babies and Pets...

[luckybreak]

I was unsure of having pets around my baby..I dont have any and I thought I would never get one..I love dogs but I dont know how they will be with children so why bother? but I found this photos submitted by viewers of the ellen show and they have soo many cute babies and pets photos that now I am wondering if perhaps my little one might be missing a good friend.

https://photos.ellen.warnerbros.com/galleries/best_pet_photos

These 2 are some of my favorites but there are many!

https://photos.ellen.warnerbros.com/galleries/best_pet_photos#167633

https://photos.ellen.warnerbros.com/galleries/best_pet_photos#166953

 

[XxChristinexX]

Adorable pics, I love dogs too. Sadly, our family lost our dear friend just over a month ago, an 11yr old lab who was 5 years old when DS was born. His nose was out of joint for a little while, but they both became inseperable. DS who is 6 misses him terribly and wants another, but with me being pregnant at the moment....not the right time for a new puppy lol. Maybe this time next year I will consider it, once I find my feet & get into a routine.
Without him there is a huge hole in our lives.

 

[thelioncub]

I am pro having pets with children. We have two cats right now and it would never cross my mind to 'get rid of them' because we are expecting a baby. I think that it is a good opportunity for children to learn to have respect for animals by living with them, and also that it teaches them a little bit about responsibility and how to care for something.

 

[Angharad87]

I'm thinking of getting a dog 3-6 months after the baby is born. Gives me time to settle into the routine enough to know if I'm ready to get one. Will be getting one as soon as I can. And maternity leave strikes me as a great time: no time off work to settle the dog, more motivation to get me up and out again and the baby and the pup will grow together.

 

[MyLittleFish]

Christine - I'm sorry for your lose!

I have two dogs and people have 'shared' their concern about baby coming into this but i love my dogs and know they will be fine - I shall never leave baby and dogs alone together though even for a second.

 

[kate1984]

I have a English bull terrier who was here before LO, she adores him and barks in the night if he cries until he has settled. They share telly time, he shows her his books and toys, it is lovely

 

[Cheshirista]

I have two Dalmatians, and I saw a Dalmatian baby snow suit in Mothercare. I'm so getting that! I can imagine the photos, all three of my babies white with black spots!

 

[Bunska]

I have two border collies who are great with the kids in my family. I expect there will be a period ofnadjustment when they realise baby isn't visiting but is here t stay buti am really excited to see how the relationship develops.

 

[Jennifurball]

I really want my doggy to meet my baby but he is quite old now and not in the best of health, it totally breaks my heart l thinking I could lose him before baby is born but I am praying he will be ok. My dog means the UNIVERSE to me, he is my best friend.

Here he is on his 9th birthday with my nephew Logan..

 

[Audraia]

I have 3 dogs and 5 cats, and wouldn't think of getting rid of them just because I'm having a baby. They're all part of the family and I really think they'll be good with the baby once they get to know her. And I missed out growing up with pets and want my child to have that experience! Unconditional love Hopefully they'll be best friends!

 

[Mari30me]

We have 2 cats, and our kids absolutely love them. The cats have been with us long before we had kids. Our cats have taken to our children so well I think it is great for kids to grow up with animals.

 

[SabrinaKat]

I have two cats, a mother (11) and her daughter (10), and am expecting my first baby (not cat!) in February...I have had a few comments about cats and babies together, but the mother cat is very mellow and relaxed, her daughter is very nervous, but loves me completely. We'll get one of those nets to go over the moses basket, and keep an eye all three when together, but I'm not too worried. I grew up with loads of pets, and am pretty sure our little boy will play pony/horsie with the big cat as I did when I was little!

best wishes

 

[Button#]

I don't have pets at the moment and have decided not to get more until my baby is a bit older as I don't want the added pressure of vets bills and having to clean out and make time for them when I have a newborn (rats are my pet of choice and some of the rescues I've had in the past have cost me a fortune in lump removal operations). However if I did have pets there is no way I would give them up just because I was having a baby. I also grew up with lots of pets and I loved it.

 

[LisK]

I have two cats and two pit bulls. I've been taking a lot of crap about "what's going to happen with the dogs once the baby comes?!!?" from people who are prejudiced against that breed. It's super annoying. My dogs are great and they'll all be just fine thankyouverymuch!

 

[beanzz]

I was brought up around a border collie and im okay my babby is going to be around a jack russel... hoping they'll be okay together cos i've hear jack russels are quite protective over their owners and get jealous of attention.

 

[swalumni]

We have two cats and a dog that get along famously with our six year old daughter. We've had questions about getting rid of some of them because of baby but we couldnt do that. For us, it'd be like getting rid of our kids. Everyone will adjust in their own time. Without our animals, my daughter would be bored every weekend too! lol

 

[nicolefx]

Just nosing about in here but we have a 3 year old Alaskan Malamute who isn't going anywhere . My mum also has 3 dogs (newfoundlands) a cat a guinea pig and a degu . I grew up with animals and honestly the bonds you have with them are unbelievable, not to mention how much of a learning curve it is in terms of patience and responsibility. I would maybe wait till LO is here and settled though, because animals can be hard work . xxx

 

[alette]

Just a warning, DON'T get a puppy! Puppies are HARD and with a newborn baby, likely to make you insane. I would wait till the baby is older to get a puppy, or adopt an adult dog from a shelter. The adult dog will likely already be housebroken, be past the chewing and nipping stages and you will know right away or just by asking the shelter staff if it would be a good dog around kids.

Puppies need to be potty trained. It took one of my dogs over a YEAR to stop peeing in the house.. the other took several months. They don't even gain complete control of their bladder until about 6 months of age. Small breed dogs tend to be harder to house train than larger breeds as they have smaller bladders and need to go out more often. My first puppy (25lbs as an adult) I had to take outside every 15 minutes when she was a baby, or keep her crated so she couldn't have an accident. The more accidents they have in the house the harder it is to get them to stop. Smacking them doesn't do any good as they don't know WHY they are being punished and just learn to avoid you instead. This can lead to aggression and biting issues as well. Positive reinforcement (praise and treats for peeing in the correct place) is much, much easier and helps build a good relationship between you and your dog rather than hurt it.

Puppies also need to be taught not to chew on things. This is especially difficult from about 5 to 7 months of age while they are teething. They will chew on your furniture, your shoes, your socks, your babies toys, cords, WALLS (looking at you Zoey!) just about anything. Large breed puppies tend to do more damage than small breeds.. they have more powerful jaws and can reach things smaller dogs can't.

Puppies also need to be socialized and taught basic manners. An un-socialized dog is an accident waiting to happen. If they have never met someone different from you and your family (different age, race, style of dress) they will be very frightened when they do encounter someone different and may be scared enough to bite. Puppies need to be taught ASAP not to jump up on people with their feet, ESPECIALLY large breed dogs as this can HURT and be dangerous to small kids, elderly people and preggo ladies (struggling with this one with the dogs at work right now!). They need to be taught not to bark at everything. They need to be taught not to steal food, not to raid the garbage can, not to steal socks out of the closet or toys from the baby room. They need to be taught not to resource guard food and toys from people (such as your child who may not know any better).

My advice for those with small children and likely lacking the time it will take to properly raise a puppy: Get an adult dog. 4 years + is going to be a really nice age. Shop local shelters and humane societies for the perfect match. You'll want a dog that's calm, well mannered, house broken and good with kids. Breed and size won't matter so much after that.. though I would suggest older labs. They tend to have very good dispositions after age four or so. Before that they are CRAZY.

Ok.. long post over. :-/