New baby & dog - advice

[gina2007]

Long time no post in here for me!

 

I'm after some advice from someone who has done this (successfully) and what to expect. I'm due to give birth in 8-9 weeks time, and of course I have Molly. She is brilliant with my toddler, but he was here before her. She is clingy and has terrible sep anx, which we are working on. Whilst I've been pregnant though things have changed, and it's looming closer, I'm starting to worry a little! I will be c sectioned, and obviously very tired once we come home. I really want her to be ok with baby and not do anything out of the ordinary. Currently, she sleeps on the end of my bed, I want to change this slowly but how? I know it may seem harsh but I don't want her in the bedroom... And there is no door on my room. Simple solution is put a door on but the reason there isn't one is because of my anxiety attacks (I find it hard to be enclosed in a room) so I'm struggling with ideas. I don't want to just single her out of the room but maybe that's the best way? I refuse to crate her overnight as she just cries and it's very annoying! Though she is crated (and is fine) when we go out (we've asked neighbours and they don't hear her and she cries loud believe me) so I don't know why the crying when we are in bed. If we lock her downstairs, again she cries and is destructive. Any ideas on this please? She happily sometimes sleeps as the top of the stairs but not every night.

 

 

Another thing is, she is clumsy. Likeshes on stilts sometimes, she regularly falls into things and walks into stuff. How can we prepare her to stay away from baby? I don't want her knocking over the Moses basket when I inevitably have to go to the toilet or something leaving them alone.

 

I trust Molly with my whole life. I have never had reason to doubt her around any dog, child, cat or anything. She is the most daft, soft, idiotic dog ever, so I don't think she'd hurt the baby but I obviously need to test her. How would you recommend this? Slowly introducing the 2? Or just come in and act normal? Any prep to be done? I'm not sure how to go about this!

 

 

Thank you for any advice in advance! And a little update on her, she has been here just over a year now and we wouldn't be without her. She is now trained, eating proper dog food, stopped stealing other food (though she still gets excited with the bin sometimes) and she hasn't had any accidents in the house in ages! She's still daft and long legged though, and ugly, but everyone loves her :-)

[kate1984]

my baby is due 14th feb! Have you thought about a baby gate for your bedroom doorway? that way you wont be enclosed in and she could still see you but not be able to get in?

[gina2007]

My fella just suggested this, my only concern is she can jump the gate we have at the minute. If she wants too but she never really "wants" to get to us... It's just somewhere for her to sleep (I think). I am tempted to try this, I really don't want her in my room anymore, her fur etc on my bed, it's just not right. Thanks for that Kate I'm due 8 th march so officially have 11 weeks left but being delivered around 14th feb, get the date on 4th January - if baby stays put that is (keeps threatening to make an early appearance) x

[CHEZZFAYE]

i agree on the gate hun i did that with both of mine as for everything else just take it slowly, i put the moses basket up in the room and taught them to be carefull around it n uv seen my big lad if he can avoid nocking it over im sure moll will.

 

i wouldnt wory too much about intros hun the baby will smell like you, if you want to teach her to come up to you slowly you could allways borrow a doll and use that untill baby arives

[Moonbird]

Why not start crating her in your bedroom now so that she can get used to it, then slowly move the crate out until its in a place that you want her to sleep.

I think it might be quite hard to stop them sleeping with you though once you start it and you need to do this now before the baby arrives to stop her resenting it.

 

Perhaps you could start to show Molly the baby's things and let her get used to them being around, and then when the baby is born get OH to let her sniff the clothes that the baby has worn...wonder if you can get baby noises CD's, the most that you can get her to just be bored with everything baby the better.

[SpeedDemon]

Get a dog gate Gina - works with all our 3. When I brought my last 2 babies home, I let our GSD sniff them, then he sniffed my belly n walked away as though he just knew where they came from. Try to put Moses basket in a corner where there's less chance of it being knocked over, or stick another gate on the lounge n put Mols the other side

Of it when u leave the room

[gina2007]

There's no room to put crate moon. It's under the kitchen table and the only place we can have it. Our bedroom is full I will try the gate thing, have to buy another though when we get paid. Just test her.

 

I think she knows something because she keeps laying on my belly & baby frequently kicks her in the face and she licks my Tshirt/belly.. She never moves or anything and I am convinced she can hear it.

 

Not sure about noises cd. She's a bit dim isn't she moon? And doesn't associate things. Apart from him getting a fag is cue for outside as she jumps up... Might try it with her though. Shes a good dog, I really don't want to go down the route of someone else having her until we're settled (as suggested before) I want to be able to come home and integrate baby into our routine with no jealousy. I've also got my toddler to keep happy too and the bloke... Eerrrrr

[Moonbird]

There's no room to put crate moon. It's under the kitchen table and the only place we can have it. Our bedroom is full I will try the gate thing, have to buy another though when we get paid. Just test her.

 

I think she knows something because she keeps laying on my belly & baby frequently kicks her in the face and she licks my Tshirt/belly.. She never moves or anything and I am convinced she can hear it.

 

Not sure about noises cd. She's a bit dim isn't she moon? And doesn't associate things. Apart from him getting a fag is cue for outside as she jumps up... Might try it with her though. Shes a good dog, I really don't want to go down the route of someone else having her until we're settled (as suggested before) I want to be able to come home and integrate baby into our routine with no jealousy. I've also got my toddler to keep happy too and the bloke... Eerrrrr

Just do it Gina, bring the baby home and let things be the new normal, it will take some time and patience but she will settle and learn, but make changes before the baby comes, it will be fine, Molly is a nice Girly.