[bekyboo44]

Hi,

My husband and I are expecting our first child in Hong Kong and have two dogs! I just wondered if anyone had any experience of bringing a newborn into a home with pet dogs, and if anyone had any tips on easing the dogs into the new arrival.
Am not worried about hygiene- more how our dogs are going to react to the new arrival and all the attention it's going to be getting. Our dogs are well trained and great with other peoples kids, but we know it's going to be different with our baby in the house.
Any advice etc. would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[csy]

Hello Bekyboo44,

I got the same worries when I got pregnant, so I bought a toy baby doll (comes in whole set have bottles, diapers etc)which can make these real crying and laughing sounds. I hugged and feed the doll in front of my dogs, it helps them to get adjust to the new baby in the house. And when my son went back home for the first few days, I let them smell my son's used clothes. So far hey are now getting along well. My son is now almost 4 years old.
Just make sure you have some time to kiss and hug the dogs everyday even though you might be busy with your baby.
If you are not sure if your baby is allergic to the hair of the dogs, I was wearing another big t-shirt when I hugged the dogs, so I will take off the tee and papmered my son again.
Hope my experience would help!

csy

[bekyboo44]

Thanks for the help! I shall definetly try the baby doll idea; and yeah I think it's important the dogs don't feel too left out by thew new baby.

Thank-you.

[Kimmi]

We have a big lovable dog and a newborn. Before I came home from the hospital we let our dog have a good sniff all of our sons things before they went into the wash so he got used to hes smell. Our dog was very interested in our son for the first few weeks and wanted to sniff him etc, which we allowed. Just watch the dog as they also like to lick which we dont allow. Now my son is 6 weeks and our dog is used to him being around and doesnt take much notice even when hes screaming. GOOD LUCK

[carang]

we take care of dogs when people go on holidays, so our 16 month old has had MORE than a little exposure to them...we never did anything special except take the baby into the bedroom with our two dogs and let them have a good sniff. we never had a thing about the licking, we figured that he was going to get licked eventually so, what the heck!

now the biggest problem that we have is that he has absolutely NO fear of dogs, which is great for the ones that we take care of but not for strange ones that he approaches without hesitation.

[turtle]

We have a large dog who we thoroughly spoilt for 18 months before baby's arrival. Suggest a couple of things which will really help you :

1. Even if you don't buy a doll, get a CD or something with a baby crying on it! Sounds dumb, but your dog has to get used to that sound without it frightening him/her.

2. Get your husband to bring home your baby's blankets/t-shirts from the hospital and let the dog have an afternoon with it in his bed to sniff.

3. Buy a baby gate for your child's bedroom NOW and have your dog get used to the fact that he/she is not allowed in this area.

4. Most important of all, if you haven't done it already get your dog used to the words 'LEAVE IT'. Put something in front of it that it wants and tell them not to touch it, rewards with treats when it obeys. Whatever it is in the future, be it a baby's toy or whatever, your dog must be able to leave something alone that you do not want it to touch.

5. If you are really worried, there is a dog-appeasing pheromone that you can buy which you just plug into the wall. It lets off a smell that human's can't detect and is baby safe that smells to the dog like his mummy which will keep him calm. Creature Comforts, the vet, stock them and will deliver to your door. This is used for newborn arrivals, moving house, etc. anything which might stress the dog out and it worked well for us.

Good luck :-)

[bekyboo44]

Thanks for all the advice- feeling a lot more confident now about our new family!

[DTHY]

I agree with most of the points mentioned, but I have some reservations on a couple of them.

(1) It is a good idea to buy a baby doll etc., but never let the dog play with it. The dog might think that the baby is his toy. Treat the doll like a real baby.
(2) Never let the dog take any of the baby's things as his/her own or into his bed, i.e. do not allow the dog to take the baby's blanket/shirt/toys, as this will mislead the dog to think that it is OK to play with the baby's things. The dog might eventually become very possessive.

Try reading "Child-proofing your dog: A complete guide to preparing your dog for the children in your life" by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson.