Uncle Jasper!!!

[JudyN]

Early next year, I'm going to be a granny!!! Which I reckon makes Jasper and uncle. DS2's fiance had the 12-week scan this morning, and all is going well

So... what with Jasper being a grumpy sod at times, and not being overkeen on children, we will of course take no risks whatsoever. But are there any suggestions for how to make him accept a noisy, stinky little bundle of joy so he won't have to be shut away every time the baby comes over?

 

[JoanneF]

Congratulations all of you!

At the start a baby will be easily enough kept away from Jasper - until he or she becomes mobile, so there's a good bit of time until you will need to shut J away. Baby gates?

 

[Hemlock]

I would definitely find him a cosy place where he can keep away, make it super comfortable, and use the time to get him used to being left there when people visit. I should think, being a lurcher, that he will be much keener on having his own private den than being in the same room with visitors, especially including one with the annoyance potential of a baby.

Whatever others say - especially owners of more placid types of dog - YOU know he won't like or want to be friends with the sprog.

 

[Hemlock]

P.S. I once had a lurcher - I was her third owner - who adored babies. She would want to stick her snout into pushchairs and snog them. Strangely, this did not go down well with their mothers. Once when a friend had just taken her baby out of its bath and put it on a towel, she stepped up, licked it dry, then flipped it over with her nose and licked the other side dry too. Friend was fine with it, but her husband went ballistic when he was there the next time it(almost) happened, and we had to retire, hurt, and leave the house.

 

[JudyN]

she stepped up, licked it dry, then flipped it over with her nose and licked the other side dry too.

Bless!

I'm hoping that we'll feel safe, at least, to bring the baby in a buggy on dog walks - and I don't want J to be upset because he can't be with DS2 & GF when they visit with the baby, but I guess I can be on baby duty while they have some quality time with J. He's fine with other babies in buggies - though he has been known to steal an apple from one young toddler's hands... What I don't want is for him to decide that he needs to remove the squeak...

Chances are, he'll be fine, but I definitely need to err on the side of paranoia.

 

[Hemlock]

Paranoia never lets you down.

My horse once whipped a Marmite sandwich out of a little girl's hand. Luckily she was thrilled.

 

[Flobo]

Congrats on the lovely news, always better to be over cautious. My friends daughter had one of those dolls with a real baby cry in it, I happened to be visiting when I was just pregnant and the doll was lying on the floor crying.. my last old Yorkie lept off my lap, jumped on the doll and started chewing (well gumming as she had no teeth!)it's face off!!.. a tiny bit worrying to say the least! Sadly she passed away when I was about 7months gone so I didn't have the worry in the end.
But you could try getting Jasper slowly used to the sound of a baby just being around the home maybe, so it won't be such a shock or a thing of interest when the real thing is here?

 

[JudyN]

But you could try getting Jasper slowly used to the sound of a baby just being around the home maybe, so it won't be such a shock or a thing of interest when the real thing is here?

That's a good idea - I could get him to associate the sound with positive things so even if he doesn't like the baby, he's less likely to be upset by the noises. I've also read advice to carry a doll around as if it was a baby (possibly a doll that cries) before the baby arrives, but I'm not conviced Jasper would connect an inanimate, if noisy, object I carry round with a real moving smelly baby. I should get one of DS2's old soft toy cats out the loft and see if J mistakes it for a real cat.

They only live a couple of miles away so if it really doesn't go well, then we'll just have to visit them and leave J at home rather than them coming here. Going on a dog walk with the baby in a pram might be a good place to start too. And at least we won't be expected to babysit and deal with stinky nappies!

 

[Ash2021]

Congratulations granny to be

I remember years ago, I introduced my baby to my dogs at the time by OH taking them for a walk and when they got back I was sat out the front with the baby in the pram. I made a huge fuss of them and then we slowly walked round the block together before going in the house. Baby went in one room and we slowly introduced them to the pram with the baby in (new smell etc) before either one of us picked the baby up in sight of them

not sure if that helps, but thought I would share