My Corgi with a New Baby

[Len1782]

Hi There....
I have a 1 year old red and white corgi girl, named K.C. I've had her since she was 12 weeks old and she been such a great dog. We are having our first child in July and was wondering how I can get K.C. acclimated to our new baby so she doesn't feel threatened or jealous. Has anyone had experience with this? What is the best way to go about this? K.C. has been my baby girl so far, and I don't want her to feel left out when the baby arrives.

My 1-year old and 4 year old nephew and niece are over all the time and K.C. just loves playing with them and is very gentle with them. But the permanent addition of the baby could be an entirely different situation.

Any feedback or advise??

[milles2]

Sure do wish Cheryl, Checkers, and Gator were here....

Too bad they got fed up with things. I think Cheryl would have a lot to share with you.

[tandemgal]

deleted by T-Gal

[Checkers]

check your PM's

[glencorgi]

A book that might help is Child-Proofing Your Dog by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson.

That KC is good with the little ones she knows is a positive sign. One thing I know that many new parents have done is to bring a blanket the baby has been wrapped home to the dog and let it smell it, get accustomed to the scent.

Debbie

[behinderhereyes]

Originally Posted by Len1782

Hi There....
I have a 1 year old red and white corgi girl, named K.C. I've had her since she was 12 weeks old and she been such a great dog. We are having our first child in July and was wondering how I can get K.C. acclimated to our new baby so she doesn't feel threatened or jealous. Has anyone had experience with this? What is the best way to go about this? K.C. has been my baby girl so far, and I don't want her to feel left out when the baby arrives.

My 1-year old and 4 year old nephew and niece are over all the time and K.C. just loves playing with them and is very gentle with them. But the permanent addition of the baby could be an entirely different situation.

Any feedback or advise??

Make sure you approach this very carefully. You must she that the baby is not a threat to the puppy. It is good that your dog is only twelve weeks old. She can learn to live with her. I wish you the best of luck. It sounds like she is pretty good wit hyou baby.

[corgimom]

Originally Posted by Len1782

Hi There....
I have a 1 year old red and white corgi girl, named K.C. I've had her since she was 12 weeks old and she been such a great dog. We are having our first child in July and was wondering how I can get K.C. acclimated to our new baby so she doesn't feel threatened or jealous. Has anyone had experience with this? What is the best way to go about this? K.C. has been my baby girl so far, and I don't want her to feel left out when the baby arrives.

My 1-year old and 4 year old nephew and niece are over all the time and K.C. just loves playing with them and is very gentle with them. But the permanent addition of the baby could be an entirely different situation.

Any feedback or advise??

Can't help you much in this area, but congratulations on your soon to be new addition I think Deb gave you good advice regarding the blanket and getting her used to the smell. Hopefully Checkers has gotten in contact with you also.

Best of luck to you.

[glencorgi]

Again, I think KC at a year being so intuitively good with the little ones is really going in your favor. While you are right to have concerns, I don't know that it needs to be approached "very carefully" based on her current behavior with little ones. I found my copy of the book I recommended and skimmed through it. (It's short, but packed with some really good advice.)

One thing you are already doing right is exposing her to children. It suggests things like changing your schedule - so you keep KC on a schedule that won't be so drastic a change for her when baby arrives. For example, if you take her for long walks in the morning, switch them to afternoons when you won't be so tired if you've had a long sleepless night with a restless baby. Exercise prevents a lot of problems. IF she's allowed on the couch now, will she be when you have baby lying on it? IF not, then change how she is allowed couch time now - by invitation only. Get some basic obedience in and instead of petting her when she nudges your hand, have her sit first. If you have rowdy game time in the house, those will need to cease. It recommends tethering the dog to you with a leash for the first few weeks after baby comes home so you can stop unwanted behaviors as soon as they begin. Practice ignoring her, extra attention heaped on her will set her up to demand it and ignoring her now will seem more normal to her once you are tied up with baby full time. IF she responds to baby like it sounds like she will, then time and attention can increase. Linking attention to the baby being around, will help KC look forward to it being there. Don't be afraid to use the crate - you are going to need a break and rest too. Go ahead and buy some baby toys and teach her those are off limits.

It really is a good little book, a lot of little things you might not think of and none really all that hard or difficult.

And congratulations on the new little one.

Debbie

[Len1782]

Thanks for all the well wishes.

Cheryl - Thank you for your advise. I'll probably be sending you questions in the future as things and concerns come up.

Debbie - I'll check out the book you suggested. Thanks!

One of my concerns is that KC now sleeps in our room with us, but when the baby is born we will have her sleep in her crate downstairs until the baby is a few months old. She's never really slept in her crate over night except when she's been boarded. As a puppy she's always slept in our room on the bed or on the floor right beside the bed. Is there an good way to transition her to sleeping in the crate, downstairs away from us?

[MrsGrace]

Originally Posted by Len1782

Thanks for all the well wishes.

