My partner and I decided that we wanted a second child. This probably won't happen until later this year, but I figured I'd ask for advice now.

We've decided that Megan will carry this baby. Unfortunately, our first son, I wasn't around and the dogs and I got thrown into parenthood when Zeke was just a little over a year old. They've never been around a pregnant woman or a new baby. We're going to start sitting for our friend's youngest, who's a few months old, and they did relatively well.
We sat for the first time yesterday. Gatsby, the oldest, insisted on laying by her the whole time. When we put her down to sleep, he wanted to be in the same room. (Is this okay?)
Chaucer didn't care either way, and the puppy seemed to have the same attitude.
Thanks guys and gals!

My German Shepherd loves to be around my little nephew, I just let him, he's very gentle with any babies. Whenever anybody's looking for the baby we'll find the dog with the baby- just watching him, laying by him. I don't know a lot about dogs and babies, but I fully, 100% trust my dog around babies. I think it's sorta built in to dogs to be very alert with a baby. I've heard cats get really jealous around new babies, but I've never heard of any problems with dogs like that. But then again, I'm not an expert when it comes to dogs and babies. The only thing I'd give you a "heads-up" on is when the baby, for example, pulls the tail, steps on paw, plays patty-cake on dog's stomach and etc.
My dog is really good about putting up with that kind of play but some dogs might get aggresive at that point. Hope I helped*
-Renee

It seems Gatsby has the more "shepherd-like" character. Which is exactly the type of dog that does great around babies.

Well, if it helps... our son just turned two in January, and as good as he is with the dogs, he likes to "walk" them by their tails, sit on their backs, "milk" their nipples (that's my fault), stretch their faces. Hell, Chaucer... the year old pup... can be poked in the eyes, have his ears yanked on and not budge. Gatsby isn't that tolerant with his face, but the most he's ever done is gently scoot the kid out of the way and lay down in another room. I know that the 4 month old puppy will need some work. (Shoot, I probably need more prep than the dogs. I'm scared to death.)

That sounds good. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Are you and your wife wanting a boy or girl?- or do you not really care?

Well, as I'm a tomboy myself, and we're raising a son... I'd like a boy. I picked the name if it's a boy. (Tobias Rowan Cole Boltz. Our current son's name is Ezekiel Izack Thomas Kaylor... he has his father's last name, because he won't give up parental rights... even though he doesn't choose to see the boy... and I know he's not technically mine, but I see him as my son and I've done more for the kid than that moron will do in his lifetime... *RANT!!!*) Anyway, since she's carrying this one, a girl is okay, too. She picked the name (Rosemary Anna Marie)... which I'm not too fond of, but that's okay. Heh. We only want three children, so I guess I'd rather have a boy... because I don't know if I could handle two girls.

The dogs could, though. The two older Danes will sit for a toenail painting and a manicure. LoL. We do a lot of fundraising for Breast Cancer Research and the dogs are our poster children, so they're usually sporting pink toenails.

I might worry about bringing a toddler into a home with dogs, but the transition from newborn to active toddler is so gradual that the dogs can easily learn to adjust.

Just please teach your child to respect your dogs. Of course your dogs should NEVER snap at your child, but by teaching your child how to treat your dogs properly, there should be no reason for that to happen. My brother-in-law used to be so proud of how nicely his dog would tolerate his ears being pulled, his eyes being poked and being jumped on. Yes- that's great that the dog put up with it, but I wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't.

Well, the toddler is already here and all of the dogs do great. Delilah (puppy) was introduced to our family almost a year after Zeke (human) and Megan (wife) came into play. Gatsby is extremely tolerant and if he gets annoyed, he politely gets up and leaves... Chaucer is bomb-proof. He's just a lay there and take it kind of guy.

Zeke is very respectful of the dogs, though. Even at two years old, he also holds a lot of responsibilities... mostly involving them. After he moved in and was comfortable (he was just over a year), he started feeding the dogs. He helps me clean up poo. He helps bathe them and groom them. If they get too rough in play, he breaks them up or asks for help to do so.

