Big dogs and a newborn

[Best Things]

We have two large dogs. Nobody loves our DD and takes care of her better than our dogs. They're so smitten.

[SpicyTurtle]

We have 2 huge dogs, I thought I'd never hear the end of it when I was pregnant with my 1st baby "those dogs will have to go outside now" "they'll stand on him" "they'll bite him" so on so forth. Anyway DS is now 2.5 and loves them to death and vice versa. We just gave the dogs things to smell of DS while I was in hospital and then let them sniff him a lot when we got home, never left them alone together (they don't know their weight and could easily stand on him). They were such good dogs to start with which helps.

[DarcyJ]

I think it depends a lot on the temperament of your dogs. Our dogs are hyper, jumpy, overly excitable nutbags and yes, they would happily stand on someone and not even realise. They also have a licking problem. So we kept them away from DS when he was tiny. They were allowed to see him and hear him but they were kept away and not allowed to touch. As he got older, we slowly introduced him, first being held or sitting on our laps and eventually he got to the point of actually playing with them. They love him, but I would never leave them alone with him and they have accidentally knocked him over plenty of times too.

[BbBbBh]

I got a rescue dog when DD was 2 and a bit. He had only been around kids a little bit so I was anxious. The first time he met her he jumped on her and I told him 'down, she's just little'. It took him about 45 mins to get it and he never jumped on her again. He is a wolfhound kelpie cross and the biggest threat is his tail which he wags so hard that if you get hit, it hurts. Now that she talks well I get her to take his food bowl outside, she tells him to sit, wait and then eat. If he doesn't do what she says she waits until he does. She also feeds him her crusts and stuff on the sly which I turn a blind eye to. She does get a bit annoyed though that he won't eat the veges she doesn't want to eat herself! And whilst I keep an eye on them I will still find her bed empty and she's gone to sleep on him in his bed. The worst he has done to her is growled one time in the car. I knew she had done something and she told me she had tried to squeeze milk out of his nipples When we go to the dog park he will run around as usual but if he sees certain dogs getting to close to her he will growl at them or walk circles around her to protect her.

I agree with a pp. You do have to establish that she is senior to the dogs but also include them in the family unit as they always have been. Dogs do get jealous and you wouldn't want them to feel that towards your child. A trainer told me she bought a stash of treats for the first few months and everytime the dogs went near her newborn she would quickly give her dog a treat so the dog associated the baby with something positive. I found one of the most difficult things was getting the dog used to my dd's stroller and walking beside the stroller on a lead. He hated it for ages but will now go and wait beside it for a walk.

[MrsA2B]

Subscribing - thanks for sharing your experiences everyone. We have a big 35kg boofhead at home who is great with other kids and lovely natured, but I'm 13 weeks pregnant so looking for all the advice I can get about introducing him to small babies.

[TaylorMade]

Our staffy cross is a rescue dog who is very affectionate but doesn't know her own strength. When DD was born, she was introduced to the dogs (we also have a little terrier cross) but was strictly off limits. Then as she got older, more mobile & very interested in them, they had more supervised play time, and now they're all friends. DD adores the dogs, lets them lick her, pats & cuddles them and gets their biscuits out of their bowl and tries to hand feed them. She's been knocked over in the course of play but they have never once snapped at her, no matter what she does.
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[Fi Poledancer]

Thank you ladies I really appreciate the tips and experiences, very reassuring!!

[Fi Poledancer]

So I'm still struggling a bit with this issue. I heard from my sister that my parents are sill *****ing about how worried they are about the dogs even though I have told them we have a plan and are preparing the dogs for bubs arrival. They just don't listen and it makes me feel like they don't trust that I'll keep my baby safe - although I know that's an overreaction because I'm a bit defensive. I don't know whether to say something to them or just wait til baby is here to prove them wrong. I wish they would just say it to my face and then respect my response!!

[VirgoMama]

I'm in no way disagreeing with what others have said but as a person who didn't really grow up with pets, I 'think' I am probably similar to your folks (I am not trying to p anyone off, just let u know that there are others out there like your folks & neither one is 'right' or 'wrong', we just think differently about it!)

I have 2 friends with staffies & one has just had a baby & the other is planning them soon & I am nervous about it all the time. I have never taken my kids to their houses (& likely never will) as all I can think of are all the stories in the news about a previously 'lovely natured' dog who 'never' showed signs of aggression before they have severely injured a child or worst. It is like vaccination to me. I can control the possible damage to my children by the choices I make. Taking my children around dogs such as these is never, ever going to happen. At the end of the day (TO ME) they are animals & unable to be predicted all of the time. I am NOT an animal hater. My husband has always had pets & now our youngest is nearly 3 we'll be getting a dog soon (his dog he had for 17 years died shortly before we had kids...it was devastating). I just have never & will never be the sort of person who thinks it's ok to have

[VirgoMama]

Sorry sent too soon...

the sort of person to allow an animal the size of, or bigger than, my child & let it lie down next to it! It doesn't matter what my friends say or do, I will never, ever change my mind. Like, ever.

If you're interested in keeping the peace with your folks, you might just have to take the bub to their house for visits cause they prob won't change their minds! 😎