mums with dogs?

[chocolala]

how do you cope?

i have a lively 3yr old lab, who, up until lily was born was my baby she still is, but i just can't give her the attention that i want to.

she's really quite neglected from how she used to be she still gets walked, but, at the moment she doesn't get the exercise she's used to, which makes me feel really bad.

i have to walk her a few mornings a week, but we don't get out til late and then i find the actual walk quite stessful as lily is prone to getting rather tetchy and then hungry, so i then have to rush back. so as the dogs walk has been cut short, she then spends the rest of the day nagging me, to which i can do nothing about!

how does everyone else cope with their attention seeking pets!? x

 

[RebeccaG]

Our dogs also used to be our babies lol! They used to get loads and loads of walks and attention and now obviously they don't get as much. But now LO is older it's getting easier. My husband is great with them and takes them out for long walks. Have you got a baby carrier? My lb loves looking about in the baby bjorn and will be fast asleep by the time we get back. I just feed him before we go. He is way too heavy so have ordered a back carrier now for him. Our more lively dog also has a ball that she goes mad with and really tires her out. What about toys in the garden for your dog to play with? x

 

[aley28]

As soon as I brought our first baby home, our dogs forgot I existed and bonded with my husband. I'm not too bothered... I cuddle with the babies, my husband cuddles with the dogs. I do walk the dogs in the summer, but that's more for me than for them. They play and wrestle in the backyard all day long so I don't worry about their exercise.

 

[emzi]

This is Ruby's best friend Murphy... he is 4.5 and like your lab was my baby boy until Ruby arrived.
He was a litle upset when she made her appearance as he didnt get he used to. He soon got used to the idea and we always make sure that at 7.30pm when Ruby is tucked up he gets our full attention. Me and my OH take it in turns to put Ruby to bed, whoever isnt doing it that night takes Murphy for a nice long nightly walk. He then usually curls up with his bone and is happy just having big cuddles.
On a weekend we make a big effort to go on family walks so he can stretch his legs... usually a few miles and Ruby has settled in to that routine now too so everyones a winner.
Dogs are more adaptable than you think, as long as they are getting regular exercise and lots of love im sure you will be fine x

 

[Inlozi]

I walk my dogs twice a day for 2.5- 3 hours at a time, so a 5-6 hour total. William loves going out in the pram and the dogs get their walks, which is necessary for my Siberian Husky and my Springer Spaniel else neither of them can sit still for 5 minuets. My Lurcher only goes once as she's now literally ancient bless her. But I go once in the morning, then once at night. I probably look mental with dogs surrounding my pram I hold the husky on the right, Spaniel on the left and attach the lurcher to my jeans.

My dogs have a high prey drive, the easiest way I find to exercise my dogs if I literally can't walk them is take them into the back garden and use a flirt pole. This is a pole with string and a toy attached, you move it around for your dog to chase, it drains my pooches faster than walking them does but of course it's important for them to get out at least a few times a week perhaps if you feel she needs her energy draining you could try a flirt pole?

 

[chocolala]

poppy, my dog, always gets her 2 walks, although one of them is just a road walk, which she feels isn't enough.

when the husband is here in the mornings, he gives her a really good walk, with either a chuck about with her toys or a swim. but after a few hours she nags at me i spend most of the day on the sofa with a baby attached.

i have a carrier, i've just walked the two of them, but lily had had enough after a about 45 mins, although pop seems pretty conked out right now as we did try our chuckit out for the first time, so that was a success

Inlozi - the flirt pole looks like a good idea, think pop would like that so might try one out.

emzi - murphy is gorgeous!

i can see when lily is older they'll be best friends, pop loves lily and always gives her head a lick. it's just now that i'm finding difficult.

 

[Sarah lo]

I also have a lively 3yr old lab! Luckily for us ours loves to retrive so I take her to the park, throw the ball for 10mins till she's nackered and jobs a good un!

 

[midori1999]

We have four dogs. They are my absolute life and equal to my children to me. In the same way that I just managed with older children and a baby, I manage with my dogs and the children/baby.

When the baby was younger it was more difficult as she wouldn't go in the pram. I would either take her in the sling, my husband would walk the dogs, or I would walk them in between feeds while my husband held her while she slept. It's easier now as she loves being in the pram and she loves watching the dogs.

