Dogs and Babies

[Sunflower]

Hi All,

Are there any mums out there that bought a baby home where they have a dog?

I have a brown lab and he really is our baby !! so now we are having one I wannt to think about ways of getting him ready so he accepts the baby well

Any advise?

Thxs

 

[Misslarue]

I have a black lab, gorgeous doggies!
I have had her for about 9 years so she has always been my baby. I was told to let her sniff his bare foot, which we did. After that she didn't take much notice of him. Also try and spend some one on one time after bubs is born. You won't have the same amount of time to spend with your dog, but try and make the time you do all about them.
Now Dan is older they are the best of friends. He absolutely loves her and follows her every where. He even plays hide and seek with her, which is so sweet For her, he's just another food and cuddle source, so friends for life I think!!

 

[Snuggle]

Get your hubby to bring a couple of things home from hospital with babys scent on so that dog recognises smell when you bring baby home

 

[badgergirl]

Replied on your other thread -

I have two dogs.

I was advised that I should start carrying around a doll, so that the dogs could get used to me giving something else attention. I didn't do it, as I didn't have a doll, and I had too much else to think about!

What we did, however, was implemented when the baby came home. We brought him in, and left him in his car seat, but on the floor. My other half went and got the dogs, told them "steady" before they entered the room (we made sure they learnt this command in my pregnancy!) and they were allowed to sniff him, with us reminding them of "steady".

They've never been told off for going near the baby, but we make sure they realise he is "above" them in our family hierachy - I sit down on the settee with him before they're allowed to sit next to me. He eats before they do. They're not allowed to push in for cuddles when I'm holding him, but I'll call them to me, or us, for cuddles and strokes as a reward for waiting. If they go for one of his toys, I distract them with one of their own, and praise them when they play with that.

I swear that one of my dogs realised I was pregnant - she became more gentle with me, and started 'guarding' my bump if she heard people coming down the path.

 

[Becky]

I don't have a dog but my parents do and we are round there regularly that my mum wanted to prepare him for a new baby - he had always been jealous when my mum held a baby.

She read somewhere to take a scrap of material and put it with baby to get baby's smell on it and then put it in the dogs bed for him to get familiar with the smell. So we did that and we think it helped a lot - when we took Lucy round for the first time he sniffed her once, obviously she smelt familiar (from the cloth) and wasn't bothered after.

 

[Sunflower]

My lab knew I was pregnant before me!! he never sniffs peoples crotches but for four days before I tested bfp he kept sniffing my crotch and literally would not leave me alone!!

Spooky

 

[DebbieM]

TBH, I REALLY worried about this. My dog has been my baby for years an years and I am entirely devoted to him. I was petrified about things changing when we brought Luke home.

I'll be honest and say that things have changed slightly. He isnt allowed on our bed anymore. He adapted to that very, very quickly. I thought it would be hard but he has been so good. He gets a bit scared when Luke cries, but that's probably because Luke is SO loud and high pitched. He still gets his walks and cuddles and we still play with him... just perhaps not a much as we would like to but that will change in time as Luke gets bigger and older.

I want Luke and Barney to be best friends and I am always telling Luke that.

I don't think you necessarily need to do anything to get him used to having a baby around. They adapt very easily. Good luck xxx

 

[lfc_sarah]

I also have a lab.. mines still a puppy though so he can get a bit excited sometimes

We just make sure we give him attention

Hes always coming over sniffing Callum.... doesnt do anything bad though

 

[Sherlock]

I gave birth at home and our dog has never been a problem. We've not done anything differently other than we keep some wipes around in case Eric licks Galen (he has a thing for feet but little hands will do also).

He never tries to reach into his Moses basket or anything like that. Had a few good sniffs of him when he was newborn and that was about it. He does jump up from time to time when excited but as Galen grows he'll learn all about that and we can deal with it when it happens. Galen sleeps in his moses basket when downstairs, Eric on the sofa. He never bothers when Galen is on his playmat or anything like that.

Eric doesn't get as many walks atm as he used to but he goes out for a good run each day and often more. Has access to the garden all day also.

Apart from that life hasn't changed much at all for anyone.

O Eric is a 10 month old Whippet we got when I was 34 weeks pregnant after my much beloved hounds died within 2 months of each other.

 

[Mildly]

I have a grumpy dog and have been trying to prepare him ready for my LO's arrival. So long as your dog is aware that you are the alpha male of the household and that the baby comes above him, it'll be fine.

Apparently there are three areas you need to be aware of; who walks through the door first, who sleeps above who and who eats first. So long as it is you (and the baby) in those three circumstances, you should be fine.

I will never be leaving the dog and the LO in the same room alone but then that is just common sense really. You might want to play your dog baby crying sounds to prepare him. Oh and remember that whichever one of you is giving attention to the LO, the other can make a fuss of the dog so he doesn't feel left out.

 

[Sunflower]

Thanks girls its good to know that others have been through it!! I know my mum is going to be like "what are you going to do about the dog" when we tell her we are pregnant!! so need to be ready with the coping strategies etc. To be honest he is pretty good so i dont know what i am worrying about - but just want to be prepared and to do anything i can to elp him prepare so it will be good for all of us when the baby comes home.

I know my mum is going to be paranoid about the hair and if he starts to lick any toys - my mum can be a bit paranoid !!

How do you cope with all of that?

He has been so cute since about 4 days before i tested - he hasnt left my side since then being really protective !!

Yxx

 

[Sherlock]

Eric never bothers with Galen's toys atm. When babies are small you can keep things up and out the way and put them away when done so dogs can't get to them.

