Fun for the WHOLE Family!

After my first day back to work after maternity leave, I had come home and had plans on taking Sydney to Tastyland for Pup Night.  Tastyland is run by the family of one of our friends, and she created a new monthly event there recently for dogs.  The dogs get their own complimentary dish of doggy ice cream, prizes, and the dogs' families get to speak to a special guest, such as a veterinarian.  We showed up with only 15 minutes to spare that night,  but we had hit traffic leaving Pittsburgh, which held us up after I got home from work.

Sydney did get to play with her friend, Izzy, a Brittany Spaniel.  The two of them got to eat doggy ice cream together, and of course do what dogs do best... sniff every blade of grass and pee in certain spots!  Oh, and Syd felt the need to mark her territory in one of the water bowls!  ("Lemonade" anyone?)

Anyway, Sydney also got some new toys and treats in her prize bag!

Sydney made out pretty well last night, despite being late for the event.

The night was also a nice night for the whole family to get out.  Matt and I also got to eat some ice cream (for people, that is), and Taylor got a lot of attention... for being cute!  She couldn't partake in the ice cream eating due to the fact that they didn't sell Similac ice cream (just kidding. There is no such thing as Similac ice cream!).  Oh well.  If formula isn't that tasty to begin with, I guess it would be pointless to make ice cream out of it.  But when she's older and can eat ice cream, she'll be right there with us picking a sundae flavor!

It got me thinking about my next blog post about making a family work with a child and dog... fun for the WHOLE family!

The main reason for our night out was for Sydney to have fun, but it really ended up being enjoyment for all of us.

So, try to find dog-friendly family activities for your entire family to enjoy.  Your dog is included, and the rest of the family is having fun, too.  If you see a place that offers a Pup Night of some type, take your family and the dog with you.

Many Major League Baseball teams now offer designated games which you could bring your dog.  As a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, we took Sydney to a Pup Night at PNC Park with our friend, Gretchen, and her dog, Izzy.  It was a fun night for all!  There was a section for just the people with pups.  The pups even had their own admission ticket that said, "Admit One Pup."  They have an area with sawdust on the floor for the dogs to relieve themselves.  There are treat stations set up along with water bowls.  Also, there's a concession stand for the humans.  So, bring the family -- dog included -- for a night at the ballpark!

Other MLB teams (aside from the Pirates) do something like this, too:

• Atlanta  Braves
• Chicago White Sox
• Cincinnati Reds
• Cleveland Indians
• Florida Marlins
• Houston Astros
• Kansas City Royals
• L.A. Dodgers
• Oakland Athletics
• St. Louis Cardinals
• San Diego Padres
• San Franciso Giants
• Texas Rangers
• Washington Nationals

Check each team's web site for more information.

Here are suggestions other people have made for family time with the dog:

Ashley Mazzie, Florida, says that their family always enjoyed taking the dog to the dog park on Sundays.

Cathy Stephens, Maryland., says that they like to go for car rides to get ice cream and meet with the other dog parents there.They also like to swim in the pool, stay at dog-friendly hotels, and spend a lot of lap time together.

Gretchen Kuhns, Pennsylvania, says that they like to go for picnics at nearby state parks and eat KFC there.  She says that her family has done this since she was a child.  Now that she is an adult, there are not too many places that she does not take her dogs.

Melissa Goss, Pennsylvania, says that they used to take her dog on hikes and play children's games outside, such as "Red Light, Green Light."

A dog is a member of the family; just like a child.  In order to make sure that the dog feels included and not left out of the family activities, choose some dog-friendly activities and places to go.  While impossible to do for EVERYTHING, try to make a point for an entire family outing once in a while in which all family members -- two-legged and four-legged -- will enjoy!

Sydney and I at the Pirates game for Pup Night at PNC Park!

My Dog is a Meteorologist! Thunderstorm Predictor!

While you may wonder what this has to do with adjusting to life with a dog and baby, it is important to note that some dogs' behavior in response to thunderstorm anxiety could not only be an annoyance to the whole family, but even unsafe for a new baby and stressful for the dog's health.  Read below for some helpful tips on caring for a dog who is terrified of thunderstorms.

Sydney sometimes likes to follow me around the house.  She probably does it because she likes me (I hope so), and because she's still nosy with what's going on with the baby.

I do notice, however, that there are times when she's following me a little more closely.  I'm practically kicking her little face with my heel because she has to be right on my heels as I walk!  If we were driving, she would be tailgating me!  In NASCAR terms, it called drafting.

It's at this point that I realize that my dog can predict the weather better than any meteorologist on TV!

