Baby's and pets??

[pollydolly]

Sorry if that came across snappy - not at all meant to xx

 

[BabyHill]

I don't see the need to rehome pets, I certainly didn't entertain the idea of that with my two cats when my lo was first born, but unfortunately we found out eventually that lo was pretty allergic and aside from shaving them (don't think I didn't weigh this up) and seeing if that made a difference I had to move out with lo until we found suitable home for them. Heartbreaking but I still see them when I can so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

At the end of it there can be circumstances you won't see coming but kids tend to be kinder when raised with pets, just be vigilant x

 

[jenny82]

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[claudinator]

We have two Persian cats there not going anywhere we love them to bits my sister has two Maine coon cats then she had her baby and they were a bit scared of him and did nothing her son is 5 now and they all get on great.

 

[candycrush]

we have a jack russell and a cat who are both 1.5 yrs old. I have wondered how they will adapt to baby as they are both attention monsters, but I love them so much couldn't bear to rehome then unless they really weren't adapting.
to help prepare them we have allocated a bed space for them that is caged off, and willmake sure baby undetstands as she gets older that that is their area, we also have a baby gate in already to stop them going upstairs.
one woman told me it is important to remember that your pets need to feel included in the new addition so not shut outside all dat, getting cuddles in the evening and keeping to their routine much as you can. for e.g. I'm looking forward to walking puck and baby together. I'm hopeful they will adjust well as long as we continue to show them love and ensure they little lady learns to love them properly too.
I grew up with pets and would be gutted if my child couldn't have that experience too xx

 

[wolfQ]

I have 4 dogs, 3 siberian huskies and a pit/lab mix. They are all great dogs I have had them all for years, the huskies since puppies and the lab mix since he was 2 (hubby adopted him before I met him). I've had people say the same thing to me, drives me nuts. It's like seriously at least give me and the dogs a chance to work it all out. My dogs are all older (5-11 years) mellow, already trained and know their routines. One is terrified of strangers so that one may be a bit difficult but she's never once tried to bite anyone out of fear, including kids, so I think it will be just a matter of her adjusting to the baby being the new person in the house. She actually really loves people, she's very affectionate with us, just not strangers. So definitely no I don't think you should get rid of your dogs just because you are having a baby, I hate that mentality. If down the road it is not working out then that's a different story but just make sure you supervise all interactions and get to know dog body language very well. You may think your dog is comfortable but his body language may be saying something different. I think in most situations the dog and kids will be fine, people just need to be responsible and observant. I think it's a great thing for kids to grow up around pets.

 

[sjwebb]

I've had a few westies in my time and my westie I have now LOOOVEEESS my kids. If there isn't any aggression, there is no reason to get rid of them.

 

[Twag]

We have had people ask us this too and NO NEVER we have 2 Shar Pei they are 5 years old my baby girls and they love children they have been around them since they were pups I could think of nothing worse than having to get rid of them they are my Furbabies

But I agree you need to be sensible and not leave the dog alone with a child as you just do not know

True story - a neighbour had a wonderful Labrador so mild and loving and they had a child all good no problems but then one day the Labrador turned around and snapped at the child for what the mother thought for no reason - they took the Lab to the vet to see what was wrong the child had put a crayon in the dogs ear which was causing the dog serious pain - Dog was not being aggresive to the child but simply warning it not to hurt it - SO who is in the wrong here the Dog, the child or the mother?? I am so pleased they didn't jump to conculsions and just get rid of the dog or put it down and they family are still very happy with the dog as part of that family just now the parents are more careful

It is all about being sensible really

 

[ButterflyK]

We have 3.cockers and a golden and none will be going anywhere. I run a national rescue and see everyday people turning in animals to shelter because their moving or having a baby, clearly they aren't the first people to ever have a baby and pets at the same time. And let me tell you the dropping off at the shelter and signing them over gives the shelter the right to kill your dog whenever they want sometimes even before you leave the parking lot if they are full as strays get a mandatory hold time.
People really need to be responsible when getting pets your don't have a pet until its no longer fits your life style you make a commitment to the animal for the life of the animal.

 

[Danielleee]

We got our dog literally 3 days before I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, everyone seemed to presume we were going to rehome our dog but we didn't and I can 100% say that was one of the best decisions we ever made, my dd and dog (Lhasa cross) are the best of friends and absolutely adore each other and have such a special bond having grown up together. Luckily my dog is very docile but had she shown any aggression to my dd my mum had agreed to take her fortunately I didn't have to make that decision

 

[LaraSue]

I don't think anyone has the guts to ask me this question. My dog is my boy! I have a Beagle and a cat, and I am very curious as to how they'll react. I found this on the AMerican Humane Society's website if anyone's interested. I haven't read it, but here it is! I also found a class on how to introduce your dog to your baby safely. It's actually offered by the hospital where I'm giving birth!

 

[LadySekhmetDJ]

LaraSue - I hope I can find a class like that for my dog/cats!

I did a quick search on pets and babies, and found this post. I feel much more at ease. I have an animal behaviorist (they're way different than a "trainer", much more specialized...like Victoria Stillwell) information on hand just in case if things get out of hand.

The nursery will be considered as the no-pet zone at least for a while. My cats are on the older side (3yrs to 14yrs), so they pretty much keep to themselves and sleep all day anyways.

