Introducing dogs and babies

As the title says really, I'm due in May.
Any tips for helping Penelope and the baby get along?

I have started playing youtube clips of baby crying sound effect and giving her treats while it plays.

Have also bought a little doll that i put to bed in the Moses basket, carry around and pretend to feed and treat her when she's calm around it.

She seems kind of tense

She hasn't shown any aggression or anything but is quite whiney, running up and looking at the doll in the basket a lot and sitting next to me and demanding affection and licking me a lot more when it's in there.

Congratulations
Wonderful news
Do you have friends/family with a baby,maybe get them to visit so she'll get use to their little sounds and seeing you holding him/her.
Mine doesn't pass much remarks Untill I have the baby on my knee,or walking around with her,then I get Lacey's full attention,don't think she likes that very much,a bit jealous Not that she would do any harm just would prefer someone else was giving the cuddles!!

Congratulations

Funny you should mention it but got this from our dog school this morning........

I don't have any advice because we have no little 'uns but just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS!! What lovely news

Great news - an exciting time!

It's so long ago that I brought my baby home I really can't remember much of what we did. Blodwen, my border collie bitch, was about 10 and I don't think she'd ever met a baby in her life. I do remember getting my husband to carry the baby in when I came back from the hospital so I could be free to make a big fuss of the dog. I think we let her sniff him to satisfy her curiosity, and that was about it - we just got on with it.

The advice from Imana-Banana's dog school looks pretty sensible.

Good luck!

Been missing you lately,hope you're o.k Sorry OT xx

All the things you are doing sound good. In my experience, we did all those things and when we returned home we called our dog sitter who brought Tonks over and she was very excited and wanted to investigate our tiny bundle at 100 mph leaping all over the place and sniffing very forcefully. When she was moved away from the baby she began screaming and barking. Tonks is four stone and very strong and although I knew her true nature was gentle I wasn't happy with how she was behaving so the dog sitter took her away straight away and I called my behaviourist friend who came round and assessed her (luckily for free). He was certain she was not trying to hurt the baby but also certain, like I was, that she could hurt the baby accidentally. Then began a long quite tricky period of baby gates, harnesses and generally juggling. She wasn't allowed in the same room with me and the baby unless Paul was home and she was on a harness and lead. We didn't not aske her to do anything but clicked and treated and shaped calm lying down. When I was by myself I did a lot of learning to breast feed while sitting on the floor next to the baby gate talking to Tonks and clicking and treating calm behaviour. It s hard work...but worth it. Fast forward 8-10 weeks and she a fine to be in the room with us. Fast forward six months and she loved to sit next to Merryn. Fast forward 12 months and she would stand still while Merryn was balancing herself leaning gently on her learning to walk. Fast forward 17 months and she took the arrival of our second baby completely in her stride but I did handle the arrival so much better. She was at home and we all arrived home from the hospital together, me, Paul, 17 month old Merryn and baby Carys. We walked in as if nothing had happened, put carys in the car seat on the work surface while we greeted Tonks and settled her down and she only gave carys a cursory sniff later on when I was feeding. Fast forward to today and you could have a more child friendly and tolerant dog ever, they often all snuggle up together and the children do lean against her sucking their thumbs while they watch tv. She gives then a lick and then dozes off to sleep, she actively loves them snuggling up and will get on the sofa next to them for a cuddle.

I suppose what I'm saying is the hard work doesn't end with the preparation and your hormones and emotional state can have a real affect on dogs as well, but with careful management and positive training it can all come good in the end. I also made sure I had loads of stuffed kongs, chews, and bones etc to keep her occupied when she was on the other side of the gate. Tonks paid no attention to the sound of the crying baby doll or sounds cd I had, but then she is not that's sound sensative unlike collies, but she did use to scream when Merryn cried in those first early week....but you can over come any glitches. Good luck and congratulations!

Hi, there. I don't have any children and never will... but there are many small kids about where I live and at the local park, where my puppy goes to play. Jade has a pretty strong dislike and distrust of children, so she is left at home rather than forced to interact with them.

Nigredo knocked down a small, barely walking child when he was young... by accident of course. Mind you he's a Lab/Great Pyr mixed puppy which are naturally very loving of children. But they are quite big, pretty strong, and naturally heavy footed, putting all their weight behind their leaps.

He was trying to steal a stick from the kid! The kid was not injured at all, but it let me know he'd need some training if he was to be around small children. He was kept on lead around the kids for a while from then on, and though it made him more nervous to be on lead with kids around him... he didn't do any terrible jumping.

Soon, I started handing the kids treats to give him while he was lying down, and he began to warm up to this. With enough time and patience, he's learned to like the little things and now lays down or sits expecting a treat and if not given one... stays nice and still while they pet him and make a huge fuss over him.

He is now over 60 pounds and I always have to announce his age for people to know it. He is less than 10 months old. As I get compliments after announcing his age, I usually sit there beaming with pride.

Mind you, these are not babies... who are immobile, these are very small toddlers and slightly older children. He has met one baby... which he proceeded to slurp ALL over the face, the babies mother thought it was cute, but gross. Me, as well.

If I had a baby (Jade notwithstanding) then I'd certainly be WAY more worried about the him licking the baby in the face/mouth than anything else. Nigredo knows to not jump on them or use them as chew toys... but he will lick a baby in the face and mouth and totally not want to stop