I do spend a lot of time training, which I can either do during naps (now that she'll nap in her cot most of the time!) or I can train them in the garden while she sits in her pram or in the house while she plays with her toys/on the floor. Or I can hold her while I do things with the dogs.

I do show my dogs, but haven't been able to do this so far since I had the baby, but will start again soon.

I do things with the dogs/children over the housework, but my husband understands my commitments and is happy to help around the house.

 

[Courtcourt]

We have four dogs. They are my absolute life and equal to my children to me. In the same way that I just managed with older children and a baby, I manage with my dogs and the children/baby.

When the baby was younger it was more difficult as she wouldn't go in the pram. I would either take her in the sling, my husband would walk the dogs, or I would walk them in between feeds while my husband held her while she slept. It's easier now as she loves being in the pram and she loves watching the dogs.

I do spend a lot of time training, which I can either do during naps (now that she'll nap in her cot most of the time!) or I can train them in the garden while she sits in her pram or in the house while she plays with her toys/on the floor. Or I can hold her while I do things with the dogs.

I do show my dogs, but haven't been able to do this so far since I had the baby, but will start again soon.

I do things with the dogs/children over the housework, but my husband understands my commitments and is happy to help around the house.

Samesame, OT- did it irritate the crap out of you when you were preg and people would say "Oh you'll forget all about them once the baby comes!" I used to get so mad at that, it's not true!! I love my dogs the same as I always did. I work with dogs too so I got that comment a LOT when I was pregnant, it made me cry sometimes.

 

[NewMummyx]

I walk our Alaskan Malamute morning and evening with LO in his sling, he loves it!
I get some funny looks but sod it, we are all happy. Actually adding another pooch to the family in October, a little klee Kai

so i'll have a malamute, toddler and puppy, very fun!

 

[Dalila]

https://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/378152_2466908480084_1473450169_31929142_1774970119_n.jpg

I used to do night walks every night with her and then I started trading it off with OH. Lately if I don't feel like a redundant walk I'll take her to the dog park for an hour or two or the wild life refuge. She I can tell is annoyed that she is not the center of my attention anymore like when she was 5 months and younger now she is 9 months and still whines occasionally because she is bored but we are taking care of LO.

 

[Inlozi]

Inlozi - the flirt pole looks like a good idea, think pop would like that so might try one out.

You can make a DIY one using for example some rope, an old mop handle or broom handle where the heads have fallen off you can google how to make your own if you don't wish to buy but have possible material in order to craft your own. I actually just used an old wooden brush handle, drilled a hole into, used some old spare rope and one of their current toys

 

[sweetpea8]

Oh takes lo out with the dog in her sling while I do the buggy with the dog. Lo may have a little grumble but soon drops off to sleep and we're usually out for an hour at least. Could you do an afternoon walk, even if it was a 10 min road walk? Or walk to park field and play a ball game. When I was at work and I was short if time is do a more intense ball game walk rather than a walk walk iykwim.
when I was very heavily pregnant I looked after my mums 9 month collie pup who was nuts, combined with my large and excitable gsd so a bit of a handful. We did lots of little walks, energy level and bladder prevented much longer! lots of ball throwing so they tired more quickly then in the house we would either pay a quick fetch game in the garden, hide and seek or they would have their kongs to keep them occupied then we would all sleep in between!
I would highly recommend kongs, mine flings it around so keeps her physically and mentally occupied. A lab should especially love it because of the food aspect.
Any sort of game would help. It is amazing how quickly a dog will be more settled and relaxed with mental stimulation, hide and seek, tricks etc. really doesn't take too much time but will have effect.
What about grooming for a bit of bonding time. My dog gets filthy at the moment so I have to house her off and dry her every time. It's a good bonding time and she loves the attention. lo is usually asleep at the end of the walk but occasionally she's not and can have a grumble but I always try and make this time as I think the dog needs it, I sill have a responsiblity to her as her owner. Obviously if lo is really upset I sort get them go back to the dog!

 

[HungryHippo]

We have a 1.5yr yellow lab and she's in love with LO. As soon as she hears LO chirp in the morning she pushes open her door to go say good morning. She's still in her puppy mode so every now and then she'll take off with the baby socks if she hasn't gotten enough attention that day. But every night DH and I let her on the bed for few snuggles before she gets in her own bed. She has a pretty big backyard, too, so she gallops around and wears herself out that way. And we'll have a German Shepherd a few doors down over for a doggie slumber party 1x a week, or so.

