# Introducing a new baby to a crazy labrador.



## duggy (Sep 16, 2008)

Got a 2 yr old bitch lab. Fantastic personality, a little over enthusiastic when guests first arrived with the jumping and licking.

We are having our first baby in Novemberand I was wondering:

1. Is there anything we should be doing now to prepare the impending union?
2. How we should go about introducing her to the baby?
3. Any tips, tricks or no nos (apart from leaving the two alone)

Thanks


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## staflove (Sep 4, 2008)

My sister as just had a baby, i have a staffy shes a good dog but you can never be to sure with any dog, i would just say never leave the baby which i no you wont anyway, and involve the dog go for walks with the pram and take her with you, dogs can get jelouse but i think you will be fine, send some pic of baby when he or she arrives


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## Swish (Sep 18, 2008)

The licking isn't too much of a problem, but the jumping is.

I really would like to know more about the personality of your dog before I can make a more exact assessment, but jumping may be your dog's way of trying to match you in height, which means she's trying to dominate you or at least think she can or has dominated you. If that's the case, then things will need to change before the baby joins the pack, as the dog will NEED to learn that you, your spouse and most importantly the baby, are all higher up in the chain of command. Otherwise the dog could try and evaluate what position in the pack the baby is and thats when things can get very dangerous.

If possible, can you post a typical day with the dog detailing as much as possible about her behaviour? How she walks, how she is around with others, who's fed first etc.


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## Guest (Sep 18, 2008)

I'd like to know too as when zach is around 2/3 I expect we will be having children. He is growing up to be super friendly and very hyper around children and all visitors really... so I'm a little worried eek


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## Swish (Sep 18, 2008)

The trick is to make sure the dog isn't allowed to get too excited around the little ones, its hard enough when all the little ones want to do is chase his tail, grab hold of him or try and mount him like a horse.

I live on the back of a massive park which has a playgroup everyday going on, so my Mal is now used to kids coming up screaming "doggy!" in his ear and trying to ride him, poor thing, lol, he gets so abused by them and their mucky hands. Its just a matter of socialising, if you make sure that the dog greets the baby in a calm and very submissive way then the dogs will realise that they have to respect children. Although, you really have to be sure that your dog knows that you're leader before you start doing so because I have seen cases of bitches protecting babies from mothers because the dog didn't think the mother was fit enough to protect the baby.

Of course... those cases always end with the dog being put down because the owners misread the entire situation thinking the dog would harm their baby. But then, I have heard stories as well of dogs never being taught any better and thinking that a baby is fair game to play with. Mind you, it didn't help the fact that the dog was a Rottie and let's be honest, they hardly get the fairest judgement.

Dogs and babies are generally fine, if it was me personally, I would teach the dog that he isn't allowed in the babies room, he isn't allowed to get excited when baby is around and nothing other than a calm and submissive approach is allowed within 10 feet of the baby. The only worry is this dog's 'craziness' which will need to be calmed down before the baby arrives, controlled excitement is fine, but nothing hyper.

If the jumping up IS a sign of dominance, then that also needs some sorting out. You won't need to get rid of the dog or anything... you'd just need to place some boundaries for the dog and give it limits, by all means, I can certainly help with that if you believe that the dog is displaying signs of dominance.

Some signs are: Pulling on the lead, jumping up/standing on everyone he meets, growls at visitors, pushes past you through doors or has to race you up the stairs (and sits at the top, again, using height to dominate you) or even growl at lunchtime.

Like other things though, one or two on their own is okay, a combination of most and yeah, you're dog thinks he's boss.


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## Katherna (Feb 20, 2008)

duggy said:


> Got a 2 yr old bitch lab. Fantastic personality, a little over enthusiastic when guests first arrived with the jumping and licking.
> 
> We are having our first baby in Novemberand I was wondering:
> 
> ...


Get the dog used to the pram / crib etc; being out. Allow the dog to sniff these so it's not suddenly something thats large appearing in the room.
When you get back from hospital the dog is going to be excited to see mum, so dad should carry the baby in the car seat into the house whilst mum greets / says hello the dog (this gets the excitement out of the way and creates a little calm). Place the baby in it's seat on the floor and allow the dog to gently sniff at the baby. Obviously keeping a very very close eye in the dog. Pop the baby in it's pram or crib after the initial introduction. Watch how the dog responds whenthe baby cries as well, some aren't bothered and others get upset when the baby cries. Allow the dog contact with the baby when you are holding it (the baby that is not the dog).
Invest in a baby gate / dog gate so that the dog or baby can have time out from each other (when the midwife comes around to check mum, and so that the dog gets used to it all - my dog cried at first when shut away from the baby), the gate will be useful for when the baby gets bigger as well for time outs for both of them. Try to get the baby once it's at the grabbing age to not grab the dog, and if need be get a playpen for the baby so that the dog can spend time with the family without having the extra worry that the baby is going to grab at the dog.
Those things are what I did when introducing my dog to the new baby and now they're as thick as thieves, the dog will cry to go out so that the two of them can play ball. She's as gentle as a lamb with him even when he's rough with her. If he goes to sleep on the sofa during the day (he's 2.5 now) she will lay at the bottom of the sofa watching him, and as soon as he is awake they're off again. He has had to learn not to be too rough with the dog, and to repect her. He now gets her lead out of the drawer and asks her if she wants to go for a walk, he puts the lead on her back and they walk down the hall together with him giving her the occasional 'sit' or 'heel' command. 
Lots of people I know were asking me if I was getting rid of the dog and the cats, they couldn't understand that I knew the animals would be okay with the baby (okay this would be the third time I'd introduced babies to animals) but with these ones it would be a new experience for all of them. My son is now a confirmed animal lover.


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## duggy (Sep 16, 2008)

Typical day for Duggy.
Wake up come upstairs whilst we get changed.
Take her out (she walks to a heel mostly), let her run like mad in a field.
Come back make breakfast for all of us, she normally gets her food put down as we're about to eat.
She then relaxes/snoozes for most of the morning, take her out at lunch for a quick walk. She's left on her own in the afternoon.
6.30ish come home, take her out again for a walk, then relax.

She rarely jumps up at us, she's usually calm when we come back from time away. It's other people that she gets excited with unfortunately.
After the initial excitement of meeting someone she will leave them be, the occassionaly glance and wag is all they get.
She's met children before, quite a lot. She finds them very intriging, and does get very excited and snuffly with them. The children who are old enough usually push her out of the way and she'll go back to her business.

In terms of personality, I have never seen her growl at another dog, person or child - she once growled at a slug which had crawled on her tennis ball though.
Never bitten, not particularly mouthy, knows all the basic commands and 9/10 responds perfectly to them. What else, never jumps up at the side to steal food - never steals or begs for food.
Very happy, confident and outgoing dog but is quite often overcome by excitement and jumps up at people (and dogs)


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## widgetdog35 (Apr 25, 2008)

Sorry to lazy to read all the advice but the bits i have looked good.
My little girl is two now and i was worried about my dogs just started little and often in a controlled way did not shut them out of our lifes as i thought this might make a problem i would never leave her allone with them at first and always watched my old bitch but we nolonger have her as she would growl at her but my lab and collies have taken to her well she rides them! brushes them and plays for hours.
All my dogs look after her and she is growing up a good animal lover who is caring towards animals unlike some brats u see kicking dogs etc.

Good luck and hope you enjoy the new family


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## Swish (Sep 18, 2008)

She sounds like a beaut duggy. The only thing which I can pretty much add is the bit right out of the 'perpetual state of the bleeding obvious' book which is to not leave them both unsupervised.

As long as she is kept calm around the baby, she should be fine. A lot of bitches have a sort of maternal instincts over the nippers anyway and are usually great with them.

(the barking at the slug made me laugh though, Chinook has growled at them before, lol)


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## Loulou81 (Dec 14, 2012)

Hi everyone. I am in a similar situation as I am 6 months pregnant and we have a 1 year old chocolate labrador (Rory)and I have to admit I am really concerned about his behaviour and what to do when the baby arrives. 
We recently had a couple of one on one sessions with a dog behaviourist whom I believe was very good as he showed us certain techniques to use to help Rory's behaviour but it hasn't been a magic cure even though we are really trying our best.
Rory is a very boisterous and lively dog and we have a problem with him jumping up. he jumps up everyone he meets, he jumps up me (which isn't good with me being pregnant) and he also jumps up the kitchen sides looking for food and jumps on the sofas when he's having one of his mad moments. 
He is a great dog with a lovely personality and I don't believe he is aggressive at all although we still have a problem with him mouthing. For example he has jumped up people before and bit their clothing, he jumps up me a lot and bites my clothes and my arms and legs. The dog behaviourist told us this was Rory being playful but it's still not nice as it hurts! 
He pulls on the lead too which is a big problem as I struggle to walk him now. He chews things up (the sofa, my shoes, anything he can get his paws on). Also when me and my partner sit down to eat dinner he will sit next to the table and bark constantly. When we are watching tv he will come aand sit in front of us and bark and bark for attention. It's really got to the point where I can't relax at home anymore and am spending more time at my parent's house or friends or I watch tv upstairs to escape!Sounds terrible doesn't it and I hate living like this. I know that we are to blame for his behaviour and his training as we have been too soft on him from the beginning,I think this is mainly because he had an operation when he was young and we felt sorry for him so were too soft. But we have been trying really hard to put the new training into practice. We know why Rory acts the way he does, he thinks hes pack leader, he thinks he rules the roost but it's just trying to change this. I worry we wont have his behaviour sorted by the time the baby arrives (just 4 months away). We love rory dearly and its really upsetting to think we may have to consider rehoming him but at the end of the day I must put my baby first. It has caused a lot of worry and stress for me and me and my partner have many rows about it. If anyone has any advice to help my situation I would be very grateful as I am at the end of my tether.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Great site here:

