Dogs And Babies: Preparing Your Dog For A New Arrival

I want to apologize to my readers for not posting in such a long time. Today’s post, which is all about preparing your dog for a baby, is near and dear to my heart and also explains why I have been so MIA. Yes we are expecting!

I want to express a HUGE congratulations to you soon to be parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles! Your “pack” is growing! You’ve got 8 months or so to prepare your dog/s for this exciting new arrival. Dogs are very intuitive and have probably already sensed some changes. Like why does mommy want to sleep so much now and pukes during our walks.  Although your dog senses these changes you will need to identify the potential issues that need to be addressed and start working with your dog as soon as possible.

Maybe your dog has a jumping problem, or maybe your dog hasn’t been exposed to any babies or kids. Maybe your dog has a chewing problem and considers anything on the floor fair game. Maybe your dog has a barking problem.  Or even worse maybe your dog is over-protective or suffers from aggression, or is sensitive to sudden unpredictable movements. These are all things that need to be addressed with your dog over the next several months. Stay positive though, all of the things on that list are easily resolved with the right training methods. Hire a professional trainer if you have a dog that is aggressive as this is something that should be left to the professionals.

Below are some helpful tips to start implementing now in order to prepare for a baby:

• Step 1 is to get a dolly and dress it up complete with a real baby diaper and clothes. Sprinkle some powder on the dolly to ensure your “baby” smells like a real baby. Wrap the dolly in a blanket just as you would your real baby and you’ve now got your #1 training tool. This pretend baby will give you an idea of how your dog will act toward your real baby and address any potential problems you didn’t foresee.

• Start keeping the baby’s room off limits to your dog. Teach your dog to enter the room only at your command and teach them that they must be calm and in a down position while in the room. The best time to do this training is after the dog has had some alone time because they will start to associate going into the baby’s room as a form of positive attention. Dogs are pack animals and would much rather be in the room with you and baby than alone as an outcast in a different room of the house. This could cause potential jealousy issues between dog and baby. While you are in the room with your “baby” pretend to nurse or change diaper with your dog remaining in a down position. Reward with treats for good calm behavior.
• Start stroller training early especially with very reactive dogs.  Start by getting your dogs used to this new crazy machine on wheels by placing it in the middle of the room with treats all over it so it becomes less scary. Then put your pretend baby in the stroller and head out for a walk. If you have a dog that pulls make sure you do not attach them to the stroller. Instead buy a hands-free leash that can go around your waist. While you are pregnant this training is best left to the husband or friend since you dont want anything tied around your waist or any excitable dogs accidentally pulling you over. The reason I say start stroller training early is because you may find a lot of issues that need to be addressed. Like will your dog become overly protective of new baby and attack neighbors who want to stop to see the new addition? Will the dog have fear issues around the stroller and being near it?
• Teach the difference between doggie toys and baby toys because they look very similar and if you have a chewer they may not understand the difference and you might have a $2,000 extraction surgery on your hands when doggie eats a toy he wasnt supposed to. The “leave it” command is something that every dog should be taught especially in this situation. I also find it helpful to start scenting your dogs toys by either rubbing treats over them or getting a pheasant or duck scent concentrate from your local pet store. This allows the dog to associate his toys with a yummy smell and baby toys with no appealing smell whatsoever.

• Dogs are very sensitive to sounds; especially new sounds that come from a baby. Get a CD with baby noises on it and start playing it for your dogs. This will help them get used to the sounds a baby makes. Give them treats as they listen to the new loud noises. To make your faux baby even more realistic you can put a speaker under the blanket your baby doll is wrapped in and play the noises CD. The noises will sounds like they are actually coming from your “baby.”

