[NAGDU] Guide Dogs and Babies

[Alysha Hiller]

Hi Julie,
I know we've discussed some of this before, but just wanted to chime in with
a few guide dog specific thoughts. I think the biggest things your dog will
need to adjust to after your baby is born are changes in schedules and the
amount of attention you're able to provide. When it comes to schedules, if
your dog is used to a very regular feeding/parking/working schedule, it
might be a good idea to start introducing variation in order to help him get
used to the idea that, for example, sometimes dinner might come at 5:00, but
if the baby is hungry or just had a huge blowout, dinner might not come
until later. You'll likely be able to work your dog through your entire
pregnancy but will also probably slow down and want to reduce the intensity
of your walks toward the end. If your dog is one that needs a lot of
exercise, it might be good to get him used to being walked by someone else
to get out that energy in case you're not able to adequately meet that need
for a while. Also, there will almost certainly be a couple of weeks after
giving birth when you'll really want to take it easy with only slow, short
walks, and dealing with the pull might be too much during that time. If your
dog does alright with variations in daily work though, he'll probably be
fine with this.

Definitely set up your baby gear early enough to let the dog get used to it
being around. I trusted my dog a lot but still didn't want him randomly
licking my newborn's face, scratching him with a nylabone, stepping on him,
etc., so I set things up with a baby gate I could use to give the baby a
dog-free space in the house to be on the floor/play mat.  Also, once your
baby arrives, I'd recommend consciously trying to give your dog some pets
and attention while holding the baby so it doesn't seem like the baby is in
direct competition with the dog for your attention. I heard advice from
several places to have someone bring something home from the hospital like a
hat or blanket to introduce your dog to the baby's smell before you actually
bring the baby home. We did this, but neither my guide dog or our pet dog
seemed to care.

As for babywearing, any carrier that's comfortable for you and baby should
be fine. The real benefit of the carriers is having both hands free and not
having to lug a stroller behind you, so I think they should all work well
when it comes to walking with your dog. You're lucky that it should be nice
and cool out when your baby arrives, so you might look into getting a
babywearing coat to help keep you and your little one warm when you go on
walks in the cold. These are neat because you can strap the baby in the
carrier, and then the coat goes on around you and baby both to lock in the
warmth. I think dealing with babywearing in the heat can be somewhat more of
a challenge. I was able to take my January baby out for walks with my dog
pretty much daily after recovering from birth. Not sure how well I will do
with my upcoming July baby though!

My guide dog is very laid back and didn't have any issues with the new baby,
but our pet dog did get very anxious for a while after we brought home our
son. We put him on a daily dose of Zoloft per the vet's recommendation which
helped immensely. I'd be a bit more cautious of going this route with a
working dog, but it is definitely something to explore if your dog seems to
be having a very difficult time with the transition.

All in all, I think having a guide dog and a young baby is pretty
manageable. It's when they become toddlers that it gets a little crazy! Hope
this helps a little, and feel free to reach out any time.

Best,
Alysha
-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Julie McGinnity via
NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2021 6:28 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Julie McGinnity <kaybaycar at gmail.com>
Subject: [NAGDU] Guide Dogs and Babies

Hi everyone,

I'm not trying to be cute, though I suppose the subject line is pretty
adorable. My fiance and I are expecting a baby in November, our first baby.
I am, of course, excited and terrified all at once. My current, second, dog
is 9 years old and going relatively strong. He seems unphased by all the
changes that have happened thus far. He is a big yellow labrador who clings
to me pretty fiercely. Although I'm not concerned he will hurt the baby, I
am hoping I can find ways to make the changes easier for him. I just moved,
so we are learning a new area. I am sensitive to his age and want to take
care with him as much as possible.

I have a couple of questions:

Have any of you successfully gone through big transitions with older dogs?

I've heard that some guide dog handlers cannot work their dogs after a
certain point in their pregnancies? Is this common? My dog is large with a
strong pull, but he has slowed down a little bit in the last year, though
nothing I can't or don't want to work with.

Are there ways I should be preparing my dog for baby's arrival? Are there
ways I should introduce him to the baby? Are these questions silly? Lol

I plan on babywearing as much as possible and figure I can do this with a
dog. Are there baby carriers that make working a dog easier?

Ok, I think that's all for now. Thank you so much for any responses.

Julie



--
Julie A. McGinnity
MM Vocal Performance, 2015; American University Washington College of Law,
JD Candidate 2023

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