Our other lil darlings at home

So I was sitting here wondering tonight everyone's experience of bringing home baby when you have a four legged baby at home.  I am sitting here eating my dinner and get a warm welcome from my Lucy Lu...my ten month old English Bulldog....She usually greets me with a big 40 pound solid muscle bounce on my lap.  She is my company when my hubby is out to sea...like this week...I actually think she likes it a lot better when he's gone...she gets 100% of me.  I was just thinking tonight; wonder how's she going to be when the baby comes home.  She has been around babies and lil toddlers etc before and does well; but the baby that will be taking my attention???  My hubby again will be gone for the first six months after baby's born, so he won't even be here to give her the attention, etc....Could get interesting.  

Anyone have dealings with their four legged animals?  Anything you did to ease the bringing home baby?

Just curious on ideas...Stacey

i got trixie ( chow/shepard mix) when i was 3 months preggo.. she was 9 weeks old... at first she wanted to sit next to jayson all the time... wouldnt let him out of her sight.... now they are best friends... play together... always together... its nice :)... my older dog could care less about him... but if he has food she likes him

We got Ivy 2 weeks before I found out I was pregnant.  She was 8 weeks old when we got her. 

My brother had suggested that to prepare Ivy we get a fake baby and carry it around, rock it, diaper it and teach her "boundaries".  (Like don't enter the baby's room, stay away from the doll etc)

But we never did.... 

When Cooper was born we brought home the first beanie-hat they put on his head prior to being washed (so it smelled like him) and let her have it.  She played with it. 

When we brought Cooper home she smelled him and kinda stayed away.  She's never liked "new" things and he was "new".  But she soon became protective of him.

She is "kinda" jealous.... I mean if he's in my lap then she's in daddy's lap -- or sometimes I have both "kids" in my lap! 

Cooper LOVES her.  It is his mission in life to follow her around with his eyes -- and now he can grab her every time she's in his reach and he hands her things and she takes them and he laughs and laughs. 

Every morning he "helps" me feed her and gives her a doggie treat when she comes in. 

Still -- Ivy is really easy going.  If you think Lucy Lu is more possessive then get a baby-doll like my brother did and make sure she knows her boundaries, etc. 

Good Luck!

Cindy

Below taken this weekend



My Pumpkins!  (before Halloween) 

We got our 2 dogs when they were about 6 weeks old (Miniature Pincher/dachshund mix)...They were 2 when we had Aethyn...DH brought home the blanket from the hospital that Aethyn was swaddled in on the second night!  He let them sniff and get used to it!  When we got home they were interested.  They sniffed him...but they left him a lone!  Now Aethyn chases them all around and laughs hysterically!  They love him for his food and they are always gentle.  We use the word Gentle with them so they know what that means.  They are the best brooms in the world!! 

Great question!! I have 2 cats and was wondering what to expect! Anyone have any experience with them?? Newman is my lap cat and is very possesive of me - he even meows if Chris hugs me crazy cat! I don't think that Imogene is going to care either way but I am worried about Newman. Maybe I'll try the blanket thing.

 I have 2 cats as well.  When we brought Alex home, the cats didn't want anything to do with the baby.  Even still, they keep their distance.  My one cat is a bit of an attention seeker and will come around when the baby is in the playpen or swing napping, so that I can pet him.  When we started construction on the nursery, the cats were immediately banned from the room.  Every once in a while I will find the attention seeking cat in the playpen napping... but its always in the middle of the night when the baby is in his own room.  

Thanks! I guess I'll have to kick the cats out of our room for a while - that's where the baby will be for several months at least.

Thanks again!

I am wondering the same thing.  I have a 6 year old ****zhu that has been my only baby.  He is very friendly and gentle with children, but we will definitely have to teach him boundaries.  Baby toys and dog toys look alot alike...LOL.  I plan to do some research on the internet and look for any books on the subject.

Good luck...

Funny thing about toys.  Ivy has NEVER touched any of Cooper's toys (and he has a lot!) -- she knows her toys vs. his toys.

UNTIL I brought home this giraffe teething toy.  She is NUTS for it.  While she knows it's his she takes every chance she gets to lick it or pu**** with her nose.  It squeaks and kinda does looks/smell like a dog toy.  It's quite funny..... 

You'll have to let us know how your dog reacts to baby toys.  Maybe get some before the baby is born and lay them around and make sure he doesn't go for them, etc. 

Good Luck!

Cindy

Alot of good advice but can add one thing.  You WILL have downtime when the baby is napping (granted you'll be napping alot too).  Try to take some time to lavish your pet with love then.  Just like other kids, your pets will learn they have to take turns for your attention.  But when you have the luxury of it, really reward them for behaving good when the baby is awake by loving them alot when all is quiet.

Another thing we did before my first was born, was to "babyproof" the dog.  Basically anything we could imagine a baby doing, we would do to the dogs during playtime.  Pulling ears and tails, tugging at fur, touching teeth/tongue, pushing them over....we even got between them and their food bowl.  And we tried to do it all when the dogs were happy so they would consider these things a rougher version of "play".  It really made them very tolerant to little hands and fingers when the babies became moble.  Alot of it has to do with dog personality too, so it helps to know your dog.  My male dog definitely walked away when my firstborn approached him.  The female dog layed down and took all the baby loving in stride.  Two more boys later, the male is just as happy to lay around while the baby crawls over him like a jungle gym.

Good luck!