Author Topic: (human) Pregnancy and the Ridgeback (Read 758 times)

kotchfam · « **on:** February 04, 2008, 11:22 AM »

I'm looking for folks experience with their Ridgebacks while they're humans go through pregnancy and birth.

How did they behave?

Did they seem to "sense" that you were pregnant?

How did you introduce your dogs to your baby?

Did you have any issues after the baby came?

Did they take on as "nanny's" letting you know that the baby was up?

Or did they hate you for life after that and have problems accepting a child into their pack?

There are so many folks on here that I would love to hear about your experiences.

Thanks!

shodyL · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2008, 11:56 AM »

Sooo, are you expecting?

I myself don't have experience with this. I would suggest contacting Heathe (saikridgebacks). Scroll down and click on Members list and look her up. She has RR's and small children and could give you good advice. Maybe she will see this post and chime in!

Good luck!

Deniseeb · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2008, 12:06 PM »

We have my niece visiting right now and Beau sees Keel as a non-sto sourse of food. He makes sure he checks both of her hands at all times and he licks her mouth as often as her mom will let him.

. He also likes to follow her with his nose to her dorty diaper

. Oh well. They get along famously once he figured out she was a little human and not something to stalk and "take down" and play woth like he does the cat!

Denise

melissap · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2008, 12:23 PM »

That Beau is such a sweetie! Food and kids are a sure fire recipe to win any RR's loyalty.

I have heard of several tips that you can use to begin conditioning your dog: Playing recordings of babies crying to de-sensatize the dog to those new sounds, bringing home a baby blanket with new babies smell and getting the dog socialized around kids in general are all great starters!

I have also heard of dogs in several instances picking up on a "change" in thier human - and I am sure that your dogs will sense a difference. My dogs both seem to "know" when I am sick and both of them are very attentive to me.

Keeping dogs and kids happy at varying times in the childs ever changing development provided the dog accepts the child the children are taught how to properly interact with the dogs...... Which, I am pretty sure (if you are asking for your self) that Titus and Lucious have two kids that they adore now and seem to have very "kid friendly" temperments - so I would anticipate smooth sailing.

I think with that said, having an older dog of any breed that is not used to kids at all - this could require a lot more work that your particular situation calls for.

Melissa -

machem · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2008, 12:38 PM »

Yeah, that's really nice to toss out such a loaded question and disappear, Kelley.

No, I don't have any advice to offer, we are safely past those years!

Cheers

Mike

melissap · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2008, 12:59 PM »

$:-\$

Yeah, I think I am safely out of that stage of my life ~ although I may get a bug again for another baby...right now I am thinking of College tuition, although I have 8 years left of joyful expereinces with the # 1 boy in my life....

it is a loaded question though - I was very tempted to toss her out a big congrats...So........I guess I will have to find out later too!

Melissa

kotchfam · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2008, 01:52 PM »

Yes, I have an unexpected but still welcomed pregnancy and I'm a whole whopping 2 weeks pregnant so I have alot of time to do my research.

You guys are funny!

shodyL · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2008, 02:03 PM »

Well then I will be glad to issue the first BIG CONGRATULATIONS!

(OK, I couldn't decide between pink or blue, not knowing the numbers in your family, but I am mostly surrounded by males so I went with pink!)

kotchfam · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2008, 02:08 PM »

Well thank you.

I appreciate it!

I hope some more folks share their experiences, I know I'm not the only one to go through this!!

melissap · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2008, 02:23 PM »

How Cool for you and I am happy to give you your 2nd Big Congratulations on the expected bundle of joy!! I chose blue, just because pink was already taken

and like shody I am surrounded and out numbered (although smaller numbers than you) by boys.

