Dogs and babies

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Dizzle

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So, first child is due in October, border terrier will be three in January. We currently live in a flat but are moving to a house at some point next month so (yay) we will have a garden.

Anyway, what do you wish you had taught your dog pre-baby?

Once we move and I have space to bring my new pushchair home, I'm going to try and get him out walking with it in preparation so he's used to walking nicely with it. Any tips for this?
 
Oh I will watch this with interest.

My first is due in 6 weeks and I have a 7 year old very big GSD who is a barn pot! A lovely barn pot!

I am not sure how I will manage pram and dog - especially as he isn't keen on other dogs and likes to tell them this very vocally.

Also (sorry OP for hijacking!), how did you introduce baby and dog and how did they react?

He's very good with kids 2+ but has never met a baby before.
 
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I didn't do anything differently, I always expect my dogs to be mannerly and obedient.

My advice would obviously use common sense, don't leave baby and dog alone together and have clear boundaries, especially once baby is crawling and toddling.

My children have been taught to respect all the animals and have always got on famously with the dogs and cats etc. it's been lovely to watch them grow up with such a strong bond.

That being said I have never had a terrier, mine are Rottweilers and Spaniels, so I hope someone will be able to give you some breed specific advice.
 
Just never ever leave them alone, I have a border terrier and being a terroir gets very excited with squeaky things and new borns can sound very squeaky.
 
5bs said:
Just never ever leave them alone
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This, 100%.

Does your dog show any tendency to be jealous? If so, I wouldn't risk it and would rehome the dog. Having said that, our then JRT welcomed the the new arrivals into the family and adored them from the start. However, we had to rehome our lovely collie/whippet who had always hated raised voices, and freaked when he heard a baby cry.

Stair gates are your friend.
 
Agree totally with the never ever, ever leave them alone.
Plus I had a big male labrador, he was very good on the lead but I bought a Roger Mugford Halti fo himr and it was the best purchase ever. He was quite happy in it and a toddler could walk him in it which came in handy later!
 
I would go with the never leave them alone, ESP at the start, but now with mini sf at ten months I don't worry so much. If I have to leave her for 10 secs then I will, he is used to her now and I do trust him, he has no bad bones in his body (unless you're a football!)

I bought the 'how to tell your dog you're pregnant book' but most of it is common sense. There is a bit about toy separation and scenting the baby's toys differently so the dog knows the difference, however if this stops your dog nicking balls from the ball pool I would be amazed :D

I have got to the stage where I need to be more vigilant as she is crawling everywhere, and I don't want him put in a situation he's unhappy with, but he generally moves out of her way in the first place. I tell her to be gentle - hopefully backed up by baby sing and sign, not holding my breath though. But if your dog is good, submissive and you have a good relationship I wouldn't stress too much, I was paranoid in the first few months and it was stressful. How do you do everything whilst keeping them separate and get on with loading the washing machine etc, ESP if you get a baby that cries if put down for 1 second, thanks mr stork for that one!

Dogs and babies go brilliantly together, on her more screamy days, throwing a ball for the dog in the garden mesmerised her completely, she was a right giddy little kipper, would squeal with excitement each time he ran anywhere, one way to switch a whiney baby into a happy one. Buy a sling (I've got a connecta and a moby wrap) and you can dog walk anywhere, fresh air is great for babies and you to get out of the house, they sleep fab in them too. Pushchairs can be more trouble than they're worth and lots of hard work for off reading, even the ones designed for it.

And best of all, when you start weaning, being a dog owner will save you so much! My floor gets cleaned as soon as anything drops, and he has been known to clean the highchair after too, and does a good job licking her feet clean when she's covered too :D he won't eat pear though, and isn't keen on cucumber...

A dog will keep you sane with a baby, even if some days meeting both their demands and hoovering dog hair, and the constant dog hairs in the baby's mouth will drive you nuts.

I have a GSD X Rottie btw, so not a small dog!
 
Also remember Border terriers can jump six feet if they feel the need, so I wouldn't leave baby for example in a play pen with dog on the outside unattended, my daughter is pregnant so I will be a granny this year for the first time with my two terriers.

I always remember that JRT who killed the baby whist at the Grandparents house, you can never take them for granted.
 
Thing is for every dog that's bad, they'll be 1000 that are good. Yes you want to keep things under control, but many of our parents generation wouldn't have thought anything of leaving dogs and kids together.
 
As others have said most of it is just common sense - my almost 11 month old adores our spaniel and she's brilliant with him. She can be really bouncy and if her ball is around can be a bit rude but she leaves his toys be - "Not yours" is a good command to learn - once told that she doesn't try that toy again, and shes quite happy to have her ears pulled, if he gets too much she just takes herself off to her bed - he's had to be taught "Not yours" too though as otherwise he'd join her ;)
My mum has a border and she's fab with him too. Mum does my childcare at the moment when I'm at work, and Wigs is wherever T is at all times. I left the other day and he had a bit of a meltdown, sat shaking the baby gate. Wigs sat next to him alternatively cuddling into him and licking him and whining alongside, she's good with my brothers two kids as well but seems to be absolutely besotted with T.
 
