Baby and Puppy - Big Problems!

You may think that now you are an expectant couple, it would be a great idea to get a puppy, so the baby grows up with a dog around. A baby and a dog is ok but a baby and puppy is not a great combination.

Let me set the scene. Your baby is a few days old, the puppy is a few weeks old. You haven't slept properly since I don't know when - those last few weeks of pregnancy mean you have not had good sleep. Then the baby arrived and you are now not allowed to sleep. In fact, the puppy has started to sleep on your bed since the baby keeps being disturbed by his whining.

You are trying to get some sort of dinner on for your partner who is expected home very soon, and at the same time rocking your baby on your hip because for some reason he has decided that sleeping during the day is boring but is tired out and grizzling.

You hear a key at the door and turn round to say hi, and you slip on dogs poop and realise that the house stinks because the puppy has pooped all over the place. Your partner walks in, turns up his nose and swears at the puppy. A huge row ensues because he shouldn't swear in front of the baby and it isn't the puppys fault because he is only young too.

Ok, this is a bit of a worse case scenario - but believe me it happens. Don't get a puppy when you are having a baby!

If your baby is a year old and now you are thinking again about a baby and puppy, let me point a few possible problems out:

1. Puppies don't like being pulled around.

2. Babies don't know that they shouldn't pull puppies around.

3. Puppies may not have learned not to snap at babies.

4. Baby ends up terrified of dogs because he/she got bitten when she was a tiny!

Well, you will have to put in a bit of work with your dog, but it is all possible to work out fine. It is not going to be as hard work as baby and puppy.

First of all though, I want to make sure that a few myths are exposed.

1. Giving your dog a babys blanket (alone) will not aclimatise him to the baby - it takes a while to aclimatize the dog and should be done with professional help.

2. Bringing a doll into the house will not make the dog accept the baby. Dogs use smell as their primary sense, they can smell a doll and make a grab for it - to them the plastic is the same smell as some of their toys.

However, there are some things you can do. John Wade, well known ethologist (studies animal behaviour) has written a book called How To Prepare Your Dog For Your Baby. John Wade has many years experience studying dogs among other animals - and dog behaviour in a pack and as they interact with humans.

He wrote the book after he got incorrect but well meaning advice on the birth of his own son.

Some people feel that it is not a good idea to get advice from a book - but unless you are prepared to pay the many thousands of dollars for a dog professional to come to your home and help you train your dog - then this is way to make the information accessable to everyone.

Here is what other people have written about the book:

"Welcoming a new baby into a home with an established pet requires careful integration to insure safety. John Wade offers practical and sensible guidance to new parents and grandparents. Drawing from his vast experience as a pet owner, canine behaviourist, and father, John provides knowledgeable insight to insure one happy, safe family." - Dr. Laura Palumbo D.V. M.

and also:

"John Wade has come up with a definitive book that allows dog owners to understand what bringing home a new baby will mean to their pet. This book will be an eye-opener for many dog owners who may never have thought of looking at the situation through their dogs eyes." - Debbie Young President of DONA International, the oldest, largest and most respected Doula association in the world with a membership of over 6,000)