Not only do I notice that she is following me a little too closely, but I also notice  other things.  Her tail no longer looks like that cute, curly Shih Tzu tail; it is now down and between her legs.  She appears to have this look of worry.  She watches my every move, as if I'm going to escape her.  When I sit down on the couch, she climbs up on my lap, and I can feel her little body shaking.  Lucky for Taylor, she does not jump on the baby if I'm holding her.  She'll still sit next to me on the couch and lean her little head up on my leg.

At this point, I hope I don't have to go to the bathroom since my lap is occupied with baby and dog's head.  If I do, I'm not going in the bathroom alone, and I probably won't be sitting on the toilet alone either.

I can come to two possible conclusions on why she's doing this: we're going to get a thunderstorm or there are fireworks (if it's late June or early July, I can conclude that the issue is fireworks).

Why are so many dogs afraid of thunderstorms?

According to The Dog Trainer, they fear the lightning, they don't like the loud sounds associated with thunder, and they can hear thunder up to a distance much longer than humans can.  They can sense the barometric pressure and smell ozone in the air, too.  One way to treat the fear of thunderstorms is to duplicate a more mild version of a thunderstorm and use treats to train them to relax.  That's one suggestion that The Dog Trainer makes.  I may try this with Sydney by using thunderstorm sounds.

The Dog Trainer also suggests that if the dog's anxiety in a thunderstorm is that severe, it might be best to medicate the dog to help him or her relax, especially if you're not home and he or she could potentially cause damage in the house.  A veterinarian's office can provide a medication to keep the dog relaxed.

I have also noticed in some pet stores that they carry a brand of homeopathic remedies for thunderstorms and fireworks.  HomeoPet provides such a remedy for Anxiety TFLN (thunderstorms, fireworks, loud noises).  It's easy to apply: place the recommended amount of drops -- per the dog's size -- in the dog's water a few times a day.

Pet Expertise recommends possibly using a crate, a possible safe haven, for a dog during a thunderstorm. Also, try to speak calmly and cheerfully to the dog to help calm him or her, and keep the dog distracted by playing.  They also recommend some possible clothing for the dog to help add pressure to the dog's body to calm.  See this Dog Thundershirt, for example.

It is still important to help a dog deal with thunderstorm anxiety for the entire family's sake and the dog's sake.  A storm is very stressful on the dog, and the dog's reaction to it could also add stress on the family dealing with his or her behavior to it!

To Lick or Not to Lick? That is the question!

My little Sydney is a licker!  Sometimes we have to make her stop because she tends to go a little overboard with the licking!  She's being affectionate and yet curious by licking.  I even taught her a cute little trick when she was a puppy in regards to her licking... I would say in an excited voice, "I love you!" and she would give me doggy kisses!  Once she caught on to the excited tone of my voice and the words"I love you," she would do it all the time.

Her giving a lot of kisses did not seem like a problem until the baby came home.

I've been debating on whether or not to let her continue licking as a sign of affection.  I don't want Taylor exposed to any unnecessary germs, but yet I don't want to alter a part of Sydney's personality either.

I have been doing my best to let Sydney lick the baby on the arms and legs, but not the hands or mouth.  I might even let her lick the baby's cheeks, but not the mouth.  Sometimes Syd seems to know which parts she can lick, but sometimes she gets too excited and forgets.  This usually results in a "Ah-ah!" from me to get her attention to stop.

But I want to know if the dog licking is really harmful to the baby.  My mom always says, "The dog licks her behind and then licks you!"  Perhaps that image is a little disgusting.

I've been doing a lot of Google searches on the topic of dogs licking a baby, and so far, it seems as if it is okay for the dog to lick as long as:

• The dog is healthy with no illnesses that could be passed.
• The dog does not drink out of the toilet, eat feces or any other thing that would have a lot of bacteria.
• The dog is taught not to lick the baby's mouth and maybe even the hands and fingers since babies put their fingers in their mouths frequently.

Should the dog lick the baby's fingers, clean them with soap and water.  Try to do it quickly before junior or little miss decides to put them in his or her mouth!  Same for the mouth... clean it with a warm, wet wash cloth.  But it's best to train the dog not to lick the baby's fingers or face (at least mouth).

The theory that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's seems to be true as well.  A human's bite contains more bacteria than a dog's bite, which means more chances of infection.  (Again, going on the assumption that the dog is healthy and has updated vaccinations and no contagious diseases that might be passed to a human.)  But this does not mean the dog's mouth is 100% sanitary either.  So, if you're apprehensive about the dog licking the baby, you may be better off training the dog not to do it.  However, I think you know your dog better than anyone, and you'll know whether your dog will be a "safe" licker or not.  Limits may need to be set on licking, such as where on the body to lick and whether or not the dog can lick just a little bit or if it's okay to let them lick away.

