Introducing a newborn to pets?

Question

Right now I have a 2 year old cat who has been around children from the ages of a week old to their teens. I'm not too worried about introducing the baby to my cat, but I am 5 1/2 months pregnant now and I am considering getting a large dog - Rottweiler, Husky, Newfoundland, Labrador or a mix of one of the above (but I will get the dog when it is 8-12 weeks). I am moving into a house by myself and need a dog for protection/safety reasons being a single woman, pregnant and living on my own. I have had plenty of large dogs before and I do not need anyone's lecturing on large dogs and babies, I know how to train them and I have plenty of time to do so before the baby is born and will after as well. I also have a fenced in yard for the dog to run and play when he/she wants to be outside. I just need to know what other people have done to introduce a baby into a household with animals. Please, keep your negative remarks to yourself.

Answer 1

A friend of mine had a golden retriever when they brought their son home and my parents had a black lab when they brought me home so it CAN be done. (Of course these dogs were both about 5 at the time.) Most people seem to recommend a dog between the ages of 1 and 5 because their "puppy phase" has ended. Perhaps consider getting a slightly older dog. Maybe from a shelter. (You might even find one that's been surrendered from a family that HAD kids because of allergies, relocation or other similar circumstances.)

The only problems my pal had with Stanley (G.R.) was that he was capable of knocking Owen over (even with a happily wagging tail) when O was learning to walk. They made sure that Stanley wasn't allowed in the baby's bedroom without them, and he was never allowed in the living room even before the baby came along so O was safe to toddle about in there. If you consistently keep a couple "dog free zones" you should be fine.

Also, every baby show you ever watch on TV will tell you to make sure you bring home a blanket from the hospital for the dog to sniff BEFORE you actually bring home the baby. There are also suggestions about having someone else carry the baby into the house for the first time so you can lavish attention on the dog for a few minutes when you get home. (After you've been away at the hospital for a couple days he'll be missing you.)

Like others have said, once the baby is home don't neglect the dog or treat him too differently (i.e. start yelling at him etc.) Make time for your pets or they'll resent the new baby.

Take care & Good luck with your new family!!

Answer 2

I love big dogs, and if I had the space, I'd have a dog, too. I've known people with rot's, and they were just as fine as any other dog. Unless they're trained to be mean, and since I have no doubts that you'll do your best to domesticate whatever animal you bring into your home, rot's don't have any higher chance of flipping a switch than other dogs do. I just want to point out (and I'm sorry that this is going to come out negative, it comes with genuine concern) that you're not going to have as much time as you may think after Baby comes, especially for training a puppy, and a dog is not absolutely necessary for protection just because you live alone. I'm about as far along as you are, and I would personally wait on getting a puppy. There's so much else to prepare for, and there will be so much to do when Baby arrives, that I can't imagine a dog on top of it all. And since you live alone, I assume you work...so where's all this time you're going to have to train a puppy?

That said, the second answer had some good suggestions. I've also seen people suggest having someone bring home one of the blankets Baby's been wrapped in at the hospital, before you bring Baby home, so the animals get the scent and will be a little familiar with it when Baby actually comes through the door. The animals are certainly going to need to know that they still have your attention, but they'll need to know the boundries just as much. Let the animals come to you while you're holding Baby so they can sniff and look, but make sure that they know they're not allowed in the crib, for instance, or that there's not room on your lap for Baby AND Cat. Your rules will be your own, just make sure you don't let them slacken. To a puppy, Baby is going to be a new novelty, whereas to an adult dog, novelty as it may be, they have more of a tendency to "mother" around a baby, so keep that difference in mind when expecting certain behaviors from your puppy. Good Luck in whatever you choose.

Answer 3

i think you should wait until at least one year after you have the baby .just that 2 kids a puupy and a cat is a lot at once.
but if you get the puppy the plain and simple answer is that you have to make the cat and the dog feel that they are not being left out pay attention to them . when your holding the bay try to play with both the cat and the dog at the same time,
play with each animail alone too .
keep the bedrooms the kids sleep in closed off to the pets
i hope you know that having pets at a young age ie new born increase the chance of them developing allergies .
one more thing is that its important to make sure you are the alph leader and rough play with the baby is a no go . show this to the puppy by just talkng softly when the two are playing and move slowly when the puppy wants to play more as puppies do just hold his paws and say no or use 2 fingers and give him a
tap or gentle swat on the snout.. since you know how to train a dog that is all i have to say.one more thing dont have anything to do with the cat litter while your pregnant or breast feeding .

Answer 4

The dog will change when you introduce it to the new baby. The barking will get to be much quieter, the bouncing will stop. The dog will sit near the baby while it's asleep, and will watch the baby when it's up and 'doing things.' The dog will growl when strangers approach the baby if the dog isn't sure they are friends, and may bite if a stranger moves suddenly while reaching for the baby. I don't know for sure this will happen, of course, but I have known many dogs who were 'ill behaved' before the new baby was introduced, and who became great guardian/friends of the baby. Dogs, no matter their size and color, are basically 'wolves' at heart, and wolves are the best 'parents and caretakers' of the pups in their pack. You and your spouse are 'pack' and your dog will become a 'guardian' for the baby if you let it. Don't separate the dog ... let the dog sit as close to the baby as possible, and then you'll see a 'changed dog' ... and I think you'll be very happy with the changes.

Answer 5

Have a family member bring a blanket or t-shirt of the baby's home from the hospital before the baby gets there. Let the dog sniff and lay with the blanket. When you bring the baby home let the dog smell the baby. I know you don't want to hear this but you might want to get an older dog. Good luck.

Answer 6

Believe me, I have heard the dog lecture a million times. When I had my 2yr old, my hubby n I had a doberman & a german shepard.. when the baby was born, they sniffed her and basically walked away. When someone would come over and hold the baby, the dobe would sit right there by them and watch.. "protecting her" is how I took it. NOW, I have my 2yr old, a 2 WK old, and 2 dobermans, one 6yrs, one 9 months. The 6yr old is the same one who 'watched' over the oldest, and the puppy.. he likes to sniff the baby, but thats about it. I say just let the puppy smell the baby, smell a blanket, or you after you get done holding him/her. Let him get used to the babys smell. I don't think you will have much of a problem.

Answer 7

No personal experience, but..... after my daughter was born, they put a hat on her to keep her warm during all their preliminary things. When they were going to clean her up a little bit and done with the initial hat (it was kind of gross and bloody), they asked if we had any pets. They were going to give us the hat to give to our pets (if we had any), to help the animals get used to the baby.

I think Labrador's are supposed to be kid-friendly dogs. My sister has a larger mixed dog. It doesn't really have any interest in the baby/small child, but it's seemingly benign tail can be rough. It also steps on my 4-year-old niece's feet - but I think my neice mostly complains for the dramatic effect.

Answer 8

This might sound negative, but I'm only saying it because I don't want your child hurt like I almost was. *Please* do not get a rottweiler. I knew tons of people with that breed of dog and they always said "Oh I had him/her since she was a puppy..he/she's so sweet..they'd never hurt a fly.." but when I was younger their dogs would get slightly ticked off and come charging at you. I seriously do NOT recommend getting a rottweiler. Train them all you want--but dogs are dogs and can change on you any minute.

Anyway, just make sure you give the baby and the dog attention and you shouldn't have a problem. If the dog gets jealous then just put it outside or in another room.

Answer 9

I'm 7 months pregnant and my doctor told me to let the animals feel the baby kicking and move around in my belly to let them know somethings in there, and when the baby is born let them have a scent of the baby so they can get used to it. Also don't show your pets any less attention.