[NAGDU] Guide Dogs and Babies

Wed Jul 14 20:25:07 UTC 2021

First of all, congratulations!
It is good advice here are all her asking for advice now. Never had a guide dog and a baby discussion because I have never had children but from what I can tell it would probably be like introducing the dog and and it was so adorable I was holding a baby in some of my classes and PT would put her head on my lap each time because she was she was like mama no I want to be in your lap so you got to work with that him and show him show him that you still love him to you and that he is your baby as well he’s just furry how exciting for you all of this is going on. Again congratulations

Best!Melissa R Green and PJ 
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 14, 2021, at 12:33 PM, Alysha Hiller via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 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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