Preparing my dogs for a newborn

mum2one

I agree re introducing the equipement into the house, and when youve had the baby, if your in hospital for a couple of days send clothes home with hubby for them to get use to the smell.

When I had DD our dog was 8 - Springer Spaniel who was the "child of the house", when I came home from hospital, I came in by myself, and made a fuss of him, then brought DD in. he sniffed her, then curled himself up around her on the settee.

When she whimpered - she was in her pram he went to her and tried to get her socks and trousers off, another ocassion she was in travel cot in the front room, - she started crying he tried to get to her, and put a big split down the travel cot.

They were inseperable, she use to try and take his toys, but we had to keep hers out of the way. Food wise, we fed him in the kitchen, sometimes he had the left overs of her food, he was so funny if she wouldn't eat it, he wouldn't eat it.

Its just more about making time for them as well, so they don't feel there nose are pushed out. xx

Kinski

It's grandbrats with me but there's usually at least one of the horrible things here every day. I got my brats to let the dogs have a good sniff of the babies, I got them to do this every time they came here, we then put the babies on the floor so the dogs could get a better look and they did get used to them very very quickly. I do have one very strict rule, the kids are not allowed to touch my dogs but the dogs are allowed to approach the kids, I trust my dogs ( to an extent ) I don't trust children. I also try and keep the kids away from the dogs toys, just in case one of the dogs wants to take it back.

pawsies

GracieP wrote: »

Yeah, I did the pram thing when we first got it and got a lot of ribbing for it. That said my dogs surprised me at how great they were with the pram (one of my dogs is missing a leg and I thought we would have problems setting a pace that suited him) and I might have looked a bit deranged but the fact that I am now confident about our near-future walks was worth it.

That's sad but I bet when you have/had your real baby people will be impressed that your dog walks next to pram with no issue

valkirn

My dog (gsd/akita) was 5 when we brought a baby home but he had grown up with a toddler, but i used to send things home with the oh from hospital for the dog to sniff, and when i went home myself i went in first and gave the dog a big fuss (which was hard to do as i'd had a section)

Once i was settled my oh gave me the baby and a dog biscuit, we allowed our dog to have a good sniff of the baby in my arms then put the dog biscuit in the babys hand, and allowed him to take the biscuit from her.

By the time the third baby came along he didnt care a jot, just came over licked her cheek and took his biscuit and went back to playing ball with the rest of his pack ( kids 1,2 and 3)

My dog is 11 now and slowing down now and baby number 4 as much as he loves her he doesnt want to run about as much and we now have a safety gate on the living room door more to stop the 18 month old than to stop him

markelock

for the first one, i brought home a blanket that our daughter had been wrapped in. I think for the second and third, we just brought them back. Neither dog really cared to be honest.