Oh, mine did give her a paw in the face a few months ago, there was a ball, and I lowered her to get it, he struck his paw out. My fault, but no harm done, apart from some spectacular screaming. My dogs problem is he's an oaf, but a lovely one. I'm more thoughtful about things now!
 
The most useful commands for me have been 'leave it', 'bed', 'mind' (get out of the $/^&ing way), and 'away' (#/&&*er off). :D

My dogs are wonderful with my little boy, and excellent for entertaining him. Hope yours adapts as well. :)
 
Good advice. I am sure my lads will be fine :) He's a really good dog and it goes without saying I will never leave them unsupervised but my dog is as big a part of my family as my new baby will be.

:)
 
My then 13 year old JRT who hated all children was besotted with my little girl from the moment I came home from hospital with her and in nearly every single baby photo you can see the JRT somewhere nearby! She has been amazing with her and will now choose to stay with her and Granny when I go out which was unheard of before.

I was very clear with my little girl from very early on that she must be gentle and now she is old enough to understand I have explained that she must never go near the dog bed when the dog is in it and that she mustn't put her face into the dogs face.

Otherwise as others have said, it is a lovely combination and my daughter adores the JRT and they are an absolute team together!
 
The advice which you've been given, is basically sound. I would never allow any dog free or unsupervised access to any small child. Dogs react in different ways, to babies. Some will take over ownership (all so often GSD bitches can become very possessive and determined!), others will resent the baby, and though it would call for someone perhaps with the ability to actually read a dog's body language, these resentful dogs, the ones who've all so often been usurped, will be the ones which are the most difficult to predict. Dogs, for instance, which have been accustomed to having their own part of the sofa, and for reasons of hygiene perhaps (no one in their right minds wants a dog which has been licking it's own rectum to then stick its tongue in a child's mouth), and once the dog's life changes, and its position in the pack has dropped down a peg, then I would say that that's the dog which may prove to be a risk.

Personally, I would ALWAYS advise caution.

Alec.
 
Doormouse said:
I was very clear with my little girl from very early on that she must be gentle and now she is old enough to understand I have explained that she must never go near the dog bed when the dog is in it and that she mustn't put her face into the dogs face.
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This as well. As much as our JRT adored my lads, on occasion he would have had enough and he knew that his basket was a child free zone, so he could retreat there whenever he wanted.
 
Tiddlypom said:
This, 100%.

Does your dog show any tendency to be jealous? If so, I wouldn't risk it and would rehome the dog. Having said that, our then JRT welcomed the the new arrivals into the family and adored them from the start. However, we had to rehome our lovely collie/whippet who had always hated raised voices, and freaked when he heard a baby cry.

Stair gates are your friend.
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Jealousy is not a dog thing, its a human thing. I would never rehome the dog unless he was having problems that I could not eventually train him out of or overcome.
 
Wiz201 said:
Jealousy is not a dog thing, its a human thing. I would never rehome the dog unless he was having problems that I could not eventually train him out of or overcome.
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I used to think this too. My OH has a GSD bitch though who does not like me or my OH to show any affection to each other in her presence.
 
Excellent advice, thanks guys, I certainly feel that I’m on the right track.

The dog has already been in the position where his role has changed, when I was single he spent every night in my bed and every evening on my lap. Then OH came along and he was made to sleep in his crate every night. He adapted beautifully and now, although OH is the ‘new comer’ he loves him, behaves beautifully for him and is usually found cuddling up to him of an evening. He’s a real people pleaser and from what I know of his limited experience of children he’ll love having his own. r

His only issues are surrounding tennis balls which are like crack to him, it’s not in his nature to be aggressive over them but he will refuse to come near you when he has one, but I’m trying to work on that by teaching him to drop the ball at my feet. First training session last night.

I also worry about him accidentally wafting a paw around, being a terrier he’s ‘paws on’ but I plan to work on making sure he greets everyone with his bum on the floor. For some reason he has never jumped up at children and actually tends to ignore them until they’re bigger.

And yes, I know as much as I love him and have known him since he was 2 weeks I would never trust him alone with the a baby or child. My sister was attacked by a dog when she was 6 and I’ve seen the damage a ‘family pet’ can do, not just the physical scars.
 
Wiz201 said:
Jealousy is not a dog thing, its a human thing.
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I beg to differ. I have come across jealous dogs, who resent their owner showing affection or attention to another person or dog. Usually they were little dogs who had been spoilt.
I would never rehome the dog unless he was having problems that I could not eventually train him out of or overcome.
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Fully agree that training is the first port of call, but the fact remains that some dogs will never be 100% around young children. My collie/whippet would have done anything to shut up that crying baby, he was frantic with worry. He would have killed my first born son if able to. Either the dog, or the baby, had to go.

He went to a lovely home with a single lady and lots of cats.

OP, you sound very sensible, I'm sure that it will work out for you.
 
