Puppy & Baby on the Way

I have heard that if you use a doll and put it on the floor in a car seat or baby bouncer and get him used to being careful around it.

My sister had a puppy with her third child and he has just learned to be carefull when the baby is on the floor. She's crawling now and the dog is very excitable.

I don't have any personal experience. Well, I had a new born with a lab and she was really careful around the baby. I never put him on the floor with the dog, though. I put the baby in the play pen. I hope this helps. Good luck!!!

It sounds like you are doing great already! I would do a dog training class just to advance on what you have done. They can help you teach him to focus, and stay calm and not jump. My dog was only a few months old when I had my son. She is a shepard mix, so a fairly big dog. Yes, a young puppy, a baby and even kitties, I don't recommend that to anyone. I was out of my mind for a bit with the animals, but the animals never bothered my son. :-) Hope this helps!

We have a Puggle (Pug/Beagle mix) and we took him to the Puppy Training at PetsMart. He loved it and I learned all kinds of things on training him. Plus, anything you are having issues with, they try to help you specifically. You could probably call a trainer for advice??

C.,

our lab was 15 month when our first daugther was born. It was
a great concern for us too. The human society in Boulder has a
class/ seminar about dog and baby. We went there it's only 2 or 3 hours,
but the women has 3 kids and 3 dogs. She knows what she is talking about.
Doggie day care is also good to get the energy out of your puppy.
A tired dog is always a good dog :-).
From the hospital my husband brought home first a blanket with the babies smell before the baby came into the house.
I think it took our dog a little while to adjust from spoiled single dog to big brother dog. But we didn't have major problems.

Your baby will enjoy growing up with a dog.

Good luck.
A.

Try some obedience training. You can let them know your specific concerns and ask for help getting him ready for baby.

Congratulations!! Also good for you for thinking ahead. I would definitely get Cinder in training classes to really refine his manners. It is also helpful to mess with their feet and lightly pull on their tails and fur so they get use to the feeling and not react, this is good for babies as well as future grooming. It is also good to teach him gentle when taking treats this helps when your kido is holding snacks that may be pilfered. I never had much luck (it worked about half the time) but a friend had a release word to take treats only after be told ok. When I was pregnant we would put a baby blanket down and work with the dogs not to step on it. Also set up the baby stuff a little bit in advance so he gets use all the new stuff so he can sniff it and check it out if he wants ( mine had to smell everything) After the baby is born bring a blanket that has had the baby smell so he is familiar with the new smells. When I came home from the hospital I offered up new favorite toys and let them see the baby. Then I would make sure when they were calm and around the baby I gave them praise and pets when my hands were free. My pups learned that being around the baby was good and didnt resent her. As my daughter got a little old we worked with her how to treat the puppies and would have them sit next to her and help her pet them. Part of living with dogs and kids is to teach both to respect the other. Cinder will need to learn that he is the lowest in the pack and your kido will have to learn there are limits and Cider is a creature with feelings too. The hardest part was when the baby starts walking, thats when you should really need to keep an eye out because the baby may accidently fall on Cinder and startle him. I know alot of this is stuff for latter on but if you start while your pup is young he should be a pro by the time its needed. Your doing a good job planning ahead. It should be a good thing that Cinder is young. I think its easier on the younger ones. My 1 year old girl adjusted better then poor Belle who was my first baby for 8 years. Good luck.

It is to your benefit that he is young. Older dogs, who are more set in their ways, have a harder time with a new addition to the family. I would set up the baby's crib soon, get a doll, and practice carrying around the doll, putting it to bed, and talking to it, so he sees you giving attention to another little someone and gets used to it. Also, after the baby is born, have someone bring a onesie or blanket that the baby has worn to your dog to sniff before you bring in the baby. Good luck!

There is a lot that you can do to prepare your puppy for a new baby. Go to www.mishamayfoundation.org and talk to Lorraine May. She runs the foundation and she can help you with your puppy. Good luck. I have 2 boys, 4 and 2, with 2 puppies, 9 months and 6 months, and they are both herding dogs. They are good with the boys and understand that they are little.

I am a doula in the Denver area and have found that having couples take home the the baby's first blanket or hat to doggy before they take home baby give doggy time to get adjusted to baby's scent. I'm not sure if you have thought about using a doula for your birth, but if you would like ore info on me, my website is www.birthfirstdoula.vpweb.com.

Hi C. - You've gotten some great advice! I would definately do the formal training... One thing my sister added to her puppy's training was to make sure the dog was *very* used to someone reaching their hand into her food bowl while she was eating and also pulling on her; ie her tail, her fur, her ears. Little ones can be rough on the dogs, especially when they're starting to pull up on stuff. My sister just made sure her dog was used to having all that done to her before baby was big enough to do it herself.