When the baby comes along, I will definitely make some time for my dog and take her hiking, a run around in a park, a long walk around the block (even if I have to take the baby stroller with me) while my husband takes care of the baby. It'll be a perfect opportunity to have my husband have some alone time with LO, as I'll be a SAHM.

 

[ffwife0218]

When I brought my son home my two Labrador Retrievers (girls) they became very attached to my son to the point they would no longer sleep with me in my room but in his room in front of the crib. They are such protectors of babies. At night my youngest Lab would lay on the couch with me and lay her head on my stomach. My water broke at home and they would not let my husband walk me to the car. He had to hold my hand and walk behind me as they were on either side of me and walked me to the car. You will be surprised. My girls did so great with him to the point when my son got older they never let him out of their sight. My best friend has a 6 month old son and she also has a Labrador and she rocks him to sleep and when she pats his hiney the diaper makes a noise and her dog would growl at her lol she then would have to bend down and let him sniff him to make sure he is okay. Then he would go back to what he was doing. I also had family members tell me to get rid of my dogs or put them outside for good. My dogs are my kids and they will forever be in the house with my son and with the one I have on the way. Sadly my oldest Lab died in August. We recently bought a Boston Terrier and now he is 3 months old. My son (15 months) and him are like two peas in a pod. They do everything together. He loves him! My son will sit on my other Lab like he is riding a horse and she would just kiss him and let him do whatever he wants to her. GOOD LUCK!!

 

[Ambience]

We have pets- dogs and cats and we will not be rehoming either.

Our dogs are big and can easily cause harm accidentally unintentionally with there weight but we are setup so that we have our space from the dogs- dog free areas. We have our dogs indoors, but they do not have free roam of the house.

We have cats and dogs living in the same household and one of the dogs doesn't like cats, but we don't have to worry - we are just sensible with boundaries.

We use pens or babygates where required.

The kitchen is pet free and upstairs is just our cats so i intend to get a guard for the cot so the cats can't cause any problems, but if worst comes to worst, i will just not allow them into the room where baby sleeps- that will be with us at first.

We will introduce our little girl gradually- associating her with treats and praising the dogs for their calmness and gentleness around her. She will never be with them directly except on walks where they will be muzzled to get used to her at first and correctly harnessed to prevent any pulling issues on the lead whilst walking with the pram.

I hope everything will go okay, but if we have problems we will make adjustments to our lifestyle to accommodate all of our family including our pets.

 

[mush55]

hi guys! i have a question for all of you- my husband and i were looking to get a samoyed, and the breeder just told us that we will get it around the beg of feb and i'm due april 10th- with my first baby (yay!). the dog will be 8 weeks when we get it and then 4 and a half months when i'm about to give birth. what do you all think? is it crazy to get a puppy right before im going to give birth? i most likely wont have help but will be home for the first 6 weeks - 2 months. thank you all so much!

 

[Misscalais]

I'm sorry but I can't stand people who think animals are disposable.
No you don't need to get rid of your pets.
Pets are actually proven to be good for children to be around. We have an indoor cat and an outdoor dog ( we've had our cat since before the kids were born and got our dog when DS 2 was three weeks old.
Basic hygiene and things obviously need to be done and never leave a baby alone with them.
Pets are family not disposable once a child comes along. And they end up being our best friends and a comfort to cuddle when feeling sad
We've never had any problems out boys love their fur siblings. I grew up with a dog ( he lived to 18 ) and lots of cats and I'm glad I did

 

[Misscalais]

hi guys! i have a question for all of you- my husband and i were looking to get a samoyed, and the breeder just told us that we will get it around the beg of feb and i'm due april 10th- with my first baby (yay!). the dog will be 8 weeks when we get it and then 4 and a half months when i'm about to give birth. what do you all think? is it crazy to get a puppy right before im going to give birth? i most likely wont have help but will be home for the first 6 weeks - 2 months. thank you all so much!

Only if you have the time and dedication for it we got our pup when my 2nd son was 3 weeks old. They are both three years old now.
Puppy preschool/training is a must.

 

[darcie]

I don't think rehousing is necessary but I just make sure the dog and baby are never left alone or too near each other. It's good for children to have pets in the house but dogs should never be trusted, people always say my dog would never hurt a child but your can never trust a dog 100% they are animals x but I'm sure your little one and the dogs will be fine together x

 

[candycrush]

hi guys! i have a question for all of you- my husband and i were looking to get a samoyed, and the breeder just told us that we will get it around the beg of feb and i'm due april 10th- with my first baby (yay!). the dog will be 8 weeks when we get it and then 4 and a half months when i'm about to give birth. what do you all think? is it crazy to get a puppy right before im going to give birth? i most likely wont have help but will be home for the first 6 weeks - 2 months. thank you all so much!

you're not crazy but the puppy will be some work. our pup wasn't properly toilet trained with no nighttime accidents until about 5 months, so could be additional cleaning for you. also general training for behaviour can take up to a year, and your puppy will be bouncy and want attention and played with regularly. However you do have time and your puppy will be young and I adaptable to your home :-D

 

[J_Lynn]

Oh my. I have 4 dogs and I could not imagine ever parting with them EVER. If there was an issue with the baby, then I would just be building them a nice climate controlled outdoor dog house and they would just have to live outside; but there is just no way I could ever make my furbabies find a new home. They were here first, and that's just not fair. You don't get rid of siblings just because they fight.....