Experiences bringing baby home to meet dog?

micmash · June 2014

Good morning/afternoon everyone,

So this is our first baby. Well our dog is our first baby.

She is 11 years old but it still very healthy, active, excitable etc. We adopted her at 10 months old so for over 10 years it has just been her and us. We have done a lot of research on the best ways to introduce and make her feel like she is still part of the family. We are very much dog people and we have no intention of treating her any differently than we do now. So I guess I am just interested in others experiences in this adjustment.

Thanks in advance ladies.

lcwed · June 2014

With DD, our 13 yo dog was just starting to get sick but was still energetic and active. We started by letting our dog sniff the baby while we were holding DD and then when she was in the bouncer, we put it on the floor so our dog could get use to her. We tried to keep routines the same such as meal times, daily walks, and continued to let the dog sleep in bed with us. When our dog lost her sight, she didn't know DD was there anymore. DD knew she was there and got the biggest kick out of watching her walk by. Once DD was mobile the new issue was teaching her the difference between hitting and petting. My sister's dog was different. Everytime DD cried the dog would go to her and try to lick her or see what was wrong. He wasn't use to little kids though, so we had some snapping issues. Hopefully you guys won't have those issues as your dog will be there all the time from the time she comes home.

Samuelismomma · June 2014

I played youtube videos of baby crying( some animals are sensitive to sound) and my husband brought blanket that ds was wrapped in for dog to smell and lay on. They bond with their own puppies by smell;) introduce slowly by smelling baby, licking etc. be firm but don't scream they can get jealous. My dog before she was killed, loved my ds and thought he was hers ...

ZooCrewMom · June 2014

We have a chow/golden mix who is super protective. We did the baby crying cd's (that he hid from) and brought home the smell of the babies on blankets before their arrival. Our dog is now 11 and for his own benefit we have several rooms on the first floor gated off that he can escape too. We have see through baby gates and he chooses to hang and nap over there a lot of the day. I think it's just easier that getting in the middle of two loud, active boys. He loves them and is very protective of them. I love that he won't come downstairs in the morning until all the babies are down.

julestony · June 2014

We don't have pets, but when my brother had their first, they brought home a hat the baby had been wearing the day before she came home so the dog could smell her. When she arrived and he smelled her, she immediately became his baby. Slightest whimper or cry and he went running to her side. He would actually check on her every 30-45 min if they weren't in the same room. They have the sweetest relationship, she's 9 now and they're still best friends.
As all weight loss commercials would say, "These results are not typical..."

2redtulips · June 2014

My friend who had a baby last year was just giving me some advice on this. She said that, if your DH runs home for a visit, he should take the baby's cap home with him for the dog to smell. That gives the dog a preview of the new family member before the baby arrives home. I thought that was good advice.

Her hospital also let the dog come into her room for a visit! I don't think my hospital would do that, but I would love it.

My dog is my baby girl, so it's important to me that dog and baby learn how to be around each other!

Guennie · June 2014

Lurking. Congrats on your pregnancy!

We have a very high energy breed and when I got pregnant I knew it was going to be very important to do some training because she was the baby up to that point and DH had spoiled her rotten.

I started doing baby training at about 7 months. I bought a cheap baby doll from Goodwill and started carrying it around with me, sitting with it on the couch, etc. Sometimes I would put it in the swing or bouncy chair and turn it on so she could get used to it. I didn't do any of this for long periods of time in the beginning, I just wanted a nice slow introduction. By the time we brought baby home our dog was used to the idea of not getting all of the attention, and all the new baby stuff wasn't sprung on her at once. It worked really well for us.

DH went home with one of the receiving blankets while I was still in the hospital and he left it there. When we all got home I went in first so she could see I was ok, then DH came in with the baby. It was great, our dog was very curious and loving. She ended up treating our baby like her puppy, it was very sweet to see her maternal instincts kicking in.

I'm sure if you give your dog some time to adjust before baby comes home it will help ease everyone into the transition. Good luck!

