Dogs and New Babies - Need Advice!!

Take him to the vet, he may have an infection of some sort where he can't control himself. If its not a physical problem, try (I know time is a problem) paying more attention to puppy and giving puppy more walks/exercise. You can walk a dog and a stroller at the same time.

Sounds like the dog may have a UTI. or needs more individual attention. I say take him to the vet first if the vet says he's ok then i would take him to a animal behaviorist.

Is the dog neutered? If not do it asap. If he is, it seems he is marking his territory, telling the new member of the family he is boss. Keep him in his crate, until he has been walked successfully and he will soon realize the new family member (baby) is not a threat to his standing in the pack. You didnt mention what breed he is, but some dogs are more pack oriented than others.
I recently began watching my 2 grandbabies full time and my 10 y/o dog made 3 messes in the house. Something she hasnt done since she was a pup. She stopped as sudden;y as she started and has accepted the kids.

I had a young dog with similar problems at about the same age. After a year of trying behavioral solutions, I went back to my vet and asked him to humor me and run more tests. If we hadn't been specifically looking for a medical problem, we would have missed the very tiny red flags in his lab work. One test led to another which also came back just the tiniest bit off. Finally he had an ultrasound and we discovered that his kidneys were small. He was in early stage renal failure due to either a congenital malformation of his kidneys or early exposure to a toxin (we adopted him as a yearling so who knows what his puppyhood was like).

Frequent walks and a change in diet have made accidents in the house a thing of the past. He is now six years old and his labs still look good and we have hope that he will live the normal lifespan of a large dog and die from illness unrelated to his kidney failure.

Urinary tract infections, kidney infection, structural abnormalities, and diseases like diabetes can all contribute to a housebreaking problem. A medical work up is always recommended in a case where a pet's behavior suddenly changes, especially potty habits.

If they run tests and everything comes back as completely normal (they will likely want to do a urinalysis, a urine culture to check for bacteria, and a superchem to check the kidney function values), then a strict retraining regimen may be called for.

Some "teenage" dogs regress with potty habits even without household changes such as a new baby. In this case I would work on obedience training, nothing in life is free training, and re-housebreaking. Frequent walks, including walks after the dog has had water, food, sleep, or play are going to be important.

A belly band for a male dog may help curb some inappropriate urination, like submissive peeing or marking behaviors, as well as some leaking of urine. If the crate is too large, he may pee in it as well, so make sure your crate is sized appropriate to the size of your dog. Provide positive attention and positive reinforcement any time your dog does something he should do, even if it's laying quietly near the baby. Dogs need to know what to do, not just what not to do. Give him attention for positive things, not for negative things, and you may see his behavior begin to improve.

Confidence building exercises for an insecure dog may also help, like games of tug that he wins, or agility. If he tends to have an alpha personality, then a nothing in life is free regimen will be the cornerstone of training.

Contact a professional trainer or animal behaviorist. the ASPCA number is a good resource. You can also try the association of pet dog trainers web site for a referral to a qualified trainer in your area.

Good luck.

it sounds like an attention thing. your dog was the baby for so long then the baby came and he now gets less attention. i would say take the dog out more often then you do. getting rid of the dog should not be an option. you took on the responsability of adopting him now take on the responsability of fixing the problem.

PLEASE DON'T GET RID OF YOUR FIRST CHILD! LOL! We have a pit bull who was a year old and another older male who was maybe about 4 when we brought out first son home. They did the same thing and it was absolute HELL cleaning up after the baby and the dogs but being that I was home during the day I had to do something. I started going out for walks with everyone together and sitting on the couch all together; I started making a point of including all of us in everything. It looked pretty funny most of the time with my whole entourage, but now my son is three years old and him and the dogs are BEST friends. We also have a five month old baby and they are just as good with him and it was much less messy this time around! I think it has a lot to do with age and jealousy. But don't ever for once let anyone tell you that its too dangerous or unsafe for you or your baby. If you train the dog and (i'm sorry to say it like this!)the baby correctly, you won't ever have a problem, especially being that they're puppies together! Lol. We have two babies, two pit bulls, two kittens, two birds and two fish and we haven't had a problem in four years. Its all about establishing YOUR dominance first and foremost. Worst comes to worst, if you feel you do need to get rid of him, please let me know and we'll see if we can work something out. I wish you the best of luck. Please keep us updated!
Jess

Have you taken him to the vet? Years ago when our housebroken dog started going in the house we found out it was from a UTI and once it was gone she never did it again.

if you can rule out any medical problems, i would assume he is acting out just like a kid. my dog has done that when i ignored him too long, looked me right in the eye as he peed on the floor. i would try to give him more attention, and try to give him more attention with the baby around as well as on his own so he associates the baby with good things. take them both for walks, to the park, etc. and i know it may be hard to accept, but please do not assume that he is fine with the baby. he probably is, but you just dont know, i cant even tell you the horrible story my sil told me just tonite about her cousins baby and their dog. awful. please be careful, especially while the dog is clearly having adjustment issues. and remember that the baby can hurt the dog and the dog will react, not even necessarily out of intent to harm, just reflex. keep a close watch. take care, D.

I would look into dog training that establishes you and your husband as the alpha 'dogs' in the house. One such type of training would be a company called Bark Busters. They're all over the world. I believe they're the largest dog trainging company in the world. Their website is www.barkbusters.com. Couldn't hurt to look into it. Good luck!!

Have you taken the dog to the vet? He might have a urinary tract infection or some other condition. Do that before you make a decision on wether to keep the puppy or not.

Hey S.,
Sounds like you've gotten some good advice. I will only add that if you want a more 'professional' opinion, there is a Behavior Help Line at the ASPCA, which you can call for things just like this.
###-###-#### extension 4424.
Console yourself to know it's MUCH better to have a puppy with a new child; dogs and cats should be introduced to children and babies while they are young in order to properly adapt to them
Good luck!
S.

