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Introducing Hounds to New Baby
By Kimberly De Araujo
The test was positive. We were having a baby! One of the first thoughts we had was how to tell our greyhound babies that their lives were going to change. We also knew that we had to prepare them for the big event. I know that people are very hesitant to mix hounds and babies/kids, but I was confident that I could provide a stable environment with mutual respect for both the new baby and Frankie and Rocket. After all, as a child I lived with three dogs and never ever had a problem.
The first thing we did was talk to a veterinarian to see if she had any suggestions for preparing the boys for the big event. Her biggest recommendation was to set boundaries from the beginning. For example, she said that if we did not want the dogs in the baby’s room we should start now not letting them in there.
I also received a recommendation for a book from a very dog savvy person. The book, Childproofing Your Dog, was a big help. It is very short and offers some practical advice on how to bring a new baby into your home. Aside from all the common sense tips, such as, don’t ever leave a baby alone in a room with your dog -- it offered some advice on how to help your dogs distinguish between dog toys and baby toys. And, for anyone that knows our Frankie, he loves his stuffed toys. The advice they offered actually worked and we have not had too many problems with Frankie stealing the baby’s toys. The book suggested that every time the dog goes to take the baby’s toy—take it away and say, “No, this is (baby’s name) toy; this is (dog’s name) toy and offer to give back his own toy. I have found that once Luca’s toy has his scent on it, Frankie is less interested in it.
As the months went by (and I was getting bigger and bigger) we began setting up the nursery. Now, we did not have a problem with the dogs being in there so we did not set up that rule. In fact, until Luca came home from the hospital, I was convinced that Frankie thought we were doing the room just for him. He would lay on the floor in the middle of the room while we were painting, hanging curtains, and putting up shelves. Since Luca has come home, Frankie has found his own spot in the room and will lay there while we are in there with Luca. I believe that since we did not make it a big deal, it’s not a big deal. Rocket hardly ever goes in there.
Once we started acquiring baby equipment, we set it up right away in the spot where it would be used in the house. For example, we set-up the baby swing and left it in the living room. We would even run it. I wanted Frankie and Rocket to get used to all the new stuff that was going to be around. When we put together the stroller, we quickly found out that Rocket was afraid of it. We started taking it with us on walks (yes, I am sure we looked silly). He now walks proudly next to Luca on our morning walks.
While doing research on the Internet, I came across a website, www.preparingfido.com that sells a CD of crying. I thought this was a great idea. So, we began playing crying sounds well before Luca arrived. When Luca came home and the crying was real, the dogs were undisturbed. In fact, they sleep through most of the crying. There were only a few times when Luca was very young that Frankie came over to see what the fuss was all about. He simply sniffed and went about his business.
When Luca was born and we were still at the hospital, every day Dan brought home a blanket or an article of clothing that Luca has used. He would just leave it on the couch in hopes that the dogs would learn Luca’s scent. Both of them would smell the items for a few minutes and go back to their beds.
One of my biggest worries was -- how would Frankie and Rocket react when we actually came home. The book I referenced above had a whole section on how to introduce the new baby. The book suggests that the new mom (me) not walk in with the baby. They recommend that someone else walk in with the baby. They also make a huge point of telling the reader not to make a big scene. I went in first, greeted the boys (we had not seen each other in three days) and then Dan followed with Luca. He walked in as if nothing was different and put Luca (in his car seat) on our coffee table. Frankie and Rocket walked over sniffed and went to their beds. There was no scene. It was actually a lot less commotion than I thought it would be.
The boys have adjusted quite well. Frankie loves everything baby and Rocket can take it or leave it. I have never once acted like they can’t be where we are with the baby or be near the baby. In the beginning, I was very cautious, but wanted each of them to adapt and develop a relationship with Luca on their own. Frankie loves Luca and Rocket keeps his distance. Rocket has never once acted aggressive. He will sniff and sometimes will hang out with us, but usually he just sits on his bed. Frankie wants to be with us when we are playing or giving Luca a bath. It’s actually very cute. And in turn, Luca loves Frankie. He smiles every time he sees him.
Now that Luca is more active, we are already teaching him how to “pet” Frankie. We did not push Luca to touch Frankie; Luca just started reaching for him one day. I wanted to start respectful petting early. Frankie will sometimes even put his head on Luca’s stomach.
Luca is now using a high chair to eat. While Luca is eating, we don’t let the dogs in the kitchen. I don’t think food, dogs, and kids mix.
I know we have more challenges ahead of us when Luca becomes mobile, but I already have ideas on how we will handle that. They sell huge (20 feet in circumference) x-pen type gating that I can use to keep Luca in and the dogs out or vice versa until Luca knows how to behave around them.
I think if you ask the first greyhound babies in our lives if they still feel loved and spoiled they would tell you yes (if they could talk). I think they are proud to walk next to the stroller with their new baby brother.
Obviously, I am not a trained professional, but I read quite a bit about preparing dogs for babies. I think so much of a child/animal relationship is common sense. I also think it’s the parents responsibility to teach their young child how to be respectful of an animal and their space. And, each owner knows their own dogs and probably has a good understanding of how they will be around a baby or small child. I don’t ever leave Luca alone with them—even though I feel like nothing will happen. Frankie and Rocket are dogs and I always remind myself that. Mixing a baby and dogs does require extra care and work, but I truly believe children’s lives are fuller by having dog or any animal.
Kimberly De Araujo is a former board member and volunteer for Arizona Greyhound Rescue. She moved to Texas and we thank her for taking the time to help educate other perspective parents.
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