New Kid on its way (the 2 legged type)

[MatthewG]

This week I found out my wife is expecting our first child.
I'm wondering how Lin will react and what should I do to make the transition smooth. Is there anything I should be doing now six months prior to the due date?

I've heard that you should let cats near a baby but what about dogs?

As you can see I have a lot of questions and I'm still a little over whelmed.

Any help/experances will be apreciated thanks.

[Tiffany0204]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you! even though I don't know you .... lmao.

Umm.. my aunt had 2 german shorthaird pointers (wire coat) and they were nothing but protective of my cousin when she was born. Both of them would actually flank each side of her bassinette and not let anyone they didn't know around the baby. I guess it depends on the dog.

Figured I'd throw that in, but truthfully I have no experience with it all. Maybe do a google search your breed of dog and see if they're alright around babies?

But I'm sure the people here have lots of advice for you! Congrats again! When is your wife due?

[MatthewG]

Originally Posted by Tiffany0204

When is your wife due?

Mid June

That's pretty cool maybe Lin could bring it back to me if it crawls away

[zookeeper]

Congrats Matthew!! So exciting. And this is an area I have some experience in so I'm going to put in my 2 cents. Remember though that you know your dog the best and you should listen to your insticts. (By the way, it's a myth that you shouldn't let cats anywhere near a baby. It used to be believed the cat would suck the air out of the baby and kill him/her. Pregnant women on the other hand, should never change litter boxes. It could have viruses that are very dangerous for the unborn baby.) In reality no animal should be left unsupervised with a baby but I've not had trouble with my pets and my new babies and even my brother's psycho cat was OK with his newborn son. Introduce them carefully and supervise them constantly. When you set up the nursery before the baby is born let Lin check out the room and area so that the dog is comfortable with the new stuff and his(her?) curiosity is satisfied. Make sure, however, that the dog realizes this isn't his room or his stuff. He should only be around the baby stuff when you are there so he knows it's your stuff. Has Lin spent any time around children and babies? How was that? If not, maybe now is the time to do a little socializing. If you have friends with small children or babies, have them come and visit. Don't put anyone in danger, of course, and don't treat the visit as anything special. Just get Lin used to a baby crying or being in the house or small children running around (trust me you'll barely have time to blink and your little one will be all over the place!). Keep the visits short and really praise Lin afterward for how well he behaves. I think you'll probably have no trouble at all but these little things should make you feel more comfortable, if nothing else. After the baby is born, make sure you still spend one on one time with Lin. Go for long walks or out to play, you'll both enjoy the break! Enjoy this time - it's so special! Let us know how things progress.

[linnie]

congratulations
My daughter sent home a baby wrap that had the smell of the new baby on it and let Jaffa get used to the smell.
All children need to be supervised when a dog is present but if you get your dog used to the smell of the new one it sure helps with the transition.