I think your dogs will do just fine with a new baby - they are great with your kids now and you seem to do a great job with all of them ~ so have faith - I am sure you are a total pro now

I loved being pregnant and I think it is one of the COOLEST things we have the opportunity to do

I'll bet you are so happy to have gotten this news after having accompished your move ~ so it is pretty well timed all in all

Hope you are feeling well and that continues for the durration and CONGRATS -

I am pretty sure Julie Moore has lived through pregnancy with a ridgeback ~ she may have some good input on this matter that you may find helpful.

Revodana · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2008, 04:40 PM »

Since I have triplets that just turned 4 years old, and four Ridgebacks, I think I am pretty qualified to answer.

The younger the dog, the easier it will be. My dogs were 5 and 6 when the babies were born, and it was a difficult transition. Granted, I had three babies at once, and the activity level in the house went from no one home all day to a house filled with shifts of grandparents and babysitters. It took them about a year to totally adjust.

My bitch was better than my male -- she would just flee if you showed her a baby. My male was really freaked out at the idea of being too close to them, and we had to use a lot of classic conditioning -- food rewards and praise -- to get him to understand they were not alien beings invading his planet to perform scientific experiments on him.

Yes, they know you are pregnant because they can smell the hormone changes and the different way you move your body as pregnancy progresses and, yes, it freaks them out.

It just takes time. Once the older Ridgeback understands that the baby is YOURS, and by extension, HIS, he will adjust, just as mine did.

Today, I might walk into the living room to see two kids sitting (or standing) atop of Blitz while he is curled up on the couch in their favorite TV-watching spot.

Denise

kotchfam · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2008, 05:18 PM »

Thats good to know. Titus will be just over 2 and he's the one that I already think "knows" because he's started acting more gentle towards me (he wont rough house with me now, he just walks away and stares). Lucius will be just over a year when the baby would be due as well and we've already started exposing him to other toddlers and kids younger than mine.

I really appreciate the information because I got my dogs AFTER my children were done with the toddler stage. I did take great measures to expose Titus to babies since I had none of my own, but it can still be so different from it being MY baby.

Denise the picture you shared is sooo comforting to me, as was your experience, thank you!

machem · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2008, 05:49 PM »

Congrats!

My Labrador did great with each new kid (beginning with a 3-year-old thrust upon her), aside from her looking at us as if we "hadn't learned our lesson yet?". But a Lab is not a RR. I'm pretty sure J.C. would be freaked out by it.

Cheers

Mike

k9crazyrr · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2008, 06:54 PM »

CONGRADULATIONS, this is exciting news. When I was pregnant with my son, I had a Dauchound. The little dog would sleep with me every night. When my son was born, he gaurded him with his life. It was actually to much. I would have to remove him from the room if we had company over.

I think as you progress and prepar things in the house, it will be important to keep the dogs involved. I would not keep them out of the baby room, rather let them explore it and watch it take shape. I have a friend who never allowed her lab in the baby room and the dog peed on the floor outside the room constantly after the baby came home.

What I did and have seen others do is bring an article home that smells like the baby before the baby comes home. A little blanket or something. That way the dogs can get used to the smell before the baby comes in. It worked well for me and others that have done it.

At their ages, I think things will go well. The dogs are yound enough to grow up with a child that will be their best friend.

Angie

regimentvixen · « **Reply #14 on:** February 05, 2008, 12:04 AM »

Congratulations Kelley!!!!

melissap · « **Reply #15 on:** February 05, 2008, 08:29 AM »

What a lovely picture of your baby and your ridgie Denise! They are both beautiful

Tripplets is a real treat and it looks like you had a great support system and some very loving RR's...I sure hope Blitz is enjoying his time watching cartoons and getting loved on

Thanks for sharing.

Angie: loved your story about your son and his little gaurdian. My papa had a dog like that and he was a stitch

"happy" was his name.

Kelley, that is sweet to hear that Titus is being careful with you

melissa

AKKR1 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2008, 08:43 AM »

Congrats Kelley on the upcoming baby!!! We have only dog children, but there is a lot of research and excellent tips out there for an expecting mom. I know Griffin, our RR, is very good with our friend's 4 children all under the age of 6 yrs old. He is very curious about them and tries to sit really close to them. I think Titus and Lucius will adjust to your newest family member just fine.

