If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Introducing your dog to your newborn.
There are a lot of good suggestions here. I remember back to when my little
brother was born. M & D brought him home and set him in the carrier on the floor. Our dog at the time went up to smell the "new thing" and my gramma yelled at him and shooed him away. That dog NEVER liked my little brother. Whenever my brother would go near him, the dog would growl and go hide. If my brother followed him, the dog would snap. New babies make new parents nervous, just think about it when introducing your dog to the baby. And again, like what Hany Hosny mentioned, they have been treated like children and will be jealous of their new siblings. Gayle "Hany Hosny" wrote in message ink.net... Introducing your dog to your newborn. If your dog has a pulse, then (s)he has a very wide spectrum of emotions. Thus, it stands to reason that if your pooch has emotions, there are plenty of reasons to be nervous about the introduction and initial weeks of interaction between your newborn and your dog. After all, this is the ultimate mix of jealousy, lifestyle change, nervousness on your part, post partum exhaustion, and so on. Now, I'm no authority on this subject, but having just gone through it with pretty good success across the board (the "board" being a trinity of Ridgebacks with very different personalities), I'm happy to share what has worked well for us. For what it's worth, here's how we made for a happy and smooth transition from being without kids to bringing our first child into the family. The process starts *months* before the baby's birth. Here are some pre-birth measures to consider : Rather than bombard your dog with new baby stuff (furniture, contraptions, lotions, clothes, swings, seats, strollers, etc.) when the baby comes home, it's best to introduce the baby-related "stuff" to your dog before the baby is born. "Trick" your dog into thinking that the stuff has nothing to do with the baby. After all, how can he make the connection between the baby and its stuff when the baby isn't in the picture yet? Take all the baby stuff and just place it around the house. Especially in the high traffic areas like living rooms, family rooms, kitchens, and so on. Let it just sit there for a couple weeks. Invite friends with infants to visit your house. Reward your dog with praise and treats) when he shows *gentle* concern for the baby. Encourage him to become "light-footed" and to hold back his exuberance if he's inclined to throw himself around when he gets excited. Buy a doll and talk to it so that dog understands that this universe allows for the possibility that you might talk to and care for someone else, other than him. Use baby lotion on yourself to accustom the dog to the baby's smell. Wash the dog's bedding (and possibly some of your own clothes) in the same baby laundry detergent that you plan to use for your lilttle one's clothes. Go ahead and wash all the cute outfits that you have for your baby in this detergent before s/he comes home from the hospital. This will accustom the dog to the scent of the baby's clothing - including the outfit that the baby wears when coming home from the hospital). If your dog is allowed up on the bed, you'll want to give some thought to how this will work when baby comes home. If you have a large breed dog and he's allowed on your bed, the baby (who presumably will be on the bed with mom for nursing, etc.) is at some risk. Is now the time to wean the dog off the bed (or, better yet, to learn the limited conditions under which being on the bed is okay)? I'm not a big proponent of taking dogs' "rights" away from them, but this is one circumstance that may merit an exception. Test the waters with other infants *in public* (and under controlled conditions); reward gentle behavior with treats and praise. Do yourself and your dog the favor of being selective, though. If you introduce your dogs to toddlers whose coordination isn't keen yet, it could quickly tun into a slap and pull fest in which the dog learns to dislike little people. The day before the baby comes home, have the dog smell a hat / towel that was on the baby (bring it home in a plastic ziploc bag). This will prepare the dog for the baby's actual presence. Repeat the name of the baby over and over in a soothing way as the dog takes in deep scents. The big day : On the big day, have mom walk in without baby (they'll miss her and possibly be too excited for her to hold the baby safely). Dad comes in a couple minutes later with the new family member. The most crucial part : how you react to the mingling. If you behave in a panicked way and push the dog away from the baby, there's the potential for the dog making an immediate association that something is very much alive, very much real, and too good for the dog to be involved with. Instead, stroke the dog and coo gently with praise as the dog "checks in with" the baby. Let the dog know that he has a job (i.e. to take care of the baby by checking in frequently, showing concern and love). Doing otherwise could be the beginning of big problems. No licking on the face, but the top of the head and the rest of the body are fine. The first few days of the newborn's life might seem like the least likely time for you to take the dog down the street for a walk, but it is super-important that you erase all possibility that the dog make