I'm due in September with my first and we are working on a few dog issues too. For the most part, I think you've nothing to worry about - dogs are good for kids! And they tend to intuitively know little people are delicate.

However, I am doing some extra training with the aide of a wonderful trainer:

Lauren Whittemore
Dog Gone Good Training, LLC
Boulder, CO
www.doggonetraining.com
IACP Professional Member #2021
AKC CGC Evaluator # 34168

She's local Mom and she's amazing with dogs. (My husband loves that she trains search and rescue dogs...)

~J.
PS any questions please drop me a line!

be strict with him. Don't let him jump on kids. When your baby is born, let him know that he's still part of the family, but he is limited to what he can do with a baby. I believe most pets understand that babies are different. Just be firm. :)

I've had dogs all my life - and a Cesar Millan DVD changed everything!!

We recently brought a rescue sheltie into our home and Cesar's methods made the transition effortless. She has settled in, overcome some "issues" and blossomed into a delightful family dog.

Check out this web site - read ever bit of it and see if you can get your hands on one of his DVDs (Netflix has them).

www.cesarmillaninc.com

And congratulations on your own 'pup'!

Blessings,

M.

I went to a class at Littleton Hospital when I was pregnant about introducing your dog to your new baby. It was great! We learned to bring something home from the hospital a few days before the baby, like a blanket or hat, that smells like the baby, and rub it on places the dog associates with good things, like their food dish and bed. My dog is a jumper/licker and now that my child is a toddler, they are the best of friends. My dog was very interested in her at first, and very protective.

I have a 3 month old and TWO puppies. Well I guess they are over a year now, but so will your puppy by the time your baby is born.
I think in all honesty you will have to just see how he is with your child. Every dog is different. There are things you can do to prepare him, but in the end it is a wait and see kinda of thing.
Our dogs are very hyper and when my nephews are over knock them down and all that kind of stuff, but since our daughter has been home the most they do is get a good lick in from time to time. I just make sure any time they walk near her, to say NO in a firm voice and they leave right away. They are not allowed in her room and other various areas of the house. But we worked on that before her birth.
In the end my hubby and I knew that if they did not respond well to her or listen to us in any way, we would do the right thing for our baby and them and find a new home. We are lucky that things turned out.
Good luck on training your puppy the upcoming months... I hope everyone gets along in the end.

We have two Boston Terriers, one 5 years and the other 2 years old. sweet dogs but very excitable with visitors and new people. I was worried about their behavior too when baby got here. They loved to be in my lap and when I was prego I was worried that they would just jump in my lap while I was holding our new born. I gave birth via C-section so I was in the hospital for a few days. We took our dogs to my mother in laws. The day before we came home my husband took a baby blanket that our son was wrapped up in for the past two days over to her house so that the dogs could smell the baby and get to know his sent. we also bought two new dog toys that we packed in the hospital bag so that we could put the baby sent on them. we brought baby home with out the dogs there and was able to get settled in for a few hours and then my mother in law brought the dogs over. They were very excited for one because they havent seen me in 3 days and two they knew something was different. I was holding our son, along with the new dog toys. My husband picked up one dog at a time to smell the baby so that we could control their movements and after they got a good sniff I gave them the dog toy, as if the baby gave them the toy. It worked out really well. I think they senced that he was fragile and needed to be gentle around him. They gave me my space when I held him, which was a shock to me. I made sure both me and my husband spent some time with the dogs to play. The first few nights the dogs would bark at the new baby sounds but they got used to it fairly quickly. Now my son is 8 months old, the dogs love him. give him kisses, and share their toys with him. Its so cute. They still give him a respectful amount of space and they have never jumped up on him. I've very pleased with how the dogs have adjusted to our son. I hope this helps give you some ideas on how to adjust your puppy to the new addition to your family. Good luck with everything.

I have a blue heeler and they are known to nip at people but our dog doesn't. He is 8 yrs old now a great dog and wonderful around people and children. I got the following advice from my vet. First of all he has a love for playing fetch so all the neighbor kids ask if he can come over and play. He loves it. So that is my first advice, channel your puppy's energy into tricks and playing fetch. Second you have to pull his tail, legs, and ears in a playful manner and gently. I would also flip him over on his belly and poke and pull at him. The reason you want to do this is because this is what young kids do to animals and you want him to be used to it and be submissive to people. And you have to do it alot. Kids are always trying to maul animals. And also he is a male so don't let him put his head above yours, they do this to try and dominate people. And my last advice is when your puppy is eating go down and touch their food and get close to them while they are eating so they don't attack people or bite when kids/adults go near their food dish. I am no dog whisperer but these things have worked for me. I have trained puppies my whole life, I have always had a connection with animals.

