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Big Dogs And Babies On The Wayby Armin Brott, 11/01/04Your 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, etc--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." About Armin: A nationally recognized parenting expert, Armin Brott is the author of The New Father: A Dadís Guide to the First Year, Father for Life, The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be; A Dadís Guide to the Toddler Years, Throwaway Dads, and The Single Father: A Dadís Guide to Parenting without a Partner. He has written on parenting and fatherhood for the New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, Newsweek and dozens of other periodicals. Armin serves on the board of advisors of the Men's Health Network in Washington, DC. He also hosts ěPositive Parentingî, a nationally distributed, weekly talk show, and lives with his family in Oakland, California. Visit Armin at http://www.mrdad.com. |
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