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| Name: Lin-Ko | Date: Oct 26th, 2006 8:21 PM |
| One lady on my other messageboard just recently had a baby and her dogs were really hyper. She said what her and her husband did was a couple months before the baby was born, walked around with a baby doll in their arms so that the dogs would learn that when the baby is around, jumping and being roudy is off limits. She said it worked pretty well. ↑ |
| Name: Hiddy | Date: Oct 26th, 2006 9:42 PM |
| Do you excersise your dog? Is your dog obiedience trained? Hyperactivity is linked to not enough excersise and no training. The dog acts up all the time because you have not set down any ground rules. They are like children, they are much happier when they know what is expected of them and have clear guidelines to follow. Walking around with a doll will not solve this problem. ↑ |
| Name: Hiddy | Date: Oct 26th, 2006 11:30 PM |
| Hyperactivity is MOST OF THE TIME....not a trait ↑ |
| Name: Hiddy | Date: Oct 26th, 2006 11:31 PM |
| Hyperactivity is also linked to diet ↑ |
| Name: Lin-Ko | Date: Oct 26th, 2006 11:35 PM |
| Here are some links that you might find helpful :0) http://help4pets.homestead.com/ResourceArt ...s/PetsBaby.html http://www.webbabyshower.co m/content/pregn...arry-a-doll.php http://www.n etpets.com/dogs/reference/info/baby.html Also, here are some tips that may help as well :0) (1) Bring home a shirt the baby has worn for a whole day so that the dog is smelling the baby and not just the hospital. The only thing I would add is that it shouldn't be shoved in the dog's face ("here, sniff this!"). It should be hanging from your husband's back pocket or belt loop or whatever and just left there. That way the dog gets used to the scent WITHOUT thinking the shirt is being given to him as a toy (thus, making the baby a toy). (2) Include the dog in EVERYTHING! When you take the baby out in the stroller, take the dog as well. When you're feeding the baby, you should also feed or play with the dog. We went to a dogs & babies behavioral class when I was pregnant. The instructor said that for the first few weeks, stop feeding your dog once or twice per day as you have been. Feed the same "amount," but break it up into 10-12 tiny feedings so that the dog is fed every time the baby is fed. It's not only positive reinforcement, but the dog understands that you're not unjustly giving attention to the baby... you're FEEDING the baby. (3) While holding the baby, YOU pet the dog. Slowly (which may mean 2 minutes or 2 months!) begin allowing your dog to sniff the baby, followed by you petting the dog with the baby's hand, followed by the baby petting the dog him/herself. Luckily a JRT is a short-haired dog. When babies get to the hair pulling stage, some frighten or even hurt smaller breeds and can cause the dog to lash out. Keep a close eye out for anything the dog might not like, and immediately move the baby away. This teaches the dog that you'll protect him, and teaches the baby (or toddler for that matter), that the behavior wasn't appropriate and won't be tolerated. (4) Noise! If your dog is used to a quiet house, start making noise now. That might mean leaving the t.v. on, playing a cd of a crying baby, or whatever. Leave lights on randomly throughout the night, too. As for the baby, from day one, you should have the t.v. on, run the vacuum, let the dog bark/play, etc. The baby will get used to having noise around and won't wake up every time the doorbell rings or everytime you run to walmart. (5) Initial introduction - When you enter the house, you're on the dog's territory with a new pack member. They must be properly introduced and put into place or the dog will try to dominate the baby. Walk in as you normally would without making a big fuss ("oooh! look at the baaaaby!" - NO). Sit on the floor with the baby and/or lay the baby on a blanket on the floor. (If you have a c-section, your hubby will have to do the introduction. It's really better if you do it though.) Let the dog sniff to his heart's content. Greet the dog without acknowledging the baby's presence (except for protection of course), so that your full attention is on the dog. (6) After all is said and done, the baby is 4-6 months old and learning to roll/crawl. They're the best of friends, yada, yada, yada. Now is the turning point: NEVER leave your baby alone with the dog. When the baby becomes mobile, it's a whole new ball game! The dog will see the baby as either a puppy or a lump on a log at first and learn to ignore everything. When the baby becomes mobile, he/she can very easily annoy or even hurt a dog. The dog might get up and walk away. That's great. Many times they'll put a paw on the baby's hand or back to assert domination. Not only does the baby not understand pack mentality, but a dog's rough paw pads and/or claws can hurt the baby. If the dog doesn't want to play but the baby does, just as in the wild, he'll give a "gentle" snap/bite...which isn't so gentle on a baby's skin. 'Innocent' gestures from the dog can hurt the baby and vice versa. It's just best not to leave them alone until at LEAST 2 yrs old or so (and even then you should be in the next room and not across the house). (7) When the baby becomes a toddler or young child, the dog might again try to show some dominance (by jumping up or whatever... that's fine for adults, but can severely hurt a child if he's knocked over into a table or something). Have the child feed the dog. First, the dog learns that he won't eat unless he's nice to this member of the pack, and second, the child learns responsibility. It's exactly the same for a husband/wife if the dog obeys one and not the other. The weaker member of the pack should be the food provider. ↑ |
| Name: Hiddy | Date: Oct 26th, 2006 11:46 PM |
| I just did some research. Actually Hyperactivity is not a trait at all. Being active is. Hyperactivity is used to describe above normal levels of activity. And Hyperactivity is linked to behavioural problems, diet, and excersise. ↑ |
| Name: Hiddy | Date: Oct 26th, 2006 11:52 PM |
| break your dogs feed up in to 10-12 feedings? While you have a new born baby? Thats not very good advice to give a new mother. You have enough on your plate without having to feed a dog 10-12 times a day. ↑ |
| Name: Lin-Ko | Date: Oct 27th, 2006 12:03 AM |
| Maybe it'll help, maybe it won't. Have you tried it? Let her try it and make her own decesion about it. ↑ |
| Name: Hiddy | Date: Oct 27th, 2006 12:06 AM |
| When I had my child, nothing in my home changed. The dogs were still allowed inside, they slept in the beds, they were given treats etc... My dogs learned the word "gentle" from early on, because one, when offered a treat would snatch it out of your hand. In the end, she wasnt given food unless she was gentle. When the baby came, they would go up and sniff her as she lay on the floor or the bed beside me, and I would say "gentle" and they learned to be very careful around her. Also, before my child came along, I used to have other older kids (toddlers and up) in the house who belonged to friends of mine. So it wasnt such a shock to see a "little person" My daughter and the dogs had become the best of friends, they have never nipped at her, they respect her space and they take food from her very gently. They treat her as a little adult. Also, I would often pat and kiss my dogs while cuddling the baby, I think this helped a lot too. ↑ |
| Name: jmp1079 | Date: Oct 27th, 2006 12:56 AM |
| Thanks for the advise. We were thinking about the doll thing, but weren't sure if that would work. We will definintly give it a try along with all the other advise. We do excersise the dog a ton. He goes on two walks a day and has free rein to our large backyard throughout the whole day, but he still comes in and wants to play 24 hours a day. He is trained and he does listen well when he is calm, but once he is in a play mood that is all he wants. Thanks again for the advise!! ↑ |
