We used baby gates, got the tallest possible. For dog fur, I vacuumed religiously every day when she was tiny, but the house we lived in was completely carpeted. I relaxed as she got a bit older and we moved to a place with floorboards. If it makes it any better, apparently exposure to pets is good for their immune system. It doesn't hurt to put any new systems, furniture, exclusions, sleeping arrangements, etc, in place well before the baby gets there.