Any suggestions for how to prepare my dog for the arrival of our newborn baby?

Question

Our dog is 10 years old, 37 lbs, mixed breed. She has never shown any signs of aggression towards toddlers or children. But she's never been exposed to a newborn baby either. She loves all people and even though she would be considered an older dog she does not look it or have any problems sometimes associated with older dogs. She is the best dog I have ever had.

Answer 1

We have a 140 lb mastiff and a jack russell.The MOST IMPORTANT thing you must establish is that your dog does not think she is the dominant alpha in your family.Does she sleep on your bed, the sofa, or any other high place?Dogs understand order and dominance, and if she has always been at the same level as you, there may be problems with a new member joining the "pack." No matter how much we love our dogs and treat them like people, you must remember they are dogs and respond to animal cues.The whole idea of bringing home a doll is ridiculous because it will smell like plastic (not like your real baby!) We did not bring home anything with the baby's scent on it.We just let the dogs sniff him, even lick him (just not excessively on the face,) be near him and acted normally when we brought him home.They were freaked out and curious when they heard him cry and squeak and got over that in a couple of weeks.You must pay attention to the dog when the baby is around, as someone else said, because if you only do that when the baby is sleeping, your dog will associate love and affection when the baby is absent. The challenge was when our 7 mo old son, not understanding what "gentle" meant, started pulling and poking at the ears and eyes of our jack russell.Although she's a great dog, she obviously didn't like being abused by him and she started baring her teeth when he crawled near.I had to immediately turn her over on her back in front of him to force her to be SUBMISSIVE to him.(This is DOG BEHAVIOR--cues they understand--not yelling or smacking on the butt--if you watch dogs play in a dog park you will see a dominant dog stand over a submissive one as the submissive one lays on his side or back.)I am very careful now not to let him hurt her, but she must always know that SHE is not dominant over him--she must submit to everyone in the family, including the baby.Since then, all has been fine.If your dog is sleeping in your bed or any other high position, I would suggest getting her a new dog bed with a new great toy and putting the bed next to your bed or nearby.Sorry this is long and I hope this helps! We love our dogs--they were our 1st babies!GOOD LUCK!

Answer 2

I had 2 dogs (both 60 lbs.) before I had children. They love and adore my kids. The best thing to do is bring a blankie home from the hospital with the baby's sent on it and let the dog smell it. If possible, prepare the nursery before the baby comes and let the dog roam around in it. Also, never leave the dog unattended with the baby no matter how wonderful your dog is. Never give your dog extra attention when the baby is napping. The dog may want the baby gone all of the time. The good thing is, babies sleep a lot when they are newborns. They also don't pull and climb right away. This gives the dog time to get accustomed to baby behavior.

Answer 3

If you are going to change anything in his environment when the baby comes then go ahead and do it now. That way the dog will not link it to the baby and he will have acclimated to the change by the time the baby comes. You will be very busy with your newborn you won't have the time or energy to change things with your dog. If your dog has a problem with noises make sure you desensitize him to babies cries (with recordings etc) Also when the baby is born have your husband bring something home from the hospital early with the babies smell for the dog. Most importantly watch your dog carefully with the baby, even the most loving dog can react in ways you may not imagine. Good luck

Answer 4

I also had concerns about this with my doggy when my daughter was born. At the time, he was only 4, and had been around other children before (I used to take him to the preschool I worked at to play with the kids), but no babies who would be staying in "his" house with him. When I set up the nursery, I let him be in the room all the time, let him smell the crib and toys. Before I brought my newborn into the house, I had my husband bring in the carseat, with the baby's smell on it, and set it down on the floor for my doggy to sniff. Then I brought in the baby, sat on the couch, and let him smell her while I held her. For my next daughter (5 years later) I did the same thing. I think that it mostly depends on the disposition of your dog. If she seems to not have any problems with children in general, than I think the little steps mentioned above should be sufficient. Just remember to keep in the back of your mind that if your dog does show aggression towards your infant, what you are going to do about it. My husband's and my feeling was- no matter how much we love our dog, if he bites at the babies- he's gone. So keep in mind what you will do with your dog if he shows any signs of aggression, so that you have an alternate plan just in case. My dog was much smaller- he's a pug mix, but with a larger dog you need to be careful about having the baby and dog in the same areas as one another (such as on the floor) so that the dog doesn't accidentally step on the baby. But, if you take steps to introduce your dog to the baby's things and the baby's smells, it should help.

Answer 5

I'm not sure any amount of preparation will help you dog deal with a new baby but jealousy would be the main issue.

You can avoid this by making sure your dog gets as much attention after the baby as before. She will then have no reason to become jealous since her life is no different that in was before. If there is no jealousy dogs often go into a protective mode and warn parents if a baby is in danger.

Answer 6

Sounds like a great dog. Just make sure you watch the baby around the dog. You never know what could happen. Personally I would never have a dog around my baby, or in the house for that matter. I love dogs, but not in the house.

Answer 7

it sounds like you have a great dog :) we have a 2 year old mixed breed and he loves kids but like yours he was never exposed to a newborn baby. when our daughter was born our dog walker told us to bring home the hat or blanket that the nurses first put on her so he could get use to her smell. we also let him smell her when we first brought her home but we just made sure we protected her face and just let him smell her feet.
our baby is 6 weeks old now and he just likes to smell her but isn't really interested in her otherwise. i just make sure i give him alot of attention during the day too ( which is challenging b/c he wants to go outside and play) so he doesn't feel left out. i think that's probably really inportant with your older dog b/c he's use to having you all to himself. i hope this is helpful to you. good luck!

Answer 8

She'll be fine. I doubt she'll be aggressive or mean to the baby.

Try getting a baby doll and cuddling it and lay the doll on the floor to sniff. If she looks like she is a bit jealous of the doll, then you need to correct her. She will remember how she was corrected around the doll which will keep her from being mean to the baby.

Always always always--discipline the dog if she barks, nips, or touches the baby in an aggressive manner. Put her outside or in a kennel. Just always remember which one is the animal, and which one is your child.

Answer 9

Here's a couple of things you can do:

1. Mimic what you'll be doing after the baby is born: cradle a down, bottle feeding, etc.

2. After the baby is born, have your husband bring home a few objects that bear the baby's smell.

3. Pay attention to your dog. It's hard, especially after the baby is born, but make sure to continue to pay attention to and nurture your dog.

Answer 10

We didn't have any problems with our dog when we brought our son home. He was in the NICU for about 12 days after he was born, and we kept bringing home blankets and caps for her to smell. By the time we came home, she wasn't shocked. I let her sniff him whenever she wanted and it's fine. She loves the baby.