Worried about dog and new baby....any advice

[Pawsitive Thinking]

My you have your hands full right now! As the others have said the dogs can feel you tensing up when they approach you with baby which in turn will make them more interested in the strange new "creature" (no disrespect meant to your adorable baby ).

Terriers are very bright dogs - have you tried getting yours to exercise her brain instead of her legs. Hide treats in toys and things to keep her occupied and burn off some of the excess energy some other way

[iluvterriers]

We do do a lot of mental exercise, we work on her obedience and tricks everyday.

Sadly she doesn't have many toys, she is what I like to call a Toy Murderer. (And she taught our poodle and he is worse, he will destroy tennis balls) She has even been able to destroy some of those Indestructable toys that they recommend for dogs like her. And those aren't cheap. My Terrier however plays really well with Tennis balls, she does okay with her Kong, she won't play with most rubber toys. Tug ropes usually last a month or two around here before needing replaced, we play a lot of tug a war....its something I can do sitting down and I was on restricted activity most of the pregnancy. She goes easy on me but when she plays with my husband she puts all her strength into it, she goes easy on our poodle too.

Once we get back on our feet a little better (my husband just started a new job) I plan to get both dogs one of those treat ball things. And hopefully find a toy that my Terrier won't destroy.

The funny thing is I don't tense up when my poodle is around...mainly because he has shown that he can be calm around the baby. And he is very gentle with her and everything. I am always right there if he is near here. But he sniffs at her, he lays below wherever she is. He has quickly bonded to her I think, again I think he feels he is her protector. I'm not sure.

He has never really been this way with us, he has always been very hyper and a bit defiant at times...but since the baby came all that has stopped. Its like he grew up. (Honestly he started to calm down around the time I was 6 months pregnant, but after the baby came all negative or unwanted behavior just stopped....its amazing really. And I always reward him for good behavior around the baby....we have a very special cookie we get for them when it comes to being good with the baby its a peanut butter and that chocolate substitute. He loves those cookies, so does our Terrier.

Our Terrier has done the opposite though, she has gotten more nervous and more hyper (and I do think the needing run off some energy is part of it a big part of her routine has changed due to outside conditions (She would have OFFLEASH play time for 3 hours with other dogs 3 days a week and that has stopped until they can safely play outside in the grass again ....we need a good 5 days of sun and warmth to get my grandparents yard dried up....the dog parks will take a little longer, the creek that is next to them, is still out of its bank)

It snowed and rained yesterday and was only in the 30s but the sun is out today and its supposed to get up to the 40s and if we are lucky this weekend is supposed to sunny and the temp is supposed to be around 65, so here is hoping we can get this grass dried up. The mud at these places is so thick you sink in it.

I am praying this weekend we can get her over to my grandparents because one of her best playmates lives there, even if they can't get out in the yard my grandparents converted their garage to a living room so there is more room to play inside at their place. I think it would do her and my poodle a world of good to see their buddy!

Poor thing she is just used to having this good schedule and her world is upside down right now. A morning walk and an evening walk (she still gets that) Offleash playtime on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. And Sundays they used to get to go to the petstore and pick out a "cookie" if they were good and obeyed their commands during the outing. (That one was put on hold because first weekend I had had the baby, 2nd weekend I ended up back at the hospital due to being really ill, this weekend fingers crossed it will happen, my husband plans to take them one at a time, its right down the street on Sunday for their cookie)

They are overall good dogs and I know that they are, My terrier is just overly friendly and I have to find a way to teach her boundaries when it comes to the baby, where my poodle already figured out what he can and can't do and such around the baby.


He just took to her naturally.


Is it possible that he has chosen her as his person? He has never been real close or anything to me or my husband, he is much closer to me than my busband but its like he has made it his life's work to protect this baby, he isn't that way around us but if anyone that doesn't live her is holding her and is right at their feet watching their every move, if she starts crying he gets real protective of her if somoeone he isn't sure about is holding her.

Normally I don't let him do this but I had her little bed on our bed (its a bed that if she needs to she can sleep between my husband and I) and Zack got up on the bed and he just laid down right next to her bed all snuggled up and just looked at her...I grabbed the camera and took a picture and it was so cute both Zack and my daughter were looking right at the camera like they were just hanging out and were buddies.

I let him sit up there with her a few minutes but then as always I made him get down, he knows the rule he isnt supposed to be on the bed if she is up there. But it was too cute of a photo chance to pass up.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

He just took to her naturally

It does sound like he has a special affinity with your daughter - it may take time but your terrier will calm down eventually. As you say, the routine is all over the place at the moment which must seem very strange not to mention all the new scents in the home.

Sounds easy to say, but do try not to let it stress you too much. You have to focus pretty much all your energy on the baby right now but the time will come when she has her naps and you will then have time to spend with your dogs. Don't try to be supermum to everyone - you will wear yourself out

[iluvterriers]

It does sound like he has a special affinity with your daughter - it may take time but your terrier will calm down eventually. As you say, the routine is all over the place at the moment which must seem very strange not to mention all the new scents in the home.

Sounds easy to say, but do try not to let it stress you too much. You have to focus pretty much all your energy on the baby right now but the time will come when she has her naps and you will then have time to spend with your dogs. Don't try to be supermum to everyone - you will wear yourself out

Well I have been trying to do it all and tend to them all. I hate to say this but the pups are just going to have to learn that they will get their attention right now when I can give it to them.....which they get tons in the evening. I just want to be able to still be there for them too, they after all were my first babies....but right now my daughter does take up most of my time, which is no big deal to me she is my daughter and I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend my time with....but what the pups don't know is how tired Mommy really is. Baby is colicky and I get very little rest as does she. My husband is a real trouper though rain, snow, or shine he is out there getting them walked (well okay maybe not rain, they hate the rain as much as we do...but snow or shine) and played with and everything. And then at night he takes over with the baby and I play with them. I'm probably doubly tired though because instead of resting when he gets home, I then go and play with the dogs and work on training.

Hopefully over the course of the next few weeks we can get into a more productive routine for all of us.

In the meantime, maybe I hate to say it, let my daughter have an afternoon with my mother so I can rest and maybe give the dogs a little TLC....because I'm sure they feel left out. (I just don't like the idea of being away from my daughter, when she was a week old I ended up in the emergency room very ill, and had to stay overnight at the hospital....bad kidney infection. And that was really hard having to be away from her so soon.)


Anyways thank you all for your imput and advice, I will take it all into consideration and find what works for us