Preparing your dog for the arrival of a new baby (1 Viewer)

[Believer-Always]

Any advice on how I can get my beagle ready for the baby I'll be delivering next week? He's a great "brother" to my nine-year old daughter and I hope that he'll just immediately accept the baby. Though, I am a little anxious that he may see this newbie to the pack as competition and want to do anything I can to may the transition an easy one.

 

[RebelSaints51]

I am in a similar situation. We are due with our second child in December. I have a daughter who is 5 and does great with our dog, but the dog came after. I am nervous about her reaction to a new baby. I am interested to see if you get any feedback about this.

 

[EKONO]

1. Don't be anxious when the dog and baby are in the room together. 2. Always show the dog who's boss.

 

[efil4stnias]

We took the hospital wrap from the first day in nursery home and laid it next to our dog. By time we arrived home she was familiar with the scent.

Dont know how "jealous" your dog is regarding attention, but remember to pay him/her attention as you would a sibling.

 

[inetnawlins]

In same boat. Have a four year old and a Beagle. Baby coming in a month. Just make sure the dog gets some attention as well. I'll be taking the dog to a dog park or on walks with the four year old. The idea of getting pet used to smell is a good idea.

 

[Cosmic201]

It'll take time and patience.
Never leave the dog alone with the baby.
Never let a dog near the face of a crying baby. It could be the sweetest dog ever but their natural instinct to stop a crying baby or puppy is to lightly snap at it's face. A light snap from a dog can still do major damage.

Not trying to scare you. Some dogs will never ever do it but you never know.

 

[dgrant]

^^ second that. It doesn't matter how docile your dog is, never leave the two of them alone. Never let your kid go to the dog while it is eating. I have family that lost a child because their toddler went to play with the mutt breed dog with a bone. My dog is a docile lab. I've got three girls. When my dog was laying down in the kitchen, the kid was crawling towards the lab, and she growled. Unfortunately, I had to remind the dog very sternly the pecking order of the pack. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, dogs need discipline too, otherwise they will think they are the leader of the pack, which in their mind gives them the ability to discipline your children. That is how tragedies occur

 

[klewis33]

My dog ran away when our new baby came

 

[purvis_guy]

My son has a dog that is part Dingo, should they be worried?

 

[Believer-Always]

Thanks for the great advice!

 

[Dragon]

When my daughter arrived the dog we had at the time (Female Lab-new foundland mix) saw it as her primary job to watch over her from day one. She was super protective. We didnt do a lot of preparations but we did introduce the baby to the dog when she got home from the hospital and took all the usual precautions.

If my daughter was sleeping in the nursery Tessa would lie down right outside the door and if our daughter as much as cried out in her sleep, Tessa would come get us. The same would happen if she slept in her carriage in the garden. Tessa would stay right next to her at all times.

Even as she grew older, Tessa would still know where our daughter was at all times if she was in the house.

They had a special relationsship, unseparable until the day we had to put the dog to sleep because it got cancer and treatments weren't working any more. Tessa was 14 and our daughter was 10 so it was a very sad day.

 

[Lustmord]

We took the hospital wrap from the first day in nursery home and laid it next to our dog. By time we arrived home she was familiar with the scent.

this- we did the same thing

 

[peglegpeet13]

I was in the same boat as you. I have a beagle and I brought home my daughters outfit that she was in and let my dog get used to it. When we came home, my dog loved my daughter. Anytime someone other than my wife or family would hold our daughter, my dog would sit on their feet.