have dogs?

[Tennesseegirl]

anyone have dogs and doing any kind of special work with them? to prepair them for the new baby.
I have two easy going springers. their backgrounds are said to be good with kids and all. Mine are very spoild. smile... has the best any dog can as for in life. one of them I see NO problem with, but the other is somewhat timid and afraid of strangers. shes my concern if any. I just know you cant be too careful with a little one. lol guess I need to bring back out the ceasers book... lol

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

I have 6 dogs only 2 in the house and my beagle has a real problem of slapping when you don't pay attention to here.  She's very jealous so we're really having to disipline her to get her to quit slapping and scratching.....cause she usually aims right for your face.

[pcarsey]

I have a Jack Russell and I have been working with him, he likes to lay beside me on the couch so we have been working on that. I made him up a bed beside the couch and make him lay there and when he tries to jump on the couch I tell him NO! and then point to his bed I made. If he goes there he gets a chicken strip, his FAVORITE!!!!! It's been working out rather well given the fact that Jack Russell's are known to be very rambunctious dogs and once they get older you have a really hard time changing them! He also likes to jump on people to say hello, so we're trying to break him of that too. He was an outside dog, with a heated dog box (yeah, he's spoiled!) but he ran after deer a couple weeks ago, got lost and was gone for 2 weeks, so we have to keep him in the house now.

[guinness413]

I have 2 bull terriers who get jealous and when my son was born, they did not handle it so well and took a while but they will get used to the idea. I have not even tried to get them adjusted yet so far but I think they realize what may be going on

[vsentz]

Oh... Cesar....... I can bring him to my home anyday!!! *daydreaming*

Oh, where were we??

I do have a female boxer (the biggest pain in the butt ever, but so sweet and cute) that is 1 1/2 y/o. She is daddy's little girl!!! i mean, when dh is on the couch she goes and butts right against him, and paws at him for his attention and to be petted. She's pathetic! but something we find REALLY funny is that when she's with daddy and I come and sit beside him and he puts his arm around me... she's starts whining and pawing at me, and pushing me away.... and licking... and doing every annoying thing to get me off of her dad!!!! now, if i start punching him...(pretending.... i don't wanna get accused of spousal abuse here!! lol) she starts jumping and growling (playfully but kinda letting me know that she doesn't appreciate that at all!!! damn dog!!! lol) and she paws at my hand and arm till she gets me off of her daddy!! it's so pathetic....
I am affraid she's gonna claim him somehow with Maddie here... I am somewhat scared she might snap at her or claw her in the face and i will NOT be happy!....
Oh... another thing.... she has slept with us (on the bed...) since she was a puppy... and now she's so darn big and she loves to be in between us all the time, and of course... pushes me when 'im in her dog-damn way!' lol.... any suggestion on how to start making her sleep on her cushion down on the floor without 'hurting her feelings'????

Hheheh, Tennesseegirl! im so glad you opened this thread girlfriend!!! ;)

[kellym]

I have 2 bassett hounds (rolls eyes and huffs), Last year before dd came I took him to petsmart (waste) and then hired a Dog Whisperer guy off of Cesars web-site. It's really the parents that need to train the dogs properly and mine show greatly that we are bad dog parents. It's funny how they do adjust well though. One is 11 and one is 2. They both are good w/the baby even though abnoxious in every other way.
V- My 2 dogs both slept in the bed before dd. Now they are both on the floor and adjusted great! don't worry about a thing, maybe a new doggie bed ;)

[vsentz]

Oh, thanks girl!! ya know, i just hate to hurt her feelings! lol ( i know im pathetic too...) but she's so sensitive and gives you this look when someone treats her bad... =') lol
(I think my hormones interprete her 'pitty look' even worse now....)
She does have her big cushion (doggie bed) and likes it.. but prefers to jump on with us... and boy! does she ever get restless at night! and of course doesn't let us sleep!!! =S
(good training for us now...! lol)
How are you feeling girl?! i can't believe we are this far along!! can you??

[marie1210]

I have a 2 year old pit bull and a 10 year old Rottweiler.  I'm not really worried about either because they both know that dh and I are in charge.  The pit bull is very much a daddy's girl so I'm sure she's going to wonder why he's paying so much attention to our daughter when she arrives but I'm sure she'll be fine.  She's pretty good around kids.  Our neighbor has a 3 year old that plays pretty rough with her and she just takes it.  Just communicate to your dogs that the baby is "your territory" and they are not allowed to mess with him/her until you give the ok.  