Cheryl - Thank you for your advise. I'll probably be sending you questions in the future as things and concerns come up.

Debbie - I'll check out the book you suggested. Thanks!

One of my concerns is that KC now sleeps in our room with us, but when the baby is born we will have her sleep in her crate downstairs until the baby is a few months old. She's never really slept in her crate over night except when she's been boarded. As a puppy she's always slept in our room on the bed or on the floor right beside the bed. Is there an good way to transition her to sleeping in the crate, downstairs away from us?

I'd go with a gradual transition. Congrats on the new addition by the way! It's a very hectic and exciting time!!

As for what I mean. I would get your dog used to sleeping in a crate in your room. Then over whatever time you have until the baby comes, slowly move the crate each night.

I'm not sure why the dog couldn't be crate trained and stay in the room with your new family? Anyone else have thoughts on this? I would worry that the dog will feel replaced by the baby and have some resentment/jealousy issues. It may help KC to feel more like family if she can stay in your room, but in an XPen or crate at night?

Dogs can sleep through anything... at least, mine always did. Babies crying at odd hours shouldn't be a problem?

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to chat about kids and dogs. I have had both simultaneously!

[Len1782]

MrsGrace...Thanks for your input. Moving KC to the crate downstairs a night temporarily is more of something of me being anal (maybe overly anal- new mom thing) about her hair, germs and allergies with the newborn. (she sheds like crazy and we're vacuming every other day) She's actually really good in her crate and has never had any problems.

Maybe we'll start easing her into it in the next couple of months. Starting with once a week for a couple of weeks, then to twice a week, and so on.

Sidebar - can anyone recommend a good vacum? I heard the Dyson Animal is very good, but I hate the price tag.

[Fluffypants]

Congrats on your new addition Aileen! Very exciting time!

This is pretty much just repeating what Debbie said, but . . . from what I have read, you should make sure that new routines (like sleeping in the crate) are in place before bringing the baby home. That way, she won't associate the baby coming home with the changes, they will already seem normal to her, and she can concentrate on getting to know the baby. Also, bringing something home with baby's scent on it was another tip I read (not just above, but other places). And also, when you come home from the hospital, I had read that you should have Daddy bring in the bay, so that you will be free to greet KC (she will have missed you while you were in the hospital, and will be looking for some Mommy time). The book Debbie recommended probably says this stuff too.

[MrsGrace]

Originally Posted by Len1782

MrsGrace...Thanks for your input. Moving KC to the crate downstairs a night temporarily is more of something of me being anal (maybe overly anal- new mom thing) about her hair, germs and allergies with the newborn. (she sheds like crazy and we're vacuming every other day) She's actually really good in her crate and has never had any problems.

Maybe we'll start easing her into it in the next couple of months. Starting with once a week for a couple of weeks, then to twice a week, and so on.

Sidebar - can anyone recommend a good vacum? I heard the Dyson Animal is very good, but I hate the price tag.

I have hardwood floors, so vacuuming is done by our Roomba Scheduler. It's WONDERFUL and works great! I run it in the large living areas at night, and in the bedrooms during the day when we aren't in there. The hubby bought it and I thought it would be another gadgety toy of his that would sit... but I use the darned thing all the time!! It saves me so much time... I can't believe how much I love it!

It seems to do well on carpeting and with pet hair (we have one room with berber carpeting), but if you have a lot of carpeting, I have heard great things about the Dyson vacuums!

As for "germs" and the baby... we were paranoid about it until our Doctor told us that it's better to expose your baby to EVERYTHING you can, in your home, in life etc. Don't be afraid that they will get ill because it will limit your daily routines.

We took our daughter everywhere, exposed her to all sorts of animals, people, kids etc. And she is so well rounded right now and has only had a total of... get this.... ONE cold!!

When we go to the Dr. office, I let her crawl/run/play everywhere. With no worries. Expose them young, you cant' shelter them forever and if they are sick as babies, they build a better immunity "database" for when they're older.

Just my 2c.... I am bad about advice. And longwinded....

[Len1782]

I have heard the same thing, it's better to expose the baby early on so they will develop stronger immunity. My sister did that with here babies, after 2 days she was out and about with them. I guess I'm just being overly cautious being my first time as a mom. I have a feeling eventually I'll give in and KC will be back in the bedroom after a while. Can't have my other girl away from me for too long. I'll be on maternity leave through out the summer (YAY!) so I'm planning on taking the baby and KC on daily walks together so they can get used to each other.

We have a Roomba too, but it died recently. Great for daily maintenance. We have thicker carpeting, so I need something that gets in deep. I can scoop up corgi hair all day long by hand. I just wish the Dyson's weren't so expensive.

[Fluffypants]

Originally Posted by Len1782

I guess I'm just being overly cautious being my first time as a mom.

You're not the first one, honey!

Originally Posted by Len1782

I'll be on maternity leave through out the summer .

Nice timing!!!!