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mini dachshund & a new baby
I don't know if any of you have one - but they are severely stubborn & set in their ways. My dog is a little over a year old. He is barely more than a puppy, but he has NEVER been the kind to want to listen.
While he IS a good dog, he just doesn't always know when to say when. He likes to cuddle & be paid attention to like any animal. But...with a baby on the way, I'm nervous about how he may react to her. He's been around children before. He loves them. But, I just know that he is going to want to be in her face all the time.
Are there any solutions that you can think of to remedy this situation? I have seriously considered getting him professional training, but lots of other dachshund owners have told me that it's not worth it & they will only listen for a short period of time... then slip back into their old ways.
I've been thinking about getting a baby doll & seeing how he responds to that.
~ *BFP 10.21.11
Re: mini dachshund & a new baby
All dogs need professional training. Period. If you've never done a class with him, sign up now. It will teach you more than it teaches him, and you will bond together while learning. And training isn't about the classes; it's about what you do between the classes and then afterward. Sure, if you assert yourself and show your dog that he needs to listen to you for a few days, that's fine. But if you stop asserting yourself, and you stop making your dog obey you after that, then it was all for naught, no?
You control the dog's behavior by controlling the dog's behavior. If you don't trust the dog around the baby, then don't let the dog around the baby. Gate him in a room that the baby's not in. Crate him. Tether him to you. Babies and dogs should never be together unsupervised.
Google NILIF. Start it now. Here's an example: my dog runs with me. He's always been a puller...because I've let him be a puller. A few weeks ago we decided we'd had it. Now if he pulls, we stop. When he's not pulling, we run. When I need to wait at a red light or a stop sign, he sits and stays or we don't start running again. Etc.
My Lunch Blog
As Katie said, all dogs need training. How long the dog listens to you depends on what YOU do to maintain the training.
Babydoll=/=baby. Children=/=baby. My dogs love kids, but wanted nothing to do with the baby. They still dont, because she's loud and wobbly. You won't know how your pup will react until they're around one, but if the pup is spoiled, it probably wont be well. Enroll in a positive reinforcement class (one on one in-homes would be better, but also more $$$) ASAP to establish a better relationship and teach him some helpful commands before the baby gets here.
Have you seen my monkey?
~ *BFP 10.21.11