The first introduction between your pet (dog) and your baby

Yeah, I’m curious too... I have two dwarf keeshonden, one of which is a bitch and really quite dominant... I’m not worried at all about the male. He’s fine with everything. He’d never do anything. But what I’ve heard is that you do need to include the dog in everything... So I hope there are still people here who can share their experiences.

We also have a dog (a Cavalier) and the transition to having a little one at home was actually really easy. Our dog is a bit older now, but she was very calm and sweet with the baby. Animals instinctively know that babies aren't something to mess with and that they're not dangerous either. So we didn't have to do anything extra to get the dog used to the little one. I've heard from several people that they give the baby's dirty diaper to the dog to sniff. The most important thing is still to keep giving your dog attention so she doesn't get jealous, but also to make sure she understands that she's no longer number one and that the baby comes first. It's also handy to let the visitors know to pet the dog first before looking at the baby.

I was raised with 2 German Shepherds. These dogs were already with my parents before I was born.
What they did was from day 1 that I was home, they walked me to those dogs, allowed sniffing, but not licking. I don't know if your dogs come inside? At our house, they were mostly outside during the day and inside they had their own spot, they weren't allowed to roam freely inside.
Otherwise, just keep liking your dogs and give them as much attention as you do now. That way, less changes for the dog and he can't get jealous. E.g., do you always greet your dog when you come home? Keep doing that!
This is what my parents always told me, it even got to the point that one of those 2 dogs protected me enormously. No one was allowed to pick me up unless it was my parents This might be extreme but I mention this to show that the dogs always saw me as someone who belonged to the family. We never had any problems with it, I hope you find this useful.

Yeah, it's really nice that you all responded so warmly. But I've got a pretty dominant and jealous little one... Until you start petting her, then she's all cuddly. But yeah... a baby/toddler doesn't do that... And she's already bitten at other kids once. Now she can't bite hard... but still... It does worry me a bit.

I'm also really curious to hear about your experiences here! I have 2 Frisian Stabyhoun (hunting dogs) at home. Right now, they're our 'kids' and they've been allowed to do everything from the start (on the couch, upstairs, in bed, etc.). Now that our desire for a child is growing, I'm also thinking more and more about how this will work out in the future (I still need to get pregnant first, but still). Especially since our dogs have quite a bit of energy and are quite active (barking a lot and jumping up). Still, I think it'll all work out fine. At home, they really do listen to commands, and I think that's very important. A dog should know its place, after all. I've read a lot, and I think it's best to involve dogs when a new family member arrives. We'll gradually make changes (no more couch, no more upstairs). That way, they don't immediately associate it with the baby, but it becomes normal. Actually, I think it's best to just act like it's always been this way. Don't put too much emphasis on it, and especially don't panic. But indeed, it's important to keep giving them attention. A dog should mainly get positive associations. I think that's the key to success. I think you just need to make sure you always supervise and keep the situation under control. And then I think babies and dogs can be friends for life. Good luck anyway! And when the time comes, let me know how it goes! I'm curious

We had a big dog, 52 kilos, and he was one year old when our daughter was born. She was born in the hospital, and we wanted to bring the shirt I gave birth in, but it was really too dirty. Once we got home with our daughter, we put the Maxi-Cosi on the floor and let our dog sniff around. We had washed our dog extra, flea-treated him extra, and dewormed him extra a week before the birth. Since that first meeting, they've been the best of friends. During my postpartum week, our dog got extra treats and new toys, even though he already had plenty. Now we're pregnant again and have a different dog. The previous one unfortunately got sick, and now, 9 months later, our daughter still misses him. Our new dog is much more active, but we're going to do exactly the same thing again. Again, extra pampering and another good first introduction.

For those whose dog doesn't react well to children, I'd ask the vet for advice. This can be dangerous, and you should ask for a different approach to make sure it goes well.

We’ve had our dog for 2 years now. She’s 10 years old, but has only been happy for the last 3 years... Because she was severely mistreated and neglected for 7 years. So we were terrified of her reaction. My belly protected her from strangers and people who were rude in approaching me... And then one day, she was just sitting there the whole time against me. Belly with her snout, she knew something was going to happen. I cuddled her really well before we left... And then I went to take her to the neighbor, just in case we didn’t come back. And that same day, we gave birth... My boyfriend took the first crawling suit and little hat of our girl home the afternoon after... And my dog was looking for me, my friend said. He put the stuff by her and she immediately lifted her snout just like that. And when I came home, I went inside first alone for 10 minutes just to cuddle and sniff with her. Then I called my partner inside with Nyana in the Maxicosi and let her smell her. She sniffed once and then went back to her bed with Nyana’s stuff lying there. I had to leave those things there for 2 weeks because she started growling when I wanted to touch them. Now our girl is 2 months old and our dog regularly sniffs her. And when she cries, the dog comes to me, jumps against my leg for attention, and when I look, she walks to Nyana to say, come do something because she’s crying. And everywhere Nyana goes, so the box, the changing table, the dog follows... And when there’s visitors and Nyana is sitting on a stranger’s lap, the dog sits in front of that person and keeps them in sight until she gives her approval, and then she goes to her bed but still keeps that one person in her eye. Our dog and girl are best buddies despite how badly my dog has suffered, she has completely recovered!!!

But a tip for everyone: always stay with your child when your dog is around. And never leave them alone because a dog is and remains an animal and always has its mouth full of teeth, no matter how sweet they usually are...

Love, Daphne