[shesherm]

I have a VERY spoiled Yorkie who ALWAYS sits beside me and a Lab-ra-collie.
..lab/border collie mix and they both have been GREAT with the baby ..no training ahead of time.  DH did bring home a blanket and walk around the house holding a cabbage patch doll.....he'll kill me for telling... You will be suprissed how they react.  The lab sits at my feet when I am in the rocker..the only annoying thing is they always seem to bring toys and want to play when I have to feed Saraya :O(

V- my yorkie is the same way, but with me LOL and he slept with me for 9 yrs till I moved in with DH and NO MORE SLEEPING ON THE BED :o( they do adjust just fine

[guatmommy]

I had 3 boxers when I brought my daughter home.  My daughter was 11 mos. when she came home.  The dogs were very tolerant although n 2 occasions in the very beginning they did scratch her.  After the first couple of months they were completely fine and TOOK ALL OF HER ABUSE!!!  She would ride them, play dress up (dress them up..LOL, tug and pull... kid stuff and they were great.  I think a lot depends n the temperment of the dog .  Nomatte what- and no matter how much you trust your dog NEVER leave them alone with a baby!

[Tennesseegirl]

Great information.. love to hear the stories....
I read somewhere.. that bringing the baby home... to place your hand over the babys head.  guess its telling them.. mine.. leave it alone?...

lol... I have my dh...6 5 220lb... and two springers 50lb in bed with me...!!  isnt that a sight! I guess I will have to wait for the big day to start kicking them off my bed.. now that will be a job.. they love the bed.. lol

I do believe the human is topdog!! and other then the bed thingie... I pretty much stay in control... ugh.. most of the time.

cute about the blanket and doll.... might try that too.... smile although.. mine plays with stuff anmimls.. wants the baby toys I have already  bought... had to put them in an unforbiden room...ofcourse.. with the door shut of course.

[vsentz]

Shey- thanks girl! im just hoping the transition will be smooth for her... we tried it once, but she wouldn't go on her doggie bed... (just a couple of times did she lay there for 5 minutes and then up on the bed!)
Im just so stinking tired all the time! and most of it is because i don't sleep well at night! she pushes and tosses and turns all the time! (and of course wants to cuddle and puts her head on my butt or leg and it actually weighs so much it makes it numb!)

Tennesseegirl- i have to do the exact same thing with my dog! put all the stuff for the baby in a 'secret' room for her not to get it... otherwise it'd be shredded to pieces by now!!!! argh!

[orphanannie59]

We have 6 dogs, 5 are outside, 1 inside (sometimes 2).  The inside dog is a boxer and is 14 months old.  We didn't get her until she was 8 or 9 months old, but she is a daddy's girl too!!  We spend quite a bit of time outside in the Spring/Summer so we have been working some with all of them.

There was a news story in Lexington, KY last week about a family dog killing a 6 week old infant who had been laying/sleeping on their parents bed while Mom gave her other child a bath. My mil called me concerned, of course, about our dogs.  When I saw the story I couldn't believe it was a Jack Russell Terrier. Unbelieveable! I was floored. But with the hormones kicking in it did scare me.

My dh is horrible at discipling the dogs and making them mind.  He did however kick the boxer (Bella) out of the bed (as well as our cats) at night because I wasn't getting any sleep (and because Bella would get up and chew stuff up in the night).  She has a cheap  crate with a dog bed that she goes in when we sleep or leave, and has adjusted fine. We will allow her to lay with us until sleep time, and then in she goes (most of the time she goes on command)

Dogs run on instinct, and I know anything can happen even if they are good dogs. We will just have to always be aware, never leave them alone, and take precautions when the baby gets here.  Our animals are a big part of our life, and it may take some work, but it can be done.

[Tennesseegirl]

surley.... the dog didnt attack the babie?  ugh... I would wonder if the dog just trampled it.? ugh... how sad!!!
yea... I know I will have to really watch.. Mine are each 50lb and use to being on the bed. I have my computer system in my room and thats even where they hang out when Im online...REALLY sad story... Im glad you mentioned it though... gives us a wake up call on how careless we can be. thank you for letting me know.

[orphanannie59]

You could probably look up Lexington news and find the story (I am almost positive it was Lexington and not Louisville). There may even be an update that I am not aware of.  They didn't give out details about what the dog did, and showed a picture of the dog, really small.  I was floored, and it was a wake up call for us.  I have heard stories about bigger dogs, and even escorted a family to the er one night after their 2/3 year old was attacked by a neighbors pit bull, but NEVER would I think a Jack Russell Terrier, never. I didn't want to scare anyone, but I believe we all need to know it can happen, even with family pets that have never shown any signs of aggression(which is what the news reported with this dog)