By the time your LO starts crawling so many things will be interesting and being shoved in his/her mouth the last thing you'll be worrying about is the dog hair I consider it all about building a natural immunity and LO is going to coming across all sorts and giving things the taste test.

Hopefully your Mum will relax a bit. Babies are brought up around animals in the house all the time.

 

[Little Bump]

I have 4 dogs and have been trying to get them into a new routine etc before baby comes...whether it's worked or not time will tell I suppose!

One is solely an outside dog, so he's not a problem but as for the other three, Harry is the most worry as he's been with us for a few years now, but as soon as I discovered I was pregnant I stopped him sleeping in my bedroom, gave him his 'own space' in the hallway, which he goes in quite a lot whether I'm here or not so that he's not spending all of his time solely with me.

Then my little dog died when her puppies were 5 weeks old, I was about 20 weeks then, and I kept one of the pups, so he went straight into the routine, also he's a good distraction for Harry, as his little playmate more than makes up for 'Mummy' not spending as much time with him.

My main concern now is not Harry being jealous as it was at first, with him being a rescue and rather emotionally dependant of me, but being part terrier and the instinct kicking in when baby squeaks etc. We've been de-sensitising him to baby noises through recorded noises and friends babies and I've banned all squeaky toys from the house and replaced them with quiet ones....

The third puppy is a 4 week old orphan, and he'll ibe intergrated into the existing routine with the others....

 

[Redshoes]

Our dog is both well behaved and quite docile most of the time and so we never worried about him with Isaac. As I was in hospital for a week after his birth, OH used to bring home soiled clothes and nappies every night for the dog, which I think helped, but obviously that's not always the case, so I would say have some 2nd hand clothes your happy for the dog to sleep with, lay on, after LO's been in them, not to go back on LO obviously hehe

Some people also play baby noises and crying to their dogs before LO arrives, they also get out the moses basket and other toys and bits to place around the home ready, I think its basically to not introduce everything in one go with baby I would also just say that no matter what happens, always choose your baby over the dog, always tell the dog firmly to sit, stay, be good etc around the baby, its very important the dog knows from the start that this LO is above him

 

[keelie_b]

Bring home your babies dirty nappies, maybe gross but your dog will get used to the smell and it wont be such a shock for him when theres a new baby/new scent in the house

 

[swan1]

We have a 10 year old staffordshire bull terrier, she was the centre of my world for eight years before Charlie came along. The midwife who came to see me at home for my booking appointment looked truly horrified that i was going to bring my child into the house with one of "those" dogs (her words!!).

Roxy sniffed him all over in his car seat the day he came home, and 22 months later is his best friend. There has not been one minute where she has caused me the slightest concern, she has accepted her human brother and his constant kisses and cuddls without a single murmour.

Sadly roxy has recently been diagnosed with bone cancer and she doesnt have much time left with us. I will miss her more than words could ever possibly describe when she goes, but i am happy in the knowledge that she has given my son a valuable lesson on unconditional love before she goes. Treasure your dog, some days they will get less attention than they used to but they adapt and continue to give you their undying affection.

 

[EllieBelle]

Oh Swan your story has just brough tears to my eyes......Im still grieving my last dog who we lost tragically 8 months ago.

We now have Ellie an 11 month old collie who we have had from a puppy, and although she is very soft and gentle and a real cuddle monster she had never met a child until recently and barked and got quite defensive when she finally did meet one.

The problem we have had until last week we lived in France, in a very rural area so although she saw people, most of our friends are older so have grown up children! Now we are back in the UK I will be working on this and will ensure she is taken to training classes etc where she will encounter more "little people".

She doesnt have a nasty bone in her body though and has never been allowed through a door or upstairs before us, and always eats after us..........but I admit she does currently sleep on the bed (especially at the minute as my hubby is away). I guess when he gets back this will change anyway!

Its good to read all the positive comments!! I certainly couldnt re-home my dog because of a new baby, unless it was absolutely necessary!!!

 

[Miss.Monroe]

So sorry to hear about your dog Swan.

I am a huge dog lover, and treated Gracie (my Yorkie) like my baby girl before i had Sophie. Me and my OH are movnig in together next week and we will be introducing Gracie to Sophie for the first time, i am worried because Gracie is so lively and was the center of attention, but as you said she will adapt, and she will be no less part of the family.

 

[Jennifer7986]

my dog is extremely hyperactive and easily excitable so I was very worried that she was going to hurt the baby on accident by jumping on him or on us while we were holding him. When we brought him home from the hospital we kept him in his car seat on the floor. The dog didn't pay any notice until he made a noise. She growled at him for only a second(I think she was scared of him) and when we took him out she was extremely gentle around him. She liked to lick his head. She became calmer for the most part after he arrived. There was only one time she accidently hurt him. My mother came over and the dog went crazy and stepped on him. She's never done it since and she's extremely protective. She always sits near him and gives him kisses.

 

[BellaRiven]

The first thing we did when we brought baby home was leave him on the floor in his car seat and we allowed her to come and sniff him as much as she likes.

We have a Terrier alsatian who is 14 years old, she has been our baby for so long I was concerned, turns out she cam ein sniffed him once and then went to lay back down.

We had been buying things for the baby before he was born for a good 7 months so she knew something was happening.

When R went into hospital at 3 weeks old hubby went home with the car seat without baby, apparently according to hubby she laid with her head on the edge of the carseat all night as if she knew something was wrong or she was missing him.

She always checks the car seat when we come back in now and wherever R is she is not far away.

I really hope your puppy dog will be ok with baba

xxx