Baby-Proof Pets (long - main questions at bottom)

[Ivy_sin]

I know that being just over two months pregnant, I have time to worry about a lot of things, but I want to start as early as it takes to train the four dogs of this house about babies.

Personally, my biggest animal worry for a baby is the seven horses outside the door, because, while all of them have been around little kids and have stood patiently still while tails and ears are pulled and squeals and sudden running/jumping happens, they can accidentally hurt anything small. So of course the baby would not go to see any of them until he/she can sit up/hold his/her head up on her own so it is not quite as frail, and then I would still hold the baby out of reach of the horses' long necks and noses while they hear/smell it over the fences for a long time until they are dealing with a toddler who can still stay in mommy's arms and only pat the horses back while the horse is tied.

However, my mother (who does not share a good relationship with me anyway and likes to have people listen to her, and throws a fit and then ignores you when you argue at all) thinks the biggest threat is my newest Pit Bull, Chili. She thinks that a baby will just be something else for her to run at and tackle/bite like she does with her best doggy friend, Drizzle.

Chili, however, LOVES people and from the moment I sat down to coax her out of the ditch where I found her before I could take her home, she submissively lowers herself while coming to you and lays her head down with her tail still wagging at you. The only time she acts crazy is when she and Drizzle play because Drizzle is young and Chili has a higher tolerance for her than the other two older dogs since Chili had puppies.

As for Drizzle, Drizzle's affection is to open her mouth and set her top jaw on top of your hand or wrist so lightly that you don't even feel teeth. She even falls asleep like that. So the two dogs I would be more worried about are Maddy and Neeta because Maddy has been trained (thanks to g'pa) to get nasty about food. If you bump her tail or touch her back while she is near her bowl, she starts snarling, stiffens up, and slowly turns her teeth towards you, and has bitten people before if you push it.

And Neeta, while my mother swears that she knows what the word 'baby' means and that she has to be gentle and quite when you say it. I personally don't believe that. I love Neeta very much and I know she is a perfect companion for someone who can take a full body slam from a running 103 pound American Bull Dog, she does it all the time with my boyfriend. But Neeta is also an ex-bait dog from when I rescued her (bait dogs are tied in front of fight dogs to teach the other dog to have confidence because they can beat up the other dog, and the other dog won't be able to fight back) and still acts...unpredictable sometimes (such as growling at people she knows and her hair standing up if you wear a hat/hoodie).

I am keeping the baby away from our cats, too. The one that lives in the same rooms that I do used to attack me as a toddler because she gets angry when you cry or pet her too much or try to hug her (not really a pet, just a pretty thing that sleeps on the couch a lot).

So the next and so far last problem with the dogs is that when I brought home some baby stuff (like a swing, stroller, car seats, or the squeaky teddy bear stuffed toys), the dogs freaked. Mainly Chili and Drizzle, since Neeta doesn't look at anything but live objects and the TV and Maddy is old and has seen every baby and baby item you could put in front of her or on her back while she is laying in the yard (without food). They ran as fast as they could away from the items and tried to eat any toy I put up on shelves in the under-construction nursery.

So what do I do about trained-to-be-food-aggressive Maddy, scared of baby items, and don't take the toys away from the infant problems? Maybe even Drizzle's mouth-kisses, because I could see that either scaring a little one or teaching it that a dog biting you is not scary looking and could lead to problems. And how do I tell my mother that Neeta, no matter how baby-sweet she says she is, can not come near my baby?

Those are the main issues since I am confident about the horses (having been raised around them myself) and knowing the cats are not even getting a chance. I need to get these worries out of the way when we already live in a three story house on top of a steep mountain area (with rivers and ponds everywhere) in the woods on a farm with known panthers, black bears, coyotes, other wild cats, and other dangerous animals that I am having the yard fenced for and got another gun to have just in case. ...And bright infant clothes to match mine for the hunters who pass through often.  

[Vanilla eXee]

Start working with the dogs around children now if possible to see how they react. Never leave the baby unattended with any animals. No matter how good or well trained, accidents can happen. Put those door things on the door knobs (if possible) where you have to press the sides in firmly to open the doors. That way when baby is big enough to open doors, s/he can't get out to the horses.  

[Krissim Klaw]

Maddy is a huge liability at this point with her food aggression, especially if she will also show this aggression around other high value objects like dog chews or toys. One thing I would invest in if you don't already have it is a dog crate and I would get her trained so she is able to comfortably able to eat her meals in the crate. Get in the routine now so when the baby comes she will have a safe secure place to eat that isn't in easy reach of your future toddler.

Likewise you can also work on trying to undo some of her negative opinions about people being around food. You need her to see that you are in control of the food and the provider from, which positive things come. One way to do this is to start hand feeding her meals. Literally one bite at a time. This lets her see you are the one dolling it out and gets her looking too you in a positive light. Instead of her getting tense of you being around her bowl she will start to associate it with getting more food dropped in. By only dropping a piece/couple pieces at a time you also keep her from having anything to guard because the bite will pretty instantly be eaten leaving nothing for her to guard over but instead leaving her looking hopefully back at you for more. It is a slow process but can have great results in the long run.  

[Eileen50]

It can be difficult to get just one pet accustomed to a new baby, but you've got so many pets of various personalities that it will be even harder to get all of them used to new baby around. Definitely never leave your baby unsupervised around your pets. That baby will be crawling and walking before you know it, and s/he will definitely be reaching out for those pets of yours. It sounds as if you know that some of your pets may have an adverse reaction to having a new baby around, so just be prepared to give up one or more of your pets if they cannot be accepting of your new baby.