the association of the baby's arrival with a degree of compromised attention. It might not be a long walk, but it *needs* to happen and it needs to be genuine and intimate (as does your other interaction during the day). These walks need to be consistent for the first several days. I realize that this is the least convenient time in the world, but think of it this way : if you don't pay now, you just might pay later. Trust me, it's worth it. It goes without saying that this is a daddy job, not a mommy job. And in general, daddy has to be the dog's advocate during the first couple weeks. Mommy might have the intentions to the keep the dog happy, but she won't have the energy or the presence of mind. In the long run, what you're looking for isn't unbridled love, exuberance, and loads of unabated enthusiasm from the dog. This would be an unrealistic expectation --- not to mention dangerous for the baby. Instead, you are looking for anything along the spectrum from indifference to concern for the baby's welfare. (The dog should be given the option of showing no particular attachment. That can be developed later). One last word on "quality time". It wasn't until 8 or 9 days after my baby's birth that I realized an odd thing. Whereas before the birth, I would never go by one of my dogs without making an intentional step in their direction and being lovey-dovey with them (even if just for a few seconds), I caught myself passing them as if they were invisible after the birth. I would step over them to get where I was going, or just walk around them. As insignificant as that may seem, I think it triggered a concern on their part that I was still willing to walk them, be with them, etc., but that my attention was no longer of a very high quality. Don't let this happen to your dog. He needs your time, but he's smart enough to know where your heart really lies. Think back on all the times when your dog has made you feel more complete, more assured about life, etc. The least you can do at this stage is to let the dog know that his quality of life will remain high and constant. And if that isn't enough motivation to do the right thing, go back and read http://www.hsyc.org/HowCouldYou.htm . It's all a lot of work, but the harmony and love that your baby and dogs will share makes the whole process pay for itself quickly. -- Hany Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Introducing your dog to your newborn.
Hi, Gayle...
If I had to scrap all the suggestions I made and just stick with one tip, it would be what you have touched on. Nothing, nothing, nothing could be more important than being careful not to shoo the dog away. It is the highest order of rejection an betrayal to do that. Anyone who understands canine behavior will attest to that. Play it smart and give the dog a job for life : to love and look out for your child. That shooing away bizness will do just the opposite. Thanks for bringing up the most important of all points! -- Hany Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks "The Huwe Family" wrote in message .com... There are a lot of good suggestions here. I remember back to when my little brother was born. M & D brought him home and set him in the carrier on the floor. Our dog at the time went up to smell the "new thing" and my gramma yelled at him and shooed him away. That dog NEVER liked my little brother. Whenever my brother would go near him, the dog would growl and go hide. If my brother followed him, the dog would snap. New babies make new parents nervous, just think about it when introducing your dog to the baby. And again, like what Hany Hosny mentioned, they have been treated like children and will be jealous of their new siblings. Gayle "Hany Hosny" wrote in message ink.net... Introducing your dog to your newborn. If your dog has a pulse, then (s)he has a very wide spectrum of emotions. Thus, it stands to reason that if your pooch has emotions, there are plenty of reasons to be nervous about the introduction and initial weeks of interaction between your newborn and your dog. After all, this is the ultimate mix of jealousy, lifestyle change, nervousness on your part, post partum exhaustion, and so on. Now, I'm no authority on this subject, but having just gone through it with pretty good success across the board (the "board" being a trinity of Ridgebacks with very different personalities), I'm happy to share what has worked well for us. For what it's worth, here's how we made for a happy and smooth transition from being without kids to bringing our first child into the family. The process starts *months* before the baby's birth. Here are some pre-birth measures to consider : Rather than bombard your dog with new baby stuff (furniture, contraptions, lotions, clothes, swings, seats, strollers, etc.) when the baby comes home, it's best to introduce the baby-related "stuff" to your dog before the baby is born. "Trick" your dog into thinking that the stuff has nothing to do with the baby. After all, how can he make the connection between the baby and its stuff when the baby isn't in the picture yet? Take all the baby stuff and just place it around the house. Especially in the high traffic areas like living rooms, family rooms, kitchens, and so on. Let it just sit there for a couple weeks. Invite friends with infants to visit your house. Reward your dog with praise and treats) when he shows *gentle* concern for the