I was a fairly useless parent, but my children have grown up so they managed with me. Treat your child like you would your dog. They are quite happy to be treated the same. 'Quiet' 'Leave it' and 'sit down' are your friend for both dog and small human.
My children always saw us treating the dogs respectfully and I would have gutted them if they whinged or carried on (also goes for both dogs and children) and we never had any trouble.
My m-in-laws border did bite eldest one day over at hers as he fell on the dog while trying to take her ball so she understandably nipped him. He was about 3 then. My youngest when about a year old went missing one Christmas and was found with our border terrier sharing a box of very expensive truffles - he was holding them out to the dog who licked the cocoa off and then he ate them. Apart from squitty bums both were fine. Told you I was a bad parent!!
 
Not read all posts but my dog (Labrador) has accepted my daughter who is now 2 so well. Because of problems in my pregnancy I was home so much more and I think he liked it. Same after having my daughter he loved it. Now they are thick as thieves. I never pushed my dog out I let him be part of being part of daughter's life. He can choose when to be with her but also looks after her and protects her (no nastiness). I do make sure I spend alot time with him just the two off us which also important
 
This is a wonderful heartwarming thread :) I'm a few years of children yet, but I can't wait to bring up kids with dogs, can't imagine a better childhood partner in crime than a dog :)
 
I make an effort to fuss over the dog when the baby is not there, or if she is happily playing. I took him out a run today which was great, good for me to have exercise and good for us both to have some baby free time. I took him to a local lake and threw sticks too to make his day. First big family trip to the beach yesterday too, with the dog tether screw thing and a uv tent it's just about easy. As long as the dog gets plenty of tennis ball time to tire him out.
 
dressagelove said:
This is a wonderful heartwarming thread :) I'm a few years of children yet, but I can't wait to bring up kids with dogs, can't imagine a better childhood partner in crime than a dog :)
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yes my daughter blames everything on the dog. She burped the other day in the car and blamed the dog. The dog was at home :D
 
We have two young boys 3 and 1, and use a stair gate downstairs to separate the kitchen and utility off from the sitting and dining rooms. The children are then kept out of the kitchen and the dog away from the children as it is complete chaos if they are all playing together, fine outside but crazy inside! After the children go to bed then dog joins us for the evening for her time. We are outside all together a lot and I think she enjoys being able to have her own space inside where she doesn't get trodden on! The other thing is that she does not have any toys inside, childrens toys and dog toys are too similar and the children would be as likely to chew on hers as she would be to chew and destroy theirs. As you are about to move house you could set up a similar system now if you wanted. With a new baby they will be spending a lot of time on the floor on play mats for about the first 6 months, until they get moving which is when the real fun will begin!
Good luck.
 
CPayne said:
We have two young boys 3 and 1, and use a stair gate downstairs to separate the kitchen and utility off from the sitting and dining rooms. The children are then kept out of the kitchen and the dog away from the children as it is complete chaos if they are all playing together, fine outside but crazy inside! After the children go to bed then dog joins us for the evening for her time. We are outside all together a lot and I think she enjoys being able to have her own space inside where she doesn't get trodden on! The other thing is that she does not have any toys inside, childrens toys and dog toys are too similar and the children would be as likely to chew on hers as she would be to chew and destroy theirs. As you are about to move house you could set up a similar system now if you wanted. With a new baby they will be spending a lot of time on the floor on play mats for about the first 6 months, until they get moving which is when the real fun will begin!
Good luck.
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this is similar to what I did, OP if your dog stays away from contact when it has a ball in its mouth then I would leave it that way, a dog that is possessive (staying away indicates it is) then if the dog creates the distance itself then your risk of confusion is minimised. by the time each of my daughters were 2 the dogs would be digging a hole in the garden alongside the kids they were as thick as theives outside but in the house it is harder for the dogs to keep out of the kids way and the interaction between adult and child can create confusion and stress for a dog.
 
I always teach my dogs that in order for me to throw the ball they have to drop it at my feet. That way there is no confusion. All my friends' kids know that if the dogs want to play they will give them the ball :)
 
Brilliant thread, for the first two years of my grandsons life, we had a very large rescued gsd with potential aggression issues, ground rules resolved these, but the aggression was still in him, we introduced the baby to the dog, watching his reaction, he loved my grandson from first stuffing his nose up his nappy, where baby was, Kaiser was there, not in a possessive way though, he just loved being near him, however, when my grandson was two and toddling, Kaiser's health went downhill, with his behaviour becoming worrying, talked it over with the vet and the rescue, who wanted to put him back in kennels, no way it would have killed Kaiser to be back in kennels, the vet and I agreed it would be better to pts, but in the meantime I put a gate up between rooms, so Kaiser could still be part of the family but the baby was safe, eventually the rescue agreed to pts, but if they hadn't I would have gone to a different vet, with the rescues vets blessing, just to say, Kaiser was always very aggressive with vets and always had to be knocked out in the car and carried in for treatment and he never lost his fear of vets.
Know your dog but never take silly risks, at the end Kaiser could turn nasty in a second
 
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