before the baby arrives

Ulanzi

Hi, just wondering if there are any internet resources or books about how to prepare your dog for a new arrival? I'd prefer to lay the groundwork now while we have months of time. Our chap has a gorgeous temperament, but he is quite attention seeking at the moment.

He's a rescue (we've had him a year so we'll have had him for almost two when babs comes) and he's half bassett so routine and consistency is paramount. Any experiences/resources are welcome.

This is more about what to do now rather than what to do when the baby comes. I've found that there's a lot out there about introducing baby but less about this stage of events. Thanks!

Satyr_The_Great

Hi, maybe you could have friends with kids / babies come around, see how the dog reacts to them getting attention. Also, a stuffed kong or treat ball is a good way to keep the dog happy and busy when others are around.
Another thing you could try is, this may sound dumb, but get a doll, one that crys and stuff,, dont let the dog near it and treat it as a real baby, this way the dog will see that it / the baby is not a threat and learn that when the real baby comes that there is nothing to worry about and that his place in the home is safe.

mini1275gt

Congrats on the new member of your family that's due soon. We had our dog 2 years before our son arrived. Our vet suggested that we put one of the first baby grows that our son wore after his birth in the dog basket and let her ( Judy ) get the scent of the baby before he arrived home . When our son arrived home she only got scared when he cried , as he got older she was like his big sister and followed him every were and would let he do anything to her the best of buddies for 12 years .

The very best of luck with new addition to the family !

Brian

bogtotty

Hiya, we have 3 dogs (2 collie types & a setter cross), baby arrived last August. We've had no problems with them at all. We started making preparations from June - set up the baby's room with all the stuff and got the dogs used to not being allowed in there (they usually have the run of the place!). Also set up the crib beside the bed, kept the buggy in the hall etc so they got used to all the paraphernalia. Beyond that, there wasn't much else we could do til baby was born - then did the usual things of bringing home a worn babygro and a dirty nappy, and making sure I (mum) went in and greeted the dogs once I got home before dh brought the baby in from the car. Then they were all allowed to have a sniff but we were fairly strict with them.

As far as routine went, we made sure they got their walks at the usual times - a neighbour helped out until I was up for walking again - and then I just took baby for walks at the times I would normally have walked the dogs.

They've all adapted well. Collie Sr isn't too bothered with the baby, Collie Jr keeps dumping toys on baby's head in the hope that one day he'll be able to throw them, and Mad Setter thinks she's his surrogate mum - very protective of him, although we haven't quite figured out whether she's protecting him because she knows he's our precious angel or whether she sees him as a potential meal, needless to say we're not giving her the chance to demonstrate her true intentions...

Ulanzi

Thanks lads. All of that is really useful and I'll be putting it into practice over the coming months. The more I can do with him beforehand the better. Fingers crossed it'll all go smoothly...

Whispered

Ulanzi, congratulations on the new baby. This thread is a breath of fresh air.

All of the above advice is great. Another thing I would suggest is getting the dog into a routine where he can be left alone a bit longer than usual without getting upset. Or have it so that his walk/feed etc is around a set time as opposed to on the button. This way if you're under pressure you wont have to worry about an hour here or there.