Good luck!

SunDog · « **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2008, 09:37 AM »

Congrats!! I have two boys, 8 and 5, and we are expecting our first girl in June, so this is a bridge we are going to have to cross soon.

What do you all think about the advice some trainers give about alpha wolves not allowing other members of the pack near new cubs...and that to do so implies ownership to the dog? This is interesting to me; I get conflicting advice. Some say to introduce the dog, let him be a part of everything, and then others say that to let the dog within 5 feet of the baby at any time is inviting disaster and that to keep him submissive is the only way to assure the baby's superiority in the dog's mind.

melissap · « **Reply #18 on:** February 05, 2008, 09:55 AM »

Great questions Sundog - I can see your confusion with that conflicting information and While I have not heard about the need to keep them seperated in that way I am sure it is something someone will chime in about to clarify.

And a big congrats on the upcoming baby girl

think pink!!

Melissa

kotchfam · « **Reply #19 on:** February 05, 2008, 02:40 PM »

I wrote the same post on RR-Folk and here is one of the responses I received:

Thanks Bonita!!

Quoting kelley kotch <kotchfam@msn.com>:>> I'm looking for folks experience with their Ridgebacks while they're > humans go through pregnancy and birth.
How did they behave?Did they > seem to "sense" that you were pregnant? Welll I wasn't the one having a baby, but both of my daughters have lived withus for thier pregnancies. ( Total of 5) The hounds totally knew. They made apoint of treating the expecting one with a bit more caution. They shadowed themas the pregnancy continued. LOTS of extra sniffing ..
How did you introduce your dogs to your baby? We had them watch each piece of equipment being brought in and set up , we spoketo them about the baby and referred to it as OUR and YOUR baby, never lettingthem feel excluded. After Baby arrives we brought home used blankeys and evenused diapers, allowing them to sniff as much as they wanted while teaching them"Gentle" . When Baby comes home Dad hold's baby while mom told the pack how muchshe missed them. Then dad brought baby in. Yes you can let them sniff and evenkiss the kid We haven't lost any of our 10 grands ..yet.
D>id you have any issues after the baby came? dirty diaper raids. bottles destroyed , toys some times stolen.... Silly family members who think a dog will be bad around baby.. >
Did they take on as "nanny's" letting you know that the baby was up? ALL of mine took turns babysitting and becoming literally heart monitors for ourfirst two. The first g'kid was teeny tiny being a 4.6 preemie we worried ofcourse. They would watch him with endless patience , dozing nearby... When Triswould go into deep sleep , the point where sleep can giveover to SIDS they wouldget up and nudge him, just enough to break the depth of sleep.Tris was born Sept 20th, as 8 days old he went to his first dog show. When wewere all getting ready to go out for New Years The dogs alerted on tris, he hadstopped breathing. I did CPR and we rushed him to the hospital. It was becauseof the dogs we did not lose him. They also monitor the kid's nutritional needs, I will NEVER have a fat grandkid,the RRs eat everything they don't want and anything they forget to keep up ! >
Or did they hate you for life after that and have problems accepting > a child into their pack? Mine made it plain, the new puppies were awesome ! :0) Bonita of Bwana

kotchfam · « **Reply #20 on:** February 05, 2008, 02:46 PM »

And here is another from Kate Orsi:

Hello Kelley,

I have two dogs. One Ridgeback and one mix dog. Our dogs were are first "children". I have had 3 children now since having my RR. Ripley my RR came into our home in 1998. I had my first baby in 2003, my second in 2004 and my 3rd in 2007. Ripley is almost 10 years old.

Ripley's behavior did not change while I was pregnant. But Ripley's life didn't change either. I still ran my dogs everyday until I had the baby.
I did not do the "baby sounds" or even the "bring home something from the hospital that smells like baby". When I came home with the baby, I put her on the floor in the car seat carrier and just let the dogs smell her etc. We just went on with life. My dogs where not upset with any of the new baby noises, smells etc. My dogs never lifted their heads even in the middle of the night when I was up with my first baby.

I was then a stay at home mom. I still feed my dogs at the same time as I always did when I worked, and hired a sitter ONLY to give me that time to walk my dogs. We really couldn't afford a sitter, but I needed to get those dogs out. When baby #2 came, the same thing.

My dogs don't seem any different then before the kids. They greet my children when we come home and seem to have accepted them into the pack. I'm not sure "where" in the pack my children are, but still remain part of the pack. I think the key here has been keeping them on the same schedule as they have had since they came into our family. I think the biggest adjustment was me being home. They would watch me throughout the day almost looking at me saying "when are you going to leave the house" It was fun to watch my dogs move throughout the house. My RR would follow the sun!!

I now own a triple stroller and STILL walk my dogs. There are days I don't want to do it, but those dogs are walked still 7 days a week. They don't get off leash runs everyday, but just me and the dogs have the weekends to run off leash.

Most people think I'm crazy, but I think the exercise and regular routine is the reason we have been able to keep some order in the house. My dogs are NOT the best behaved dogs. My dogs still sleep with us and still are on the furniture. And as tired as I am every day, Ripley and Mocha still get out each day, rain or shine!!!! Has it been easy, no. Did I do it the right way, I don't know. But has it worked for us, yes!!!

Kate Orsi
Herndon VA
VA Coordinator Ridgeback Rescue

la_vista_baby · « **Reply #21 on:** February 05, 2008, 02:48 PM »

So, Kelley, I guess now you are feeling a bit more confident that your two boys will be a help rather than an issue, right? Lovely stories!

kotchfam · « **Reply #22 on:** February 05, 2008, 02:55 PM »

Yes, its so much of a relief to hear that the dogs shouldnt hate me for brining another member into the pack. I love the stories people are sharing about their experiences and I'm hoping it will bring some other folks comfort as well!

melissap · « **Reply #23 on:** February 05, 2008, 04:58 PM »

They are great stories. I have no doubt your dogs will transition just fine with a new baby.

I had an unexpected surgery that was a failry long recovery ~ I told my doctor how happy I was to go home to my dog and he was very concerned that it may not be the best idea to let him up and down while I recovered; for fear he could accidentally hurt me....Brando was only 1.5 at the time and my husband had LOTS To do while I was debilitated - but that dog NEVER left the bed for 30 days with me and was extremely cautious about moving around me..At the time he was used to being very active and that did come to a bit of a hault temporarily - but he was not roudy and I think he knew that I needed to heal....

He did still try and steel my left overs when I was not looking though....

Zola is a dream with kids - loves them all - but she has not met any babies! Brando is a little more single minded with those he gives love too; especially my sons friends who tend to be a little roudy too, but He loves babies. When a friend came by with her new born she put the seat down and I let him out to say "Hi" I watched pretty carefully and he did kind of run to the car seat to see what this was all about - but he sniffed her all over and laid by the seat while she slept. He was a litte fascinated by the smells but all in all was a great sport.

Now the bigger issue is all that BABY stuff you will be needing and names and ...... boy oh boy you have an exciting year ahead! Hopefully you can get some extra-credit in the ring for sporting your baby bump

All this talk about babies and my husband may be the next one to have a bug for one!!!! IF only his ankles swelled and he nursed for 6 months.......

Melissa

robnrbrtsn · « **Reply #24 on:** February 05, 2008, 10:29 PM »

Yay, Kelley, I am so happy for you!!

