Big Dogs and Babies on the Way

By Armin Brott

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The question:
We just found out yesterday that my wife is pregnant with our first child. We currently have two 100-pound lab mixes who are a part of the family (not just pets). Are we going to have trouble getting the pups accustomed to a new "human puppy" around the house?

Armin Brott answers:
How are the dogs personality-wise? Are they aggressive, overprotective, territorial? Could they possibly confuse a neatly wrapped up baby with a chewable toy? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, that could be an indicator of possible problems, and you may have to consider keeping the dogs outside. If that's the case, get them started as soon as possible. (Another thing to do right now is make sure the dogs' shots are current and that they're flea-free.)

Start preparing your dogs for the baby well in advance
You might want to download some baby crying sounds from the Internet and play them every few hours to get the dogs used to the sound. If you've got friends or relatives with infants, invite them over in the last month or so of the pregnancy so the dogs can check out what a baby looks like, acts like, sounds like, etc.

During the last few weeks of the pregnancy, start leaving baby toys around, set up the baby's room and let the dogs check out the crib, changing table, diapers, wipes, etc.

After the baby's born, but before you bring him/her home from the hospital, bring the dogs something that the baby's been in - a onesie, a receiving blanket, a diaper or something similar - that will give them a little bit of time to get used to the smell of the real thing.

When you do come home, have someone other than you or your wife bring the baby into the house. The dogs will probably have missed you, and may need some quality time with you before they're ready to meet their new "sibling."

These articles might also be of interest to you:

• Bringing home baby: Preparing young children
• Childproofing your home before baby crawls
• Plan for pets when arranging a vacation
• Pregnancy's almost over: Preparing for baby

Time Magazine as "the superdad’s superdad," Armin Brott has written or co-written six critically acclaimed, groundbreaking books on fatherhood. Armin has been a guest on hundreds of radio and television shows, including Today, CBS Overnight, Fox News, and Politically Incorrect, and his work on fatherhood has been featured in such places as Glamour, Time, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune and many others. A father of three, he lives in Oakland, California. You can contact him at Armin@MrDad.com. For more from "Mr Dad" Armin Brott, click here.