URMySunshine77 · June 2014

Hi. I'm lurking from TTC > 35. I also want to say congratulations on your pregnancy!

I love @Guennie's suggestion to play act with a baby doll. I wish that I had done this. My five-year-old rescue mutt was super jealous of DS. She took it incredibly hard, as she is my first baby and a sensitive little soul. I don't know if she was hurt by small children in her previous life, but she's had some hard times.

What I wish I had done differently is that I wish I had given her food or treats while DS was on my lap or nursing. Our dog would have started to associated DS with positive things. I found this link helpful: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/preparing-your-dog-new-baby

Good luck to you!

flyinmommy · June 2014

We always had big dogs when our babies came home and it went pretty smooth. For this LO we have a golden that will almost 2 at my due date. She is still active so we will have to be careful but she is very loving and gentle with the kids so it will be ok.

ConversationFear · June 2014

I've heard everything listed above, but some friends of ours did something I had never heard of - and they have an extremely aggressive dog (well to everyone but them, that is.) This dog is a jerk. He hates EVERYONE that is not his owners. He loves other dogs, but hates people. He will bark excessively, snap, bite, etc. The only time he tends to somewhat calm down is when he is in other people's houses. He's really just an a-hole in his own house.

Anyway - the friends had their parents meet them at a local park with their dog. That neutral ground was where the baby and dog met. Them they took teh dog home with them. Our friends said they have NEVER had any issues whatsoever with their dog. In fact, he was almost instantly protective. He still hates everyone else though.

SSCmomma · June 2014

I'm going to be going through this with new baby coming in January and 3 rescue dogs who have been here for 8+ years each. i'm looking into training with an organization called Family Paws. They have programs throughout the country. Maybe there is one near you. If not, I think they do webinars, etc. Good luck to your whole family (2 and 4 legged)!

2000cougar · June 2014

One dog turned into DS's "bodyguard" when we brought him home. It didn't want to leave DS's side and always positioned himself between DS and the door of the room they were in. My other dog did not like DS. He made the dog in Marley and Me look like an angel. He ate holes in the walls, would pee in the house, and lunged at DS the few times they were in the same room together.

URMySunshine77 · June 2014

lmagenis said:

One dog turned into DS's "bodyguard" when we brought him home. It didn't want to leave DS's side and always positioned himself between DS and the door of the room they were in. My other dog did not like DS. He made the dog in Marley and Me look like an angel. He ate holes in the walls, would pee in the house, and lunged at DS the few times they were in the same room together.

@Imagenis: What did you do with the problem dog? Did you gate the dog away from LO until you could teach LO to leave him alone? Our dog is still a bit nervous about our toddler lunging at her with toys or hands. I may have to get a trainer.

micmash · July 2014

Thanks everyone for your advice. We have started to leave certain baby items out and around the house. Every time we come home with a bag of stuff from babies r us etc we let her search and sniff through the bags. lol She has also started laying by the crib on a regular basis. We shall see how she actually does when their is an actual baby in there. ha.

It will def be a work in progress when we bring baby home but I think she will do great. I'm hoping anyways.

COMamma · July 2014

I think these are all great ideas, but being a dog owner all my life, I just have to caution you-be very careful! It only takes a second for some bad interaction to happen, and baby can get bit. So many times I've heard dog breeders say "kids and dogs don't mix!" meaning that kids just don't have the capacity to understand animals until years and years later. I hope all goes well for you, but I would never leave my baby where the dog can get to him without me being in the room watching.

COMamma · July 2014

I should add--I have seen many dogs get a bee under their bonnet for some reason we weren't privvy to, and their demeanor changes before we could understand what was going on. You hear stories every day of dogs who maimed a child whose owners say they never bit anyone in their lives. I plan to keep our doggies at a safe distance generally, even though we love them to bits.

micmash · July 2014

I think not leaving a baby and a dog unattended together is just common sense 101. I don't even leave my dog alone with friends kids who are older. My post was more interested in people's experience introducing their dogs to a new baby. What worked and didn't work for individuals etc. Thank you all for your responses. Much appreciated.

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