baby. Encourage him to become "light-footed" and to hold back his exuberance if he's inclined to throw himself around when he gets excited. Buy a doll and talk to it so that dog understands that this universe allows for the possibility that you might talk to and care for someone else, other than him. Use baby lotion on yourself to accustom the dog to the baby's smell. Wash the dog's bedding (and possibly some of your own clothes) in the same baby laundry detergent that you plan to use for your lilttle one's clothes. Go ahead and wash all the cute outfits that you have for your baby in this detergent before s/he comes home from the hospital. This will accustom the dog to the scent of the baby's clothing - including the outfit that the baby wears when coming home from the hospital). If your dog is allowed up on the bed, you'll want to give some thought to how this will work when baby comes home. If you have a large breed dog and he's allowed on your bed, the baby (who presumably will be on the bed with mom for nursing, etc.) is at some risk. Is now the time to wean the dog off the bed (or, better yet, to learn the limited conditions under which being on the bed is okay)? I'm not a big proponent of taking dogs' "rights" away from them, but this is one circumstance that may merit an exception. Test the waters with other infants *in public* (and under controlled conditions); reward gentle behavior with treats and praise. Do yourself and your dog the favor of being selective, though. If you introduce your dogs to toddlers whose coordination isn't keen yet, it could quickly tun into a slap and pull fest in which the dog learns to dislike little people. The day before the baby comes home, have the dog smell a hat / towel that was on the baby (bring it home in a plastic ziploc bag). This will prepare the dog for the baby's actual presence. Repeat the name of the baby over and over in a soothing way as the dog takes in deep scents. The big day : On the big day, have mom walk in without baby (they'll miss her and possibly be too excited for her to hold the baby safely). Dad comes in a couple minutes later with the new family member. The most crucial part : how you react to the mingling. If you behave in a panicked way and push the dog away from the baby, there's the potential for the dog making an immediate association that something is very much alive, very much real, and too good for the dog to be involved with. Instead, stroke the dog and coo gently with praise as the dog "checks in with" the baby. Let the dog know that he has a job (i.e. to take care of the baby by checking in frequently, showing concern and love). Doing otherwise could be the beginning of big problems. No licking on the face, but the top of the head and the rest of the body are fine. The first few days of the newborn's life might seem like the least likely time for you to take the dog down the street for a walk, but it is super-important that you erase all possibility that the dog make the association of the baby's arrival with a degree of compromised attention. It might not be a long walk, but it *needs* to happen and it needs to be genuine and intimate (as does your other interaction during the day). These walks need to be consistent for the first several days. I realize that this is the least convenient time in the world, but think of it this way : if you don't pay now, you just might pay later. Trust me, it's worth it. It goes without saying that this is a daddy job, not a mommy job. And in general, daddy has to be the dog's advocate during the first couple weeks. Mommy might have the intentions to the keep the dog happy, but she won't have the energy or the presence of mind. In the long run, what you're looking for isn't unbridled love, exuberance, and loads of unabated enthusiasm from the dog. This would be an unrealistic expectation --- not to mention dangerous for the baby. Instead, you are looking for anything along the spectrum from indifference to concern for the baby's welfare. (The dog should be given the option of showing no particular attachment. That can be developed later). One last word on "quality time". It wasn't until 8 or 9 days after my baby's birth that I realized an odd thing. Whereas before the birth, I would never go by one of my dogs without making an intentional step in their direction and being lovey-dovey with them (even if just for a few seconds), I caught myself passing them as if they were invisible after the birth. I would step over them to get where I was going, or just walk around them. As insignificant as that may seem, I think it triggered a concern on their part that I was still willing to walk them, be with them, etc., but that my attention was no longer of a very high quality. Don't let this happen to your dog. He needs your time, but he's smart enough to know where your heart really lies. Think back on all the times when your dog has made you feel more complete, more assured about life, etc. The least you can do at this stage is to let the dog know that his quality of life will remain high and constant. And if that isn't enough motivation to do the right thing, go back and read http://www.hsyc.org/HowCouldYou.htm . It's all a lot of work, but the harmony and love that your baby and dogs will share makes the whole process pay for itself quickly. -- Hany Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Introducing your dog to your newborn.
