Well, our puppy was supposed to arrive this past Saturday, but she or he is a total slacker and hasn’t even showed up yet! So we’ve got plenty of time to wait around, filling our days with agilities, walks around the neighborhood, and naps.
We’ve also had plenty of downtime to catch up on our reading. Mama has been reading lots of very boring things to us, which is just fine by us, because she lets us nap snuggled up with her, and she is quite comfy as a headrest.
We’ve already spent the last few weeks telling you all of the ways that WE are getting ready for our future two-legged sibling, and we hope they’ve been helpful. But we also know that every family is different, and every dog has different needs. In addition to our ideas here, you may need other tools as you navigate your own journey. To that end, here are some resources to help:
Our favorite book on the subject is Your Dog and Your Baby: A Practical Guide. It’s easy to read, well-organized, and thoroughly addresses various common (and uncommon) situations involving babies and dogs.
There are several websites that offer webinars, articles, and other resources about issues related to dogs and children. The most prominent is Family Paws. Family Paws also offers a location-based search for trainers who offer their specific dog-baby preparation protocol, here.
As wonderful as books and websites can be, sometimes nothing beats a real-live trainer. Luckily, many training centers around the country offer special classes, seminars, or private consultations about preparing for life with a baby and dogs.
In Austin, we recommend the Canine Center for Training and Behavior, of course, where the next Babies & Dogs seminar is coming up on Saturday, April 27 at 5pm.
In other areas, we’ve heard of the following classes from some of our readers. We can’t vouch for the training methods or quality at any of the centers below, so please do some independent research before signing up:
- Winston Salem, NC – Elite Canine
- Woodbridge, VA – All About Dogs
- Arlington, VA – Animal Welfare League of Arlington (Baby-Ready Pets class)
- Washington, DC – Kissable Canine
- Philadelphia, PA – Opportunity Barks
- Pittsburg, PA – Aunt Penny’s Petsitting
- Verona, NJ – Dog’s Best Friend
- New York, NY – Bideawee
- Providence, RI – Outbound Hounds (Bringing Home Baby series)
- New Hampshire – For the Love of Dog
- Western Massachusetts – Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society
- Chicago, IL – Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Bowser & the Baby class)
Love and a Six-Foot Leash 
Finished the book and really liked it! Very helpful! Hope your puppy comes soooooon!
Reblogged this on O LADO ESCURO DA LUA.
When I saw the picture of the boys laying on you I laughed. When I was pregnant my boy Jr. would put his head on my stomach and Katie would kick him…he would feel it and sniff my belly. This would go on and on. When I went into labor Jr. was up with me the whole night…walking, laying next to me. Where I went he was…even when I got in the shower he had his head poking in to make sure I was OK…he knew the “puppy” was coming. When we came home with her and I introduced them he went right up to her foot to sniff and she kicked him…and he gave me that look ~”mom she’s kicking me again” and it was love from that moment. Wherever she was he went and if she cried he would come find me. The bond created between her in my tummy and him was very strong and carried over after she was born.
Great post and AWESOME photo. Those two are ready for a new edition to the clan.
As the mother of a now 4 y/o and two big, goofy, exuberant dogs, I can honestly say that THE most essential piece of baby paraphernalia for us was an Ergo carrier. I didn’t really envision myself as a baby-wearer, but after trying to walk both of my dogs with a stroller (and failing miserably), I decided to give the baby-wearing thing a try. It was a HUGE hit with both her and the dogs. From 8 weeks on, she loved that thing; we could walk for miles, and she would be content, as would my dogs. She would often fall asleep before we got home, and I could transfer her with ease to her crib.
It also made a big difference in my dogs’ behavior. Before I had figured this out, they were more than a little restless and mischievous in the weeks following her arrival. I couldn’t blame them; their activity level had taken a serious hit while I was still trying to figure out the whole baby/motherhood thing. Baby-wearing enabled me to stimulate and exercise them back at the level they needed and were accustomed to, and within a week or so, those boys got just as excited when I got out the ergo as they did with their leash 🙂
Find whatever works for you – Baby Bjorn, Ergo, sling, wrap, whatever. I loved the ergo because it was something that I was able to use up until her 4th bday, and it distributed her weight in a way that never bothered my back. Your dogs AND your baby will both be happier!
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Very cute photo. Great information.
I’m curious about how their behavior shifted once they started getting more freedom and independence in the house. Did they start approaching you more often to cuddle or were they more interested in hanging out in their spaces?? Can’t wait to read some exciting news soon!!
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