I agree with lots of Rose's suggestions and observations. We have two children, 2 1/2 years and 5 months. Our berner, Boris (now 7), has been great with both children. We followed some of the suggestions from the "experts" and mostly just listened to our own common sense (you'll find out that works for raising children too!) Boris took a bit more managing around the children than other dogs because he is mostly blind from PRA. Here are my suggestions/observations:
Bring an item of the baby's clothing home from the hospital (before you bring the baby home) for the dog to smell, so the scent is not a strange one when he first meets the baby. When you do come home with the baby you should greet your dog without the baby. I let Boris smell and nuzzle both babies, but use your best judgement, Boris is a very gentle nuzzler. Obedience training is the best thing for dogs around children. I have used our carting commands a lot too. Stop, back, left and right work great. A good "leave it" command will be needed when toddlers start wandering around the house with food. Never leave children and dogs together unattended. Always keep in mind the safety of both child and dog. I would never want to put my dog in a position to have to tolerate hair and ear pulling from a toddler and, of course, would not want a child inadvertently stepped on or bowled over by a 100 pound dog. Remember, the Berner is a working breed. Your dog will probably take on the baby as his "job". Alerting you to crying is common. Its easy to give your dog attention when he is following you and the baby around the house all day! Boris has now switched his "job" to the new baby, but we're both much more relaxed this time around! Walking is a great way to get your shape back after pregnancy. Train your dog to walk beside the stroller before the baby arrives so you can practice without worrying about a new infant. I think the bottom line is watching your dog to see his reaction around the baby in the first few weeks and trusting your instincts. And by all means give your dogs as much attention as they need! It is a bit of extra work to have dogs and babies but I would never want to have it any other way. I will always cherish memories of Boris standing still and strong so my son could hold on to him when learning to walk and my son's first word being "boris". Good luck with the new baby! Karen Heitkamp Mountain View, CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
