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EVERY DOG MUST HAVE
IT'S DAY AND
EVERY CAT MUST HAVE IT'S WAY |
Here are a few helpful hints from a new Mom who introduced her baby Luke to her 1 ½ year old German Shorthair Pointer “Otis!”
- Get the dog acclimated to the baby's things ASAP. IE: Put the toys,
seats, crib etc. into daily routine... let them sniff, etc., followed by
"gentle, easy, baby" command... so that they understand these things are
not theirs' and they MUST be gentle around them.
- Go for walks with the stroller (doll, if you want, inside), and the
dog... I know this one sounds ridiculous, but I wish I had time to really
do it, as it works. The dog needs to understand that that special time that
was once theirs alone is now to be shared with this new "thing" in their
lives. The dogs are not jealous, the just don't understand their new role
in all this - and helping them to understand it sooner rather than later,
will only make your life easier in the long run.
- When the baby comes home... have Daddy bring home a receiving blanket
from the hospital and let the dog smell it. When actually walking in the
door, make sure DADDY carries the baby in, and let the dog smell the baby
(feet first).
- One of the most important lessons I learned was re-training Otis. When
the baby would sleep, I would make the mistake of playing with Otis - He
took this to mean that the baby being awake was a bad thing, in other words,
"BABY-BAD". What actually needs to happen (and this is not easy with an
infant and a high energy GSP) - when that baby is up - the dog is included!!!!! When nursing that baby, dog
gets a bone. When playing with the baby, dog is included. When baby
is sleeping, dog is at rest!!!! He MUST understand that this is quiet time...
A great resource with all this and more is a book called "Childproofing Your
Dog" by Brian Kilcommons.
The biggest thing is that your dog feel loved and important TOGETHER with
the baby - Help them understand their role in the "new pack". |