One thing I can suggest is that you try using a baby doll with your pets around. Set it in the various baby items (stroller, swing, car seat, etc.). Make crying noises and pick up the doll, holding it, rocking it, pretend to feed it, etc. Maybe put a little baby powder or baby lotion on the doll or its clothes, so they get used to the some of the scents associated with babies. I know it's not the same as having a real baby around, but it would be a good place to start.

Once you bring your baby home, your pets will more than likely be very curious and will learn your baby's scent soon enough. If at all possible, let your pets be nearby as you care for your baby. And don't forget to give your pets the attention they need as well, so they hopefully won't get jealous of all the attention you are paying to your new baby. Also, invest in sturdy baby gate(s) to block off certain areas/rooms/stairs from the baby and/or the pets. Believe me, those gates will be very handy to have at some point.

Ask your veterinarian if they have any information on pets and babies. You can also go online to find out how to introduce new babies to established pets. I'm sure there are plenty of sites that can provide you with a whole lot more useful information. Good luck and keep us posted! 3nodding  

[JetAlmeara]

My vet suggested that once the baby ha been born someone in the family bring home a blanket from the hospital that the baby has slept on and letting the pets smell the blanket before introducing them to the actual baby.  

[Kipluck]

I am highly annoyed with doctors/child care professionals who tell expectant mothers to get rid of their pets in preparation for a baby. I have worked in child care for MANY years and have been a responsible animal person for just about as long. You can have both babies and pets. Are there risks? OF COURSE. Toxoplasmosis being the most famous, so, yes if a pregnant woman MUST empty a kitty box (but really, why not make the hubby have that job?) WHERE GLOVES. I think most precautions are about that easy. That and super super super super important NO PET/BABY INTERACTIONS UNSUPERVISED. That is how gerbils get squished, babies fingers get eaten by ferrets, basically anything awful that can happen happens when adults STOP WATCHING.  

[xXGabriella-ShadowfireXx]

I currently have a 3 week old. With the baby stuff I actually ran some of the stuff like the swing, bouncy chair, toys, ect to get my cats use to them. I let them sniff the diapers, wipes, lotions, soaps. So they know what the baby would smell like. I even used the baby lotion on my hands so they would know that the baby is mine and not a toy.

When the baby is born ask the nurses to save the hat that they put on the baby's head right after birth. Usually they throw it out when they give the baby their first bath. But have someone take that back to the house the same day of the birth and let all the animals sniff it. It will help with the transaction.  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

Does the food aggressive dog get free fed? Because my suggestion would be DONT leave food out. When Cowboy has "friends" over, I have to pick up all his bones. He use to let other dogs eat out of his bowl but lately is very possessive and dominant with other dogs. Take away the item and just avoid the aggression all together, that is my suggestion.

The baby items require time, patience, and positive reinforcement.  

[Ivy_sin]

xXGabriella-ShadowfireXx

I currently have a 3 week old. With the baby stuff I actually ran some of the stuff like the swing, bouncy chair, toys, ect to get my cats use to them. I let them sniff the diapers, wipes, lotions, soaps. So they know what the baby would smell like. I even used the baby lotion on my hands so they would know that the baby is mine and not a toy.

When the baby is born ask the nurses to save the hat that they put on the baby's head right after birth. Usually they throw it out when they give the baby their first bath. But have someone take that back to the house the same day of the birth and let all the animals sniff it. It will help with the transaction.

Congratulations ^^! This is good advice -- I wouldn't have thought of the baby lotion or the hat idea, personally. Thank you so much, I will start on these things a bit at a time as things get closer.  

[Ivy_sin]

Gabrielle_AnimalLuver

Does the food aggressive dog get free fed? Because my suggestion would be DONT leave food out. When Cowboy has "friends" over, I have to pick up all his bones. He use to let other dogs eat out of his bowl but lately is very possessive and dominant with other dogs. Take away the item and just avoid the aggression all together, that is my suggestion.

The baby items require time, patience, and positive reinforcement.

All of our dogs eat at the same time in separated spots and they eat everything as soon as you put it down; the only dog who does not sometimes finish her food has it cleaned up quickly by her buddy. Since someone is always in the same room as they are, if any food was left it would get picked up since that has happened a couple of times over the years.

Unless it is Maddy's (aggressor)...then we have to raise our voices and use the side of our leg to scoot her aside while we move up and take the bowl, because, whether she has walked away or not, she will charge up to you growling if she thinks you are going to take it. We've only had to do that those couple of times that she did walk away from it, though we've discovered if she is laying down next to the bowl, we can hand her bits of the food and she will eat it carefully/slowly. As long as she is not standing/sitting upright.  

[xXGabriella-ShadowfireXx]

Ivy_sin

xXGabriella-ShadowfireXx

I currently have a 3 week old. With the baby stuff I actually ran some of the stuff like the swing, bouncy chair, toys, ect to get my cats use to them. I let them sniff the diapers, wipes, lotions, soaps. So they know what the baby would smell like. I even used the baby lotion on my hands so they would know that the baby is mine and not a toy.

When the baby is born ask the nurses to save the hat that they put on the baby's head right after birth. Usually they throw it out when they give the baby their first bath. But have someone take that back to the house the same day of the birth and let all the animals sniff it. It will help with the transaction.

Congratulations ^^! This is good advice -- I wouldn't have thought of the baby lotion or the hat idea, personally. Thank you so much, I will start on these things a bit at a time as things get closer.

thank you and you are welcome. c=