A few friends (Elizabeth, Brooklyn, Taylor, just to name a few) are the cutest pregnant girls with the cutest dogs and have asked about Reese & Glen Coco. I realized what I had to say would never fit into 5 tweets, let alone a single 140 character tweet, so a blog post was in order.

Glen Coco sitting on Reese’s lap and Reese loving it LOL 

Hay. Hayyyyy. R U gunna eat thos?

I was really worried about Glen Coco when we got pregnant. He’s an idiot. Like, we love him. But he’s the dumbest. And we (read: I) have been awful at training him. In fact I’m currently listening to Cesar Milan’s book to try and get a better bearing on what I need to do with him. Now that Reese is crawling the random indoor accidents are a much bigger deal (yeah they were always bad). Anyways, he’s an idiot and we haven’t trained him religiously. I really wanted to be sure that he would love Reese and be super cute with her like I’ve seen in every Youtube video about puppies and babies. I am only slightly ashamed to say that I watched every single one of them I could find while I was pregnant and cried at every single one.

In addition to Youtube, I read every Pinterest article, blog post, dog training website I could find about getting dogs ready for babies. It was actually a really diverse spread, and all of it seemed so theoretical, like it was written by a dog trainer that has never actually had to get pregnant and bring a baby into a home where there was already a dog.

Dis my human

Well *I* have, you guys. We had Glen Coco for almost 3 full years before Reese was born. He was used to us and our schedule. Introducing a tiny, hairless puppy into our little pack was going to be a huge change for all of us. I mean, I was worried enough about myself struggling to adjust, let alone this poor little dog who doesn’t have reasoning power to understand WTF is happening.

I have good news for you which you already know: they’re buddies. It all worked out. She loves him; he loves her. Our cuddles have gone to the next level. Yeah, the potty training is still an issue, and we’re working on the sticky fingers grabbing his fur. But for the most part Glen Coco has been SO SWEET with Reese. So patient. So cuddly. So welcoming. Part of it is that Glen Coco is just a sweetheart. An idiot. A barky idiot. But a sweetheart nonetheless. Still there’s quite a bit of what I found/did that I think will work with most dogs, so take from this what you will.

Prepare

• Prepare your dog for baby smells! I started wearing baby lotion somewhat regularly a few months before Reese was born. I would usually put it on in the evenings when I got home from school and spent the most time with Coco. I made it a point to make him smell it so he would be used to it and associate that smell with me, so when Reese came into our house smelling like that lotion he would identify her as one of us.
• Prepare your dog for baby’s room! If you’re like us, the nursery might be a room you don’t really use right now. I got a cheap doggie bed, a new tiny Kong Cone and peanut butter filling for it JUST for the nursery. From about 7 months on I would try to go in there 2-3x a week and take Glen Coco in with me. I’d give him his Kong Cone with peanut butter filling and he’d hang out with me when I’d hang things, build bookshelves, fold laundry, etc. I kept this up once Reese came and I was in there to nurse or get her ready for the day, so that Coco was familiar and comfortable in her room.Coco is used to this by now
• Prepare your dog for baby stuff! A baby is going to be a big enough change. I didn’t want to also introduce a bunch of other new things that week. Most of it we already had, so I thought it was a good idea to bring it out. We kept the car seat in the living room for a long time. I even rubbed some baby lotion on it. At first he barked at it and was super suspicious as though it was some kind of bomb just waiting to kill us all. Eventually he got used to it as part of the landscape. Same with things like the crib, the MamaRoo, even the stroller. Although I did put him in those and it freaked him out so maybe don’t do that LOL. We also introduced him to binkys because I knew that is a potential problem with dogs – they just look so chew-able!!! I would show him the binky and then give him a firm, clear “NO.” when he tried to lick or chew it. On occasion we find a binky buried in his kennel, but for the most part he leaves them alone and he never chews them!
• Reese getting reallllll aggressive with my mom’s dog Blade LOL he’s so patient
• Prepare the dog for baby hands! This was probably the most helpful tip I found on a dog training website. They said to practice grabbing small fistfuls of your dogs fur and gently pulling. At first your dog will be like “WTF!!!!!” but he/she trusts you, so they probably won’t bite or attack. Soothe them after you pull, saying “Good job, be nice, good job” or whatever works for you to communicate that they gave the right response by not overreacting. I honestly believe Glen Coco is naturally more patient with Reese – he understands she’s not a big human. If I accidentally nudge him he’ll give me a disgruntled growl, but he’ll lay below Reese’s Boppy pillow while she kicks him repeatedly and he just rolls with it. I think they get it. Still, Reese is getting way more mobile and grabby these days. I’m glad we practiced this, and we still practice with him. Basically you want them to understand “It’s ok if she pulls my hair a little. I’ll be ok.”
• Prepare the dog for less attention. This one is hard and kind of sad, but I think it’s vital. I tried to not do as much obsessing over Glen Coco, smooshing his face and baby talking to him less. When the baby comes you WILL NOT be giving your dog as much attention, no matter how kickass your dog is, and if it goes from 100% attention to 20% attention that is NOT going to go over well with Fido. Start scaling back if you can.
• Test drive a baby. There’s probably a better non-kidnappy way to say that, but essentially create a scenario in which you can see your dog interact with a small baby. Glen Coco had been around our niece Lillie for a couple of years, but she was a toddler/small kid and not a baby. Luckily we were able to babysit my cousin’s cutie baby Scarlett and then Reese’s bestie Ruby came into the world 6 weeks before Reese so he got some practice a few times before Reese was born. Introduce them slowly and carefully and watch for how they respond. That can give you some clues for what to expect when your baby arrives.
• Clean up that dog fur! The fur on your floors and couches, but also their fur coat. I got Glen Coco an appointment to be groomed the week that Reese was due so he would be fresh and clean, and also so I wouldn’t have to worry about taking him to get groomed for a while (we like him kinda shaggy so we can go 3 months or so between haircuts). I also got my carpets cleaned (found a nice deal on Groupon!) and deep cleaned my house as best I could at 9 months and 3 days pregnant.