The one thing that cracks me up is that Zeke is being potty trained. Well, he's in charge of helping me take the dogs out... and lately, since he's learning you go pee and poo in the potty... whenever one of our dogs decides to go... he gets upset and says, "Mom-Mom, he is a bad dog. Gatsby, inside! In the big boy potty." He's slowly learning the concept that the dogs toilet is outside.

I understand that all the posts here are doing well with new babies and big dogs. It's all good.
I am just posting a reminder to others that might be reading. Where a new baby is concerned, a day or 2 before the baby is brought home the baby's blanket from the hospital should be given to the dog at home to sniff, or maybe the new mommy's shirt that has the baby smell on it.
When the baby arrives at the house the man should carry in the baby after mommy enters the house first. Mommy should say hello to her companion that has been home waiting for her and probably wondering where she has been. Also gives another chance to get used to the baby smell.
Place the baby in a safe place and let the dog sniff the new baby. The adults should have hands free for just incase the dog gets too excited when greeting the baby.
People will have to understand that a dog's nose is very powerful. It can actually tell when the baby has a dirty diaper, probably even faster then mommy can. The dog will probably also be able to tell what kind of baby food is in the diaper. You laughing? Well just remember you laughing when the dog goes in to the diaper pail that you have in the corner of the room. Oh yeah, that can happen.
The dog also can react to baby booties and baby feet. You know that kicking motion that babies do. Some dogs will think the baby is playing with them and the dog may go for the baby's feet. Understand the dog and all will go fine.
Dogs and kids are what make us adults feel young again. Enjoy it!

We're both female. She is my partner and will be carrying the child. There is no man in this relationship... so does it really matter who will be walking in first or who will be carrying the new baby? (We're both Mommy and all three are extremely bonded to us... as well as our current 2 year old.)

-winks- you know i figured that out from you said partner. LOL i know we have a habit of saying partner more than straight people would which is why i picked that up.

Even if it was male and female i don't think it has a thing to do with the order things go in the dog world. My roomate is male and even HIS dog listens to me better. Just because someone is male doesn't make them the dominant.

I wanted to edit my last post because I think i was reading too much into bocch's post. I meant to say i don't think it should matter who holds the baby or enters first even if it was male or female.

I also typed a lengthy though of baby introductions but i lost all that and have to get back to work lol. slow supervised and steady. never leave the baby somewhere the dogs can get to etc.

I love it. Meg is a girly girl and a little thing, at that. She's maybe 100 pounds soak and wet and is five foot tall. I'm five-five or something to that extent, about 145 pounds, and I'm a tomboy... but generally, they listen to her better. LoL. Figures. Even Gatsby, who was WAY mine before I met her... What a traitor. Haha.

Cantebury_tails,
I apologize for not being PC in my post.
I do recommend that when first bringing the baby home that the person holding the baby enters second. This gives the first person a chance to assist in any way, the second person. Why? Cause sometimes dogs get excited. Sometimes the dog will get curious. Sometimes both of those things happen at the same time.
I was also thinking that the person that was holding the baby would have been the person that was home with the dog and the dog will be slightly less excited with that person. I was thinking with the person that was delivering the baby that this person was gone from the house or apartment longer and the dog would therefore greet this person more exuberantly.
The again, I was only trying to give a heads up.

I know this is off-topic but, how do you start a post?? I want to start one but I don't see any icons or stuff that lets me. Anyone help??
I want to start one about my dog.

Thanks, bocch.

Sounds like a plan.

I guess that I will be the one taking care of the dogs this time... so I'll be carrying the brat.

Is it bad to let a dog sleep in the same room as a baby in a crib? As I said above, Gatsby seems to be very watchful over children and we don't currently let him sleep in the same room as our 2 year old now... he has a tendency to bark... but they're super-attatched to him and beg to.