Family Paws-New parent classes dog and baby

Also look here for info on babies/children and dogs.

http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/TheSafetyZoneHandout.pdf
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/children_and_dogs doc.pdf
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/preparing_pet_for_baby.pdf
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/dogsandbabies.pdf
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/teachingchildtobegentle.pdf
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/whydogsbite.pdf
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/theabcsofdogsafety.pdf
KCRA Dog Bite Prevention I drsophiayin.com - YouTube
http://www.cleverdogcompany.com/tl_files/factsheets/Children and Dogs.pdf
http://www.apbc.org.uk/system/files/private/advice_sheet_13.pdf

Safety Around Dogs Information | Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors

APBC Safety Around Dogs 
Safety Around Dogs Information | Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors

Blue Cross - Be safe with dogs
Blue Cross - Be safe with dogs

The Blue Dog 
All you ever wanted to know about dogs - The Blue Dog

Dog Bite Prevention in Children
Welcome to our Dog Bite Prevention Website -- UT College of Veterinary Medicine

Doggone Safe
Doggone Safe - Home

The Dogs Trust - Learn with Dogs
Learn with Dogs

Family Paws Parent Education
Family Paws-New parent classes dog and baby

The Kennel Club Safe and Sound Scheme
The Kennel Club Safe and Sound Portal

Books

And Baby Makes Four
Penny Scott-Fox

The Canine Commandments
By Kendal Shepherd

Childproofing your Dog 
Brian Kilcommons

Happy Kids, Happy Dogs
Barbara Shumannfang

Puppy Training for Kids
Sarah Whitehead

Your Dog and your Baby
Sylvia Hartmann-Kent

Kids and Dogs 
Ruth Weston and Dr Catriona Ross

Parenting with Pets
Christine Hamer and Margaret Havel

Living with Kids and Dogs - without losing your mind
Coleen Pelar

CDs

Sounds Good Baby

http://216.119.127.66/store/index.php?p=product&id=14&parent=2


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

http://www.cleverdogcompany.com/tl_files/factsheets/Jumping up.pdf
Preventing Jumping on Strangers | Karen Pryor Clicker Training
ClickerSolutions Training Treasures -- Quick Fix for a Jumping Dog

Four Feet on the Floor: Jumping Up Behaviour in Dogs and Puppies - YouTube

Does your dog jump all over people when he meets them? Are your friends reluctant to visit? Do you wish that your dog would be calm and polite when people arrive?
Just imagine that you can take your dog to the pub, or to visit in someone elses home and he will settle down quietly while you chat with friends. With Sarahs methods, your dog can become a model citizen with this easy-to-follow training session.
Including:
 Why dogs jump up at some people and not at others
 Strategies to enlist your family and friends to help with your dogs training
 One easy rule to prevent jumping up
 How to teach your dog to settle calmly no matter what else is going on
Teaching your dog to be calm and sensible when visitors arrive is on the wish list of many dog owners, and its simple to achieve with Sarahs advice and practical strategies.
The pack contains: A clicker, tab handle, training manual, instructional DVD: 55 mins approx running time including Bonus trick, Bonus Training Session, Intro to Clicker Training, Q & A with Sarah.

Dogtrain.co.uk


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/loose_leash_diagramed.doc
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/letsgoforawalktogether.pdf
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/strolling_on_lead.doc
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/walkingyourdogwithheadhalter.pdf
http://www.apdt.co.uk/documents/Looselead_000.pdf
http://www.cleverdogcompany.com/tl_files/factsheets/Pulling on the lead.pdf
How to Teach Loose-Leash Walking | Karen Pryor Clicker Training
Leash Walking « Ahimsa Dog Blog
http://www.pawsitivelydogs.co.uk/LLW.pdf

Look under loose leash walking here:

ClickerSolutions Training Articles Contents

Books:

My dog pulls what do I do? 
By Turid Rugaas
Help, my dog pulls on the lead 
by Erica Peachey
Can't Pull, Won't Pull 
By Alison Rowbotham

DVD

Your Clever Dog: How to stop your dog pulling on the lead
Sarah Whitehead

Why dogs pull: the secret your dog doesn't want you to know; How to stop pulling instantly; What you need to do before you even attach the lead; Why the type of walks you go on matter.
Includes: Training DVD, training manual, clicker, tote bag.

Dogtrain.co.uk


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2012)

More good dog and baby articles:

Good Dogs Don't Bite Children, Do They? | Dogs and Babies

Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Get "Magnetized" to Dogs | Dogs and Babies


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