Hi amelie! I've posted in the first page what I started doing, but I do have heaps of info on this very subject... I guess the first thing to do while you are PG is to set up a system so your furbaby will not feel like all priveledges are taken away as soon as the baby comes home, so there isn't as much jealousy. So... if your puppy has to have any changes, i.e. sleeping in your bed that you don't want when the baby comes home, start a few months earlier moving him out to where you want him to sleep. If he doesn't have his own bed, buy him one. Give him a place to go to escape (trust me you'll want to join him later ) Start a pattern that will continue after bubs. I mean when he goes to bed give him something to chew on yummy like a pigs ear, so it becomes a good thing to go to bed. Get him used to spending time outside, even when you are inside. My dogs rarely have to be put out or anything nowadays, but early on I couldn't handle everything at once....
Get cd's of baby noises...play it periodically. Play it loud & soft so these sounds become familiar to your dog.
Oh I have sooooo many! Get the baby's things set up at least a few weeks beforehand. Have DH bring home baby smelling things with your smell from hospital everyday. When you get home, have DH bring the baby in after you arrive & greet your dog. Always spend 5-10 minutes quality time with your dog once or twice a day when the baby is out of the room/asleep. This way your dog will know that it has a special place in your heart. Same for DH make sure he spends the same time with the dog when the baby is away/out of the room. This helps the dog feel confident.
BIGGEST TIP EVER:
train your dog. Basic commands, sit/stay/down/come etc... if your dog already knows these commands, work on them daily for a minute a few times a day so that they are done almost everytime that way you can trust your dog to sit while you move the baby etc... rather then get excited. Start training now. Continue training forever... at least until your baby is walking. Every new stage your baby does, affects the dogs.
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