Cantebury_tails,
I know this could be taken wrong but I am gonna say it anyway. Your dogs sounds great! I have met some other gentle giants and immediately took a liking to them. I just hate that such good dogs are short lived.
I have seen this first hand with dogs and babies.
A dog's hearing is more sharp then a human's. A dog will probably react to the small noises a baby makes before a human can. It's possible then, that the dog may jump up to see why the baby is making noise.
Also, I used to own a female dog and that dog had 2 litters. With both litters, my female dog sacrificed herself to raise the pups. At the first hint of noise from a pup my female dog would be in there taking care of the puppies. Now when my dog was in the house where there was a baby present and the baby would make noise, I can see the look on my dog's face..."saying" aren't you gonna take care of that?
Why am I writing all this? I have only experienced my dogs behaving well with babies and growing children. I did not leave my dogs alone with children cause you know stuff can and will happen.The stuff that happens could be innocent but it happens anyway.

bocch,
I'm a smaller time breeder. I don't show my dogs in the ring, but I do take heed of the standard. My dogs usually go on to do service work of some kind or agility, or other "jobs" that require drive that the Great Dane has lost.

Gatsby ran agility for a while, but a bad fall from the teeter (BAD break) left him to our hiking (where I can keep him from pushing himself if need be).

His son, Chaucer, is an amazing dog. When I get the time and we brush up on his training, I'd like to work him in obedience trials. He's excellent. He might even excel at agility. The dog has SPEED.

We bought Delilah and I've dabbled a bit in her parental history, but I know Gatsby and Chaucer's general line a lot better. Instead of the usual 6-8 years that most Danes live to... I'm blessed with a line that goes 10+. Gatsby's grandmother, Diamond, died of natural causes with nothing wrong with her. She was 16 and her body just wore out. His mother and father are 10 and 11 and still going strong. Good teeth, good hearts, good heads.

I'm a bit tired so I'm going to cut this off. Have a good night.

ok Canterbury...you had to know I was gonna comment on this one too....But I think you will like what I say this time...LOL
We had a German Shephard that lived to the ripe old age of 13...he was the most wonderful dog. My kids were 4th and 6th grade when we got him, and he loved to drag my son around the room, playing with him, sometimes rough, but never in a hurtful way. My neighbor would come over with her 3 boys and it would be the same with the older two. When the baby would touch him, he would stop what he was doing and move slowly...this dog taught this baby how to walk. He was never told to do that, never trained specifically in that manner, yet he was brought up well, and taught to be a good dog. This said...it sounds like your Danes are being brought up the same way.

They know they are loved, they have this toddler that loves them, and they probably know just how far to go when playing with the toddler. They have been well cared for and well loved and trained, so I really don't think you will have a problem at all. As always, you should watch carefully, but (as you probably know) don't yell at them if you think they are getting too close or rough with the new baby. A gentle no, a gentle rub, will calm them right down to do the right thing.

I do agree that you should be the one to bring the baby into the house, as you will not be the one that was away. Megan should go in first and love up on the dogs, and then show them what she has. Let them sniff, lick, and sniff some more. When I had my first child, she was very wet by the time the dogs stopped licking and sniffing her.

We always slept with our bedroom door open, so our shephard would move from room to room. These are big dogs, so of course you don't want them jumping on the baby, but they will learn their limits quickly. Honestly, just keep doing what you're doing, it will all come together naturally. You will probably be more nervous about the new baby then they will. The only problem we had, was when the kids got old enough to disciplined, the shephard didn't like it at all. They were his babies!!...so spanking was out of the question...LOL

Good luck...I think ya'll will do just fine!!

We already have a two year old son.

As for discipline, the dogs currently don't mind, because we have a no violence rule in the house. We don't spank. We don't swat. We don't hit. All punishments are verbal and time-out type things... so other than keeping the dogs away from him when he's in trouble, they don't mind at all.