Sådan opretter du sikre rum til din baby og din hund

Velkommen til det næste indlæg i serien om, hvordan vi forberedte vores hund Baxter til fødslen af ​​vores første baby. Dette indlæg blev faktisk skrevet, før min datter blev født.

I dag deler jeg min plan for alle områder i vores hus og hvad der vil blive delt mellem Baxter og baby. Dette er et vigtigt skridt i mit overordnede mål om at holde alle i sikkerhed og sørge for, at hund og baby respektere hinanden. Klik her for at se alle indlæg i denne Baby Prep -serie.

En påmindelse om, at hvis du har alvorlige adfærdsmæssige bekymringer eller særlige behov, især når du tilføjer en baby til din familie, er vores bedste råd at arbejde med en velrenommeret, professionel træner.

Da vi har forberedt Baxter til baby, har en af ​​de mest nyttige ressourcer været vores træner.

I min allerførste samtale med hende, efter at jeg fortalte hende, at jeg var gravid, talte hun om vigtigheden af ​​rum og grænser – og træner både babyer og hunde til at respektere disse grænser.

Hendes kommentarer fik mig til at tænke på, hvad jeg vil have delt plads, og hvad der vil være eksklusivt for babyen eller til Baxter.

Med vores træners egen datter etablerede hun en omkreds omkring, hvor hundene oftest lagde sig. Hun oprettede ikke en fysisk barriere, og instruerede i stedet bare sin datter om ikke at gå for tæt på. Mens denne tilgang muligvis ikke fungerer for hvert barn, sagde vores træner: “Efter 8 eller 9 måneder havde hun lært at respektere det rum.”

Sådan skaber du sikker plads til din baby og din hund

Hundens plads

Baxter’s hovedbed ligger i vores stue ved siden af ​​hans mad og vand. Det er et centralt sted, hvor han kan holde øje med, hvad der sker i huset. Det er også et sted, hvor Baxter nogle gange har været følsom.

Hvis fremmede er forbi på besøg, og de kæledyr ham, mens han er i sengen, har han lejlighedsvis knurrede. Så vi erklærer Baxter’s seng og mad for en babyfri zone. Det er Baxter’s plads, og jeg vil have, at han skal være sikker på, at han kan gå der, hvis han vil være alene. Det samme gælder for Baxter’s senge på andre steder i huset.

Dette vil også være det sted, vi sender ham, hvis vi føler, at vi har brug for lidt plads. Baxter reagerer pålideligt på “gå ned” ved at gå i sin seng, så vi har øvet denne kommando fra forskellige steder i huset for at sikre, at han er rock solid, når babyen ankommer.

(Se vores indlæg om, hvordan du lærer din hund “sted” -kommandoen.)

Det andet sted, der udelukkende vil være Baxter’s, er hans stol i stuen – hvilket han hævdede for længe siden. Selvom han ikke er besiddende af stolen, bruger jeg ikke stolen til sygepleje og vil ikke lægge babyen på stolen til et sødt tæt foto med hunden.

Babyens plads

Babyen har også brug for sine egne rum. Vi har lagt et tæppe og en hoppestol på gulvet i vores stue ovenpå og vores familieværelse nedenunder, og efter en indledende sniff for at undersøge de nye tilføjelser, har vi bedt Baxter om at forblive uden for disse områder.

Der er masser af debat om kommandoen “Forlad det” og folk, der bruger den for bredt. Baxter har en meget pålidelig “forlade det” og en bred definition af, hvad der forlader det betyder (alt fra det grundlæggende, “nej ikke spiser det” for at “stoppe med at snuse det” for at “flytte væk”). Så vi har brugt “Forlad det” til at bede ham om at bevæge sig væk fra stolen eller tæppet.

The other tool I’m planning to use to create my happy baby-dog house is a play yard—the modern version of an old-school playpen or the human version of the dog crate. Baxter has never been crated and we’re not planning to start that now. However, there will be times that I need to step away for a minute, but I don’t want to leave Baxter and baby loose in the room together.

