What's the best way to introduce your small (size) dogs to your newborn child?

http://www.wikifido.com/page/Cesar's+Way%3A+Bringing+Home+Baby

HSUS

You need to get good leadership with your dogs, so they respect you and obey you. When you have the baby and are still in the hospital, have your husband bring something home from the hospital so the dogs can smell your new baby. As they smell the object, give them lots of pets and praise. When you bring the baby home, watch your dogs carefully. If they are being good, lots of praise, if they do any type of bad behavior, tell them “no”. If they don’t obey your “no”, then fill up a soda can with coins and shake it as you say “no”, or squirt them with a spay bottle filled with water as you say, “no”. This makes your “no” seem more impressive. You ultimately want to get good voice control of them, so that you don’t need to grab them, push them, or even pick them up to get them to obey you. As they start respecting your “no”, you can use the can filled with coins, or spray bottle less and less.

Also, it will become more difficult to balance your time. Don’t make your dogs have a bad association with the baby by only paying attention to them while the baby is sleeping. Instead, only give your dogs attention when the baby is around. Ignore them at other times. They will soon associate the baby with positive things.

Good luck.

Prepare the dogs for the fact that you are having a baby. Talk to them now about the coming baby. Tell them the baby is very special and they can’t get too close.

Remember (even though it will be very hectic) to give them a little bit of love after the baby comes.

You will be surprised at how gentle they will be with the baby. They know that babies are different.

I love @noelleptc ‘s answer. I think pre-conditioning might be the best idea. Get your four-legged babies used to the idea of a new baby with a doll first and hopefully when baby Carson comes home, they will be gentle with him. Congratulations and I love the baby name!!

First all ways keep a leash on them, even if they are just walking around with the leashes dragging behind them. Start working with them for 10min periods at least once a day preferable 3 time a day, you have a stubborn breed. If you can get a friend or someone to help it would be easier but you can do it yourself as well. Sit on the floor; have the other person hold the leash. You need to let the dogs instigate the new thing in there territory (i am sorry to call your son a thing but that is what it is to them, remember they are dogs even if they are your babies they don’t know what this small child is). every time the dog gets excited or tries to jump have the other person jerk the leash back with a quick snap and walk out of the room (don’t touch them don’t say anything other than live it or whatever word you plan to stick with), you get up with your son and walk away without saying anything. Switch positions were you take the dogs and the other person takes your baby. Probably best to do it one by one were the other dog is not seen, after they start to so progress you will have to do it with other dog in the room to show neither dog should be doing this. They will catch on to when i do this i am taken away and not getting positive attention. If no one is there and you baby is in a crib and the dogs start to get to excited you can grab that dangling leash and jerk it and only repeat the words you chose (ex. Leave it). This way they do not know when it is attached and when it is not, and they lean no matter what is going on this is not acceptable behavior. It also gives you an easy way to remove your dogs till they can be trusted around the new baby. You need to keep a calm environment in the house, no excitement when you get home or any other time just calm. If you can, ignore the dogs for the first 15–30 mins after you come in the door this will help. Be persistent, stern, try not to get emotional, and hang in there it could take a few weeks but it will work. This really is not the worst problem or even something that hard to fix. If it still doesn’t get better have a trainer come to your house and see what might be stimulating the dogs. Good luck.