How to introduce a baby and a dog?

Question

I am pregnant but I am just thinking ahead. I have a little yorkipoo, who will be about a 1 1/2 years old. He definately never showed aggression towards anything so far, so I am not worried about that. However he is a lap dog and jumps on me when I'm sitting on the couch or laying in bed, he just comes and jumps. He's hyperactive and lets' just say he is not calm.

I just started to think of this because I was watching "A Baby's Story" on TV and when the baby started crying my dog jumped from the couch onto the coffee table and then got as close as he could to the tv and he was just staring and tilting his head side to side trying to understand what the noise was. How can I teach him to be calm especially around a baby?

Answer 1

Oh dear. Not good when you have a baby. You'll be nursing and he'll jump up etc... he might get jealous too...

Answer 2

I would recommend to begin training him now.  Take him to classes if necessary.  It is pretty stressful on the dog to bring a new baby home especially since the dog's level of attention that he is used to drops so much.  

Our dog (65pd Boxer mix) has done a lot better with the transition than I could have hoped for and he was the baby of the family before we brought our son home a month ago.

Good for you for thinking about this situation in advance and I wish you all the best.

Answer 3

My father has two small lap dogs, my home is animal free. His dogs had never been around children especially not an infant. We had been on edge about bringing the baby around the dogs but we left him in his carrier, let the dogs sniff around the baby, we let them investigate him a bit. Then on the next visit we took the baby out. Now 7 months later the baby can play on the floor with the dogs.

You aren't alotted that kind of time and sadly small lap dogs have a tendency to become agressive when jealous.

Answer 4

Send dad home from the hospital a day early with a blanket the baby was swaddled in and let the dog smell it. This way, the baby's scent will be familiar to the dog. My ex-husband had a dog and we did this when we took  our son home.

Teach him to be calm by BEING calm. If you are jumpy, the dog will be jumpy as well. BTW: squirting the dog with water will only serve to antagonize the dog.  

Answer 5

Have a spray bottle with water in it next to you all the time. Whenever your dog jumps spray it with the cold water. That way he will know not to do it. Also, as soon as your baby comes home, let your dog smell her and see what she is.