When my first son was born, our GSD was still a 6 mo. puppy. My mom was there to help out, sleeping on the couch. Any time in the night when my son woke up, Kyra would go nudge my mom on the couch, because she was the only one within reach. A year and a half later, his little brother came along, and she was like an old pro. There were a few rough spots when they were toddlers, mostly from falling off the dog when she stood back up from them crawling on her, and she would hide dirty diapers in her crate if we changed the boys on the floor.

Tonks is working the other way around, and the kids are getting used to having a growing puppy around. I think my 2 yr old daughter handles her better than my younger son, who tends to be very jumpy. As a result, Tonks immediately wants to jump at him and play whenever he comes near her. Alexandra tends to just push her away and go around her when Tonks tries to herd her (mostly from getting to where I am

). I give down-stays when she is too rowdy around the kids.

Melissa, 10 years after #1, I learned to never say never!

Robin

melissap · « **Reply #25 on:** February 06, 2008, 07:32 AM »

Hi Robin,
Still plenty of good years to decide. Seems he does or I do; Maybe 08 is the year ~ We are open to nature taking it's course! Thanks very much for the encouragement - I will admit that going BACK to diapers is a little intimidating, but they are such a joy at all ages!!

Melissa

kotchfam · « **Reply #26 on:** February 06, 2008, 09:23 AM »

I've had a great number of folks emailing me with their experiences and it really is a relief.

And then....

I had my first bout of nausea this morning. I asked my son to bring me a glass of milk while I sat on my bathroom floor. Titus sat across from me, watching, and Lucius curled up at my feet as calm as can be while the waves passed.

I think they'll be more "in tune" to things than I had thought they would be.

Let the games begin!

melissap · « **Reply #27 on:** February 06, 2008, 09:31 AM »

I am glad you are getting some great emails and maybe even most importanty "support from your pack" hehe

Hope that the queezies pass quickly!! ah the devotion of a hound dog!

Melissa

KEMPS · « **Reply #28 on:** February 07, 2008, 05:09 PM »

Kelley,

Congratulations! I hope the morning sickness passes quickly...

Thanks for asking this question (and the answers). I was wondering the same thing. Our RR's will be 5 and 6 when we welcome our first baby in August...

kotchfam · « **Reply #29 on:** February 07, 2008, 05:21 PM »

I have had a bunch of people write me on the subject and there's a few things that shine though.

1. Remember that you will go through fun hormonal changes, dont blame your poor dog for them but do give them lots of hugs (they wont mind)

2. Dont get too worked up about the whole situation. If you can keep a level head your dogs will follow suit.

3. Not everything turns out fairy tale perfect. Some things you may need to work with for them to turn out right.

4. Throw away all diapers in something with a heavy lid

If you've socialized your dogs pretty well with small children then this shouldnt be that much of a shock to them. If you havent socialized them well then you might want to get them out there so they know what the little dwarfs are before they come.

Congrats to you as well, you're due a few months before I am.

KEMPS · « **Reply #30 on:** February 07, 2008, 06:02 PM »

Quote from: kotchfam on February 07, 2008, 05:21 PM

I have had a bunch of people write me on the subject and there's a few things that shine though.

1. Remember that you will go through fun hormonal changes, dont blame your poor dog for them but do give them lots of hugs (they wont mind)

2. Dont get too worked up about the whole situation. If you can keep a level head your dogs will follow suit.

3. Not everything turns out fairy tale perfect. Some things you may need to work with for them to turn out right.

4. Throw away all diapers in something with a heavy lid

If you've socialized your dogs pretty well with small children then this shouldnt be that much of a shock to them. If you havent socialized them well then you might want to get them out there so they know what the little dwarfs are before they come.

Congrats to you as well, you're due a few months before I am.

We're planning to use cloth diapers, so it should be an interesting trying to keep the RR's away from them... Wish us luck!

Our dogs have been socialized pretty well... My baby will be my parents 10th grandchild and we've had family stay with us (for 4 months) with kids between the ages of 6 months and 4 years and we've been pretty happy with the way they've handled it... Except that Jackson is a growler (and was when we adopted him when he was 3) and Autumn still thinks she's a puppy...