I'm still looking into the licking issue, so if I find out any more, I will post it.

Taking Care of Dog's Health Benefits Whole Family

While life with a new baby can seem overwhelming at times -- I would certainly know with a 2-month-old baby girl -- it is still a good idea to keep taking your dog (or cat or any other animal living in/at the home) to his or her veterinarian on a regular basis.  It might be easy to forget about taking your dog to the vet for wellness checkups. Our vet's office sends us a postcard in the mail to remind us to make Sydney's yearly wellness exam a month before her exam is due (approximately a year after the previous appointment).  It seems like a lot of people only take their new puppy to the vet for the first shots and stuff, but after that a trip to the vet is only for problems. Wellness exams are still very important!

Even if your dog is healthy and doesn't seem to need veterinary care, it is still a good idea to take your dog to the vet at least once a year to make sure he or she is still a healthy dog.  THIS ISN'T JUST FOR THE DOG'S SAKE.  It is also for the sake of the rest of the family, especially the new baby.

If certain bacteria is passed between the dog and baby -- or any other family member for that matter -- things like hookworms can infect the baby.  By keeping up with the dog's health and having him or her tested for heartworm and other types of worms, like intestinal worms, on a regular basis, you can prevent your child from getting worms from the dog.  So, if your vet's office asks you to bring in a stool sample, bring it!  They'll test it for worms!

My husband and I had been interested in a lot of natural and holistic preventions and remedies for Sydney.  Heartworm (and worms in general) seems to be one of those ailments that there isn't an easy prevention available for the dog.  Last year I tried giving Sydney a holistic worm prevention by adding drops to her water, but it was hard to find a way to keep giving Sydney the medicine since she's very picky with how fresh her water is.  She typically refuses water that is more than a few hours old.  Unfortunately, this meant a lot of wasted holistic worm prevention medicine.  I've tried "tricking" her into taking it all, but she's too darn smart sometimes!  If the instructions didn't say to keep the drops at room temperature, putting them in ice cubes would have been ideal since she LOVES ice cubes!

We debated on whether we should give her the heartworm prevention treatments sold in vet's offices despite preferring holistic prevention treatments.  We knew that if she ever got heartworm and died from it because we did nothing to prevent it -- or gave her something that she wouldn't take much of -- we'd never forgive ourselves.

I talked to our vet about it, and she said that the heartworm prevention options that they provided were safe.  She also reminded me that with a new baby in the house, it's important to prevent a worm infection for both Sydney's sake AND Taylor's sake (as well as ours).  Once Taylor starts to crawl and discover more of her surroundings, she'll also discover more of Sydney's surroundings (doggy toys, doggy's water, etc.). And, as we all know with babies, everything goes in the mouth!  Can't always prevent the baby from starting to put something like Sydney's Nylabone, for example, in her mouth.  So, heartworm prevention treatment would stop any heartworm/intestinal worm infection inside Sydney, which in turn would prevent a potential infection in Taylor and possibly us.

Tough decision... try to prevent heartworm/worms with natural medicines that Sydney doesn't seem to take to -- and potentially not work if she doesn't take it -- and risk an infection someday OR have Sydney take something that a lot of vet's offices recommend and would be easier to get into her?

We decided on her taking Iverheart, which prevents not just heartworm but intestinal worms as well.  So, I left Sydney's yearly vet appointment with Iverheart and gave it to her at home.  It's a monthly treatment, and we were given a 6-month supply.  She took it no problem.

I still wonder if we made the right decision on not getting a holistic treatment, but we figure that some type of prevention would be better than none.  And not just for Sydney's sake, but for the entire family as well. We had to think big picture!

Make sure your dog's vaccinations are updated.  Sydney's vaccinations are good for 3 years, so hers weren't due this year, but next year she'll need them.  Something like rabies can be passed from any animal to a human with a bite.  What if your dog gets bitten by a raccoon outside at night?  You don't know if that raccoon was rabid.  Rabid animals don't act like themselves and may bite you, even if they love you.  And the treatment for a human with rabies is nasty -- all those shots to the belly!  Any animal found with rabies will be put down.  Potentially a devastating scenario: your dog gets bitten by another rabid animal, gets rabies, bites your or a member of your family and has to be put down.  And your child gets infected as well and has to go through a nasty treatment. Bad scenario overall! Just get the vaccinations updated!

