (so jealous, btw) she'll be fine too. :-) Give her time out of her cage when you can. I think it'll be easier to have her out now than when baby is more mobile. You can also give her out of the cage time in a bathroom or kitchen with the gate up, just so she's out and not near baby and you don't need to stress.

I think I've asked but don't remember, what kind is she?

lihau88 · January 2014

RondackHiker said:

lihau88 said:

I have two kitties that hate loud noises and I'm thinking I need to get them ready for baby cries. My friend has been bringing her son over since he was a baby (now he's 4) and he's pretty loud, and the two cats always hid from him. Is there an App someone knows of that has baby cries? This way I can get them a little more comfortable with the sound.

I just googled baby noises on youtube and played them softly at first and later played them more loudly. Try offering yummy treats while you do that.

For stressed kitties, I REALLY recommend having an extra litter box on hand to put near their hiding spot and getting some feliway before baby comes. That way if they're really stressed and take some time to adjust you're set ahead of time (with no accidents, hopefully).

Thanks @RondackHiker for your help!!

RondackHiker · January 2014

@Bluedot818

Not all dog trainers are good or have common sense. There's no certification needed to advertise oneself as a dog trainer, and even certified trainers sometimes only take a single course that lasts a few weeks and don't actually have a ton of experience.

Bringing home a blanket or giving treats that smell like baby (which is one of the strangest things I've ever heard) doesn't do much to actually prepare the animal for the turmoil that's about to begin. If you do that with other things, great. If you only do that, you're not really prepping your dog.

cbear47 · January 2014

@rondackhiker- just wanted to say, AGAIN, thank you for being willing to help us all out with our fur babies preparation for our human babies!!!

Update on my Lucky (2 yr old, 97lb, Dane/Lab. Rescued him last May from humane society. We're his 3rd and forever home.)

For the past 1 1/2 months I haven't been the one to hold the leash while walking him. (Because of an incident where I was pulled over due to another dog he wanted to play with). But, my H and I have taken him on at least two major walks every day, and he gets at least one major fetch session (~45min) every day.

His command obedience is almost perfect. I don't mean to brag (but am totally AWing) but he will stop, come, sit, drop, kennel, stay, get (bring), calm, and heel!!! He also will self calm himself with one of his three "safe" places in the house. (Night bed, day bed or kennel.)

He stayed with SIL and family (H, 4yr old and 2yr old) while we were in KC for Christmas. We knew he was good with the boys around us, but still slightly worried about their toys being destroyed, human food time, and just being away from his daily routine. He did so well!!!

I'm getting so excited for him to meet his tiny human!! (He does great with all the baby noises -alert, then calm again- smells, and movements.)

Again, thanks for all your input!

RondackHiker · January 2014

@cbear47

That's so great! Have you stopped using the flexilead? That should help leash control a lot. I'm glad he's come so far!

funny bunny · January 2014

Vestaria14 said:

@funny bunny I'm glad you are letting him explore the room. Most people would lock a cat out, which is a bad idea. Cats are very territorial, and he will want to make sure the room smells like him and that he can come and go as he pleases. I've worked with cats that get mean or start misbehaving because they are not aloud in a room. When my cats inspect the crib, or other things, and behave, I give them treat and praise. If they do something I don't like, I just pick them up and set them where I would want them. It's all about repeating and not giving in with cats.

Also I put a cat tower (a short one) near the crib so my cats have a place they can see the baby from, but all from a distance away. It allows them to fulfill their curiosity without getting right up in the little one's space. The cats won't be aloud alone with baby for quite some time, but some steps will allow them to be safely around one another, which to me is soooo important since I love my cats so much!

Good luck!

Thanks for this!

I am not bringing his tower into the baby room because my guy has a habbit to jump from the top of it onto our bed (probably 2 feet away). He's a gentle giant with most things (13 lbs and super long) but he is like a kitten when it comes to jumping

I didn't think of treats, that's a good one I should use.

I was also considering rubbing some orange peel on the feet of the crib bc I know cats are not fond of that scent - what are your thoughts on this?

RondackHiker · January 2014

funny bunny said:

Vestaria14 said:

@funny bunny I'm glad you are letting him explore the room. Most people would lock a cat out, which is a bad idea. Cats are very territorial, and he will want to make sure the room smells like him and that he can come and go as he pleases. I've worked with cats that get mean or start misbehaving because they are not aloud in a room. When my cats inspect the crib, or other things, and behave, I give them treat and praise. If they do something I don't like, I just pick them up and set them where I would want them. It's all about repeating and not giving in with cats.

Also I put a cat tower (a short one) near the crib so my cats have a place they can see the baby from, but all from a distance away. It allows them to fulfill their curiosity without getting right up in the little one's space. The cats won't be aloud alone with baby for quite some time, but some steps will allow them to be safely around one another, which to me is soooo important since I love my cats so much!

Good luck!

Thanks for this!
I am not bringing his tower into the baby room because my guy has a habbit to jump from the top of it onto our bed (probably 2 feet away). He's a gentle giant with most things (13 lbs and super long) but he is like a kitten when it comes to jumping
I didn't think of treats, that's a good one I should use.
I was also considering rubbing some orange peel on the feet of the crib bc I know cats are not fond of that scent - what are your thoughts on this?

It's worth a shot... but cats are funny creatures.

If you're counting on him not liking it, he will love it and roll around in it. :-)

cbear47 · January 2014

RondackHiker said:
@cbear47

That's so great! Have you stopped using the flexilead? That should help leash control a lot. I'm glad he's come so far!

I will still use it once I'm "allowed" to walk him again, but my H really like the front leader and it works for him. He's also a big guy. I'm not small by any means, but I'm not 6'5" 225lbs!

djtippietoes · January 2014

@RondackHiker thanks for the jumping advice. I'll try both of your suggestions. It's an issue that we've had for a long time, but somewhat embarrassingly, just ignored it and didn't train him to not do it.

RondackHiker · January 2014

djtippietoes said:

@RondackHiker thanks for the jumping advice. I'll try both of your suggestions. It's an issue that we've had for a long time, but somewhat embarrassingly, just ignored it and didn't train him to not do it.

That's usually how it is with jumping. Since it's a long term habit it may take more time to see progress, but it will come.

Jumping's also tricky because it's a self-rewarding behavior. So many guests "don't mind" and fuss over the dog or talk to him or squeal excitedly when he jumps up, which is a reward and makes him want to keep doing it. You'll have more trouble with PEOPLE than with him.

mab18 · January 2014

We've been putting food on the high chair to get them use to that (I know that's a while off, but I thought it would be good to start early). They only needed one mealtime to learn not to go near the high chair.

We've been working with them on being tolerant, too (playing with their paws, interrupting them when their playing, etc...) and going to their "safe place" when they are bothered.

My one concern is about walks. We usually take the dogs to an off-leash dog park, but I hate when people bring kids there...it is an accident waiting to happen. One of my dogs can leash walk well, but the other is a runner rather than a walker (husky). Obviously this time of year is not the best time to work with that outside. Any suggestions would be great.

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