Greyhounds And Newborns - Advice Needed

[Guest amysonricker]

Hi everyone,

 

We are due to have our first baby this coming June, and am worried about how to best prepare my senior (10.5 y/o) male greyhound for all of the changes in store. My grey is my first child in a way and it is very important to me that he feel loved and that anxiety is kept to a minimum for him. Are there any recommended books that I should be reading or do any of you have any suggestions on things that have worked for you when bringing home a new baby?

 

Also, I'm feeling guilty because as of now our greyhound sleeps upstairs in the guest bedroom on the queen size bed that is in there (spoiled boy!), but soon we will be turning that room into the nursery and have to get rid of that bed to make room for a crib. As it is when guests actually stay in that room he gets mopey and refuses to go upstairs for days so if we get rid of the bed altogether I think he is going to be upset. I'm not sure how to best make all of these changes to "his room" without causing stress for him. Am I over-thinking this and worrying too much? What can I do to make this transition easier for him?

 

Thank you in advance for any advice. I tried to search the forums for information on this prior to posting but didn't really find anything that answered my specific concerns.

 

Amy

[silverfish]

I read 'Living with Kids and Dogs, Without Losing Your Mind' before our grand-daughters were born. It was very useful and has a lot of great advice.

 

Basically, I think the most important thing is to realise that having young babies in the house can be an enormous stressor for a dog, especially an old dog who isn't used to them. You'll need to make sure he gets plenty of down time - not necessarily being petted and loved on (though that can be important too) but to be by himself peacefully, or doing ordinary doggy things like going for a walk or having something to chew on, all of which are de-stressers, and can help him recover his equilibrium - and his patience. If he likes his routine, try to keep it going as far as possible.

 

And never leave them alone together. I believe that to be a golden rule!

[silverfish]

As to the room and his bed, I think I'd try to start making the changeover now, if he really must change. Ideally, I'd allow him to stay in there, but I can see how that probably isn't possible. So, maybe get him a great new bed and put it somewhere he'll like (or at least accept), and encourage him to spend some time on it each day. Maybe give him a kong or something that he never has at any other time, and which he can only have on the new bed? Can he sleep in your room? He may find it easier to get accustomed to a new bed if it's a 'privileged' position next to you. You could also try plugging in a pheromone diffuser (which may be useful for the new changes in his life anyway). Put it near the new bed.

 

One thing that we have found to be a source of great competition between our two boys is a washable sheepskin. Could you perhaps try him with one on the new bed? You may be lucky and find he prefers it!!

 

Good luck with that. I imagine that this might be more difficult for him than anything else .. but all dogs are different and he may surprise you.

[Guest amysonricker]

Thank you for your comments. I will look into that book

 

I agree that keeping his routine as much as possible throughout all of this will help keep him happy!

 

Thanks again!

[Guest amysonricker]

Unfortunately, there is just no way to keep the queen size bed in the room and still fit a crib. I think we are going to be putting a couch in the room though so he would be allowed to sleep on that. I have never tried a washable sheep skin - I will try that perhaps on this new couch! I will also be sure to make a cozy place for him in our bedroom. He has plenty of beds in the house so I'm hopeful he'll adjust well and not be too upset by this one aspect of things. Having a crying baby in the house will probably take a bit more time for him to get used to though.

[Guest DogNewbie]

Could you move his old mattress (lucky dog!) to the living room/family room/laundry room/Rec Area/hall way? That way he could still use it, it would just be in a different spot and it would be on the ground?

 

No advice, Just good luck and

 

Congrats on the new baby!

[Guest amysonricker]

I wish we could just move the mattress somewhere where he could still use it, but it is a queen size and we just don't have any additional place to put it

Thanks for the thought though! I am thinking that maybe he will be ok once we get a couch in there with some cozy blankets to replace the bed.

[BootsyCollins]

Congratulations! I have two boys (5 and 1) and a 10 year old Greyhound. I did not do anything special to prepare Bootsy. We just keep his routine, especially walks. Our boys help feed him and our 1 year old loves to give him treats and feed him from his high chair. He does not love the boys, but he is tolerant, which is all I ask.

 

I would make the bed change asap so it is done well before baby's arrival.

 

Good luck

[krissy]

Maybe buy a smaller mattress for him? A twin or child sized mattress?

[brianamac]

Unfortunately, there is just no way to keep the queen size bed in the room and still fit a crib. I think we are going to be putting a couch in the room though so he would be allowed to sleep on that. I have never tried a washable sheep skin - I will try that perhaps on this new couch! I will also be sure to make a cozy place for him in our bedroom. He has plenty of beds in the house so I'm hopeful he'll adjust well and not be too upset by this one aspect of things. Having a crying baby in the house will probably take a bit more time for him to get used to though.