 

[0stara]

Can I ask how ladies who walk their dogs with baby in a sling manage to pick up the poop? I have a caboo carrier and would love to use it for rallies but am frightened of bending and losing my balance!

Edit: rallies clearly should have been walkies...!

 

[Dalila]

Mine doesn't poop during walks... I usually do not allow sniffing or anything she usually just poops at home ...once she pooped at her training site, lol

EDIT: I read this and it sounded mean, lol. It's part of her training when she's walking she's walking if she is sniffing she is not walking, however I do let my dog sniff around if we are walking around a park or something esp since there are so many smells to be smelled!!

 

[Inlozi]

Mine doesn't poop during walks... I usually do not allow sniffing or anything she usually just poops at home ...once she pooped at her training site, lol

EDIT: I read this and it sounded mean, lol. It's part of her training when she's walking she's walking if she is sniffing she is not walking, however I do let my dog sniff around if we are walking around a park or something esp since there are so many smells to be smelled!!

It didn't sound mean my husky is like this plus she's on a halti just in-case she decides to pull as I have the pram, but as she's on a halti she can't sniff either due to being on a short leash and unable to put her head down, she doesn't mind my LO is a bit more important than her sniffing, she has plenty of time for sniffing when let off the leash at certain points

 

[Squeeker]

I have two Brittanies: Sawyer, 1 1/2 yrs, and Libby, 4 1/2 yrs. I have to say, for the first few months they were a bit neglected in that they weren't getting the exercise they were used to. They used to get a good long morning walk and a good long evening walk, plus some free time in the yard, and I also did agility and DH did therapy with them. We used to do a LOT of clicker training with them, so they were constantly being stimulated.

I was unable to do agility or walks later in my pregnancy as the heat was too much for me (Jill was born in July) and for the first 3 months I was at Jill's beck and call as I am exclusively BF. They would maybe get one walk a day, in the morning thanks to DH, and a bit of free time in the yard. I had a really hard time teaching them to walk nicely with the stroller, so in the beginning it was really stressful for me to take Jill and the dogs on a walk by myself.

However, now that we have a routine for naps and betime the dogs are getting back to their old routine. They walk great with the stroller now (though it's way too cold to go out!), we do trainiing while she naps, and every evening after Jill goes to bed we go out for a long walk. I hope to start doing agility again in February!

 

[tracy1982]

Inlozi- the flirt line sounds fun, think my labs would love that!

Hi
We have two labs, Billy 8 and Cleo 4. Cleo is a trainee search and rescue dog so gets a lot of exercise.

I think the key is to fit a walk in with your routine- once its part of your routine then it gets easier.

My hubby works shifts so if he has time he walks them in the morning and i then walk them in the afternoon. It is harder to fit in the morning walk around my daughter, by the time we have had breakfast its nearly time for lunch!

Megan now goes either in the pram, backpack or the front sling. She LOVES the backpack!

My main problem now is to try and stop her from falling asleep on the walk as this really messes up her nap times! ANd then we have a nightmare night.

It is hard to fit it in with the cleaning, cooking, playgroups, coffee mornings, playdates etc etc but it is doable.

And it does get easier. I think we are just used to it now as i did it right from the start, i sometimes used to head out at 6am if we were all up. LOL too tired for that now though.

I do struggle to fit in 2 walks a day so sometimes i will go out later, say 2pm and do a really nice long energetic walk with them. Megan just loves to watch them run around....

The thing that i struggle with most now is the DOG HAIR!!!! Billy loses hair all the time, i am hoovering 2 times a day at the moment, not much fun. Though Megan finds the hoover amusing....

Ostara- just pick the poo up with one hand, and hold the carrier with other if you are worried. ;-)

xxx

 

[tracy1982]

Sorry me again- just thought of something else. We do a lot of scent work with our dogs. (Well Billy is no good but still loves it!!!)..... it tires them out.

20 mins of scent work is the equivalent to 1hr walk.

This work is a good starter
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fun-Nose-W...4037/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326786669&sr=8-2

Have fun xxx