• You will need to start exposing your dog to more kids if they haven’t had any baby/kid experience yet. Take your dog to a playground but stay at a safe distance. Have your dog sit and watch the children and treat for calm and good behavior. The more they see kids are not a threat the less aggressive and reactive they will be. Never leave your baby alone with your dog. Even the most well-behaved dogs are not equipped to be baby sitters and have the occasional slip-up.
• A day or so before you bring your baby home from the hospital take home a blanket the baby has been wrapped in and as gross as it sounds you may want to swipe the blanket over the baby’s clean bottom a couple of times and let your dog smell it.  This will get the dog used to the baby’s scent. Each time you present the blanket for smelling have your dog sit and lavish with praise and treats as its getting the scent.
• When you bring the baby home have the dog leashed for more control. Allow the dog to smell from a safe distance and give the dog some cut up hot dogs or chicken, something really yummy that they never get. Then they will really start to associate the baby with yummy things. Do not allow any pawing, jumping, growling, barking. If any negative behaviors occur take the dog away into the nearest bathroom for a 10 second time out. Then take the dog out for another try. Continue to treat for good calm behavior and time out for any negative behaviors.
• Make arrangements for the care of your dog while you are at the hospital and shortly after. Hire a dog walker to exercise your dog since you will not have the time when you first bring the baby home or until you get yourself on a good schedule. You shouldn’t give up walking your dogs completely as they view that as a positive time with you but when you are feeling up to it take the dogs for a short stroller walk with the baby and have the dog walkers take them for their usual long walks to get excess energy out. An exercised dog is a happier dog.

 

Dog Photography-Bark Pet Photography

Today I wanted to highlight a photographer out of Santa Monica California: Kim Rogers with Bark Pet Photography. I love the way she gets dogs to smile for pictures.  I also love that she is an animal activist who does a lot to help dogs find homes as well at getting support for local animal rescue groups.  Her compassion towards animals really appears in her photographs. Take a look see for yourself!

Pet Health Insurance;Is it a DO or DON’T?

The answer to that question is: It depends.

Since its puppy season I have been getting a lot of questions about whether or not to get pet insurance or just start a savings account and set aside money each month so that when a problem does occur you have the funds saved up. Firstly I would like to let everyone know that I personally went with option 1 for all of our pets but pet insurance might not be for everyone.

Cons of Pet Insurance:

• There are insurance exclusions for every dog breed based on common hereditary conditions. Pet insurance companies don’t make this list easy to find on their websites so make sure that you review it before you choose your company. Oh and this list applies to mixed breeds as well. With some breeds like the French Bulldog you might even be paying a higher premium.
• Some companies don’t make it easy for you to file a claim. For example I started with one pet insurance company that needed me to bring their form with me to the vet every time and have the vet sign it before submitting. This is a major inconvenience  because when you are rushing your pet to the emergency room at 2AM because they ate half of a potted sago palm tree you aren’t thinking about forms. Make sure you choose a pet insurance company that just lets you submit the vet bill with a simple form that doesn’t need to be signed by your vet.
• You really need to get your dog started on the insurance as a puppy to avoid paying higher monthly premiums and problems with things that could be considered as “pre-existing” conditions. Beware of any pet insurance company claiming they actually cover hereditary conditions, there is a fine print that will tell you its very limited or is really only covered for about a year.

What is a pre-existing condition: Most pet insurance companies consider this an injury or illness that was contracted, manifested, or incurred before the date of coverage. Another reason to get them started as a puppy right after their first vet visit  because they will review all vet records and try to claim that, that harmless bout of diarrhea was actually a symptom of the disease you are trying to get coverage for and was therefore a “pre-existing” condition since it happened before you started coverage.
What is a congenital disorder: Abnormalities of the body structure or function that are present at birth, and this is their tricky wording “whether present or not” that can cause disease or illness.
What is a hereditary disorder: Abnormalities that are transmitted from parent to offspring, whether apparent or not, that can cause illness or disease.

Cons of Fido’s Savings Account:

• This is a good option as long as something doesn’t happen 3 months into your savings program; that $200 you saved isn’t going to take you too far.

The bottom line: I have found that having pet insurance is more useful throughout the pets early life, they cover expensive things like xray’s and blood work.  Typically I will send in my vet bill no matter what; whether my dogs just went in for a vaccination or fecal exam. Sometimes I’m reimbursed for most of the bill, just $10, or a note saying the treatment  isn’t covered in my plan. If you have pet insurance and your pet develops an illness that isn’t covered don’t fret; there are countless groups that help provide financial support. You can find a comprehensive list here. A lot of these groups only provide financial aid to animals that are considered to be having a life threatening emergency and will need proof from a vet that they will die within 10 days of diagnosis if care is not provided.  If you can’t find an organization that is willing to help financially then you can also apply for CareCredit which is basically a credit card which can only be used for vet care.

My personal favorite pet insurance company for the time being: VPI