 

I understand how you're worried about how your dog will react to the baby crying, I have the same concern for when my time comes, as one of my greys has a strong prey drive response when he hears babies crying on TV.

I read that it's a good idea to play sound clips of crying throughout your pregnancy to get the dog accustomed to the sound. I'm sure it would help if you throw some treats or extra pets his way while you play the clips, so he learns to make positive associations with the noise. You might as well eat some chocolate, so you get positive associations with baby crying too

Good luck!

[Guest amysonricker]

Thanks everyone for your ideas! We will be doing the bed change well before the baby arrives, and I will look into getting a smaller mattress or a super cozy bed for him to go in that room in place of the bed. I never thought about playing clips of a crying baby, but that might be a good idea in order to get him used to the changes to come. Thankfully, he doesn't have a high prey drive, and as an older boy he's overall pretty mellow. I think he is used to a quiet relaxed life, as it is just my husband and I in the house and he is our only pet. Keeping his routine as much as possible is going to be a priority throughout this - I'm guessing as long as he's getting his walks, food, and petting at around the same times he'll continue to be a happy boy

[Guest DogNewbie]

These beds look awesome! http://www.bigbarker.com/ You could even get the biggest one, it might be the size of a small mattress I'm going to save up for one for Wiley

[Sambuca]

If he loves the bed, I'd get a crib mattress and put similar comforters on it and start getting him used to that and move it where you want it.

[BootsyCollins]

as long as he's getting his walks, food, and petting at around the same times he'll continue to be a happy boy

 

Yes. This.

[Guest amysonricker]

I like the idea of using the same bedding on a new bed and then moving it if needed!

[Guest Downtownhoundz]

When my grandbaby came home, I had two "spooks" in the house who were terrified of everything. My daughter initially let the boyz sniff the baby until they were satisfied that she wasn't scary. Both boyz took to the baby and often peeped in on her. My one boy LOVES his liddle girl and she loves him. My other boy has since crossed the bridge. Now when they come to visit...he runs to the door doing a happy dance when he sees her, even though he towers over her. He's so gentle with her and stays close by whene she comes to visit. It's so endearing to see my spook behave with such a little person.

[cleptogrey]

when i had dd many many moons ago i had a 6.5 yr old saluki. the first thing i did was hire a dog walker, a teenager who i had walking him pre-delivery so his walks with her were part of his daily routine. i continued w/ the walks and eventually used her as my babysitter. the other thing, not having a crate was i made sure that there was no chance that the two - baby and dog were together with out my supervision. when it came to showers azim was leashed to my bed, door closed. dd was in her crib, door closed i scooted in and out of the shower. azim slept at the foot of our bed but towards the end of my pregnancy he was smart enough to move out. a moving blanket worked as a bed. he was smart enough to move onto the couch.

 

for your dog, try closing off the room. decorate or what ever and do install a baby gate.leave the door open but gate up. eventually once the bed is out of there(that is if you move it out) let him in w/ you or dh but not alone. it's not his room anymore! give him a nice comfy bed, your room or the living room. feed him treats and fun things on the "new bed". btw, i had a crib mattress at one point, the greys didn't seem to like it that much. how about a futon?

 

dogs and babies do bond, don't force it. once they are eating real food and there is fall-out your dog will be in heaven. when dd started feeding herself i had the fattest saluki on this side of the Mississippi! he lost weight, she eventually found her mouth.

 

you have 5 months to get things together, don't worry! be healthy!

[Guest lynne893]

thanks for posting this topic! good tips-- keep 'em coming!

[Guest giantsfan]

I was very nervous about this same thing when I was pregnant with DS, who is 16 months now. We did a lot of typical things that others suggested - set up the swing and pack n play in the living room in advance, so the dogs could become accustomed to them. DH brought home a blanket that the baby had been wrapped in when I was still in the hospital and the dogs were able to smell it. Other than that though, we just did the best we could - their walks are weekly instead of daily now, but they get plenty of love and treats and they really seem to have taken this whole baby thing in stride.

[Guest amysonricker]

Thank you everyone for your continued comments and advice We are starting to slowly make some changes. I think setting up the swing and some other baby items in the house early is another great idea!

[Guest KennelMom]

Newborns and greyhounds are easy. It's the toddler stage that's a big adjustment for everyone!

 

Honestly, make changes you need to make as early a possible so the dogs can get used to them. Otherwise, try to keep their routines the same when baby comes home and most greyhounds will adapt just fine. Ours never seemed bothered by or interested in the baby.

[sarabz]

I'm starting to think introducing a newborn is like any other change for a dog - keep a calm attitude, try to ensure their routine doesn't change completely & drastically, make sure they're getting love & attention and things should be ok.