Re: puppy vs. baby

In Reply to: puppy vs. baby
Posted by:  amber noraong
Posted on:  October 30, 2001 at 21:01:27

: i have purchased a jack russel from a close friend. it is a male and i plan on having him nuetered. i will be picking him up november 6th from her house. i am expecting a baby in february. i am formiliar with training dogs, i have trained our lab. i am a little concerned about having a jack russel and a baby but i believe with correct training i dont have anything to worry about. my husband and i scored an 80 on the profiler and i think it will be fine. but is there anything i should do as a precaution?

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Hi Amber,

Congratulations on your pending motherhood AND on your new terrier! You are smart to get your Jack neutered as soon as possible, make sure it is done by 5 months of age and this will lessen any marking problems.

I just recently answered another poster that had several questions and he did mention his wife was expecting.

This is the advice I gave him and this will also apply to you:

Now would be the perfect time to start to get your dog ready for the new baby. A class in obedience school will be real helpful as soon as he is old enough to go.

You can also start getting him ready by making sure to let him see and sniff all the new baby items that will be coming into your home. This way he will be used to the many new sights and smells so when baby arrives he isn't jumping and leaping all over the place. Allow him into the baby's room ahead of time. Let him smell the baby powder and such so he is used to it all.

If at all possible get some type or make a tape of baby noises and start to play it for the dog so he gets used to the unusual baby sounds.

When the baby arrives make sure to bring home something the baby has worn and let your dog sniff it. Do this before the baby gets home so he will already know a familiar smell.

Once your baby comes home please make sure to take time out to spend with just the dog. This is so important to make this an easier transition. You always want the dog to feel like it is still a valued member of the family...always remember he was your first "kid"...hairy to be sure, but he will still see himself as the main focus of your lives. Make sure he stays an important focus and you should have less troubles when the baby comes home.

Get yourself a book like "Child-Proofing Your Dog" by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson. It can be found in paperback and will be a really helpful tool in this important period in your lives.