Thanks for all the tips...introducing the new baby to our two dogs is one of
the things I am most worried about. We have a collie that will take it all in stride, but we also have a chihuahua whose attitude towards kids is, "Bite first, ask questions later." We're trying to make little changes now, like having her sleep in her bed instead of ours, so she doesn't associate the loss of bed priveledges with the baby. Truth be told, I'm finding this change as hard as she does; for the past 4 years, she has slept in my arms every night. I feel like I lost my security blanket! Glad it worked out so well for you! -- Michelle critter edd 3/14/04 "Hany Hosny" wrote in message ink.net... Introducing your dog to your newborn. If your dog has a pulse, then (s)he has a very wide spectrum of emotions. Thus, it stands to reason that if your pooch has emotions, there are plenty of reasons to be nervous about the introduction and initial weeks of interaction between your newborn and your dog. After all, this is the ultimate mix of jealousy, lifestyle change, nervousness on your part, post partum exhaustion, and so on. Now, I'm no authority on this subject, but having just gone through it with pretty good success across the board (the "board" being a trinity of Ridgebacks with very different personalities), I'm happy to share what has worked well for us. For what it's worth, here's how we made for a happy and smooth transition from being without kids to bringing our first child into the family. The process starts *months* before the baby's birth. Here are some pre-birth measures to consider : Rather than bombard your dog with new baby stuff (furniture, contraptions, lotions, clothes, swings, seats, strollers, etc.) when the baby comes home, it's best to introduce the baby-related "stuff" to your dog before the baby is born. "Trick" your dog into thinking that the stuff has nothing to do with the baby. After all, how can he make the connection between the baby and its stuff when the baby isn't in the picture yet? Take all the baby stuff and just place it around the house. Especially in the high traffic areas like living rooms, family rooms, kitchens, and so on. Let it just sit there for a couple weeks. Invite friends with infants to visit your house. Reward your dog with praise and treats) when he shows *gentle* concern for the baby. Encourage him to become "light-footed" and to hold back his exuberance if he's inclined to throw himself around when he gets excited. Buy a doll and talk to it so that dog understands that this universe allows for the possibility that you might talk to and care for someone else, other than him. Use baby lotion on yourself to accustom the dog to the baby's smell. Wash the dog's bedding (and possibly some of your own clothes) in the same baby laundry detergent that you plan to use for your lilttle one's clothes. Go ahead and wash all the cute outfits that you have for your baby in this detergent before s/he comes home from the hospital. This will accustom the dog to the scent of the baby's clothing - including the outfit that the baby wears when coming home from the hospital). If your dog is allowed up on the bed, you'll want to give some thought to how this will work when baby comes home. If you have a large breed dog and he's allowed on your bed, the baby (who presumably will be on the bed with mom for nursing, etc.) is at some risk. Is now the time to wean the dog off the bed (or, better yet, to learn the limited conditions under which being on the bed is okay)? I'm not a big proponent of taking dogs' "rights" away from them, but this is one circumstance that may merit an exception. Test the waters with other infants *in public* (and under controlled conditions); reward gentle behavior with treats and praise. Do yourself and your dog the favor of being selective, though. If you introduce your dogs to toddlers whose coordination isn't keen yet, it could quickly tun into a slap and pull fest in which the dog learns to dislike little people. The day before the baby comes home, have the dog smell a hat / towel that was on the baby (bring it home in a