Hi C.,
I haven't had a chance to read your other responses so sorry if I repeat. My SIL used to work at a shelter and the things they did were to pull (at first gently and then gradually harder) on their ears and tails. Another thing that they would do is mess with their feet alot sticking their fingers in the toes and closing their hands around them. I would suggest screaming high pitched as my child loves to chase my cats and dogs screaming. lol. Hope that helps.

You have gotten a lot of good advise. i would add... if you do not want your puppy in the baby's room train that now. So he knows the boundry, start with a gate and tell him stay as you go in. Eventually remove the gate and continue the stay. Don't forge to praise when he does well. You also might want to get a tape of babies crying and let him hear that sound and get used to it. To this day my oldest dog (she's 11) will come get me if one of the kids is crying in bed. Kids have such an amazing bond with dogs they are raised with. My Lady is just their big sister.

Congrats on both babies.

The best advice I can give is what another person suggested, poke and pull on the puppy like a child would, including pulling on their tail and taking their food away while they are trying to eat it. This worked really well for us in getting our puppy (now 2years old) ready for the baby (now 14 months old). The puppy needs to get use to what a child would do to it. Best of luck!

I just have to give you props for thinking ahead on this.

I would get enrolled in a formal puppy education class as soon as possible. The class will teach you how to handle the dog and even teach you how to communicate with your dog. Do it soon so you will have time to train the dog. Also, if you don't already have a dog bed for the dog, get one. You can teach the dog to go to that particular spot when you want him to. It will work best to start in a closed room so you can control him better. Also, exercise will help. If you take him running or walking, he will have less energy and be better behaved. If you haven't already, get him some chew toys. Good luck!

At 10 mos, he is pretty much full grown. However, you have 3 energetic breeds all together here. That doesn't mean he can't be a good dog, it just means that he'll need a little extra help. For starters, you should really take him to a training class. He needs to learn about boundaries, and also that any animal that looks like you is a higher rank in the pack....not ok to jump on them. He should view children as "your propery" and off limits unless you give permission.
Also keep in mind that your don't really need to worry about "baby safe" until the baby is old enough to be moving around. Until then, he/she will spen most of time in your arms, swing, bouncer, crib. Not really playing with the dog. So you really have about a year rather than just 6 months.

C.,
It is great that your puppy knows the first few basics, But he does need to get at least a little more, stay, heel and so on. So it would be a good idea to try and get into a class like at petsmart. When the baby does come and you bring the baby home I found it to be wise to have the dog and baby meet each other right away. If after the trainging you are still afraid to place the baby on the floor in it's carry with the dog. Sit on the couch with the baby on your lap. Let the puppy sniff this new member of the family all over if he wants. Just keep a really close eye on the pup talk quietly to him like, Look Cinder at our new baby. You need to be gentle with the baby Cinder. Your main first goal is to keep the puppy as calm around the baby as possible. And that the baby is smaller them the puppy so he needs to be careful. When he's not tell him bad, and inforse the down and stay, until he calms down then ask if he wants to try again. This will show puppy manners not just with baby but with children and visitors. And Congradulations on the new puppy and your up and coming baby.
Good Luck
E.

Right now while he is still young give (or find) him a spot that is just his, like a rug or something and then teach him to go to it on command. Also teach him that this is a safe place to be. For example when he is tired of playing if he goes to his rug then NO one is to bother him there. When the baby gets older teach him/her that when the dog is on his rug not to play with him. Also get him in the habit of not being able to go into the baby's room/area giving the baby a safe place to play and be too. A little later you will need to get him used to having someone crawling on the floor possibly playing with his food and him while he is trying to eat. But the main thing that I would do is like another post said get a doll that is about the size of a newborn and "play" house with it. Do all the things that you would do with a baby and see how he reacts to it. Get all the baby gear out and leave it out if you can to help him get used to all that first before the baby comes. When the baby comes home, introduce the two of them. Let the dog sniff, and even lick, the baby and get to know each other. My mother hated it but whenever we brought home a new baby we would let our dog Bear lick the child. We would bring the baby to his level and then say to him "Bear, this is______" and we would tell him the child's name. We have brought home 4 kids and Bear hasn't once tried to hurt the children. If you have a friend that has a new baby even go so far as to record the sounds that their child makes and play them for the dog to get used to. You might be surprised at how well the dog adjusts but you also have to remember that he is a "child" to and might act like a jealous sibling and might need a little extra attention and loving too. Good luck and congrats on the new little one.
J. SAHM of 6 and one 4 legged one too

My first thought is that you have about five months before your due date, and the puppy has likely got about 8 months of puppyhood left. But the timing seems to be OK to me because the baby won't be down on the floor creeping, crawling or toddling around until after puppyhood is over. Cinder's behavior around 4 - 7-year-olds is only partly indicative of how he will react to the baby. Often dogs instinctively understand that babies are, well, helpless babies, and will be naturally gentle with them. (My own observation is that this principle holds true more often with bitches than with dogs, though.) The dog's youth is likely on your side because he has not been part of the "dog pack" (as he understands life)long enough to feel that he needs to solidify his position as "number three dog" in the scheme of things. He will be likely to accept the baby without jealousy problems.

