dogs and babies

[Jordan]

I know I saw it somewhere fairly recently but I.m blowed if I can find it!......how to introduce dogs to babies......before they are born.

My young neighbours are expecting their first baby and have aboxer dog, who I might add is having quite a bit of medical issues recently, is about 4 year old and has not had any contact with children whatsoever so I wanted to give them the link for the article I saw.......anyone know what I'm referring to?

[Kimmikins]

I think it was on Adrianne's FB page? Let me see if I can find it...it had a picture of a paw and a baby foot together, didn't it.

[Adrianne]

will dig it out later..bit lost for time just now..gsd to go talk to about being bossy, then puppy classes later (not prepped yet)
..will see if an acquaintance has any articles too Dr.Lewis Kirkham ..he wrote a book on the subject..i will try to get in touch.

[Kimmikins]

A bossy GSD? I have a mental image of a diva-ish bossy boots

[Adrianne]

this is a copy of one of the pages on the doggonesafe website, a really good site for bite prevention..

www.doggonesafe.com/Dog_bite_prevention_for_parents


Baby Safety Around Dogs

Experts recommend that you prepare the family dog before the baby arrives. It is a very hectic time and a time of many changes when a baby arrives. In order to minimize stress for the dog and reduce the chance of an accident you can make many changes and preparations ahead of time so that the transition is easier for you and the dog.

Below we give some tips for preparing the dog before the baby arrives and for after the baby arrives as a newborn. We strongly recommend that you purchase the Dogs and Storks DVD, attend a Dogs and Storks seminar or hire a Dogs and Storks presenter to come to your home to get the best information available on this topic. Click here for more information.

There is other information about older babies and children at these links:


Baby Grows Up

Growling at the Kids



Tips for Preparing Your K9 Family Member Before the Baby Arrives

•Review and firm up obedience.
•Parents should practice giving cues comfortably in any position. Ex: sitting back on a couch, lying in bed, sitting on the floor. If your dog does not respond to familiar cues such as "sit" and "down" when you are resting in various positions, then you will need to teach him so that he understands no matter what. Sometimes it is not the word "sit" that the dog is responding to, sometimes it is a hand or body signal that you are giving that you don't even know about!

•Be consistent with cues.


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Socialize your dog around children in a positive and controlled environment.

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Observe and become aware of how the dog seeks your attention.

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Know your dog’s sensitivities. Research the breed or mixes. Does he startle with fast motion, noises etc.

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Begin a baby schedule that includes:
A.
Varied feeding times.

B.
Crating or "dog zone" times

C.
Vary exercise routines

D.
Ignore attention seeking behavior


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Allow your dog to become familiar with the baby equipment.

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Teach your dog the behaviors you want around the equipment vs. what you do not want. Doing this ahead makes a world of difference!

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Parents can use the baby carrier they plan to use with their baby and put a teddy bear in it to get the feeling of what it will be like moving with this.

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Work with your dog while you wear this.

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Walk your dog with an empty stroller or one with some weight to it to get a feel for this and what needs to be worked on NOW.

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Use a CD of baby noises to introduce and create a positive experience prior to the baby’s arrival.

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Get the baby lotion and put it on the baby carrier, car seat etc. and the teddy you carry in the sling. Bring the same lotion with you to put the same familiar scent on the baby’s clothing for the dog to be familiar with.

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Have Dad bring home a blanket with the baby’s scent on it. Although Dad will have the scent all over him. The blanket can go in the car seat, swing etc.

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Schedule your vet visit well ahead of time to be sure to have all meds available.

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Familiarize your dog with the person that may care for them.

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Plan a good and safe spot for your diapers!

•Buy the Dogs and Storks DVD and follow the advice therein before the baby arrives (see below for more information).



Tips for Safety After the Baby Arrives
•Never leave the baby alone with the dog even for a second. Dogs can become agitated by the sounds and movements of a baby. Dogs have been know to try to move a baby by carrying the baby in their mouths the way a mother dog might do with her puppies. Other dogs have hurt babies because the baby moves and sounds like prey.
•If you have to go to answer the phone or the door or just get the baby bottle from the other room, take the baby with you or take the dog with you or close a door or a gate to keep them apart. Even 1 second is too long to leave a dog alone with a baby.
•Keep your baby off the floor when the dog is around.
•Avoid face to face contact between dog and baby.
•Keep the dog well exercised. Hire someone to watch the baby or exercise the dog if you can't manage.
•Be sure the dog has at least 10-15 minutes of one-on-one training time with someone each day.
•Be sure that the dog has a crate or other safe place where he can be content to be away from the baby. He should have a special bone and chews toys to enjoy in this space.

•Use only positive reinforcement-based training methods with the dog. Never punish or scold the dog in the presence of the baby. You want all associations with the baby to be positive in the dog's mind.
•Be very careful with moving baby items such as swings. Some dogs can very excited by these. Never leave the baby in the swing alone with the dog in the room even if the baby is asleep, even if they are both asleep!

[Kimmikins]

Great tips, thanks!

Little baby Grace may be coming to stay for the night next week, so it's good to see that I'd thought of most of the things to do already. Will make sure Sara is completely tired too, even more so than usual.

Do you think that we should have Sara in with us that night? She normally sleeps in the kitchen, and is settled in there, but the spare room is directly over the kitchen so she might get anxious with the unfamiliar baby-people noises. Plus her parents may need to get up and about during the night.

[Jordan]

Thanks Adrianne i've passed it on to my neighbour.

[Adrianne]

Sent you an email with some sounds on for Sara x