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Parenting

Beloved pet dog and new baby

15 replies

mamabrownbear · 26/12/2012 20:42

We are 21 weeks and starting to think about how to handle our number one girl (7 year old westie) with the new girl. Has anyone else had experience of westies with new borns? In particular we are thinking about sleeping arrangements - a cot would seem safer than a Moses basket at night? All advice very welcome

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Floralnomad · 26/12/2012 20:48

If the dog currently sleeps in your room or upstairs you need to get her used to sleeping downstairs before the baby arrives , and get a gate to make sure she stays there. If you do it now she won't associate the move with the arrival of the baby.

silverangel · 26/12/2012 21:55

We have a cairn, so simmilar, we got him when I was ten weeks pregnant with twins. We put the pram up before they arrived and let him see it, same with the car seats. When they were in hospital we took home their dirty laundry so he could sniff it. He was brilliant and is nothing but looving towards them and now they are toddlers they love him and get excited about seeing him every morning. Good luck, I'm sure your PFB will love the newborn!

Skiffen · 26/12/2012 22:00

I agree re: sleeping. We have a JRT, and she was not allowed upstairs with gates to stop her, we also put a gate on one of our reception rooms so that i had easy ways to securely separate them in the case of answering the door etc.

Learning to walk on the lead with the pram is a change and if you can get any practice in with friends' pushchairs that may be a good idea.

Skiffen · 26/12/2012 22:26

I agree re: sleeping. We have a JRT, and she was not allowed upstairs with gates to stop her, we also put a gate on one of our reception rooms so that i had easy ways to securely separate them in the case of answering the door etc.

Learning to walk on the lead with the pram is a change and if you can get any practice in with friends' pushchairs that may be a good idea.

TeenaH · 27/12/2012 23:16

Great question!! I was worried about my Westie - Max, when I was pregnant with my first child, Sara. He liked to jump up and sleep on the beds and couches which I worried about with my bub in her bassinet. I used a book called Tell Your Dog You're Pregnant: An essential guide for dog owners who are expecting a baby. It was really helpful and came with a CD of sounds. Max (my fur child!) took some time to get used to the sounds but the book helped on how to do it. It also talked about sleeping arrangements and other issues that I had not even thought of. Maybe that will help you too!

mamabrownbear · 28/12/2012 22:48

Thanks! I'll try that! We love having our dog in bed with us, don't want her world to change too much but realise we will need to re-establish boundaries. But still have our doggy snuggles!

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TeenaH · 04/01/2013 06:08

Happy to help! Let me know how you go with your Westie - I have some great photos of Max and bubba!

LetThereBeCupcakes · 04/01/2013 18:29

Mama we have labs and also love having them in bed with us (it's a big bed - it needs to be!). We've set the nursery up so that there's a bed in there next to the cot, which I'll be in with baby in the cot. DH and the dogs will stay in our room. I didn't want to turf them out of the bedroom for what would probably only be a six month period!

We also bought the tell your dog you're pregnant book - really useful. Neither of my two paid any interest to the sounds on the CD though, so we'll have to see what they're like with the real thing. They're used to me cuddling something else though (we have rabbits) and they know that when the rabbits are on my lap being groomed they must stay back, which I hope will help. The only thing that I think might be an issue is cuddly toys - we'll have to make sure the dogs don't get hold of any as they'll destroy them. Imagine the trauma to a young child!

DC is due in 2 weeks so we'll see how we get on!

mamabrownbear · 04/01/2013 19:54

Yes please let me know how you get on! Our fur children are still very important. Introduced our westie to the pram the other day, little bit of barking then she sniffed it and ignored it so progress! Good luck over the next couple of weeks and any advice once baby is home would be great. We still have 4 months to prep fur child!

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LetThereBeCupcakes · 04/01/2013 20:00

I'll do my best to remember. I've found it quite depressing how many people have told me I'll no longer love my dogs when the baby arrives - I find that VERY hard to believe, they are still part of our family. My biggest concerns are logistics over walks (2 big dogs + pram could be tricky) and training - I love taking them to their weekly training class and I hate the thought of missing out! It's the one activity I do to socialise etc so I'm keen to keep it up. Hopefully after a few weeks DH can be in charge of baby for a couple of hours each week!

mamabrownbear · 04/01/2013 22:24

Agreed, my DH can look after baby while I spend quality time with my number 1 girl ;). Looking forward our daughter joining our family but needed to make sure both she and the dog are happy and safe. Good luck!

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stifnstav · 04/01/2013 22:30

We wrapped DS in a teatowel each day in hospital and DH took it back for Dog to have a sniff of. Repeated it each day.

Midwives were unphased by the whole "urchin baby wrapped in a teatowel" thing when we mentioned the dog, so it mustn't be that unusual.

DS loves Dog but Dog largely ignores DS, aside from the occasional face-lick.

Purplehonesty · 04/01/2013 22:44

My inlaws have a westie and she is quite hyper/snappy but she has never been a problem with either of my two babies. She has had a sniff and then basically ignored them despite the babies being fascinated with her!
We have two collies and did the whole bring home the baby clothes thing and put up a gate at the bottom of the stairs.
They ignore the kids too, cheeky lick or grab at toy but I have never been worried about them being in the same room.
We moved when we had dd and now live in a very quiet country place so they are outside all day really. It is true what people say, the dogs were my babies before he kids came along. Now I just don't want them in the house, the mess, the mud on the floors where two little people play and eat and walks are hard when it's minus two all the time and you have a toddler and a newborn.
I feel really sad that it has come to this and although they sleep in the house in the utility room and come in the lounge occasionally when the kids are in bed it's just not the same.
Poor dogs. At least they have 3 acres to run around in and some cosy kennels.
And to add insult to injury I ran one of them over with my car a few months back. Thankfully it was just a sore paw but man did I feel bad.

Sheshelob · 05/01/2013 00:47

We have a Westie cross who we had for about a year before the real one came along. The months before our boy arrived, she got pretty insecure because I got a pretty strong aversion to her (which only got better after I stopped breastfeeding). She started to hold regular dirty protests on our carpet (nothing like the strong smell of dog piss when you're pregnant). We crated her at night until after the baby was born, and she settled right down. During the day, she had an accessible box of toys by her bed, and plenty of training and treats.. She was absolutely brilliant by the time the baby came. She doesn't even touch his toys. The only glitch was when she was faced with a room full of babies when our boy was 3 months old. While she is completely aware of our baby, all others were seemingly invisible to her, which we discovered when she ran OVER an infant face to get to us.

The best thing about having a dog when they start eating real food is you never have to sweep under a high chair. Bonus.

MJP1 · 05/01/2013 10:43

Great thread my fur baby is a 2 year old border terrier Lily, she is our princess and we have been slowly introducing her to the new baby things, like the pram, nursery, soft toys, I really think she does understand " No thats for the baby",

she's lovely natured and has met some little kids and babies and is fab with them.
I plan to do the baby smelly rag thing with the baby and her, and CANNOT wait to have have the bub and be physically able to get out and about for decent walks with the whole family. I have spd and live in a very hilly area and at 36 I can barely move I hate it.

Lily really is part of the family and we have factored her in at every step, although I am sure she will hate walking next to the bugaboo as im sure to run over her little paws many times, so hopefully the slings will be a success.

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