The most important reason for keeping up with your dog's health is simple: a healthy dog is a happy dog, which can translate to a happy and healthy family!

Let your dog be healthy and happy for many years so that your little one and doggy can be best buds for many years to come!  Good health will help them to truly grow up together!

Sometimes Sydney Still Gets Jealous

Like any child getting a younger sibling, some kids adjust fairly well while others have jealousy issues that are enough to cause concern.  Even if a child is doing well with the adjustment to a baby, they might still get jealous, even if it's not causing any major problems.

The same thing happens with Sydney sometimes.  I truly do believe that most of the time she's adjusting well to the baby and really does love her.  She has seemed to accept her as a member of the family by now and wants to be just as much of a companion and family member to her as she is to us.  However, I still see bouts of jealousy in her, even if she's not being mean or anything like that.

We have a neighbor named Sofia, whom Sydney absolutely loves!  Any time that Sofia comes over to say Hello when Sydney is outside, she gives her a lot of attention.  Sydney gets really excited when she sees her! 

Sofia also loves to see Taylor...

When Sofia pays attention to Taylor, Sydney will jump up at Sofia as if she's reminding her, "Hey, Sofia!  I'm down here, ya know!"  Sofia will laugh it off and tell Sydney that she knows she's being jealous and she loves her, too, and will pet Sydney as she tells her.

I have also seen Sydney get a little upset when Matt's parents are paying attention to Taylor for too long.  "Too long" usually means more than a couple of minutes.  His parents, however, have gotten adjusted to making sure that they are paying attention to both "grandchildren."  So, one will usually hold Taylor while the other holds Sydney.  At some point, they'll switch.  So, she won't have to be quite as jealous after a while.

Sydney might have a harder time with my parents.  It's not that they don't love her.  They do, but they believe older philosophies when it comes to having a dog around a baby.  Also, they don't necessarily believe as much in making a dog their "grandchild."  They believe it's silly.  I know that they're entitled to their own opinions about the dog being a "grandchild," but it bothers me in a way since she's still so important to us - with or without baby. My parents dogsat for us a couple of weekends ago, and Sydney was the little princess dog then, but not when the baby is around.

They also tend to be more panicky of the dog coming near the baby, so usually Matt and I are picking up the slack on paying attention to Sydney when my parents are around since their interest is primarily with the baby.  We certainly don't want Sydney to associate any of our parents' visits with the baby as being a bad experience... this is how resentment of a new baby is created to begin with.  If someone shoos the dog away from the baby, the dog will no longer feel welcome.  There's gotta be a better way of "shooing" her away from the baby if it makes them that uncomfortable without actually "shooing" her.  I'd suggest having her play with a toy as a distraction.

It's hard to explain this to my parents without them ridiculing us and telling us that she's "only a dog."  I do believe that when my younger sisters are around with Mom and Dad, they make it an easier visit for Sydney by playing with her while my parents play with the baby.  The girls will get their turn with the baby, but until then, they'll enjoy Sydney's company.  I'd write a blog on how to keep peace with the parents/in-laws and the dog with the new baby, but I'm still working on dealing with this issue myself.

In our class at Animal Friends, we were told to keep peace by just using a gate to keep the dog in another room away from the baby and, in our case, my parents.  However, I don't think Sydney should have to be put away in another room just because my parents are here.  I might have to test that theory someday and see if it works.  More about this will follow in another post sometime when I learn more about it and try it with Sydney and my parents.  There's just gotta be a better way.

Matt and I really try to make sure that Sydney is not ignored.  Sometimes life with a new baby really does get hectic and requires a lot of attention goes to the baby.  But we both always make a point to give Syd a pat on the head and even say to her, "Gee, Taylor is really fussy today, isn't she?"  I know that Sydney can't respond back, "Yes, she certainly is fussy today," but the point is for Sydney to know that even when things get crazy with the baby, we haven't forgotten about her.

One thing I try to do when Taylor has been fussy and has been a little high maintenance attention-wise is make sure that when she goes down for a nap, that's Sydney time.  If I need a nap myself, I invite Sydney up on the couch to nap with me.  If I'm not sleepy, I'll get a toy and play with her.  Either way, Sydney knows that I'm still here for her.

I also try to "involve" Sydney in some baby care.  I'll let her follow me into the baby's room for diaper changes.  "C'mon, Syd, let's go change Taylor's diaper!" or follow me out to the kitchen when I say, "Let's get Taylor a bottle!"  True, she's not actually changing the diaper or getting a bottle ready, but she still likes to go along, even if for a minute or until she gets bored with it.  By being "involved," it can cut down on jealousy. This same concept of being involved can also apply to a baby's older siblings (human ones, that is).

