Answer: introducing new baby

Introducing a new baby

Question: This might be tricky to do but we are thinking about moving our dog who currently sleeps in the hallway to sleeping outside. We have a baby on the way and whilst we are happy to have him sleep inside he has shown us on numerous occasions how clever he is to be able to open doors that are closed by jumping up and turning the handle!  What do you think it the best way to put him outside, gradually move him closer to the door or just put him out there one night? I’d prefer to do it sooner rather than later so we doesn’t associate it with the baby at all.  He has a kennel that he doesn’t use so we were going to buy him one of those beds on legs that are about 20 cm off the ground and put his current soft bed on that.

Our dog is a Labrador X, very close to us and has a history of resource guarding which we sought professional help for. He has improved dramatically but I think the instinct is there in all dogs so I would never say he is “cured”, just seriously improved.

Your thoughts would be much appreciated!

Answer: I certainly agree that any changes should be made as soon as possible so as not to be associated with the arrival of the baby. Have you considered using a crate inside the house, so that your dog is secure at night? It would keep him out of trouble, and avoid the problems that can arise with dogs kept outside (for example nuisance barking). A crate in your living area would also be a way of allowing your dog to be part of the family while reducing the risk of interacting at the stage when your baby is crawling around, and disputes can arise over food and toys. It also offers protection, as young toddlers can find it amusing to provoke dogs into a reaction. Most dogs, when given the opportunity to learn to go in the crate come to like it and feel safe there. I would use the method of tossing treats in to induce him to go in, and rewarding him for staying in there for longer periods of time, while keeping the door open. Later you can shut the door and then reward him for staying for a length of time. I would also review your resource guarding training. I use the "approach to give not to take" method, which you can see on my website at http://kayehargreaves.com/articles/food-guarding, or in my booklet on the subject. I have had as near as "complete cure" as one could expect with this method. It is largely about changing the dog's attitude, so that he finds the approaching person welcome, a bringer of treats or toys rather than a competitor. The baby can be seen as a source of goodies without any direct confrontation being involved. I have often told the story of my German Shepherd, River, who used to lie down on the floor under my friend's baby's high chair, to eat up all the soggy weetbix etc that fell to the floor. It never led to her hassling the baby for food, but for years afterward, she would go and lie down on that spot whenever we visited my friend. You might also like to look at my book, Dogs and Children. If you are giving your dog bones, you can reduce the risk of guarding of high value resources by restricting bones to the crate. This way he will not guard bones that are buried or left lying around. When he is out of the crate and out of sight you can remove the remains of any bone and dispose of them without conflict.The most important thing about integrating dogs and babies is to create a pleasant association for the dog with the baby's presence, while at the same time asserting calm control.