Did you have your dogs around your newborn ?

Question

So me and my bf live together and expecting our first child together . He has a dog that he's had since his daughter has been 4. It's a yorkiepoo and he's about 3 yrs old. He's a barker, not 100% potty trained, and doesn't see a vet regularly . I have reservations about bringing a newborn into this situation. Just thinking about him barking and waking the baby, or eventually the baby crawling and the dog having an accident. Plus not keeping vaccination up to date, makes me nervous when babies are susceptible to bacteria, illnesses and viruses. I've told my hunny about my concerns, and he doesn't really seem too concerned , as he believes all of these things will work itself out overtime. But I just don't know if I'm willing to risk my baby's health. Am I overthinking it?

Answer

Bacteria is good for babies. It helps strengthen the immune system. Dogs are life long commitments. Just cause you are bringing in a new baby doesn’t mean you need to get rid of your dog..

Answer

Small dogs are known to nip more, I’d be more concerned about that. But basically when you have the baby, take the blanket they first wrap the baby in, and bring it home to the dog, and that usually helps the dog get used to the baby. I think as long as you keep a close eye, which you do for any animal going around a baby, and the dog is cleaned regularly, it should all be fine. You’d also be surprised what a baby can sleep through, the barking problem won’t even bother the baby, my son sleeps through my pitbull constantly barking. The main thing you should probably worry about is the potty training, maybe try to enforce it more before the baby is crawling around? My dog absolutely loved my son when I first brought him home, and we allow her to come up and sniff him and stuff when someone’s holding him, and she always comes up and licks his feet lmao it’s like he’s her baby too

Answer

Believe it or not, baby's already used to the barking but I understand your concerns. Maybe you can try talking to you bf about the dog's upkeep, like getting him groomed a couple times a month, and a few potty training classes.

Answer

Most illnesses aren't commutable between dogs and humans so I wouldn't worry too hard about that. And when the baby starts crawling it'll understand more about living with the dog. I wouldn't worry.

Answer

Dogs are walking immune system strengthens. Unlike humans they walk around outside and play in dirt and don’t bathe regularly. Having the dog around will keep your baby healthy

Answer

as far as vaccinations there arent that many diseases dogs can carry that are transmissible to humans. Rabies is the only exception that im aware of if youre in a country that has it (we dont even have it in australia). if it is an indoor dog and not socialising with other dogs / being walked theres probably no need to even vaccinate it. if it spends time in a yard only just vaccinating for rabies can be enough. regarding other things, you can keep the dog somewhere away from the baby while it is sleeping. as far as when the baby is crawling, you would want to supervise it anyway, and especially when the dog is around you shouldnt leave them alone together, so i doubt this will be any issue as far as the baby is concerned. just make sure the dog is up to date with worming as a baby/toddler getting intestinal parasites would be awful.

Answer

My little Shih Tzu. We were so worried about her with babies. We babysat for my aunt for 2 weeks when her baby was a couple months old. Her father died and she wanted to go take care of it herself. So she left her son with us. We were so worried about the dog but we allowed a tiny bit of interaction (we would hold him and let her smell). She loved that little boy. She'd lick his feet and lay beside him. If he was having tummy time and started crying she'd get really concerned and whine at us. Dogs can surprise you. As for the shots and stuff, take the dog to a vet yourself if it bugs you. Start potty training it yourself if it bugs you.

Answer

I accidentally voted no, but I let our dog be around our baby since day one. The dog is old enough the he doesn't get shots anymore. I wouldn't be too concerned about barking. It's good for babies to be able to sleep with noise around them. If it's obnoxious barking then look into an obedience trainer for the dog. As long as the dog it not actually peeing on your baby you should be able to take care of any accidents. It's totally doable, but you may need to look into training the dog in some ways before baby comes.

Answer

I need everyone to not overlook my concerns . The potty training and constant lack of vaccinations are my main concerns.

Did you have your dogs around your newborn ?

Let's Glow!

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey