only dogs and first babies (ridgie owners in particular please)

E

emmaln

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2008
Messages
545
Visit site
Hi all,

I am after your experiences advice and training tips, My partner and i are expecting our first baby and would like to ensure that we get it right for both baby and our much loved 3 yr old (will be 4 when baby arrives) Rhodesian Ridgeback Tuli.

Tuli is a fantastic dog who is well trained and easy to live with however she is an only dog and is used to her routines and plenty of attention, she is also an RR so is instinctive, alert, intuitive and wary of strangers. We have plenty of experience with dogs (and horses) and have had Ridgies in the family for years however this is our first baby and we would very much appreciate some advice/experiences on the best way to introduce the chaos that is a two legged addition to the family without too much stress or anxiety for our four leggeds!!!
 
emmaln said:
Hi all,

I am after your experiences advice and training tips, My partner and i are expecting our first baby and would like to ensure that we get it right for both baby and our much loved 3 yr old (will be 4 when baby arrives) Rhodesian Ridgeback Tuli.

Tuli is a fantastic dog who is well trained and easy to live with however she is an only dog and is used to her routines and plenty of attention, she is also an RR so is instinctive, alert, intuitive and wary of strangers. We have plenty of experience with dogs (and horses) and have had Ridgies in the family for years however this is our first baby and we would very much appreciate some advice/experiences on the best way to introduce the chaos that is a two legged addition to the family without too much stress or anxiety for our four leggeds!!!
Click to expand...

Start stopping her going where she won't be allowed (certain rooms, sofa etc).
Maybe but children shows on (my dogs hate it whenever they see them)
Get a bundle of clothes and hold it in your arms so she can get used to the sight.

Basically your desentisezing her like a horse :P
 
Thanks Sitch, she is already not allowed on the sofa and only comes upstairs when invited (lazy Sunday mornings!) so that shouldnt be a problem. We are also in the process of adding a small extension to our little house which will, as well as other things be a tuli space for her to escape to when she gets fed up of having various objects poked in her ears etc.

I like the idea of desensitizing her (i like the horse reference, you sound just like me, my midwife despairs as i compare everything to horse/dog breeding!) I will try the bundle of clothes and we also thought it might be worth getting her used to walking with the buggy when we get it.

Our biggest concern i think is that she will become protective of the baby as she can be of us (and herself she is a ridgie after all) but i suppose we will handle that the same way we handle it when she does it with us with consistency, reward when she gets it right and as many positive experiences as possible!

We have also been borrowing 3 yr old neice for short bursts and dog walks and so far she has reacted beautifully and on the whole has ignored any random squawking, squealing and running that neice has done and has only become interested when neice has asked to give her a biscuit which she has already learnt to do, asking her to sit and wait first and Tuli reacts like she would if any adult told her to do the same :-D happy mummy!!!
 
Firstly, congrats and I'm sure you'll be fine :)

I am also expecting my first baby (due in June), and already have a 2 yr old Jack russell. You don't say how far along you are, but i think dogs are very intuitive - my little Stan definitely knows, and has known for some time, that things are 'different'.

We have just been working on building on important commands: Away, Leave, Heel, in particular, and cutting down on barking (althugh the baby will have been hearing him bark for months and probably won't bat an eyelid!). We also have lots of the baby stuff already - pram, bouncy seat etc, so have been teaching him boundaries with these. He has lots of practice of walking alongside a wheelbarrow so that will come in handy with the pram!!

I think the most important thing is to be as relaxed as possible (obviously while keeping everything safe. Stan's breeder has a pack of 25 dogs and had twins - when they were newborn, she took them in in their car seats, popped the car seats on the floor and let the dogs say hello whilst carefully making sure they were being gentle. She has advised me not to make too much of a fuss: dog is just part of a family which has a new member.

Stan is more protective of me - but this is coming from me because I am a bit wobbly sometimes at the moment. If I am calm, so is he.
 
Thanks bex1984, congrats to you to! I'm only 11 weeks so still really early days, I have to admit I thought she'd know instantly but maybe I was just being naive as so far she seems to have no idea, which is good I think?!? Although having said that she sat outside the toilet door whilst I was throwing up the other day which was quite sweet! Your jack Russell sounds gorgeous tuli has similar experience healing to a wheelbarrow he he!!

A friend of mine had 2 rotties when she had her first child and did very similar to what your breeder did and she has had no problems!

Another question, what do your horses think? Are you still riding etc?
 
I was off work yesterday as I just felt generally rubbish and Stan would not leave my side all day, it was sweet, but he was a bit of an asbo dog on our walk barking at any dog that even looked at me - but like I say, I can't blame him because I was pathetic and wobbly!

My horse took a while to catch on. I stopped riding at 11 weeks, but he was confused for a while as to why I wasn't doing the usual stuff with him. He was an angel in his stable though, I mucked out every day until a month ago and he was always in the stable with me, carefully keeping out of my way. And he would pick up his feet on voice command for me :) He's now on full loan to a riding school but I still get to see him at least once a week - can't wait to introduce him to the baby.

Hopefully you'll be past the sicky bit soon and then on to the feeling-baby-move bit, which is lovely :)
 
Oh poor you, it's so hard when you feel yucky! I think I'm getting payback as I wasn't always the most sympathetic towards pregnant friends when they complained about how awful they felt! I feel terrible now and have sent them all apologies he he!!! I had planned to ride as long as I could, not anything crazy but schooling and light hacking, but I've been so sick I've only managed a couple of times, I'm so lucky though as my brother has been keeping my youngster in regular work along side his own girl as well as helping out looking after my old girl! He's the best! Half considering getting a sharer for her but I'm struggling with the idea! Glad you still get to see your boy, enjoy the rest hope all goes well for the rest of your pregnancy!
 
Not tips as such but I found our dogs (ESS and GSP) didn't like it when babies cried-not in a nasty way-they clearly recognised it as a human 'distress' call and would become restless and uncomfortable themselves,so don't leave baby crying too long near the dog. Not sure if they disliked it cos of earache('Aah! Shut the little pink thing up,it's at it again!!' or 'Aah! It's not happy! Someone come and help it!') On more than one occasion they would come&'find'
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top