One of the books that I read talked about thinking about your dog like a swimming pool. You would never leave your baby alone in a swimming pool, so don’t leave your baby unsupervised with your dog.

Having the play yard for the baby will be enough separation to keep everyone safe for a few minutes without me being right there. We’ve set up the play yard now so that Baxter has plenty of time to get used to this new fixture in the living room.

As for the rest of the house and furniture, I’m hoping that we will all share.

Baby’s room

Baxter has been curious about the baby’s room (a room that we didn’t spend a lot of time in before) and by his own choice he’s been keeping us company when we’re in the room sorting baby clothes or setting up furniture.

I’m glad that he’s treating the room like any other in the house. I don’t want him to feel anxious or uncertain about the room, and I hope he’ll continue to feel welcome in the nursery once baby arrives.

See our update on how they’re doing here.

Shared furniture

Shared furniture is something I’ve been thinking about carefully. Baxter is allowed on the upstairs couch and our bed, but both are usually invitation only, which he respects.

Our trainer’s advice was, “If your dog is allowed on the couch, let him be on the couch with you while you’re feeding the baby. This can be a good bonding time for you and your dog and also help your dog become more familiar with the baby. If you don’t want your dog on the couch with the baby, train him now to stay off the couch.”

I am conscious that it will be important not to force Baxter to be on the couch or the bed with the baby if he doesn’t want to be.

Yes, pictures of dogs and babies snuggling together are super cute and get lots of likes online, but I’ve seen too many photos where the dog looks miserable, and those make me cringe. It’s a short step from a dog being uncomfortable to a dog being dangerous.

No matter where we are in the house, I want Baxter to feel comfortable and safe. Likewise, I want to feel comfortable that our baby is safe. thinking about how we’ll use the various spaces, setting up boundaries right from the start, respecting each other’s spaces and teaching baby and dog right away will hopefully help us to accomplish that.

Update: Baxter and Ellie are doing well, as you can see:

Summary: how to create safe spaces for your baby and your dog

Train the baby and the dog. babies and dogs need to learn that there are boundaries and to respect each other’s spaces. For example, teach the baby that the dog’s food and bed are out of bounds. Or you may want to teach your dog that the couch or the nursery is a baby only area.

Use physical boundaries to help manage interactions between your dog and baby. Crates, baby gates and play yards can be helpful if you need to separate your dog and baby. set them up early so your dog has time to get used to them before the baby arrives.

Think of your dog like a swimming pool. Don’t leave your baby unsupervised with your dog. even the best dog can make a terrible mistake. stay close enough (within reach) to intervene if needed.

Make sure your dog has a space of his own. Sometimes, a dog just needs to get away. Make sure he has a few safe spaces where he can go if he wants to be alone. Don’t put the baby in his safe spot, even if it’s just once for the cutest photo ever. Your dog should feel secure that he will not be bothered if he’s feeling overwhelmed.

Let your dog choose to engage or share space with the baby. Don’t force your dog onto the couch or into the nursery. If he chooses to join you, great. If not, let him approach the baby in his own way at his own pace.

Brush up on important commands. “Place” or “settle” or “go lay down” can all be invaluable if you or the baby need a little space. depending on your situation or training, “leave it,” “off” or “away” may also be helpful. Make sure your dog responds solidly to these commands—including if you’re not standing right beside him—before the baby arrives.

Do you have exclusive dog or baby spaces at your house?

How do you handle shared areas for your dog and children?

If you missed it, read my birth announcement here.

Relaterede indlæg:

Baby prep – new routines

New sights, sounds & smells

How to safely introduce a 2nd dog

Julia Thomson is a blogger at Home on 129 Acres where she writes about her adventures of country living and diy renovating. She and her husband live on a 129-acre farm in Ontario, Canada. follow Julia on Twitter here and Instagram here.