So, despite all of our efforts to make Sydney a well-adjusted doggy to having a baby in the house, sometimes a little jealousy is unavoidable.  You just have to find a way to deal with it and reassure your dog that he or she is still loved.

No, Sydney, Taylor's Binky Is Not For You!

Funny story...

One day I had just put Taylor down for a nap in the playpen.  I went to the kitchen to get something to drink and a snack.  When I was done with that, I walked back in the living room where the playpen was and noticed that Sydney was chewing on something.  I went over just to make sure it was a toy of hers and not something else.

Sydney was chewing on one of Taylor's binkies!

I realized that it was the one that I kept in one of the outside pockets in the diaper bag.  I had put the diaper bag down on the floor after taking Taylor to church one Sunday.  I guess Sydney found the diaper bag on the floor, sniffed out the binky, and then decided to chew it.  Must have felt good in her little doggy mouth, too!

After laughing about it for a minute, I took the binky from Sydney and told her that it wasn't for her.  Then I washed and sterilized the binky.

What will be fun someday is when Taylor is crawling and walking, and I have to keep her from putting Sydney's toys in her mouth!  But we'll worry about that when the time comes...

So, be careful where you put the baby's binkies.  Make sure it is not within reach that the dog can get to it.  Just to be safe since you don't always know where your dog's mouth has been... if your dog gets hold of a binky or another one of the baby's toys -- even bottle nipples -- you should probably wash it really well with hot water and dish soap and just to be safe, sanitize it.

I think Sydney loves her!

After watching Sydney and Taylor interact since we brought Taylor home from the hospital, I've been watching Sydney around the baby for signs on whether or not she likes her.  Sydney is a sweet little doggy to begin with, so I knew her personality would be no problem.  However, I've been trying to look for signs that she loves her new little sister.  It took some time since I think Sydney wasn't sure about this new arrival right away.  She wasn't mean, but you could tell she didn't really know what to think.  I did notice that after a while, she wanted to be around the baby more and more.  Here are some cute little stories that I think prove my point that Sydney loves Taylor...

Baby Taylor got her first immunizations yesterday at the pediatrician's office.  She got the oral vaccination for Rotavirus (glad she got that... my nephew had rotavirus when he was a baby before the vaccine was available, and it was nasty!) and 3 shots: DTaP (Diptheria, throat illness; Tetanus, lockjaw; and Pertussis, whooping cough), HIB (meningitis), and PCV13 (pneumococcal disease, which also causes meningitis and pneumonia), and IPV (polio).  All that was just FYI for new parents who will have to have their baby vaccinated around age 2 months.

Anyway, as you can imagine, the poor little baby was miserable and fussy yesterday.  After all, her little legs were sore from the shots going into her thighs, and she wasn't feeling that great from them either!  Wouldn't you?

I tried to comfort her during one of the times that she was crying, but nothing I did would comfort her.  I sat down on the couch and tried to pat her back with her little head up on my shoulder.  Sydney, who was sitting in the window right behind the couch, walked over and gave Taylor a kiss on the forehead -- and the baby instantly stopped crying!  It was though Sydney was upset by her crying and gave her a kiss to say, "Don't cry, little baby!"

Another way that I know Sydney loves her new little sister is that when Taylor is gone, she misses her.  I went to visit my parents in Johnstown a couple of weeks ago.  Matt stayed home and kept Sydney with him since traveling with both the baby and dog by myself was a bit much.  So, Taylor and I were in Johnstown, and Matt and Sydney stayed in Pittsburgh.  Later that night, Matt sent a picture to my phone of Sydney sitting underneath Taylor's baby swing with her head down.  She had a look on her face that seemed to say, "Where's the baby?"

Perhaps the cutest thing that Sydney does when Taylor cries is that she has to come to the rescue.  If Taylor is in her playpen and starts to cry, Sydney jumps up at the side of it (it's very sturdy, and Sydney isn't big enough to knock it over), looks and sniffs where the baby is, and then looks at either one of us... like we didn't notice that she's crying.  I think it's her way of saying, "She's crying... do something to make her stop!"

It's also very cute when we take Taylor to her room to change her diaper.  Sydney will follow us to the changing table and then watch us change her diaper... either for a brief time or she'll sit there and watch until we're done.  Matt and I jokingly say, "Sydney the Supervisor!"  I'll then reassure Sydney that, yes, we're doing our job.

So, when you bring your new baby home to meet your dog, it may take some time, but over the course of several weeks, you'll start to notice signs that your dog loves your new little one!