Thanks for the great advise! I may be due before you, but it still seems like YEARS until August!

melissap · « **Reply #31 on:** February 08, 2008, 03:27 PM »

Do you remember having one of those Diaper Genies? That was the WORST thing ever, as it filled up at least twice a day any way. I just ended up keeping a trash can by the back door to the garage and tossed them out immediately any way. The dog used the back door to the yard so he never broke into the stash of diaper trash...

That would work with either disposable or cloth

I store the dog food in sealed plastic tubs too

works great! Just remember to seal them up

Melissa

re · « **Reply #32 on:** February 08, 2008, 05:08 PM »

Quote from: KEMPS on February 07, 2008, 06:02 PM

We're planning to use cloth diapers, so it should be an interesting trying to keep the RR's away from them... Wish us luck!

I had such a giggle reading that. I used cloth diapers for my daughter (now six) and although I didnt have a dog at the time, my parents and their puppy practically lived with us then. They have a english staffordshire terrior name Deisal, (now my RR's best friend who we call 'brother dog' to our RR Copper).

Diesal was just a pup and would try to grab onto the back of my daughters diaper covers and hold on, (not the diaper, the cover) and she would walk around the house with him dragging behind her. That sounds awful if you think into it, but he was really the gentlest puppy, she just kept on walking anyway, him hanging off that big pad of cloth on her butt. and If that diaper had to be changed he would sit staring at her like she was tv and we couldnt pull him away. once we changed her, he went off and did his own thing.

I had a routine though, where diapers went directly into the washer so any dogs (we had alot of visiting ones) were not tempted. we tried a 'laundry can (lidded laundry basket) ' for a bit but one friends dog once knocked it over and rolled in it......ugg.

but cloth saves you ALOT of money - and you take out way less garbage, if you care about that sort of thing.

melissap · « **Reply #33 on:** February 08, 2008, 05:16 PM »

That is the SWEETEST story about the baby and the attached pup to the bottom of her diapers!!!

I imagine they are MUCH better for the environment as well.

M

TracyCrane · « **Reply #34 on:** February 14, 2008, 09:06 PM »

Congratulations!

As I mentioned in my introduction, I have two RR's (8 and 4) and a 16 month old little boy. My dogs have done great with the new addition. I think the key for us was continuing to include them in everything. We have pictures on the first day home from the hospital of me nursing Sam in our bed with a dog cuddled up on each side with a head on my leg. The dogs also each have a bed in Sam's room and are always welcome in there (although we do try to keep them from wrestling in his room!). Whenever I did anything with Sam when he was a newborn, I always invited the dogs along. Jumangi was very gentle with him from the start, Whiskey was very curious and had to be reminded that the baby was little and he had to be careful, but he caught on quickly.

We also set up all of the baby stuff - swing, bassinet, pack-n-play, nursery, etc - prior to the baby coming home so that the dogs were used to it.

The dogs had a bit of an adjustment with not getting 100% of the attention anymore, but they adjusted well. For the first month of so poor Whiskey would empty out his toy box onto any visitors hoping they were there to visit him instead of the baby!!

(Oh, and I also tried to make sure any visitors said hi to the dogs before paying all the attention to the baby.)

When Sam started getting moblie, Jumangi was a little unsure of him, but she is doing pretty well now, although she will not let him crawl all over her like Whiskey does. Whiskey thinks Sam is great now and they are great buddies. Both dogs will stay in Sam's room with him until he falls asleep.

I will post some pics of Whiskey & Sam (as soon as I figure out how!), they are adorable together!

Oh, and as far as them noticing me being pregnant, they didn't act much different. Although Whiskey was a little put out when my belly started to interfere with him sitting in my lap!

Anyway, hope this helps a little to at least reassure you. I am sure your dogs will love the new addition!

Tracy

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Author Topic: (human) Pregnancy and the Ridgeback (Read 758 times)