Hi S.,

The dog may have a kidney infection or another medical cause. Have him checked by the vet before you make any decisions.

Sarah

Could very well be a behavior problem because dogs do get spiteful with major changes in their lives BUT just to be sure call your vet and set up a check up WITH a urinalisis. Have his "pee" checked for diabetes and other problems like a urinary track infection. My dog (was older) became diabetic and we didn't know until he started wetting on the floor and it usually was within feet of the great outdoors! Also with an UTI they can have trouble holding it and can't control it even though they look ike they should be able too! Hope it helps! If it is behavioral find a dog trainer and they may be able to help! Good luck!!!! A.

Bringing a new baby into your household is a huge change for your dog. One day he's the center of attention and the next there's a crying, pooping, bundle of baby who has taken over the house. Even if you kept his routine the same he's still under stress trying to cope with an event he had no say about.

You need to give your dog the time and attention that you always gave him. Make sure he gets enough walks and play time. If you and your hubby can't manage that then you need to put his needs first and think about rehoming him to someone who can give him the time and attention he deserves.

Tell your husband to try and remain patient...bringing a new member into the household is obviously having an effect on the dog. It will take a little time, but he'll get used to it.

I always feel so sorry for pets who aren't given a fair chance in situations like these, and the owners give up and give them away. People need to realize that dogs and kids take time adjusting to eachother and should consider that before getting pets in the first place.

Lynsey

He needs time to adjust to the new baby just like anyone else he is seeking attention make sure he feels loved as well. You will not regret keeping him when the baby is older pets give the baby hours of laughter and play it's wonderful.
From H.

can you bring him to puppy or doggy school.. this may help. Bring him out often.. Try bringing him out with the baby.. make sure you are paying attention to him too. DOgs feel it when a new member comes into the family.. so be attentive to the dog too. good luck

Your dog is acting up like a child would when a new baby is brought home. You usually need to adjust the animals to babies too. My husband brought a blanket home that my son was wrapped in before we came home from the hospital. Sometimes trainers tell you to carry around a baby doll before the baby is born. That way the dog can get used to someone else getting attention. It should pass.

You said it yourself..."He was your baby". He's acting out just like another child would with a new baby in the home. He is jealous. Your routine has changed in regards to your dog. Someone else is taking up his time with you.

There's no need to get rid of him unless he acts out violently or starts to "turn" on you. Just set a special time aside for him a day to give him your undivided attention. He'll get back on track.

Nanc

S.,
We have a 7 month old, and 2 dogs, one of which is a 1.5 year old puppy. THey have both been good, however puppy did a bid of shoe eating while we were away for 2 weeks (baby is adopted). You should never scold your puppy when you catch them peeing etc. because then they will not want to do it in front of you, and that includes on walks. You need retrain the puppy and praise them when they are outside. The puppy is jealous, and probably not getting as much attention as before. You must walk and exercise the puppy as much as you can--- please don't give away your puppy..that would be cruel. Don't forget that dogs have emotions. If you catch the dog peeing/pooping inside, take them outside, without scolding, and praise them when they eliminate. And try to include the puppy when you are together as a family. We let both of our dogs sit together with us and the baby and we are careful not to let them feel left out. All turned out fine, but puppies are babies too. GOod luck!

Since the baby arrived, is the dog getting enough attention, exercised well and being taken out for his walk on time or has his routine changed???
I would take samples to the vet and have the dog medically checked out...

S.,
If you haven't gotten it already - get him out more often. Give him undivided attention, and make sure you take him to obedience school. Understanding of course, it is for you to learn his signals and not for him :)

One word commands is the best of the best. Down for lay down, sit for the obvious, paw, and any other commands you want him to know.

Putting him in his place will only help you. When he misbehaves, don't put his nose in it.

All else fails - and I would really be doing this at the same time - call the vet. Pointers will come if they think it isn't medical.

Good luck,
M.

have you talked to your vet? Always rule out medical reasons first. The behavior may seem related to the new situation, but you never know, it could be coincidence. I thought my cat was acting horribly annoying because of our new baby 3 years ago. He cried loudly all the time and it was keeping all of us up. I think he might have been going to the bathroom on the floor occasionally too, I can't remember now. It got so bad I convinced my brother to take him for a while--ended up being 9 months. But I was so annoyed with the behavior, I ignored him so much, I missed the signs completely that he actually was beginning kidney disease. And because I did nothing about it early on, he died 3 months after I took him home. That broke my heart, he was such a good, sweet, loving cat, and I'll always carry that guilt with me.

The other part of the story is that we also had a dog--a beagle mix. He was so good with the baby when we first brought him (the baby) home. But as our baby began walking and getting more mobile, our dog wanted nothing to do with him to the point that we had to keep up a gate to keep them separated. If the baby went too close to the gate, the dog would growl and bare his teeth. We tried to get other people to take him. He was older and a good dog before that. He was always good with kids that came over. We even took him to obedience lessons before the baby was born (too little too late). We ended up having to take him back to the shelter where we got him in the hopes they could readopt him, maybe to some senior citizen with no other animals. But they called us a couple weeks later to say that he had been aggressive with them too, so they were going to have to put him down. We think, looking back, he may have been starting dementia. He used to bite the heck out of himself too, but the vets must have overlooked a mental issue, finding no medical reason for his behavior and trying every medical treatment possible.

So get him examined by your vet before you make any decisions. I hope it all works out for you.

Seems like a little jealousy. Just make sure you pay
extra attention to him and let him be a part of the babies
life. Before you know it. he will be your little ones
protector. Please do not get rid of him, he just needs
a little TLC. Give him extra treats etc.