Preparing my Sidekick for new Baby's Arrival

Antares35

Apologies if this has been done already, had a search but couldn't find anything.

We are expecting our first baby in May. I have a little dog who I absolutely adore. She's the light of my life. Comes everywhere with me (where possible). Sleeps in the bed. Fond of being on my lap. Rides shotgun in the car. Even comes to work with me one day a week We're pretty much inseparable! Anyway, with the baby on the way, I obviously want to make sure that safety is our paramount concern. I can't stand people who simply sling their dogs out the back garden when the child arrives, however I want to find a way to make the transition safe and easy for everyone and am wondering if anyone has experience on this. My big concern would be jealousy and since my dog is a terrier, she could have more of a propensity to potentially nipping etc.

My Dad has suggested a crate for night time sleeping for her - an extra large one that can fit a bed, bowls, toys etc. So that when we are sleeping and therefore not in a position to supervise, we don't need to worry about what might happen. It might also offer her a welcome safe space that she can opt for later on when the baby becomes mobile. If this is something we opt for, then presumably we would need to start soon, so that there is no negative association with the new arrival and the use of the crate.

From a behavioural point of view, no major issues. However she hasn't been exposed to babies/ children in the past.

I would very much appreciate any advice at this time!:)

Graces7

Antares35 wrote: »

Apologies if this has been done already, had a search but couldn't find anything.

We are expecting our first baby in May. I have a little dog who I absolutely adore. She's the light of my life. Comes everywhere with me (where possible). Sleeps in the bed. Fond of being on my lap. Rides shotgun in the car. Even comes to work with me one day a week We're pretty much inseparable! Anyway, with the baby on the way, I obviously want to make sure that safety is our paramount concern. I can't stand people who simply sling their dogs out the back garden when the child arrives, however I want to find a way to make the transition safe and easy for everyone and am wondering if anyone has experience on this. My big concern would be jealousy and since my dog is a terrier, she could have more of a propensity to potentially nipping etc.

My Dad has suggested a crate for night time sleeping for her - an extra large one that can fit a bed, bowls, toys etc. So that when we are sleeping and therefore not in a position to supervise, we don't need to worry about what might happen. It might also offer her a welcome safe space that she can opt for later on when the baby becomes mobile. If this is something we opt for, then presumably we would need to start soon, so that there is no negative association with the new arrival and the use of the crate.

From a behavioural point of view, no major issues. However she hasn't been exposed to babies/ children in the past.

I would very much appreciate any advice at this time!:)

Yes re if using a crate start asap. Dogs are canny!

and congratulations!

Antares35

Graces7 wrote: »

Yes re if using a crate start asap. Dogs are canny!

and congratulations!

Thank you We also have the option of having her sleep outside the bedroom, and so I have to decide between that and a crate inside the room. On balance, I think she will be less put out being crated within the room rather than just being turfed out and not knowing why.

mojesius

Congratulations!

Any big changes you're going to make to the dog's set-up, start now so they don't associate the changes with the baby. i.e. If you'll need stair-gates, put them in now. Get the dog used to the fact that they can't always be with you/near you (e.g. when you're feeding baby or putting baby down to sleep). We had to transition our dog (also a terrier) out of our bed and down to sitting room at night when I was pregnant and honestly it was harder on me than on him. He was grand with the arrangement!

My main advice: Don't expect miracles from day 1. Not all dogs are like the YouTube video dogs that let kids do anything to them without reacting. When our daughter was a very young baby, he displayed a lot of anxiety around her, licking his lips etc.

He used to get a bit freaked by the banging and clattering and screeching, esp. from when she started crawling until she could run around properly and growled a few times at the commotion. We created distractions for him by throwing treats at his bed saying 'Bed' so he'd go there and stay there. But sometimes we just had to keep him out of the living room if she was playing and rolling around the place.

We did put her clothes in his bed for the scent familiarity but honestly I think time and patience are the most important things to go by.
Walking the dog with the buggy is also good for bonding.