(I would think along those lines because I have always had dogs and had to get rid of one that lived in the house when my daughter was born. The dog, a German Shepherd, was quite jealous of the baby and growled at her every time she cried. I was afraid the dog would attack her, so the dog went to live with my sister-in-law.)

When you bring the baby home from the hospital, be sure you let the dog see and smell the baby. Pet the dog and speak reassurringly to Cinder while he checks out the baby. Petting him while he meets the baby also puts one of your hands on the dog, if you need to nudge him back for getting into the baby's space. Remember that a dog is intellectually equal to a 5-year-old child, and to Cinder this is the equal of being introduced to "a younger sibling." Use the tone of your voice to guide Cinder in how to treat the baby. Praise him for being gentle and sweet, scold him if he's too intrusive. Scold him angrily if he tries to jump on the baby. (Not likely he will, I'd guess, because you will be holding the baby.)

In the meantime, teach Cinder now not to jump on people, whether small children or adults. Being a puppy, he's enthusiastic and wants to make a show of his affection, but when your baby is a toddler, you don't want the dog knocking the child down.

I don't know how you feel about dogs licking, but you might want to teach him not to lick faces. Babies eat messily, and you really don't want the dog licking the baby's mouth. (I think that's just icky.)

Remember that the main factor in Cinder's reaction to and treatment of the baby is Cinder's own personality. (That German Shepherd of mine was naturally a bit fierce to begin with. She disliked strangers and considered herself "the tough dog.") But Cinder is an affectionate dog by nature, so it is likely that with a few directions from you, he will be just fine with the little one.

And any dog needs "a place of his own" where he can go when he wants to be left alone and where he can be sent when he needs a little "time out." Make sure his place is always available to him and that he feels secure there. We used a blanket on the floor for our other German Shepherd when our children were young. With the present dog (kids are now grown up), it is the corner of the living room where we used to keep her kennel when we crate-trained her. After she was finished training, we removed the door and left the kennel there for a few months, then removed the kennel and left the blanket there. It's her corner and she goes there when she wants a little time to herself.

C.,

You will probably be pleasantly surprised with your dog. You are, essentially, bringing in a new "pup" to the pack. He will probably be gentle and protective.

Our Golden was still a pup when we added a baby and I was concerned about him as well because Goldens, by nature, are very hyper and excitable. He was amazing with the baby!! He was extremely careful and would even stand over her to protect her!! It was very cool.

Good luck!
C.

I had the same problem. We had gotten a White German Shepherd the beginning of Feb. We got pregnant the end of Feb. My dog is now 80 lbs and the best dog ever. As for things to work on with your puppy I woul drecommend getting a baby toy and helping him learn that not all stuffed animals are Cinder's.
That was our biggest issue.
Second, love your dog. As you get bigger you can train him to not jump on your belly. Also dogs know when you feel bad. Cinder will lay by you when you are ill. Let him.
The last thing is let the dog smell around and get to know the new things, crib, new room, etc. so it isn't strange and scary. Less chance of stuff being torn up. Also have your husband bring a blanket home from the hospital with your baby's scent on it. Let him smell it. When you bring your baby home let the dog see the baby, maybe a little sniff. Since the baby will smell like you, Cinder should accept the baby with no problem.
Also, when you have a young puppy and a baby they grow up together. My beast, Tino, is now soo gentle and safe with her. I can run to the basement and tell Tino to watch the baby.
My DD 10 mos. pulls his ears, kicks him in the face, pulls his tail, tries to bite his ears and he just wags his tail. She even pulls herself up on him and he stays perfectly still until she sits down.
DOgs and babies can be scary, but you and Cinder will both adapt. Enjoy!

Maybe get a baby doll so your puppy gets used to the way a baby looks and teach him that if baby is on the floor, that he lays down next to baby, not on it. Same thing with baby in a bouncer chair or any type of floor-based play area. Teach him to lay down next to it, not on it.

Puppies are also chewers by nature and habit, so teach him that baby and baby clothes are off-limits for chewing.

Train your puppy to approach kids and then sit or lay down instead of jumping up or running up to them.

I don't know if you are going to have a changing table or use a portable changing pad, but dogs have this gross fascination with the contents of diapers. If you use a changing table, its easier the keep inquisitive doggy noses down. Train him to leave diapers and the diaper pail ALONE! The last thing you want is to have to clean up the contents of a diaper twice.