Introducing Baby

Glen Coco meeting Reese for the first time – the day we came home!

• I’m sure you’ve already thought of this but just in case – have a “Go Plan” in place for your dog too. I realized the day before we were induced that we didn’t have a plan for Coco other than we had vaguely asked my in-laws to watch him. Are you going to leave them at home and just send your husband/family/neighbors to feed & let them out? Are you going to take them to a pet hotel? Are you going to drop them at a family member’s or friend’s house? Have a little bag of food, treats, favorite toys, leash, etc. ready to go.
• Before you leave the hospital have someone take a baby blanket home and put it in your dog’s kennel. This will expose your dog to new baby’s smell. Yes, the baby will smell like lotion, but there’s also a unique smell to each person – even newborns! My in-laws took home one of those hospital blankets that Reese had been swaddled in for a day or two, and put it in Glen Coco’s kennel for that last night before we came home. Obviously it’s hard to determine how much that affected him but I’m glad we did it.
• Greet your dog first thing. I went inside and was super excited to see Coco. I gave him loves and snuggles for a minute while The Beard unloaded the car and brought in the car seat. Make sure your dog doesn’t feel forgotten or invisible.
• Let them sniff it out! We left Reese in the car seat for a few minutes (me sitting right there, obviously) and allowed Coco to sit on my lap and just sniff and look at her. He was so confused but it was adorable. Eventually I pulled her out and just sat on the couch with the two of them. I talked in a happy, calm, soothing voice to him the whole time so hopefully he would attach positive vibes with this new little thing.
• Give them a special “Big Sibling” gift! This one is so stupid but I knew people did it when baby #2 or 3 or 4 comes along – they give a gift to the “big” siblings so they still feel special and loved. I’m ridiculous. But I got him a new bone and a new little toy and he LOVED it.

Adjusting to Life with Baby

• “I’m not the cutest one anymore.” At some point Glen Coco realized “Wait. This is like permanent? She’s not going home? THIS is her home? Wut.” That combined with the severe decrease in attention kind of made him depressed. He spent a lot of time moping and putting himself in his kennel. That’s how I got the picture above LOL. Try to give your dog a little bit of attention and positive reinforcement each day. Right now you’re thinking “Are you kidding? A *little bit* each day? Funny joke.” but I’m serious. Even if your dog is basically a Pixar character. You’ll be tired and busy and everything is constantly being re-oriented. Hours melt away, you haven’t showered in days… you might realize that you haven’t even noticed your dog since yesterday! This will be a hard adjustment. Consider having your husband, neighbor, or family help out by playing with your dog or taking him/her on a walk for you. Eventually Coco realized “Hey. Mom isn’t going to work all day every day anymore. All we do is cuddle now? OK. Hells yeah!” and then it was fine.
• Keep them well-fed and their food/water bowls full at all times. Some people feed their dogs at appointed times, some leave food out. Either way here is what dog experts said: Your dog is trying to figure out his stance in the pack. Is your baby a threat? Should they defend themselves? Survival mode? You do not want your dog to feel threatened by your baby because that can make them enemies. Food is the fastest way to make your dog feel safe or vulnerable. If you forget to feed them they can sometimes think that there isn’t enough to go around for them and this new hairless puppy. Feed them MORE than you normally would. Don’t let them even suspect that there’s a competition or any kind of limited resources for the pack (family).
• Set boundaries clear and early. If you don’t want them to lay on the baby (depending on size, if they’re indoor/outdoor, soft/rough, etc) then make that VERY CLEAR in the early weeks. When your dog grabs a binky or baby toy be swift, firm and clear in expressing that it is not theirs. If you want your dog to GTFO while you’re nursing then make that clear. Glen Coco isn’t a biter, but he will growl and nip lightly if he feels threatened. On the few occasions he’s done that to Reese I’ve yelled loudly and immediately to shock & redirect his attention, and then I put him in his kennel for a little while to communicate that “you don’t get to play if you do that.” He always comes out more docile and nice.
• Reinforce the behavior you want just as clearly. I always tried to bring Coco near Reese and then give him treats and affection when he was near her so he would associate positive feelings with her. I would have him cuddle up to us when we’d nurse or nap. I always pet and speak calmly and happily to him when he would come lay next to Reese. Soon he was snuggling up with her all the time – AND IT WAS SO EFFING ADORABLE.
• Walk with the Stroller. I wish I had done this more. Glen Coco was NOT a fan of the stroller. Maybe because I pushed him around the kitchen in it. We have no way of knowing. I wish I had taken them both out for a stroller walk earlier in Reese’s life and more regularly. He still struggles with the stroller – walking way to the side and behind me to be as far away from it as possible. It makes it crazy difficult to walk with him, so I eventually stopped trying. I’m gonna renew my efforts when it warms up again.
• As mentioned above, I’m more aware of dog cleanliness. I wash Glen Coco much more regularly, vacuum WAY more, and now that Reese loves to climb into Coco’s kennel with him I wash his bedding and toys about once a month or more. It’s easy to forget that stuff so I include it in my monthly cleaning list and schedule it out in my planner.

Babies and dogs, man. They’re just the cutest together. Preparing your dog for baby isn’t difficult, but I think it’s definitely worth doing. Having a pet in your home brings so many blessings, and it’s so so good for your baby to have a lil buddy. I highly recommend it. 🙂

If you have other tips for babies and dogs please shoot them my way – we’re still learning and trying new things to keep this family cuddly and happy.