plastic ziploc bag). This will prepare the dog for the baby's actual presence. Repeat the name of the baby over and over in a soothing way as the dog takes in deep scents. The big day : On the big day, have mom walk in without baby (they'll miss her and possibly be too excited for her to hold the baby safely). Dad comes in a couple minutes later with the new family member. The most crucial part : how you react to the mingling. If you behave in a panicked way and push the dog away from the baby, there's the potential for the dog making an immediate association that something is very much alive, very much real, and too good for the dog to be involved with. Instead, stroke the dog and coo gently with praise as the dog "checks in with" the baby. Let the dog know that he has a job (i.e. to take care of the baby by checking in frequently, showing concern and love). Doing otherwise could be the beginning of big problems. No licking on the face, but the top of the head and the rest of the body are fine. The first few days of the newborn's life might seem like the least likely time for you to take the dog down the street for a walk, but it is super-important that you erase all possibility that the dog make the association of the baby's arrival with a degree of compromised attention. It might not be a long walk, but it *needs* to happen and it needs to be genuine and intimate (as does your other interaction during the day). These walks need to be consistent for the first several days. I realize that this is the least convenient time in the world, but think of it this way : if you don't pay now, you just might pay later. Trust me, it's worth it. It goes without saying that this is a daddy job, not a mommy job. And in general, daddy has to be the dog's advocate during the first couple weeks. Mommy might have the intentions to the keep the dog happy, but she won't have the energy or the presence of mind. In the long run, what you're looking for isn't unbridled love, exuberance, and loads of unabated enthusiasm from the dog. This would be an unrealistic expectation --- not to mention dangerous for the baby. Instead, you are looking for anything along the spectrum from indifference to concern for the baby's welfare. (The dog should be given the option of showing no particular attachment. That can be developed later). One last word on "quality time". It wasn't until 8 or 9 days after my baby's birth that I realized an odd thing. Whereas before the birth, I would never go by one of my dogs without making an intentional step in their direction and being lovey-dovey with them (even if just for a few seconds), I caught myself passing them as if they were invisible after the birth. I would step over them to get where I was going, or just walk around them. As insignificant as that may seem, I think it triggered a concern on their part that I was still willing to walk them, be with them, etc., but that my attention was no longer of a very high quality. Don't let this happen to your dog. He needs your time, but he's smart enough to know where your heart really lies. Think back on all the times when your dog has made you feel more complete, more assured about life, etc. The least you can do at this stage is to let the dog know that his quality of life will remain high and constant. And if that isn't enough motivation to do the right thing, go back and read http://www.hsyc.org/HowCouldYou.htm . It's all a lot of work, but the harmony and love that your baby and dogs will share makes the whole process pay for itself quickly. -- Hany Visit Kiambu, Nina, and Kasha's World http://home.earthlink.net/~rooke8/ridgebacks |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Newborn twins with colic - please help! | Elissa | General | 8 | November 24th 03 02:27 PM |
Introducing foods | Marie | General | 22 | October 31st 03 08:08 PM |
Newborn feeding schedule | Parker T. | General (moderated) | 10 | October 18th 03 04:43 PM |
Introducing your dog to your newborn. | Hany Hosny | General (moderated) | 2 | August 10th 03 11:02 PM |
Medicating a newborn | Lina | General | 13 | July 30th 03 03:48 AM |