My daughter is two now and her and the dog are GREAT friends. They play (supervised) chasing together, she calls him to play with her and he's very gentle with her but we made sure to create boundaries and let him know when we wanted him to step back or go to his bed.

EDIT: Also, make sure you set boundaries for baba too when they're old enough to understand - No tail grabbing, ear pulling poking etc. Leave dog when asleep

Antares35

mojesius wrote: »

Congratulations!

Any big changes you're going to make to the dog's set-up, start now so they don't associate the changes with the baby. i.e. If you'll need stair-gates, put them in now. Get the dog used to the fact that they can't always be with you/near you (e.g. when you're feeding baby or putting baby down to sleep). We had to transition our dog (also a terrier) out of our bed and down to sitting room at night when I was pregnant and honestly it was harder on me than on him. He was grand with the arrangement!

My main advice: Don't expect miracles from day 1. Not all dogs are like the YouTube video dogs that let kids do anything to them without reacting. When our daughter was a very young baby, he displayed a lot of anxiety around her, licking his lips etc.

He used to get a bit freaked by the banging and clattering and screeching, esp. from when she started crawling until she could run around properly and growled a few times at the commotion. We created distractions for him by throwing treats at his bed saying 'Bed' so he'd go there and stay there. But sometimes we just had to keep him out of the living room if she was playing and rolling around the place.

We did put her clothes in his bed for the scent familiarity but honestly I think time and patience are the most important things to go by.
Walking the dog with the buggy is also good for bonding.

My daughter is two now and her and the dog are GREAT friends. They play (supervised) chasing together, she calls him to play with her and he's very gentle with her but we made sure to create boundaries and let him know when we wanted him to step back or go to his bed.

EDIT: Also, make sure you set boundaries for baba too when they're old enough to understand - No tail grabbing, ear pulling poking etc. Leave dog when asleep

Thank you for this! I think I will find it harder than her too tbh! I keep thinking she has been with me throughout the entire pregnancy, snuggling up beside me when I was tired/ sick, licking my tears when I was a hormonal mess... and now I will repay her by lumping her into a crate when the baby comes! I know that's just anthropomorphising

She loves her walks, we've already decided on an all terrain buggy so we can keep those up, hadn't thought about that as a bonding exercise but it makes sense

Antares35

Have just read this extract from an online article about preparing your dog for the baby:

Some dogs have never seen a human crawl, so it can be an intimidating experience—especially because crawling puts a person right at their eye level. So it’s a good idea to help your dog get used to crawling before your baby starts to become mobile. Accomplishing this is easy! Crawl toward your dog. As soon as she lifts her head to look at you, pet her and give her treats. Eventually, she’ll start to anticipate fun and goodies when she sees you crawling in her direction. Everyone in the family should participate in this exercise.

I can just imagine my OHs face when I casually ask him to start crawling around on the floor

aonb

The important thing here, is that when the baby arrives, the dog should not feel like she is being dumped/pushed away/forgotten - the dog is already part of your family - when baby comes home, you will of course introduce the dog to the baby very carefully - let her sniff the baby and be in the room with you and the baby from the minute the baby arrives home. Of course you will have to monitor the dog at all times, but if its a happy, confident dog, it will just accept that this noisy/smelly/strange new human has arrived. The babys screaming/crying may be a 'shock' to the dog initially - but she will soon adapt. My daughter arrived in a house with 3 dogs, two terriers. All were very interested in the new arrival - for about a day. After that, they all seemed to realize that she was absolutely no use to them. Once she was in highchair and dropping food on the floor for them, they became her slaves and shadows Walking the baby in her pushchair was a bit odd for them initially, but after a day or two, they adapted completely - the fact that the baby came with us on every walk made the baby part of their 'pack' I think.

One thing I will say, is that with hands-on dogs and cats and hens and gardening, my children had immune systems made of cast iron :D

Congratulations on your pending arrival - hope all goes well